Today is the anniversary of several notable events. The most noteworthy, according to me, are the following.
It is the anniversary of St. Simon Stock’s vision of Mary in 1251, hence it is the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
In 1969 Apollo 11 lifted off.
In 1970 Fischer with black beat Spassky in Game 3.
In 2021, based partly on a lie about a results of a survey of bishops, the cruel Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes was promulgated along with a letter to Catholic Bishops. It was, and still is, a black mark in the Church’s pastoral mission procuring repeated blows by bishops and the dicastery on the already bruised people of God. Pray regularly, please, a Memorare for its abrogation.
Welcome registrant:
DanShell
A word of thanks is due to several of you readers who have sent me items from my wish list. Alas, more and more often it seems there are no “gift slips” included, which means that I don’t know who sent what and I have no way to write a note of thanks. Just recently I received a couple of brass candle “followers” that are the correct size for some altar candles which another reader sent. Also, I received a book about an interested historical person in New York and some – yum – beef jerky. THAT was a real help during my recent travel misadventures and misconnection. I had tucked a pouch into my backpack before sallying forth into the unknown and therefore had something to eat when I got stuck in ATL after everything was closed. I have some wonderful San Marzano tomatoes and some chess puzzles, wonderful hot chili oil, etc. Also, I’m taking my desktop to an expert to clone my c: drive to a very much larger SSD. One of you sent my the drive. I tried to do it myself, but it didn’t work. I need help with it. It’ll cost not nothing, but it will be worth it. My point is, thank you, all of you for being so good to me. I pray for my benefactors and regularly (every Sunday now – more often when I’m in Rome) say Mass for you. It is my pleasure and duty.
Another note. I’ll be updating the “mom’s stuff” page shortly. And a couple of you reached out to acquire some things. I’m on it.
Meanwhile…
At Infovaticana we read:
A group of laypeople has founded the association Pro Fide Ecclesiae, in Germany, a new movement that seeks to give voice to Catholics who do not feel represented by the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) or heard by the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK). According to Kath.net, the initiative was established last Sunday in Offenbach am Main and counts among its founding members the emeritus bishop of Chur, Marian Eleganti, one of the most critical voices regarding the German Synodal Way.
The promoters of the association maintain that there is a broad sector of “conservative in values” faithful who remain loyal to the Church’s magisterium and who have been excluded from ecclesial debate in Germany. Although they assert that these Catholics are not a minority in the parishes, they denounce that they have become practically invisible in official dialogue and media coverage.
A lay movement in defense of the magisterium
Pro Fide Ecclesiae defines itself canonically as a lay movement, inspired by the conciliar decree Apostolicam Actuositatem on the apostolate of the laity, although it is also open to priests and other members of the clergy.Its main objective is to strengthen the Catholic faith and promote firm adherence to the Church’s magisterium, as well as to establish links with other associations of the faithful that share the same orientation.
Among the founders is Bishop Marian Eleganti, who summarized the purpose of the initiative with a forceful statement: “We want to defend the faith against heretical interpretations and falsifications”.
HA!
Black to move. Mate in …?
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
There’s one obvious mate in 4 for Black:
1. . . . Qd1+
2. Bc1 Bxc2+
3. NxB QxN+
4. Ka1 Qa2++
If White plays instead:
3. Ka1 QxB+
4. Nb1 QxN++
I scored 20 on using all that old stuff. Doesn’t seem so long ago! Tempus fugit.
As for the meme:
I confess I have done all 20. In fact, since I don’t own a smart phone, I still use paper maps I keep in the car to get where I am going (especially if I get lost.) I also still have a rotary phone for nostalgia purposes, but use a touch tone one to make and receive calls. I have a land line.
And #2 was called a “floppy disk” but that’s not what the first floppy disks looked like. The photo in #2 was called a micro diskette, but people called it a floppy disk, even though it was in a hard plastic case.
And I still pay for some things with a paper check.
I know…luddite….
How far Germany has fallen.
In my work, I am always in peoples houses. I always look at the bookcases.(can’t help myself). An elderly German couple were Catholic as I could easily see from their statues and pictures. On the bookshelves I saw two Missals. I asked if they went to the Tridentine Mass, they said yes. They asked where I went and I told them the St. Benedict Center. They looked at each other and then to me and said, Why do Catholics here have an issue with the Dogma of No Salvation Outside of the Catholic Church? The said, They were taught the Dogma in Germany from an early age.
Splendid news from Germany: Pro Fide Ecclesiae!
Can it be true – “Nobody Has all 20”? I remember Blockbuster, and we rented videos, but I don’t know/recall if we ever rented videos from Blockbuster. And 14 is strange to me.
I did all except 9 & 10. I never owned a Walkman nor boombox.
I can do the easier chess problems; my skills are very rusty. :)
1. … Bxf2+
2. NxB Qe1+
3. Bf1 QxN+
4. Kh1 Qh2#
2. Kf1 Qe1#
2. Kh1 Qe1+
3. Bf1 QxB#
Correction: I never did 8 & 9.
I got all 20. Wow, I feel old! I’m glad I still have young children in my household to keep me young!
I’m pretty sure I’ve done all of those but the first one.
I’m a millennial. :-/
All 20 — with a subset of #7: vinyl 45 rpm records. I’vw used a paper map with a compass and protractor to fix my location on the map and shoot an azimuth to my next objective.
— Vetvs Flatvlvs
All 20. In my generation, with the exception of #19, most people had all 20.
I feel so old, even if a vinyl record is just a distant memory from my early childhood.
“A group of laypeople has founded the association Pro Fide Ecclesiae, in Germany, a new movement that seeks to give voice to Catholics who do not feel represented by the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) ”
I wonder why it took so long to do this.
That is great about Pro Fide Ecclesiae.
I have done all 20 as I suspect most of the seasoned readers of this blog have. I could also add: ridden behind a steam engine in regular service, ridden on a piston engined propeller airliner, used a pen that you had to dip into an inkwell, used a slide rule.
I have used all 20, and so have tons of people born in the 1960’s and 70’s. I still use paper checks and maps. And I still have a battery operated boombox for emergencies, when the power goes out.
Just as the joy of 7-7-07 still resonates, I will never forget the horrible gut-punch feeling of betrayal on the Feast of OLMC in 2021. As bad as the premise of PF’s motu proprio itself was, the factual inaccuracies, draconian provisions, and utter cruelty of both that document and its “accompanying letter” made it that much worse. As such I have always referred to it as Traditionis Perditores!
It’s heartening to see so many bishops and cardinals speaking out on the whole sorry situation and calling for Pope Leo to revisit it post haste.
As for the 20 – got ‘em all! That’s not really a boast, tech has evolved so fast in the past half-century that I wouldn’t think it terribly uncommon for anyone born before 1980 to have experienced all of them… heck, I remember phones without dials, and two- or four-party lines; even using an acoustic coupler to connect to the internet!
Missed out on 13 and 20 due to not living in the US (cheques have not been accepted in stores here for over 30 years, remarkable how big the variance on that is).
9: not voluntarily…
Rest is easy enough for anyone in the 40-80 age range
19/20. never gave lackluster video my custom, but favored mom-and-pop shops instead.
1. . . . . . . . B×f2
If:
2. K-f1 . . . Q-e1#
Or if:
2. K-h1 . . Q-e1+
3. B-f1 . . . Q×f1#
So;
2. N×f2 . . Q-e1+
3. B-f1 . . . Q×f2+
4. K-h1 . . Q-h2#
Just 19/20–I never owned/used a walkman (I had other, portable cassette players) but could have. I did use a discman for the longest time, though…
Black to move. Mate in ?
When I started this this morning there were no solutions up. As I post, see I’m late. Well, since I wrote it up might as well post it.
Mate in 4.
1. … Bxf2+
2. Nxf2 {or Kh1,Kf1} Qe1+
3. Bf1 {forced} Qxf2+
4. Kh1 {forced} Qh2#
If
2.Kh1 Qe1+
3.Bf1 {or Ng1} Qxf1+
4.Ng1 {forced} Qxg1#
If
3.Ng1 Qxg1#
If
2.Kf1 Qe1#
Sign me up for all 20.
In fact I still do 5, 7, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20!
@Phil_NL2: Do you remember “Dial 999” ?
And ….. since the rotary phone dials were soooooooo slow, why was 999 chosen for emergencies?? (think: 9 ……click-click-click-click; 9 ……click-click-click-click; 9 ……click-click-click-click).
(^__^)
Howay th’ Lads! (Guy, misplaced in N’cle-Upon-Tine for 6 months in 1978)
I don’t live in the USA, so no Blockbuster over here. All the other things I did (9 involuntarily). I not only used 3.5″ floppy disks, but also 5.25″, albeit for a very short period, they were already on the way out. Which makes my score 19/20.
Gregg the Obscure,
Hurray for Mom and Pop shops!
Various,
I, too, still use paper maps, folded in ziplocks against the wind and the rain (heigh- ho!), pencilling in new streets – and neighborhoods!
I’m 40 and have done all 20. It wasn’t on there, but I’ve even listened to 8-tracks.
I hit all 20, and did so easily. All my family and neighbors would have had no problem.
I would push further on #7, vinyl records: listened to records at all 3 “standard” speeds: 33, 45, and 78. I meet all three, but only at 78 rpm because my father had some ancient albums for that. How many even had a record player with 78 speed as an option (or an old victrola that worked)?
What about using mechanical adding machines? (Mechanical cash registers qualify.) Or saving green stamps?
Easily can recall participating in all 20 and can add 8-track tape playing and reel to reel tape recording and playing. How about roll up car windows, manual car door button locks, driving stick and push starting a car! I have a couple of slide rules and still know how to use one. Guess I am really old!
All 20, and some corollaries, though I would the image with #5 makes it a trick question. When did ANY Discman work well enough to play an entire album without skipping or going into error shutdown?
I scored all 20. What does that make me? … old?
All the commenters thus far seem to have missed that after bxf2 (check), no recapture is necessary because g2 – the square formerly occupied by the white bishop – is now available to the king. The queen can no longer safely check the king, thus if the checks are to continue, the knight must take a turn (e6). The Black King remains in grave danger from the white Knight should black not keep the white king in check.
All 20, still do several at least occasionally (vinyl records, CDs, film camera, paper map, paper cheque).
I did all 20! I must be old!
20/20 for me. I have an old, crank up record player that still works beautifully! I learned as a child to use the slide rule. I remember staying home from school to watch John Glenn’s launch and then stepping outside to watch the missile carrying the space craft go up. I remember telling my dad’s cousin about the Pope dying, being too young to know his name was Pius XII. I am old!