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A Grim Reminder of the Importance of Machine Shop Safety
The tragic death of Yale University physics student Michele Dufault is a grim reminder of the importance of basic safety in the machine shop:
A Yale University student nearing graduation was killed inside a school chemistry lab when her hair was pulled into a piece of machine-shop equipment, school officials said Wednesday.
Michele Dufault, a senior majoring in physics and astronomy, died Tuesday night after her hair became caught in a fast-spinning lathe, university President Richard Levin said. Her body was found by other students who had been working in the building, he said.
“This is a true tragedy,” Levin wrote in a message to Yale students and faculty.
It is a true tragedy, but for those of us who have been involved in machine shops, an avoidable one.
Right: a very large lathe at my old family business; this photo has regaled my page Think Before You Convert for many years.
Having been involved in machine shops of one kind or another most of my life, and done some machining myself, the first two rules working around metalworking equipment (and especially lathes, such as Dufault was working on) is a) remove all of your jewellery and b) tie back long hair so that neither of these gets caught in the machinery. (The next rule: wear the safety glasses.) In some cases machine shops have required employees with long hair to use a hair net, such as you see in food manufacturing plants.
The curriculum for mechanical engineering I went through at Texas A&M in the 1970’s included two semesters of machine shop, where these safety rules were drilled into the class the first day. (Most mechanical engineering curricula have dispensed with the machine shop requirement, and this process was ongoing in the 1970’s; A&M was slow to make this change.) My second semester partner (whose father was head of the Petroleum Engineering department) was an excellent machinist, and tied his hair back in a ponytail.
Unfortunately in the rush of new technologies much of the “old school” methods have been forgotten, with tragic results. In the machine shop, as everywhere else, SAFETY FIRST!
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The Berets: The Mass for Peace
The Berets: The Mass for Peace (1969)
Catholics have been composing musical settings for Mass since the days of Gregory the Great and before, but the 1960’s and 1970’s saw the introduction of entirely new styles of music for the sacred mysteries. One of the more innovative productions was the so-called “Mass for Peace” by the Sardinian group the Berets.
I say “so-called” because the whole concept of this being a Mass for peace is something of an afterthought, a method to sell it to a new generation which was enamoured with the anti-war movement and frightened at the possibility of nuclear annihilation. The original of this production was the Italian La Messa dei Giovani (The Mass for Youth). That’s really its aim; in the post-Vatican II, pre-Novus Ordo Missae era, it was a way to appeal to a generation which witness an entire church jettison centuries of liturgical tradition for…well, we know now.
If the idea was to change the way the Mass was celebrated, this isn’t quite the way to go about it. It’s too lively for general liturgical celebration, and too difficult for many parish musicians to handle, a fact that OCP and others have used to inflict two score of banal music on Catholic churches. Although it’s certainly possible to celebrate a Mass like this (the Polish group Czerwono-Czarni proved that, even under Communism, which disliked both rock music and Christianity) such is the exception rather than the rule.
If the idea, however, was to put the Mass as a form of entertainment, it succeeds hands down. It’s not as avant-garde as the Mzsa Beatowa, and as such it is more accessible. It’s really fun in many ways. Like John Michael Talbot’s The Lord’s Supper a decade later, it’s constructed on the idea that, although the theological centre of the Mass is the anaphora, the dramatic centre is the Creed, and the Mass’ Creed makes belief so much fun that one feels like dancing. The Lord’s Prayer is without a doubt the most lush and–dare I say it–sensuous rendition of the prayer I have ever heard, appropriate for a wedding or even a prom (without, I might note, the ending doxology Protestants can’t do without).
Putting sacred music in an entertainment setting isn’t new. Handel’s Messiah was criticised on this very account (and this obviously isn’t on that level). Today everyone complains about the entertainment nature of much of our “spiritual” worship. The advantage of the Mass for Peace is that we can call it what it is and enjoy it.
The songs:- Introit
- Gloria
- Gradual
- Creed
- Offertory
- Sanctus (Holy, Holy)
- Our Father (Lord’s Prayer)
- Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)
- Communion
- Don’t Kill
For our other music click here
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Online Giving: Don't Go for the Hard Sell if You Don't Need To
I read with amusement this post from The Lead:
As I have wrestled with this question with congregational leaders (and with members of the Net and Millenial Generations) one significant reality has emerged. It has to do with stewardship practices. The Net and Millenial Generation members do not use cash and they do not write checks. They swipe a debit/credit card for almost all of their purchases and payments. In the church, how do we receive our offerings? We pass an offering plate that we hope gets filled with cash and checks. We do not use their currency! This is just one sign of the generational divide and it is one (of many) that we need to recognize, name and address.
I say “with amusement” because it was just this issue that got me into an interesting position with my own pastor.
About a year and a half ago, I was winding up my time as my church’s Finance Committee chairman when I met with the pastor on some matters before the church. After those were dealt with this issue came up. There was a proposal to put kiosks in the foyer (we haven’t graduated to a narthex just yet, Anglicans) and set up online giving. So my pastor went into a long dissertation along the line of The Lead’s observation about the newer generations and their spending methods figuring, I suppose, that I am a typical Boomer and still cut checks and had no appreciation for the benefits of online and kiosk giving and would not be receptive to the proposal.
My response? I told him that our local church was just about the last ministry we cut checks to. The “debate” collapsed and today we have online giving.
What my pastor hadn’t counted on was that, after over a decade of web mastering, blogging, POD and setting up several web stores, I’ve pretty much gone over to the way the “Net and Millenial” generations do payment.
BTW, I would urge any church considering online giving to do it. And don’t let the “old heads”–no matter what their calendar age–in the church stand in the way of progress.
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Month of Sundays: Finding
A voice called, “Call out!” I asked, “What should I call out?” “Call out: All people are like grass, and all their beauty is like a flower in the field. Grass dries up, and flowers wither when the LORD’S breath blows on them. Yes, people are like grass. Grass dries up, and flowers wither, but the word of our God will last forever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)
It was a big job that the Emir was proposing to Khalil, member of a radical Muslim group. In the midst of battle training, the Emir had an intriguing assignment for Khalil: write a book that refuted the Bible and showed that the Qur’an was Allah’s word.
But things didn’t go according to plan. The more Khalil looked into the Bible that was given him, the more he realized that the problems were with the Qur’an, and that the Bible was true. Needless to say, the Emir was infuriated with this result.
In the middle of all this, Khalil had his briefcase stolen in a coffee shop. In it along with his identification papers was his Bible; he knew he would be in big trouble for being found with a Bible in a Muslim country.
Khalil was very troubled, but then Jesus appeared to him in a dream. Jesus commanded Khalil to read “the Book,” but Khalil replied that it had been stolen. Jesus answered, “The Book cannot be lost. Stand up and open your closet.” Sure enough, that’s where Khalil’s Bible appeared, and he came to a saving knowledge of the Savior.
The Book cannot be lost. Men have tried to destroy it, to explain it away, and belittle it since the start, but they cannot. God protects his Word and, as he said to Isaiah, “the word of our God will last forever.” Even the Qur’an acknowledges the truth of the Scriptures that came before it.
Our assignment as Christians is, therefore, to read the Word, to believe it, and to live it. Because, as Khalil discovered, the Book cannot be lost, and if we follow it we can be found.
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Vested Choirs
While researching for another project, I came across this article in an 1896 issue of the National Magazine about vested choirs, which is now a well-established tradition on both sides of the Anglican/Episcopal world.
It’s hard to conceive of now, but even in Episcopal churches vested choirs were controversial. However, fashion changed, and this article documents some of that change. I know that growing up at Bethesda-by-the-Sea we as a youth choir were vested–and had the neck burns from the ruffled collars which had way too much starch! But since we were paid, we had little cause to complain.
But we did anyway…
A photograph from the article:
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Tertullian was Right About the Shape of the Cross
In the midst of the excitement about the discovery of the small lead books that date from the earliest days of Christianity, this of note:
Philip Davies, Emeritus Professor of Old Testament Studies at Sheffield University, says the most powerful evidence for a Christian origin lies in plates cast into a picture map of the holy city of Jerusalem.
“As soon as I saw that, I was dumbstruck. That struck me as so obviously a Christian image,” he says.
“There is a cross in the foreground, and behind it is what has to be the tomb [of Jesus], a small building with an opening, and behind that the walls of the city. There are walls depicted on other pages of these books too and they almost certainly refer to Jerusalem.”
It is the cross that is the most telling feature, in the shape of a capital T, as the crosses used by Romans for crucifixion were.
“It is a Christian crucifixion taking place outside the city walls,” says Mr Davies.
Tertullian made exactly the same observation about the shape of what Our Lord was nailed to almost two centuries later:
For this same letter Tau of the Greeks, which is our T, has the appearance of the cross, which he foresaw we should have on our foreheads in the true and catholic Jerusalem… (Adversus Marcionem, III, 22)
The Jehovah’s Witnesses, enamoured as they are with the “torture stake” business, are going to hate this…
Patristics pays.
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Jeanne Geidel and the New Horizon: Living Force
Jeanne Geidel and the New Horizon: Living Force (1979)
By the late 1970’s, Catholic liturgical music was becoming dominated by the products of North American Liturgy Resources (now a part of OCP.) But there still were a few brave souls who ventured out to produce some interesting music for liturgy and just some great Catholic music. One of those was Jeanne Geidel, who put together a large group to make this gem.
Living Force is a gorgeous album with rich instrumentation and harmonies which tend to float away, taking you with them. This California based production flows beautifully and presents a very nice Gospel message to boot. It’s the kind of album one would associate with a Mass or other gathering on a beach. It has a therapeutic quality to it, which makes sense because Jeanne Geidel Neal is a licensed marriage and family therapist.
I used “Along the Way” as a backdrop for this:
Jeanne herself has this to say about the album and how it came about:
A “sweet” blast from the past that triggers such wonderful memories! God got a hold of my life, redeemed my soul, and healed my heart! My feet have been on a path serving Him ever since–even through the heartaches, the losses, and disappointments along the way!
I wrote these songs and the liturgical parts of the Catholic Mass after a Life in the Spirit seminar at my church. I went to Loyola Mary Mount every Wednesday night for a Catholic charismatic, Spirit-filled mass! I was on fire for Jesus…still am! The Jesus revival swept across our nation and around the world, and I will be eternally grateful for the people who crossed my path and were instrumental in leading me to a whole new understanding of what it means to be a Christian! This album was dedicated to them.
Father Tichenor, who was on staff at Loyola Mary Mount, was born again! He was used by God in a mighty way, bringing thousands of Catholic Christians to a whole new understanding of the awesome love and power of God! Only by the power of the Holy Spirit, did the word of God come from his lips and ignite a Holy Spirit “fire” in all of us! I couldn’t get enough! My spiritual appetite was insatiable! I wanted more! I wanted everything that God had been holding onto just for me! These songs are about how he satisfied my soul! I shudder to think who and where I would be today without His great grace! The Gospel came alive in my heart and in my mind like never before! My eyes were opened and there is no turning back! There were several of my students from Bell-Jeff who joined us in the studio for the parts of the Mass. I was so proud of them–proud and grateful for all of us for accomplishing this work for His greater honor and glory! He truly is The Living Force in me!
Thank you for walking down memory lane with me just now! God bless you today! Allow Him to be the Living Force in your life, no matter where life has you! He will not abandon nor forsake you!
Speaking of masses, if there’s a weak spot in the album, it’s the Mass; there are better elsewhere. But for just great relaxing and inspiring Christian music, Living Force is hard to beat.
Note: Jeanne’s artistry has not stopped here; today she’s the “living force” behind the “And God Says” Inspirational Scripture Pictures.The songs (for individual download:)
- Changin’
- One With Me
- Along the Way
- Trinity
- Come Follow Me
- Living Force
- Glory to God
- Father, We Have Gathered
- Hosanna to Our King
- Alleluia Lord
- Doxology — Amen Alleluia
- The Lord’s Prayer
The artists (pictured at right:)- Bottom:
- Annabelle Bella, John DiGeronamo, Angie Resendez
- Dee Mainer, Jeanne Geidel, Nathan Jones, Cees Mackaaij
- Middle:
- Judy Furino, Ray Nabell, Debi Mombra, Ingrid Szillinsky
- Top:
- George L. Rametta, Becky Volle, Katie Kearns, Ann Pickavet
- Not Pictured:
- Mary Bane, Phillip Watson
Click here for all of our music offerings
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The Old Time Family Outing: Not Quite What We Romanticised
I’ve been digging through the old family archives and came up with this gem of a photograph:
It was probably taken around the turn of the last century at the Civil War monument in Washington Park in Michigan City, Indiana. At the top is my great-grandfather, George Warrington. At the bottom, with his tongue stuck out, is my grandfather Chet, whose exploits in the sky I document here. Evidently he isn’t as enthused with the “great old time” as his elders were.
For the most part child discipline was stricter in those days than now, but there were exceptions, and Chet was one of them, abetted by his mother, as Chet was their only child.
Sailing the Last Voyage with Newton and Pascal
Positive Infinity 
