"Breaking News" Knocks Off Rose-colored Glasses

From Think Progress comes a video from MSNBC of McCain speaking at the VFW National Headquarters in Kansas City, MO, about how wonderfully successful the surge has been in turning things around in Iraq and being interrupted by "breaking News" that seems to contradict his rosy interpretation of the situation there. Of course, I could be wrong.

Oh, please watch.

The Surge Is Working! - Part 2

From the New York Times:

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Suspected Shiite militants lobbed rockets and mortar shells into the U.S.-protected Green Zone and a military base elsewhere in Baghdad on Sunday, killing three American troops and wounding 31, officials said.
....

The U.S. military said separately that an American soldier was killed Sunday in a roadside bombing in the volatile Diyala province north of Baghdad. A U.S. soldier assigned to the division operating south of the capital also died Sunday from non-combat related injuries, according to a statement.

The deaths raised to at least 4,018 members of the U.S. military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
....

U.S. commanders have blamed what they call Iranian-backed rogue militia groups for launching missiles against American forces.

Is Bush determined to attack Iran before he leaves office? The war drums sound louder to me. Will Congress give him the go ahead? Will Bush even ask the Congress before he moves ahead?

UPDATE: From Juan Cole at Informed Sources:

Shiite guerrillas with at least some relationship to the Mahdi Army have been regularly sending mortar and rocket fire on the so-called Green Zone for some time, but they seldom used to hit anything. One question I hear asked in informed military circles is whether the special groups, which Muqtada al-Sadr considers Iranian puppets and rogues, have been given more accurate rockets by Iran, and maybe some better training in how to use them.

But the Mahdi Army is siphoning off a good $2 bn. a year in embezzled gasoline and kerosene, and it seems to me that with that sort of money you could pretty much buy anything you needed on the international arms black market. If Iran did not exist, would the situation in Iraq really be much different? It is all too convenient for the US to blame continued turmoil in Iraq on Iran, rather than to face up to the real divisions inside Iraq and the Bush administration's role in exacerbating them.

Since You Have Nothing To Do....

Since I'm not blogging, you may want to read Rmj's ruminations at Adventus, titled "The Engine of Hope", on an opinion piece from the New York Times by Taylor Branch.

Supper At Emmaus - Redux

Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio, 1601

National Gallery, London

Then he [Jesus] said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over. "So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"

Luke 24:25-32

From Rmj in the comments to my Noli Me Tangere post below:

We used to have wonderful discussions in seminary about Jesus after the resurrection. Did he have a body, or not? All the Gospel witnesses are intentional[ly] inconclusive. In Luke, he appears to the disciples, but is only recognized in the breaking of the bread, then he vanishes. In John, he walks through walls and closed doors, but has wounds that can be touched, and eats fish with Peter (to prove he's not a ghost).

Fascinating stuff. Ambiguity is the very warp and woof of life!

Indeed it is! Assuming Jesus had a body of some sort, I wonder what it would have been like to be among the disciples on the road to Emmaus with Jesus and hear him explain the Scriptures. What would it have been like to break bread with Jesus that night? Although they did not know him as they walked with him, there was something about him that made them want to remain in his presence. I put myself in their company.

Come And Eat With Me

Will you come and eat with me?
You can stay the night.
Stay just a while and have a meal.
As we break our bread, we'll talk.
Stay with me; rest a while.

Here, take your bread.
Wait! Who are you?
You are Jesus, the one who died!
You are dead, but here you are alive,
Here you break bread with me.

You made me come alive,
As you spoke to me of the prophets.
You set my heart on fire when you told me
How you had to suffer and to die.
What! You're gone? Just like that?

Grandmère Mimi - 4/9/07

What's above is not blogging but a recycling of a post from last year. Technically, I have not broken my word. My visitors are not here, yet.

No Blogging Today

I must go to church this morning, and this afternoon, my nephew and his wife are in from Missouri to spend a night after whooping it up in New Orleans for a few days. I will be très occupée today and tomorrow morning. Au revoir, mes amis, until then.

Crawfish Capers

From the Daily Comet:

A News Analysis by JEREMY ALFORD, Correspondent

BATON ROUGE -- If a crawfish you personally raised escapes from your pond and decides to set up shop in your neighbor’s ditch and is consequently consumed by that neighbor with a side of corn and potato, is the mudbug still yours?

While perhaps not a question for the ages, it’s among the many crawfish-related topics state lawmakers will be debating during the ongoing regular session.

What do you mean, Jeremy, that this is not a question for the ages? This is crawfish we're talking here. It's a question for the ages here in south Louisiana.

As for that crawfish on the lam, a lawmaker from Lake Charles takes the question quite seriously.

Rep. Brett F. Geymann, a Republican crustacean crusader, has filed House Resolution 7 to request that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries study the issue of "escaped farm-raised crawfish."

Didn't I tell you that our Louisiana legislators take their work seriously? Well, no, I did not.

When this happens, the "crawfish can escape their impoundments into neighboring ditches and other waterways, in much the same manner as livestock at-large," the legislation states.

"Many times, these escaped crawfish are harvested from those neighboring ditches and waterways by people other than the people who had been cultivating the crawfish for commercial purposes in private ponds," the resolution continues, "thereby depriving the farmer of his livestock and the commercial gain from that livestock."

Branding the crawfish is one solution that pops into my mind. What do you think, Rep. Geymann? Or you could order construction of more jail space and lock up the wayward critters.

Good job, Jeremy.

Watch This Wonderful Video

What we all knew instinctively as kids.
These 2 guys reared this lion from a baby in England but the authorities would not allow them to keep it once it reached maturity so they were forced to give it up. They took it back to Africa and placed it in a wildlife sanctuary. A year later they went to see it and were told it would not remember them. Check out the attached video for the lion's reaction when it saw them for the first time...

From Doug.

"Who Is The Real Patriot?"

From the web edition of the Chicago Tribune:

In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.

In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They provide medical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.)
....

While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections.

Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?
....

This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he made over the last three decades.
....

How many of Wright's detractors, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly to name but a few, volunteered for service, and did so under the often tumultuous circumstances of a newly integrated armed forces and a society in the midst of a civil rights struggle? Not many.

While words do count, so do actions.

Can I get an amen here?

Thanks to Doug for the link. You see, my friends, the mysterious Doug has a serious side, too.

Feast Day Of Martin Luther King

From The Reverend King's "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech on April 3, 1968:

It's all right to talk about "long white robes over yonder," in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here. It's all right to talk about "streets flowing with milk and honey," but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preachers must talk about the New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do.
....

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

King was assassinated the following day. The speech in its entirety is here.

PRAYER:

Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you led your people out of slavery, and made them free at last: Grant that your Church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Readings:

Psalm 77:11-20 or 98:1-4
Exodus 3:7-12
Luke 6:27-36

Uh-uh-uh Uh Uh! Uh-uh-uh Uh Uh!

From my faithful stringer, Lapin.

Sazerac State Cocktail Of Louisiana?

From the Times-Picayune:

BATON ROUGE -- The world-famous Sazerac, a cocktail conceived in 19th century New Orleans, picked up its first round of legislative support Wednesday as the state's official cocktail.

Without objection, the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs toasted Senate Bill 6 by Sen. Edwin Murray, D-New Orleans, sending it to the full Senate for debate.

Murray added a provision that the bill would go into effect when Gov. Bobby Jindal signs it. Murray said he does not foresee any opposition to the measure.

What a relief to know that the Louisiana legislators are up in Baton Rouge doing serious business and not wasting time and money or anything. In truth, the citizens of Louisiana are probably better off with the legislators focused on this sort of thing, rather than making mischief in ways that could actually affect our lives.

The ingredients in the cocktail were not spelled out in the bill. Some contend the drink should be made with rye and others say it must be made from bourbon.

Murray said the drink is one of the oldest in the nation and the oldest created in New Orleans.

The drink was concocted in the 1830s by Antoine Amedee Peychaud, a pharmacist who fled from Haiti to New Orleans.

He used bitters he created as part of the drink and mixed it with Louisiana cane sugar and imported French brandy.

Peychaud's bitters is still a key component of the drink.

There you have it. Go make yourself a Sazerac, put on some good music, sit back, relax, and let your imagination rove where it will.

UPDATE: For a taste of the mischief cooked up by the Louisiana legislature in its last session, see Jim at JindalWatch. Of course, they were stirred up to do this bit of mischief by Governor Clean, who chooses as his example the Bush maladministration, the masters at doling out money to their cronies.

Stormy Is Home

My son's cat, Stormy, is much better and back home. He will be eating special food with the proper pH balance, and that should prevent crystallization of the urine. Thanks for your prayers and your concern.

That is not Stormy up there, but a picture of a Russian Blue that looks very like him.

UPDATE: Below is a picture of the real Stormy.

A Picture, A Symphonic Poem, And A Sermon

Tobias posted at his blog, In A Godward Direction, a beautiful picture, a symphonic poem of his own composition, and his sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter.

I won't try to quote excerpts, and I won't say more, except to suggest that you may want to go over and play the music and read the sermon. It's a lovely experience.

Bishop Charles Jenkins Gets It Right

From The Bishop's Blog:

Should you depart your faith community when you disagree with the spiritual leader? In this second week after the headlines broke regarding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s comments, that question looms large. Senator Clinton has implied that she would know what to do in such a situation. She said we cannot pick our family but we can pick our pastor. Senator Clinton says she would leave the Church in the face of such disagreement. Perhaps I am incorrect, but I think I hear her saying that if you do not like the preacher, go find one you like. If you do not like what the minister is saying (or doing) go find one that fits you. I imagine that many in this country agree with Senator Clinton. I think she is devilishly wrong and her advice gives power to spiritual and emotional immaturity rather than challenging people to grow in maturity.

That's exactly right. I agree with Bishop Jenkins that Senator Clinton is wrong. In fact, I was amazed at the whole news frenzy about the Reverend Wright's sermon. Unfortunately, the frenzy is probably not over. I was not offended at all by the sermon, but that's not the subject of this post.

Senator Obama has made clear his disagreement with certain of the words of the Reverend Wright, but that's not enough. He is now asked by Senator Clinton to break with his long-term pastor, because he doesn't agree with everything he says. How many of us would keep a long-term association with a pastor, if we thought it necessary to agree with everything our pastor says? We'd be wandering around ceaselessly, looking for a pastor whose views exactly match ours. As soon as we discovered a point of disagreement, we'd have to move along to search for a perfect match.

I thought the best thing to come out of that overblown event around Pastor Wright was the fact that Senator Obama could disagree with Pastor Wright and yet remain in relationship, fellowship and communion with him. This action spoke loudly of good news to me. I was elated when Senator Obama did not choose to walk apart from a man who has been an important part of his life. Senator Obama’s decision not to separate from Pastor Wright spoke to me of a maturity in which disagreement need not lead to leave-taking. The fragility of people that requires a high degree of satisfaction and agreement in order to sustain a relationship was challenged by Senator Obama’s decision. I think Senator Obama demonstrated to the world a high degree of tolerance for his own discomfort and that of others. Such tolerance of discomfort and even pain is necessary in a great leader.

"Overblown event" says it all. I'd have thought a lot less of Senator Obama had he severed his ties with the Reverend Wright.

I urge you to read the rest of Bishop Jenkins blog post.

News From Pittsburgh

From Barkings Of An Old Dog:

After late night negotiations last evening with The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, it can now be announced that Clumber has humbly accepted the position of Bishop of Pittsburgh, starting today. In what can only be called an unprecedented move, your loyal and honorable canine servant will begin the office after his official election at a special diocesan convention, to be held this Saturday.

What a surprise! But Clumber looks great in the mitre, don't you think?

Jefferts Schori concedes that this is a bit of a trial appointment, but assures the faithful of Pittsburgh that Clumber has a handful of attributes that should prove popular with the people of the Pennsylvania region. She points out that he is

1. housebroken
2. faithful to The Episcopal Church
3. enthusiastic
4. heels on command.

It seems to me that it's worth a try.

Going Out New Orleans Style

From the Times-Picayune:

Surrounded by friends, family and the trappings of his extravagant lifestyle, fried-chicken magnate Al Copeland was laid to rest Monday after a Mass in which the man everyone knew for his outlandishness was described by a priest as a humble, penitent man who spent his last weeks trying to "get right with the Lord."

"Most people knew Al Copeland as someone who lived in the fast lane," Monsignor Christopher Nalty said during a Mass at Holy Name of Jesus Church. "They didn't realize that he knew that the Catholic Church was the one road to heaven."

Monsignor Nalty, I did not know that "the Catholic Church was the one road to heaven", but if you say so....

Copeland, who built the Popeyes fried-chicken franchise into the third-biggest such franchise in the country, died on Easter in Munich, Germany, of complications from cancer treatment.

The chicken was good, Al, mighty good. Every so often, I had to have my fix of your Popeye's fried chicken and your 400 calorie biscuits.

Although Copeland may have eschewed much of his characteristic bravado in his final months, mourners saw plenty of reminders of his over-the-top style when they reached the family mausoleum in Metairie Cemetery. Nine cars, eight motorcycles, a sport-utility vehicle and a dune buggy were parked in a semicircle. A motorcycle was at the gate, and Copeland's outsize speedboat, with tongues of flame on each side, was nearby.

Al, you couldn't take it with you, but you came close.

Copeland's body was borne in a horse-drawn hearse with oval windows that let everyone see the gleaming bronze casket. Leading the way was the New Orleans Spice Jazz Band, which played a doleful medley of "My Way" and "St. James Infirmary" as grand marshal Jennifer Jones took long, slow steps in her spats-covered shoes, her gloved hand over her heart.

The path leading to the mausoleum's door had been strewn with white rose petals, and tiny beads resembling Christmas lights -- a reminder of Copeland's over-the-top yuletide displays -- had been threaded through some of the white flowers that banked the stand where the coffin rested. The mausoleum door was open, revealing a stained-glass window depicting an oil lamp throwing off beams of light.
....

Although there were allusions to Copeland's fast-track life -- his neighbor Jay Polite said living next door was "like living next door to Elvis" -- the dominant impression was of a desperately ill man, confined to a wheelchair, who stopped off at the Vatican six weeks ago en route to Germany because, Nalty said, he wanted to get his spiritual affairs in order, starting with an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

Let's see. It was four wives and four divorces and a lotta time and money spent in court.

But because the pope was on retreat, "Al got stuck with me," said Nalty, a New Orleans native who is a member of the Roman Curia, the small bureaucracy that runs the Catholic Church.

Wow! The Roman Curia. Now that's impressive.

Perhaps it was for the best, Nalty said. "Al didn't speak Italian and German, and the pope didn't speak no yat."
....

Because 11 was Copeland's lucky number, 11 white doves were released, followed by 111 gold and white balloons.

At New Orleans funerals, jazz bands always end with something upbeat.

This time, the selection was "Love That Chicken from Popeyes."

Fittin' only fittin' that.

Love ya, Al. May you rest in peace and rise in glory.

I liked the way the newspaper did the story, a little tongue in cheek, but in a fond and gentle way, acknowledging the passing of another of the New Orleans eccentrics, of which there are many, both great and small.

Feast Of The Annunciation

A lovely painting by a lovely saint. Fra Angelico was a holy man living a holy life in the midst of the 15th church, which was riddled with more than its share of corruption and evil-doing.

From last year's post on the feast of the Annunciation:

Either in a book or in a museum, I once saw a painting of the Annumciation in which Mary looked to be recoiling from the angel. She was kneeling with her hands in the air and leaning backwards, as though saying, "Oh, no!" This would seem to me to be the natural initial reaction of a young virgin girl to Gabriel's news. I have never been able to find a reproduction of that painting. I believe it was Flemish or Italian. Mary is on the right of the painting and the angel is hovering in the air to the left. Mary has on a blue dress.

I still would love to find a picture of that painting.

Isaiah 7:10-14

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.


And then, in the power of the Spirit, Mary speaks the words of the glorious "Magnificat":

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.

Thus she gives a perfect description of the kingdom of God, the kingdom in opposition to the secular kingdoms of the world then and now.

PRAYER

Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord; that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Image from Christus Rex.

Breaking News....

From the Episcopal Café:

As a part of opening week festivities, Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori announced today that the Episcopal Church has been designated the Official Denomination of Major League Baseball. The move was announced today in a teleconference with reporters.

"Faith oriented promotions have increasingly become a part of many minor league team," Selig said. "We felt that it was time to tap into this important demographic."
....

Selig said that Episcopalians bring the right mix of arcane tradition, an appreciation of minutiae and a tolerance for long stretches of relative inaction that make them "a good fit for us."

"We believe that Episcopalians understand the nuances of the game and won't meddle with our traditions too much."

Go read the rest at the Café. The competition amongst the denominations was intense.

Thanks to Ann for the link.

A Peek Into The Past - 1957

From the BBC. "And that's Panorama for today, April 1st, 1957".

UPDATE: Thanks to Lapin for the link.