My mate Hughie (a West Indian exile) was crying in his beer at the bar after one of our infamous victories over posh neighbours at cricket. This was at Cheadle Hulme, a team driven to games in BMWs by trophy wives who smiled disdainfully at our Ford Anglias and Cortinas, probably believing them to be stolen. I'd won the toss and put them in, fearing the game might be over before the bar opened if we batted as badly as the week before, when we'd been beaten by a bunch of Yorkshire chicken farmers. They piled on the runs to polite applause as I struggled to keep eleven men on the field owing to a succession of toilet breaks due to a pre-match finishing off of beer left over from Hughie's stag night practice the week before. They declared at 301 for three - a massive total off 40 overs. Lacking confidence, my heroic team elected to reverse our batting order to speed up our demise and get back to the Parr Arms early. This put 'Steve the Fielder' in first, never a man to take a hopeless cause unseriously. He was still nought not out when I got to the crease with the score 70 for seven. Steve was undoubtedly the world's worst batter, couldn't bowl and his contribution to our innings so far had been to run three colleagues out, including Hughie who had run three only to find Steve tying a shoelace at the wrong end, having only run one. I fielded Steve at Boot Hill, a certain death position for others, even wearing body armour. In baseball, this would equate to the catcher fielding in front of a slugger, within bat length. Steve, oblivious to the danger after his usual smattering of fat cigarettes, was the only Boot Hill natural the world has ever known, catching impossible catches. This was to be his greatest innings, the most unlikely 50 ever scored, the ball so ashamed to be involved in this game it sought out the edge of his bat before rushing off in all backward directions to seek solace in the undergrowth at the boundary. Modesty prevents me revealing my score in this match and shame my bowling figures. We won with a six of the last ball. I asked Hughie why he was crying amidst the somewhat squalid, raucous victory celebration. 'I've been praying', he replied. I put another beer in front of him, mentioning his Gods must indeed be effective and I must pay homage to them for my century. More tears flowed. 'I was praying for the purity of the game I love', he went on, 'and yet got to see all that is holy destroyed in front of my eyes. God knows what would have happened if I'd been praying for you. You have sold the soul of the game for a few runs. A better man would have gone to defeat quietly'. His nickname for me ever since has been 'Evil'. I was best man at his wedding, his Xmas cards always in homage to 'days with the ugliest batsman in the world'. I don't remember signing that contract in blood, but we were very drunk the night before the match.
On 10 Sep, 20:24, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks for moving the prayer discussion over, Francis. You win the > prize today for thread purity. We should, indeed, keep Neil's homage > pure... > > On Sep 10, 2:47 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Two once drink-sodden Celts fulminating from the battle-wagon of peace > > at the gates of heaven Francis! They'd give up quicker than my first > > pint of chilled lager on my return in ten months! > > > On 10 Sep, 16:37, Simon Ewins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > The only prayer know to ever have worked is prayer that cannot be > > > verified as providing what it was assumed to. Unless the goal is to > > > just 'feel' better then prayer always works but so what? Many things > > > can achieve the same result. > > > > 2009/9/10 iam deheretic <[email protected]>: > > > > > No No Lee it deals with it as a concept of prayer in reality.. it is > > > > interesting as it is avoiding > > > > > the book is > > > > Basic Magick by Phillip Cooper > > > > > it is working off the esoteric view point You = Belief = Life Energy > > > > > Life energy is basically the force of creation. It is kind of a > > > > fascinating > > > > book to read and in a way it is dealing with the concept of effective > > > > prayer > > > > that works.. > > > > Allan > > > > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 1:12 PM, [email protected] > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> Heh yeah but what kind of magic does it talk about? > > > > >> You're basic like for like type where your manipulation of a substance > > > >> causes change in a similar, or afiliated substance? > > > >> Or perhaps runic, or chanting, danceing, trancing? What? > > > > >> On 10 Sep, 12:01, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > Oh ,, Lee it was the title of a book I bought years ago that has a > > > >> > very > > > >> > interesting view point on prayer I thought Francis might be > > > >> > interested > > > >> > in > > > >> > reading. > > > >> > Allan > > > > >> > On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 11:15 AM, [email protected] < > > > > >> > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> > > Ohh what sort of basic magic? > > > > >> > > On 9 Sep, 19:26, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > > > Me to and it does Francis > > > >> > > > Next time we see each other remind me to loan you one of my books > > > >> > > > called > > > >> > > > basic magic,, put some new insights to prayer. > > > >> > > > Allan > > > > >> > > > On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 5:16 PM, frantheman > > > >> > > > <[email protected] > > > >> > > >wrote: > > > > >> > > > > I'd be storming heaven with continuing rosaries for a > > > >> > > > > successful > > > >> > > > > outcome for you Neil - now, if only I could start believing > > > >> > > > > that > > > >> > > > > prayer works ... > > > > >> > > > > Francis > > > > >> > > > > On 9 Sep., 16:09, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > > > > > I got news of an interview for a job in Dubai today - it's > > > >> > > > > > next > > > >> > > > > > Monday. The job's being run by my old university. Good pay, > > > >> > > > > > free > > > >> > > > > > accommodation and guaranteed sun and sobriety - an excellent > > > >> > > > > > retreat > > > >> > > > > > to finish my books as long as the air conditioning holds out! > > > >> > > > > > I'll > > > >> > > be > > > >> > > > > > out in the sticks (not that are any) about an hour from the > > > >> > > > > > challenge > > > >> > > > > > of cold lager and an eon from the recession. Ahmadenadinejad > > > >> > > > > > will be > > > >> > > > > > within grenade tossing distance across the Straights Of > > > >> > > > > > Homuz, > > > >> > > > > > so I > > > >> > > > > > may adjust my view of the 6th Fleet and have to stop calling > > > >> > > Americans > > > >> > > > > > my colonial cousins! You may be right that we have a > > > >> > > > > > 'special > > > >> > > > > > relationship' Orn. One hopes the monks keep chanting until 3 > > > >> > > > > > p.m. > > > >> > > > > > 14.9.09 (BST). The work will probably encompass India too. > > > >> > > > > > Fingers > > > >> > > > > > crossed, touching the wood, the scientist in me is shouting! > > > > >> > > > > > On 9 Sep, 12:13, Pat <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> > > > > > > On 8 Sep, 18:55, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> > > > >> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > >> > > > > > > > Words from those wiser than I: > > > > >> > > > > > > > "Listening not to me but to the LOGOS it is wise to agree > > > >> > > > > > > > that > > > >> > > all > > > >> > > > > > > > things are one." - Heraclitus (ca. 535–475 BCE): > > > > >> > > > > > > > "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act > > > >> > > > > > > > responsibly, > > > >> > > while > > > >> > > > > > > > bad people will find a way around the laws." - Plato > > > > >> > > > > > > > "A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing > > > >> > > > > > > > its > > > >> > > opponents > > > >> > > > > > > > and making them see the light, but rather because its > > > >> > > > > > > > opponents > > > >> > > > > > > > eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is > > > >> > > > > > > > familiar > > > >> > > with > > > >> > > > > > > > it." - Max Planck > > > > >> > > > > > > > "The most beautiful and profound emotion we can > > > >> > > > > > > > experience > > > >> > > > > > > > is the > > > >> > > > > > > > sensation of the mystical. He to whom this emotion is a > > > >> > > > > > > > stranger, > > > >> > > who > > > >> > > > > > > > can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as > > > >> > > > > > > > dead. > > > >> > > To > > > >> > > > > > > > know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, > > > >> > > > > > > > manifesting > > > >> > > > > itself > > > >> > > > > > > > as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which > > > >> > > > > > > > our > > > >> > > > > > > > dull > > > >> > > > > > > > faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms - > > > >> > > > > > > > this > > > >> > > > > > > > knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true > > > >> > > > > > > > religion." > > > >> > > > > > > > - > > > >> > > Albert > > > >> > > > > > > > Einstein > > > > >> > > > > > > Just thought I'd add in another Einstein quote, here: > > > >> > > > > > > "Science > > > >> > > without > > > >> > > > > > > religion is lame; religion without science is blind." > > > > >> > > > > > > > “There is no salvation in becoming adapted to a world > > > >> > > > > > > > which > > > >> > > > > > > > is > > > >> > > > > crazy.” > > > >> > > > > > > > Henry Miller > > > > >> > > > > > > > "Stuff happens." - Donald H. Rumsfeld > > > > >> > > > > > > > On Sep 8, 10:14 am, archytas <[email protected]> > > > >> > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > >> > > > > > > > > Thanks Bill - things have been tough enough for me to > > > >> > > > > > > > > really > > > >> > > > > > > > > appreciate the other 'odd balls' in here as a beacon of > > > >> > > > > > > > > hope. > > > >> > > As a > > > >> > > > > > > > > young boy I felt much the same about the USA (really), > > > >> > > confusing it > > > >> > > > > as > > > >> > > > > > > > > the beacon city on the hill. I thought you guys were > > > >> > > > > > > > > so > > > >> > > democratic > > > >> > > > > > > > > you wouldn't even get patriotic about sport! One lives > > > >> > > > > > > > > and > > > >> > > learns! > > > >> > > > > > > > > Possibly the only thing I can claim to have been really > > > >> > > > > > > > > good at > > > >> > > is > > > >> > > > > > > > > 'bad singing'. There has been a similar figure in my > > > >> > > > > > > > > life > > > >> > > > > > > > > - > > > >> > > > > Howard, > > > >> > > > > > > > > an old-style socialist who did sing-song nights at a > > > >> > > > > > > > > pub I > > > >> > > > > > > > > used > > > >> > > to > > > >> > > > > > > > > use. > > > >> > > > > > > > > Our grandson has just started secondary school and was > > > >> > > > > > > > > so > > > >> > > impressed > > > >> > > > > > > > > with his first day he wanted to go back! His Catholic > > > >> > > > > > > > > primary > > > >> > > > > school > > > >> > > > > > > > > was about as good as we can manage. In the UK (with > > > >> > > > > > > > > some > > > >> > > > > reservations > > > >> > > > > > > > > about prep schools), we seem to manage 'equality' quite > > > >> > > > > > > > > well to > > > >> > > > > this > > > >> > > > > > > > > point and keep things personal and neighbourly enough. > > > >> > > > > > > > > Things > > > >> > > go > > > >> > > > > sour > > > >> > > > > > > > > after this point and I do conclude that the > > > >> > > > > > > > > suppression of > > > >> > > > > > > > > spirituality and communality after this stage is the > > > >> > > > > > > > > key. > > > >> > > > > > > > > I'm > > > >> > > not > > > >> > > > > > > > > sure I ever coped with this and the discovery of the > > > >> > > > > > > > > way > > > >> > > > > > > > > of the > > > >> > > > > > > > > world. I've been unrooted all my adult life and even > > > >> > > > > > > > > now > > > >> > > > > > > > > miss > > > >> > > the > > > >> > > > > > > > > comradeship of disciplined service that replaced this, > > > >> > > > > > > > > even > > > >> > > though > > > >> > > > > I > > > >> > > > > > > > > know the experience was traumatic - the trauma being > > > >> > > > > > > > > very > > > >> > > > > > > > > much > > > >> > > post > > > >> > > > > > > > > the experience time itself. There is much we could be > > > >> > > > > > > > > building > > > >> > > on > > > >> > > > > - > > > >> > > > > > > > > my sense of this is almost marxist in terms of access > > > >> > > > > > > > > to > > > >> > > > > > > > > and > > > >> > > > > control > > > >> > > > > > > > > of the means of production - but I am only materialist > > > >> > > > > > > > > in > > > >> > > believing > > > >> > > > > in > > > >> > > > > > > > > this as a means to spiritual being. Fromm put this as > > > >> > > > > > > > > 'to > > > >> > > > > > > > > have > > > >> > > or > > > >> > > > > to > > > >> > > > > > > > > be' - there are plenty of arguments, but it often seems > > > >> > > > > > > > > little > > > >> > > to > > > >> > > > > do > > > >> > > > > > > > > other than as a missionary or martyr - I'll stop before > > > >> > > > > > > > > terms > > > >> > > like > > > >> > > > > > > > > 'strategic spirituality' start to come out of my > > > >> > > > > > > > > management > > > >> > > speak > > > >> > > > > > > > > learning! > > > > >> > > > > > > > > On 8 Sep, 01:27, ornamentalmind > > > >> > > > > > > > > <[email protected]> > > > >> > > wrote: > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > I couldn’t stop thinking of Neil (and a few others > > > >> > > > > > > > > > here) > > > >> > > while > > ... > > read more » --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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