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.
Gee thanks.
Huh? I don’t think anything I wrote describes you. If you consider yourself hard Left, you’re certainly in the minority in terms of politeness. I don’t see you as hard Left, though. You’re left of center, but you seem to be close enough to it to be centrist on the whole. Maybe you’d think centrist doesn’t fit, but I don’t think moderate would be a poor description, at least from what I’ve read.
Maybe I’m only radically left in comparison to a lot of the right-wing blogs I read. Come to think of it, you’re pretty left-wing yourself, at least on that basis.
Then again, not many left-wingers would have posted High School, Jesus Week, and the Freedom of Speech. Nor the right-wingers. Maybe I’m not on that continuum. A lot of people do consider me irrational.
(Note to the people who don’t remember their math: the use of the word “irrational” is a pun, but you really don’t want me to explain it.)
this lady reminds me a lot of “environmental policy” majors who want to improve the condition of the environment: they do a lot of complaining but offer no solutions. personally, the reason i went into science originally was to offer solutions to environmental problems. what good does it do to tell a company “you shouldn’t pollute” if you don’t offer them alternative, lower polution means of production? they are going to go on using their polluting methods until an equally cost effective alternative is provided.
she says “”If I can’t rant, I don’t want to be part of your revolution”. ranting doesn’t solve any problems. as ghandi said “be the change you wish to see in the world.” now, while i disagree with her positions on some things, at least she was doing something before “She signed petitions. She boycotted veal. She canvassed for Greenpeace. She donated to Planned Parenthood. She read the Nation, the New Yorker, the Utne Reader and Mother Jones. She agonized over low wages for overseas workers every time she bought a $40 leather purse.” does she think her ranting is going to accomplish anything?
I usually find lefty’s to be far more polite in person.
My view of Daily Kos is so different than yours I don’t know where to start. I found it to be almost like group therapy after the 2004 election, and for a year or so I read it 2 or 3 times a day. I found the exchange of ideas stimulating, motivating, etc.
As kos started working on his book and guest bloggers posted more, the quality seemed to go down and now I check it once a week at most.
With 100,000+ readers or whatever it is now, it would be difficult to have a real discussion in the comment section and it has devolved. It seems to be the downside of attracting so many readers.
Not I. More than once I have elicited jaw-drops of horror from leftists because I dare to suggest something they don’t want to hear and had it suggested that I didn’t know what I was talking about (even though I did, since I try never to speak or write unless I know what I’m talking about). As well, my stepfather was once treated to a letter from a leftist that included threats of physical violence for his critical views. We sat around and had a good concerned laugh over that one.
A few times I attended the Unitarian Universalist church in Fresno, which is populated by all of Fresno’s most outspoken lefties. If I was stupid, I would have thought they were polite, but since I am more perceptive, I recognized their posturing as that cocky, bullheaded passive aggressiveness that only leftists can affect so well.
I have generally found leftist/progessive types to be more obnoxious than conservatives, though that may be a function of the fact that the conservatives I interact with are part of a definite minority in the places I’ve lived. Being greatly outnumbered, they are unable to enunciate their positions loudly. Wherever one finds a liberal bully pulpit, one will find outspoken, loud-mouthed liberals. Perhaps in a more generally conservative area, say, the South, liberals would be less obnoxious.
However, I do think that a lot of the knee-jerk leftist reactions one sees can be chalked up to the general intellectual vapidity of liberal positions. That’s not to say that liberals are stupid, merely that they suffer from a lack of scholarly backing. Because liberalism is an orientation inherently ordered toward change and renewal, new liberal causes are rarely fully backed by reason prior to their initial enunciation — basically, liberals take up new causes before anyone has come up with thorough philosophical justifications, whereas conservative positions tend to be intellectually well-constructed, if for no other reason than that there is already a supply of tried-and-true literature backing up conservative stances.
Interesting, since I grew up in the South. Perhaps you are correct and that is why I find conservatives so obnoxious.
Although now I live in DC (I’ve been here on and off since 1993). DC is a unique city, not the South, North, Midwest or anything else. Here with the mix of people from around the country I still find conservatives far ruder, even when I agree with them.
Now you all have me really thinking about this. Is it that I don’t notice if a liberal says something rude because I probably agree with them? Is it that the negative experiences stick out in my memory? Naturally less rude people are not going to make as much of an impression.
Now I’m ramblying, but why stop. I can’t get past my experiences growing up in the South when most people (myself included) regularly made gay jokes, often loudly and in public. Many (perhaps most) of my conservative friends were downright hostile to the poor, and a few (not friends) were openly racist.
One more random thought,
Peter please elaborate on this:
Try to pick a typical (not extreme) example of something you found rude. I want to see if I also find it rude. My hunch is that my personality is simply more inclined to be comfortable around liberals and I also just find conservatives ruder.
“However, I do think that a lot of the knee-jerk leftist reactions one sees can be chalked up to the general intellectual vapidity of liberal positions. That’s not to say that liberals are stupid, merely that they suffer from a lack of scholarly backing. Because liberalism is an orientation inherently ordered toward change and renewal, new liberal causes are rarely fully backed by reason prior to their initial enunciation  basically, liberals take up new causes before anyone has come up with thorough philosophical justifications, whereas conservative positions tend to be intellectually well-constructed, if for no other reason than that there is already a supply of tried-and-true literature backing up conservative stances.”
i partially disagree. yes, liberalism is based on the idea of change, but, while the solutions that are proposed by liberalism may or may not be grounded in reason, the fact that there are problems that need to be solved very much can be grounded in reason. conservative stances may have philisophical arguments over time to support them, but it doesn’t mean they are necessarily sound philisophical arguments. while change for the sake of change is silly, a bad status quo (which is what i’d say we have right now) necessitates change. granted, it might not be the change that “liberals” are proposing, but change is still needed.
as chesterton said, “The only intelligible sense that progress or advance can have among men, is that we have a definite vision, and that we wish to make the whole world like that vision…Now here comes in the whole collapse and huge blunder of our age. We have mixed up two different things, two opposite things. Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to suit the vision. Progress does mean (just now) that we are always changing the vision. It should mean that we are slow but sure in bringing justice and mercy among men: it does mean that we are very swift in doubting the desirability of justice and mercy: a wild page from any Prussian sophist makes men doubt it. Progress should mean that we are always walking towards the New Jerusalem. It does mean that the New Jerusalem is always walking away from us. We are not altering the real to suit the ideal. We are altering the ideal: it is easier.”
i would argue there is philisophical basis for change when it’s changing to work towards the ideal. however, many times liberals aren’t working towards an ideal. they just want to walk away from the status quo rather than towards anything.
advogado — My favorite example of a leftist being rude was when one passed by the window display of the bookstore where I work, saw the patriotic-type books arrayed for Independence Day, then came in demanding to know why Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States was not among them and asking, before I could answer, “Is he not American enough for you?” I found that profoundly rude.
Conversely, when a very religious, very conservative customer once came to the bookstore and asked for books about archaeology as relates to Christianity, I pointed him toward something whose name I forget now, but which suggested that perhaps the Hebrew god YHWH originally had a wife. He looked at it, read the brief description, did not open it, put it back on the shelf, and said, “With all due respect, that author doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” I didn’t find that rude at all.
I have found that when I occasionally go out in public wearing my jaunty white cap that has the word “ATHEIST” emblazoned across the front, people who I know to be conservative and religious tend to be very deferential, perhaps because they’re afraid that the evil atheist will bite their heads off or something. However, when out wearing my usual garb (which is about as boring as it gets — jeans or casual slacks with button down shirts), I have several times received unsolicited comments from bohemian liberals in full costume asking if I am a republican, which I consider not so much rude as just breathtakingly stupid and immature.
In fact, as I reflect on my experiences, I would re-characterize many liberals not as “rude” but as “breathtakingly stupid and immature.” For instance, while I can see the brilliant simplicity in the conservative rallying cry of “God Bless America,” I find the slogans sported by leftists (e.g., “No one is free while others are oppressed”) to convey a kind of down-the-nose preachiness that even the most religious of the conservative, theocratic ilk seem to lack. Could just be my perspective, though.