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.
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Unfortunately, some of the children “at risk for obesity” are emotional minefields. Calling them “obese” or “fat” may not be an effective technique.
I know families with “at risk” children. In every case, there are medical and/or mental health issues involved.
It might be fun for people to call them fat, but you’re assuming that their obesity is a moral failing. Depression used to be considered a moral failing, too — laziness. Calling a depressed person “lazy” was great fun, but it didn’t do much for changing the person’s behavior. Neither will using degrading names on a vulnerable population.
Maybe in some kids, using shocking terms might provoke an anger response that can be channeled toward eliminating the problem. In others, it might result in non-compliance with meds, recurrence of potentially lethal emotional problems, suicide, or an unwillingness to deal with the problem.
Personally, I’d suggest leaving the CDC terms “as is” and permitting doctors leeway based on the clinical picture.
And yes, I’m fat. I know I’m fat. I’ve run three frackin’ marathons and I am fat.
Knowing I am fat and calling myself fat have done nothing to change the problem. Using the same emotional strength I used to run literally thousands of miles in training has resulted in the same weight since six months after I was first diagnosed as a diabetic. I can force my body to train for a marathon, but I cannot sufficiently control my food intake.
I am probably diabetic because I am fat. Or am I fat because I am diabetic? There’s a new diabetes drug that seems to treat obesity as a side-effect — or quite possibly as it’s primary mode of action. Strangely, many other, less effective diabetes drugs also cause the patient to lose weight, though not to the extent of this new drug.
So tell me — is my obesity a moral failing? Am I a glutton? Or am I diabetic?
Should I feel guilty? Would you taunt me for being fat because I am sinful? Is diabetes a moral failing, and depression a sin?
Even if I am sinful and that is why I am fat, do you really think you can make me feel any worse than I already do? Do you think your taunts would make me repent? Or resent?
Eric, you know I’m a physics dork, why do you taunt me with a link claiming it’s going to have symetry operations, only to give me a rant about bird poop?
Really, you built my hopes up. What now for my shattered love of learning?
John,
I’m still working on the post about knot theory and string theory, but it’s…tangled. Sorry I’m not done with it yet (nor, at the rate things are going, ever will be). The “bird poop” article was just something silly. I’m in a good mood for once…more or less.
Of course, you do realize that the ability to identify birds based on the properties their feces and urates exhibit is, in fact, a symmetry operation? There’s a transformative symmetry for dimensional coordinates, acceleration in a gravity field, and others. My wife claims that, relative to the chemicals of surfaces, symmetry is broken — she does have a point.
Why is my tag line getting picked up with the title? Oh well.
So call them something warm and fuzzy when you talk to them, but be blunt with the parents.
Crap rolls down hill, so everyone feels better by ripping on someone else. That can be “fun”, but I never said that I found such behavior appropriate.
I’m not assuming moral failure, per se. I’m assuming that poor eating habits and insuffient exercise are important contributors to unhealthy weights and muscle/fat ratios.
Laziness and spiritual apathy are still moral failings. The criteria for laziness have changed, though, and depression would now be considered a mitigating factor that reduces or removes culpability.
My problem with that is that “at risk overweight” is Orwellian. You’re not at risk, you’re overweight. Whether it’s your fault or not, you’re not healthy and at risk of being worse.
You’ve said yourself in prior conversations that you wish you hadn’t let your body go to hell. You were pleased that I changed my diet and started running because you hope that I’ll be spared what you’ve gone through. It seems to me there’s a very obvious relationship between your former lifestyle and the development of diabetes.
Your moral status prior to being diabetic is what’s relevant. See above.
I won’t taunt you. If you want a better word that “fat”, find one and I might use it. I won’t bullshit you, either. I wasn’t “at risk overweight” three years ago, I was overweight. I still am. Making us feel comfortable with our bodies didn’t light fires under our asses to make us live healthier lives by eating better and exercising more. A potentially deadly disease woke you up and pride spurred me.
Again, I am not advocating name-calling. I just want doctors and parents to stop pretending that the typical American lifestyle isn’t a huge contributor to the current obesity epidemic.