About That Church

The Independent put up a story about a plan to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral:

Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral could be fitted with a new roof that harnesses solar energy to provide enough energy to power nearby buildings, if the design is accepted.

Made up of of diamond-shaped glass panels propped up with laminated wooden beams, Vincent Callebaut Architectures claim it would turn the iconic landmark into an energy-positive building.

The panels would store solar power in hydrogen fuel cells, the Paris based firm said. As more than enough energy would be stored to power the Cathedral, the excess could be channelled to nearby buildings.

I don't really care what happens here, I just think it's interesting and cool that the plan is to fit the joint out with solar panels integrated into the roofing materials.

And never mind that it looks like god's rocket being launched from a dragon-skin cross.

Weird as fuck, but really - I don't care.

Today's Churchiness

My default position is that I can do without religion. Churches are too often scams - especially the big ones, which are really nothing more than musical theater.

But I'll give credit when it's due.

Try to ignore the pearl-clutching style of the anchor - as if she's reporting on the landing of shape-shifting lizard people from outer space (thanks, Alex Jones).

"Battle at the Border"? What the fuck, lady?

And sorry not sorry, but the field reporter's attitude felt a little condescending - like she can't believe the producer is forcing her to tell the story of some dirty hippie clergy people doing something inappropriately critical of Lord Commander Marmalade's glorious efforts to stem the tide of the brown hordes sweeping over us from the south... don't forget this is Mike Pence country.

Oddly Not Godly

The Sedlec Ossuary located in the suburbs of the medieval town of Kutná Hora in Czech Republic is one of the most unusual chapels. Decorated with more than 40.000 human skeletons, the medieval gothic church is also known as the Church of Bones.

Not to be overly generalize-y, but you're not gonna convince me that most of this churchy shit isn't really just a death cult rebranded.

That Guy In The Funny Hat

So there's lots of buzz about why The-Pope-Formerly-Known-As-Ratburger would just up and quit the sweetest gig in all of Christendom.

I'll give ya'll my take on it, right after you enjoy a picture of all the fucks I give about Popes and other power freaks who like to manipulate people by threatening them with the reprisals of their imaginary friends:

Before he became Pope Benedict 16, Cardinal Ratzinger was the Catholic Church's  Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (aka The Inquisition - and yes, that Inquisition).  He also took it onto himself to have all of those inconvenient reports of priestly child molesting referred to his office so they could be thoroughly investigated (ie: crushed, sprinkled in lime and then buried).  So lemme see - the guy who knows where all those bodies are buried and which closets contain which creepy skeletons; the guy who knows everything about every member of the church hierarchy; the guy who handled the scandals so well it only cost the church $2 Billion in settlement payments (so far, that we know of) - that's the guy who gets elected Pope because of his supremely holy goodness and his outstanding moral excellence.  Horse shit.

And now, he's having a tough time keeping up with the busy schedule of Church Royalty so he steps humbly aside, wanting to leave it to someone with more energy and better capability of withstanding the rigors blah blah blah.

If you buy any of that, I've got a stud mule you'll be interested in too.

Fugelsang has a more complete wrap-up: