About Funky Dung
Who is Funky Dung?
29-year-old grad student in Intelligent Systems (A.I.) at the University of Pittsburgh. I consider myself to be politically moderate and independent and somewhere between a traditional and neo-traditional Catholic.
I was raised Lutheran, spent a number of years as an agnostic, and joined the Catholic Church at the 2000 Easter Vigil.
Why Funky Dung?
I haven't been asked this question nearly as many times as you or I might expect. Funky Dung is a reference to an obscure Pink Floyd song. On the album Atom Heart Mother, there is a track called Atom Heart Mother Suite. It's broken up into movements, like a symphony, and one of the movements is called Funky Dung. I picked that nickname a long time ago (while I was still in high school I think), shortly after getting an internet connection for the first time. To me it means "cool/neat/groovy/spiffy stuff/crap/shiznit", as in "That's some cool stuff, dude!"
Whence Ales Rarus?
I used to enjoy making people guess what this means, but I've decided to relent and make it known to all. Ales Rarus is a Latin play on words. "Avis rarus" means "a rare bird" and carries similar meaning to "an odd fellow". "Ales" is another Latin word for bird that carries connotations of omens, signs of the times, and/or augery. If you want to get technical, both "avis" and "ales" are feminine (requiring "rara", but they can be made masculine in poetry (which tends to breaks lots of rules). I decided I'd rather have a masculine name in Latin. ;) Yeah, I'm a nerd. So what? :-P
Wherefore blog?
It is my intention to "teach in order to lead others to faith" by being always "on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers . . . or to the faithful" through the "use of the communications media". I also act knowing that I "have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors [my] opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church, and [I] have a right to make [my] opinion known to the other Christian faithful, with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward [my and their] pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons." (adapted from CCC 904-907)
Statement of Faith
I have been baptized and confirmed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I, therefore, renounce Satan; I renounce all his works; I renounce all his allurements.
I hold and profess all that is contained in the Apostles' Creed, the Niceno- Constantinopolitan Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
Having been buried with Christ unto death and raised up with him unto a new life, I promise to live no longer for myself or for that world which is the enemy of God but for him who died for me and rose again, serving God, my heavenly Father, faithfully and unto death in the holy Catholic Church.
I am obedient to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. That is, I promote and defend authentic Catholic Teaching and Faith in union with Christ and His Church and in union with the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of St. Peter.
Thanks be unto Thee, O my God, for all Thy infinite goodness, and, especially, for the love Thou hast shown unto me at my Confirmation. I Give Thee thanks that Thou didst then send down Thy Holy Spirit unto my soul with all His gifts and graces.
May He take full possession of me for ever.
May His divine unction cause my face to shine.
May His heavenly wisdom reign in my heart.
May His understanding enlighten my darkness.
May His counsel guide me.
May His knowledge instruct me.
May His piety make me fervent.
May His divine fear keep me from all evil.
Drive from my soul, O Lord, all that may defile it.
Give me grace to be Thy faithful soldier, that having fought the good fight of faith, I may be brought to the crown of everlasting life, through the merits of Thy dearly beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Behind the Curtain: an Interview With Funky Dung (Thursday, March 03, 2005)
I try to avoid most memes that make their way 'round the blogosphere (We really do need a better name, don't
we?), but some are worth participating in. Take for instance the "interview game" that's the talk o'
the 'sphere. I think it's a great way to get to know the people in neighborhood. Who are the people in your
neighborhood? In your neighborhod? In your neigh-bor-hoo-ood...*smack* Sorry, Sesame Street flashback.
Anyhow, I saw Jeff "Curt Jester"
Miller's answers and figured since he's a regular reader of mine he'd be a good interviewer. Without
further ado, here are my answers to his questions.
1. Being that your pseudonym Funky Dung was chosen from a Pink Floyd track on Atom Heart Mother, what is you
favorite Pink Floyd song and why?
Wow. That's a tuffy. It's hard to pick out a single favorite. Pink Floyd isn't really a band known for
singles. They mostly did album rock and my appreciation of them is mostly of a gestalt nature. If I had to
pick one, though, it'd be "Comfortably Numb". I get chills up my spine every time I hear it and if
it's been long enough since the last time, I get midty-eyed. I really don't know why. That's a rather
unsatisfying answer for an interview, so here are the lyrics to a Rush song. It's not their best piece of music,
but the lyrics describe me pretty well.
New World Man
He's a rebel and a runner
He's a signal turning green
He's a restless young romantic
Wants to run the big machine
He's got a problem with his poisons
But you know he'll find a cure
He's cleaning up his systems
To keep his nature pure
Learning to match the beat of the old world man
Learning to catch the heat of the third world man
He's got to make his own mistakes
And learn to mend the mess he makes
He's old enough to know what's right
But young enough not to choose it
He's noble enough to win the world
But weak enough to lose it ---
He's a new world man...
He's a radio receiver
Tuned to factories and farms
He's a writer and arranger
And a young boy bearing arms
He's got a problem with his power
With weapons on patrol
He's got to walk a fine line
And keep his self-control
Trying to save the day for the old world man
Trying to pave the way for the third world man
He's not concerned with yesterday
He knows constant change is here today
He's noble enough to know what's right
But weak enough not to choose it
He's wise enough to win the world
But fool enough to lose it ---
He's a new world man...
2. What do you consider your most important turning point from agnosticism to the Catholic Church.
At some point in '99, I started attending RCIA at the Pittsburgh Oratory. I mostly went to ask a lot of
obnoxious Protestant questions. Or at least that's what I told myself. I think deep down I wanted desperately
to have faith again. At that point I think I'd decided that if any variety of Christianity had the Truth, the
Catholic Church did. Protestantism's wholesale rejection of 1500 years of tradition didn't sit well with me,
even as a former Lutheran.
During class one week, Sister Bernadette Young (who runs the program) passed out thin booklet called "
Handbook for Today's Catholic". One paragraph
in that book spoke to me and I nearly cried as I read it.
"A person who is seeking deeper insight into reality may sometimes have doubts, even about God himself.
Such doubts do not necessarily indicate lack of faith. They may be just the opposite - a sign of growing faith.
Faith is alive and dynamic. It seeks, through grace, to penetrate into the very mystery of God. If a
particular doctrine of faith no longer 'makes sense' to a person, the person should go right on seeking. To
know what a doctrine says is one thing. To gain insight into its meaning through the gift of understanding is
something else. When in doubt, 'Seek and you will find.' The person who seeks y reading, discussing,
thinking, or praying eventually sees the light. The person who talks to God even when God is 'not there' is
alive with faith."
At the end of class I told Sr. Bernadette that I wanted to enter the Church at the next Easter vigil.
3. If you were a tree what kind of, oh sorry about that .. what is the PODest thing you have ever
done?
I set up
WikiIndex, a clearinghouse for reviews
of theological books, good, bad, and ugly. It has a long way to go, but it'll be cool when it's finished. :)
4. What is your favorite quote from Venerable John Henry Newman?
"Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt."
5. If you could ban one hymn from existence, what would it be?
That's a tough one. As a member of
the Society for a Moratorium on the Music of
Marty Haugen and David Haas, there are obviously a lot of songs that grate on my nerves. If I had to pick
one, though, I'd probably pick
"Sing
of the Lord's Goodness" by Ernie Sands.
It seems that a number of my readers are fans of the Tridentine mass. Some are rad-trads; others aren’t. I’m curious just how many of my readers attend indult masses. If you do, please leave a comment and/or add a pin to my Frappr map.
you’ll always find me in the back of the local indult at St Bonafice.
I’m partial to CGS myself, even if it was replaced officially with the MKS system.
So my favorite mass would be grams.
Funky is all about the English system, Rob, so don’t put your foot in it again, lest he pound you.
Funky wouldn’t slug me (the English system unit of acceleration) because the pound is not a unit of mass but of force. An object that weighs one lb. on Earth does not weigh anything in orbit, and it’s weight is about 1/6th lb. on the moon, yet it still contains ~454g of mass.
You don’t want to get into a pun battle with me. I can pun up through partial differential equations and advanced pysics. At one time, I considered becoming a quantum mechanic.
I added a second pin to supplement the smartass one Kevin and I left earlier.
Anyway, I’ll usually be at the 11:00 High Mass on Sundays; either that, or I’ll make an occasional jaunt to the Byzantine rite.
Rob, you don’t know who you’re up against. Jer’s email sig is “…he would go to his death with a pun half-formed, if he could think of nothing better.” Let the punishment begin. 🙂
BTW, there is a pound mass:
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/Pound-Mass.html
I would be the aforementioned Rad Trad. We’re always at the Indult at St. Boniface, feel free to come up and say hi after Holy Mass!
i think i’ve actually seen you and your family (sometimes i only see you and your little boy, though) at High Mass (sometimes i attend Low, sometimes High) before, about two rows in front of me. (i usually sit in the last pew near the center aisle on the Gospel side and wear a bandana and long hippie skirts.) i’ll be at Low Mass this Sunday, but i’ll say hi after High Mass next Sunday.
Edey: Sounds great!
See Rob, I can poundal of you in punnery. 🙂
I love the latin mass, the living icon of the heavenly court. I also met a really beautiful girl there, and now she’s mine.
dude, Jordan, don’t get all sappy and shit or I won’t let you stay at my apartment when you wanna visit that girl you met at the Latin Mass!
Kidding,
I am just beyond putting my finger what has been wrong with my religous life the last 20 years. I am in the process of becoming a Rad-Trad. I don’t like the changes I’ve seen in my 42 years of life.
I am now in what I consider a pretty strange and “innovative” dioceses (Rochester, NY) and it has prompted me to begin examining what Vatican II was about, and compare it to what existed before.
Went to my first High Tridente mass at St Stanislav in Rochester (almost two hours away) loved it and I know I liked what was before VII better.
Rochester is REALLY out there. If you ever go to Pittsburgh, PA, go to noon mass at the Oratory. For a Novus Ordo liturgy, it’s pretty dignified. I sing in the schola, so I’m doing my small part for the reform of the reform. 😉
+Bishop Clark is off his rocker. He’s one of the four US bishops who distributes the Eucharist to the Rainbow Sash people at Pentecost (the others being Archbishops Mahony and Flynn and Bishop Gumbleton). You’re probably not getting a great vision of what the Church is like in the US, seeing as how Rochester is so out there. Then again, that there is such a problem at all is highly disappointing. As an aside, I am friends with the guy who used to play the organ at the Rochester indult Mass, and he has nothing but good to say about the priest and laity at that Mass.
Well, I’m new to things here…I came from the Hartford Archdioceses and grew up in the New York Archdioceses. They were alot better than this nut house I have to say I’ve never seen a place so strange. I guess I’ve been sheltered.
Far as the idult mass in Rochester. I really have little comparison. I’ve only been to two other latin masses in my life. One was a NO mass in London and it was pretty good, and the other was one I attended by accident in Virgina at a “old catholic” church because that was the only church the hotel I was staying at as listed for catholic churches. The mass at St Stanislav was still way better than the Oregon Catholic Press touchy feely mass I’ve had to endure for the last
5 months.
The thing that amazes me is that +Clarke has been here since 1979…why hasn’t he been taken down? When is Pope Benedict going to reassign or retire this guy? Judging from the shennanigans out in LA, +Clarke doesn’t have much to worry about.
tom: archbishop flynn?? from st paul/minneapolis??? that’s highly disappointing. he seemed like a good guy from my slight exposure to him during net. he didn’t abuse the liturgy. (although the music choices were less than efficacious, but he didn’t choose the music) where did you hear about that?
cpt tom: i think bishops are required to retire at 75 unless the Pope asks them specifically to stay on (the late cardinal o’connor is an example of that). so it depends on his age rather than how long he’s been around. i would like to see many bishops reassigned to hole in the wall secretarial positions in Rome where they can be tightly watched…but that would be a “slap in the face” and hence go against collegiality. we wouldn’t want that 😉
edey…
+Flynn….isn’t St. Joan’s in his dioceses?
and as far +Clark: My comments weren’t about his age (he was only born in in 1936), I was just surprised that Bishops who don’t follow Doctrine are allowed to continue to lead dioceses. So it’s the old boy network eh? How sad. I was really hoping that Pope Benedict would do more than “slap” someone’s face…though a small little desk in the back of the Vatican archive sounds about right.
Being from the Archdioceses of NY originally, I really miss the late Cardinal O’Connor. He was worlds above +Clark.
Speaking of Clark:
http://www.catholiccourier.com/tmp1.cfm?nid=59&articleid=84647
Funky,
looked at the article…I wish I could say I was shocked, but if he doesn’t see anything wrong with giving communion to the Rainbow Sash people, then this is a logical extension. This just adds to the gloom 😉
cpt tom:
St joan’s? is that some bad parish? i’ve travelled pretty far and seen some pretty abused liturgy…does this place take the cake or something??
i guess it’s tough for the Holy Father to keep tabs on *all* the bishops. he is the supreme ecumenical pontiff after all and has other stuff on his plate. i’m not sure why bad bishops aren’t pulled, though. maybe it’s all part of God’s plan. i have no idea how the Holy Spirit works.
edey:
Abp. +Flynn is like Cdl. +Mahony in that he’s personally orthodox, but just doesn’t care what his flock believes.
that is highly disappointing about flynn, although not completely surprising given the parish i attended with my parents right before we flew back from net. i usually give the bishops the benefit of the doubt and assume they can’t police everywhere in their diocese. oh well.
i never knew, though, that mahoney was even *personally* orthodox. that’s at least some good news.
Mass at St Pillipine-Rose Duchesne Latin Mass Community, KCK. Would have left a pin on the map,but couldn’t figure out how!
Just go to http://www.frappr.com/alesrarusreaders, click the “add yourself” link, and follow the instructions. 🙂