Lindy’s Wuxi Photo Journal

Below are the first set of pictures from the collection that Lindy sent me from her new home in China. They're wonderful, and I love her captions. I'll post a set from time to time when I'm not too lazy. I lost the captions to the pictures for a while, but then I found them again. I'm not good at arranging pictures artfully, so here they are all in a row.

About ten feet from my door the workmen were burning bamboo to heat this vat of tar. They are always very considerate of me, stopping work and lining the sidewalk until I pass. We say nee-how to one another and then laugh about it. They are very interested in what I wear, especially my watch. Not a bad way to start the day, though I can see that it will get old after just a bit.

This is the little path I take if I want to walk out to the main gate. Of course, I can have a car meet me at my apartment but it’s a nice walk. The grounds are well landscaped and I see lots of people on my way. You can see the gate house there in the distance, just to the right of the light pole.

The sky in Wuxi is not really that blue. I’ve helped it along. Usually the sky is white or light brown, reflecting the smog. Occasionally a little blue peeps through. At least that’s what I’ve been told. I am waiting.

This is the little store, located right here in the compound. It has only a few items but one of them is Diet Coke! The primary enterprise of the store is delivering water to the community. You may know that the water in China is contaminated by heavy metals and I imagine a few other things too. It’s OK for bathing and even tooth brushing. But, we all drink only bottled water or wine. Some people drink beer.

This is the little dog who lives at the store. In the previous photo he’s just outside the door. His guardians keep him clean, and I think he is well cared for, if often ignored. There are many dogs and cats in China. I would love to gather them up and take them to the vet and the groomer. Those are my middle-class western values. Not always appropriate here in China.

This is one of the security guards at Venice Gardens. It is his duty to protect us. He’s one of the nicer ones. Always smiles when calling me a car.

On A Boat

Sez Wade: "I thought this was good advice."

Sez I: "Yes."

Pearl Harbor - In Memoriam

"Battleship Row"

From the Naval Historical Center:

The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.

World War I, or The Great War, was to be the war that ended all wars, but - Alas! - it was not to be. The twentieth century was full of bloody wars. Early in 21st century, we are once again at war on two fronts. When will we ever learn?

World War I

World War II

The Cold War (A good many near misses)

Korean War

Vietnam War

Desert Storm

War in Afghanistan

War in Iraq





Prayer For Those in the Armed Forces of Our Country

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, p. 823)

Prayer for Peace

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, p.815)

Photo by the U. S. Navy.

Please Pray For Ellie

Ann asks for prayers for her great niece Ellie, who is ill. She is only 15 years old and is very scared. Her diagnosis is, for now, uncertain.

To Clear The Air - A Sign From China

I recommend that you follow the directions to the letter - or else!

Thanks to Wade.

Even More On Bishop-Elect Morris Thompson

From the Times-Picayune:

Several delegates said Thompson made a strong impression with his pastoral skills, a special need in the storm-battered diocese of 55 congregations and about 18,000 members.

"He's a very gentle, deeply spiritual man. A kind man," said the Rev. Henry Hudson, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, who nominated Thompson. "His first instinct is always the pastoral word. He's a listener, and that's going to be very helpful."
....

At the Episcopal church's General Convention last summer, Thompson was with the majority of delegates who voted to declare partnered gay men and lesbians eligible for any ordained ministry. He also voted to direct church resources to preparing rites for same-sex unions.
....

"I believe the church is moving in a direction that is more inclusive when it comes to the issue of sexuality, and I think the church needs to support people who are gay," Thompson said in an interview Saturday.
....

What people in New Orleans should know about him, he said, "is that I'm passionate about ministry, about people having a relationship with Christ. And we all have a place at the table, no matter who we are."

That a candidate was elected who voted in favor of opening all ordained ministries to all the baptized and in favor preparing rites for same-sex unions is a milestone here in Louisiana. Those of you from other areas of the country may not fully realize the election as the break-through that it is.

It pains me to see that Morris Thompson is being trashed on the conservative websites, not only as a "revisionist", but as a "heretic", and that few on the progressive side even take note of the election of a fine man who will be an excellent addition to the House of Bishops.

And I know I said that I was moving on, but I changed my mind.

Where Are You?

Note to my progressive friends with blogs: The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana elected a bishop yesterday, but you seem to have missed the story. Now I know that not all my blog friends cover news stories, but those of you who do, where are you?

I rejoiced in the election of two women in the Diocese of Los Angeles who made several holes in the glass ceiling, and I posted the news here on my blog.

Was our election in Louisiana not controversial enough? Did you miss telling the story because we are way down south nearly in the Gulf of Mexico? Are we too French and not Anglican enough? Why? A bishop-elect is a bishop-elect, no matter that he's a straight white male. Are we not part of the Episcopal Church?

I'm disappointed and a little miffed that my progressive friends do not see our election as important enough to note. Would you like to know which blogs covered the story? The conservative bloggers are quite vocal about the new "revisionist" bishop-elect in Louisiana. I have the sense that we're perhaps not seen as a true part of the Episcopal Church. I have that left-out feeling.

And if you take note after my petty little rant, it will be like getting birthday and anniversary greetings only after you remind loved ones that they missed the event.

My thanks to John Chilton at The Lead for his article on the election and to my fellow Louisianian, Ormonde Plater for his posts. If others out there in progressive blogland covered our election, and I've left you out, I apologize in advance.

To all of you who stopped by in the comments to congratulate us and wish us well here in our remote little diocese in the Louisiana swamp and bayou lands, I say a big THANK YOU.

There. I had to get that off my chest. And now I shall move on to other matters.

Well THAT Didn't Take Long

Posted On : December 6, 2009 9:54 AM
ACNS:

The election of Mary Glasspool by the Diocese of Los Angeles as suffragan bishop elect raises very serious questions not just for the Episcopal Church and its place in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole.

The process of selection however is only part complete. The election has to be confirmed, or could be rejected, by diocesan bishops and diocesan standing committees. That decision will have very important implications.

The bishops of the Communion have collectively acknowledged that a period of gracious restraint in respect of actions which are contrary to the mind of the Communion is necessary if our bonds of mutual affection are to hold.

The archbishop CAN move swiftly, when he chooses.

And what about Uganda? It appears that the archbishop is still in gracious restraint mode regarding a condemnation of the pending draconian anti-gay bill that is under consideration.

H/T to Counterlight.

Second Sunday In Advent

Readings:

AM Psalm 148, 149, 150; PM Psalm 114, 115
Amos 6:1-14; 2 Thess. 1:5-12; Luke 1:57-68


Collect

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(BCP, p. 211)


The Song of Zechariah
Benedictus Dominus Deus

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

(Luke 1: 68-79)

Photo from Nike Chillemi.

Addendum: Doorman-Priest has a lovely sermon for 2 Advent posted at his site. I haven't had a chance to read the sermon yet, because I must get ready for church, but I will, when I return home. I know that the sermon is lovely because Doorman-Priest cannot tell a lie.

More On Bishop-Elect Morris Thompson

The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana elected The Very Rev. Morris Thompson, as the 11th Bishop of Louisiana today at Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans. Thompson was one of six final candidates voted on by clergy and lay representatives from every congregation in the diocese. Thompson succeeds the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Jenkins who has served since 1997 and announced his retirement effective January 2010.

Thompson said, "I am honored and humbled to serve you as the 11th Bishop of Louisiana. Your rich tradition, your attention to the survival of your diocese, and the possibilities are what attracted me when I first read your profile. Under God's grace and with our shared ministry, I look forward to being among you as your pastor."

Rev. Thompson currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky with his wife, Rebecca. He serves as the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral. He and Rebecca have two children, Virginia and Trey.

Under the canons of the Episcopal Church (III.11.4) both a majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan Standing Committees must consent to the election within 120 days of receiving notice. If sufficient consents are received, Thompson will be consecrated on May 8, 2010, at Christ Church Cathedral, with the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding.

Rev. Thompson is originally from Cleveland, Mississippi. He received his M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and attended University of the South and Lexington Theological Seminary.

Diocese Of Los Angeles Elects Two Women Bishops

From The Lead:

In a seven ballot election The Rev. Canon Mary D. Glasspool has been elected a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles pending the required consents. The second woman elected bishop bishop in the diocese in as many days, she is also a partnered lesbian.

The Diocese of Los Angeles elected the Rev. Canon Diane Jardine Bruce suffragan bishop of the diocese in the first of two elections taking place in that diocese this weekend. Bruce is the first woman elected a bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles pending the required consents.

Two women, one in a partnered lesbian relationship. Excellent news! The Diocese of Los Angeles moves forward.

The Very Rev'd Morris Thompson Elected 11th Bishop Of The Episcopal Diocese Of Louisiana

His biography is here. (pdf file)

Final vote:

Clergy - 62

Laity - 73

Thanks be to God!

Fr. Thompson was my first choice. I am thrilled!

Equality Over Conscience?

From a link at Thinking Anglicans, the title of a post by Archbishop Cranmer at Cranmer leaped out at me:

EU forces Government to put gay equality over Christian conscience

The writer lists references from the Hebrew and Christian Testaments and from the Qur’an which are presumed to forbid same-sexuality and bemoans the loss of England's national sovereignty to the European Union. You can read it all at the link.

As I said in the comments to the post:

The title of the post caught my attention from the link at Thinking Anglicans.

"EU forces Government to put gay equality over Christian conscience"

Why did the headline startle me? Because I rather foolishly believe that the Christian conscience would compel one to support gay equality. If you think same-sexuality is wrong, then refrain from the act. It's not as though the EU is forcing same-sexuality on anyone.

I doubt that God cares more about national sovereignty than about fair and equal treatment of human beings. It seems to me that the secular EU has become the Christian conscience of England.

An excerpt from the rebuttal to my comment:

D. Singh said...

Madam,

It is sad to read a note from, presumably a Christian such as yourself support a measure which is destructive of the church in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Again, you may read the full response at the link.

I answered:

Sir, if the church groups keep themselves free from employing LGTB persons, will the communities then be pure and undefiled? Are there none employed in the church communities who have transgressed? Are none guilty of any of the seven deadly sins?

Pride
Covetousness
Lust
Anger
Envy
Gluttony
Sloth

There is no such entity as a pure church. The church is for sinners. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."

I don't expect that I shall turn you around to my way of thinking, nor will you convince me that your way is right. I commented here simply because I was truly startled by the title of the post. The seeming dissonance in the phrasing jumped out at me.

Peace to you in this season of hope and expectancy as we await the celebration of the coming of Our Lord to dwell amongst us.

The response:

D. Singh said...

Madam,

Because some in the church commit those seven sins is not a justification to add another.

There you have it. I'm not one to continue with an endless argument in which I am close to certain that no minds or hearts will be changed, therefore I'm done. From that number of comments to the post (73, so far), I conclude that the blog is popular, with comments from both conservatives and progressives alike. I suppose that I don't get around enough.

Republican "Tough Love" For Health Clinics In NOLA

From the Times-Picayune:

Confronting a panel of health professionals seeking continued federal support for a fragile network of New Orleans health clinics that emerged in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asked Thursday whether the city is becoming a ward of the federal government.

"Is everyone so poor in Louisiana that the state cannot do more for you?" Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., asked the panel. "Are you going to be a permanent ward of the federal government?"

Issa's question, which he said was born out of "tough love," drew a wrathful response from Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio.

Of course, that the overflow of water into New Orleans after Katrina was a FEDERAL FLOOD due to faulty levees, constructed by the US Corps of Engineers, should not be in the equation as Louisiana goes a-begging for help to provide health care for the poor. And nevermind that a better description for Republican "tough love" would be Republican "shriveled hearts". (H/T to Michael Gerson. See sidebar.)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich said:

"You're trying to keep alive a health infrastructure to assist people, and we are getting ready to spend $160 billion next year on a stupid war in Afghanistan," Kucinich said.

"If we can't see that New Orleans is still suffering, if we can't see that New Orleans has a health-care infrastructure that is not adequate to meet the needs of people who are still recovering from the hurricane, if New Orleans has to come with a tin cup to beg for money for clinics "," Kucinich said. "Our country is falling apart, and what's happening in New Orleans is a signal condition of where America's priorities are totally fouled up."

Do you see why I wanted Dennis to be my president? He has the priorities right. All right, perhaps he could not have governed, but a girl can dream, can't she?

And then Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, R-New Orleans, spoke up to:

thank Kucinich "for his passion and his understanding of the situation in New Orleans," and he agreed with Kucinich's characterization that "FEMA was still nickel-and-diming the city," especially in its haggling over what Louisiana is owed for the damaged Charity Hospital, a dispute that is now in arbitration.

If you recall, Cao was the lone Republican to vote to move the health reform bill out of the House of Representatives. He knows well that his people need help.

Easy Option

I'm not that good at live & let live, she
told me, when it's just as easy to avoid &
then I don't even have to think about it.


From StoryPeople.

Updates On Prayer Requests

From Ann:

Kay Rohde on FB

move to elkhorn rehab hosp Sat 10 AM. maybe 2 weeks, making good
progress, this was a much bigger deal than first thought to
reestabalish neurological highways down the spinal cord.. Thank you
all for prayers Full healing probable, may take 6-8-12 months. Thanks
for the messages they help. Come visit. I would love to see you
pokearound the corner. When you are present, God is present. Thank you.

My brother-in-law is recovering at home from acute diverticulitis and is in much less pain.

My niece is doing nicely after the hysterectomy.

From Susan S.:

I just heard from my Brother...he says that Harriette came thru okay, the surgeon is pleased, and Harriette is on the major sedation. We'll see what he says tomorrow. As I recall my mother's surgery, they got her up the next day for only a few seconds, but it hurt like hell even on the drugs.

From Eileen:

Can we add my mil Peggy here? She's moving to rehab later today to continue recovering from her hip replacement surgery for the next few weeks.

Thanks be to God, and may God continue to shine the healing light of love on all who are in need.

Pray For The Episcopal Diocese Of Louisiana

Christ Church Cathedral and the St. Charles Street car


The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana will hold its Electing Convention tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 5). Please pray that the Holy Spirit may fill the minds and hearts of the delegates as they gather at Christ Church Cathedral to choose our next bishop.

The website of the diocese is posting the results as they come from the floor of the convention.

Roseann - "Where, O death, is your victory?"

Barbara, a friend of Roseann, posted the picture above on Roseann's Facebook page. I asked her permission to use the photo here, and she graciously answered:

Roseann would love that! I posted the picture to share with everyone.

Roseann's request for her ashes to be placed in a Hellmann's Mayonnaise jar was one stanza of her final splendid, tragic, humorous, and life-giving poem on this good earth before her holy death. And hers was the holiest death that I have ever known.

The picture below is Barbara's, too.

‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

Thanks to Sue for calling the picture to my attention.

Snow In Houston

Flowers in the snow

From a friend in Houston:

From 1" to 3" is predicted. It's coming down pretty hard right now but hasn't started to lay yet.

Aren't you jealous?

xo

Yes, I am - in a way, but only in a way. At first, the snow is lovely and thrilling, but the last time it snowed here to any effect, we stayed frozen for three or four days. We are, in no way, prepared for snow here, and the icy roads and walkways came to be a nuisance after a spell. I expect that Houston is not that well prepared for snow, either.

And later came the pictures from my friend.


"The Broken Obelisk" by Barnett Newman

The sculpture stands in a pool on the site of the Rothko Chapel.

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on proposed bill in Uganda

[December 4, 2009] The following is the statement of Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori concerning proposed private member’s bill on homosexuality in the Parliament of Uganda:

The Episcopal Church joins many other Christians and people of faith in urging the safeguarding of human rights everywhere. We do so in the understanding that “efforts to criminalize homosexual behavior are incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ” (General Convention 2006, Resolution D005).

This has been the repeated and vehement position of Anglican bodies, including several Lambeth Conferences. The Primates’ Meeting, in the midst of severe controversy over issues of homosexuality, nevertheless noted that, as Anglicans, “we assure homosexual people that they are children of God, loved and valued by him, and deserving of the best we can give of pastoral care and friendship” (Primates’ Communiqué, Dromantine, 2005).

The Episcopal Church represents multiple and varied cultural contexts (the United States and 15 other nations), and as a Church we affirm that the public scapegoating of any category of persons, in any context, is anathema. We are deeply concerned about the potential impingement on basic human rights represented by the private member’s bill in the Ugandan Parliament.

In the United States and elsewhere, we note that changed laws do help to shift public opinion and urge a more humane response to difference. The Hate Crimes Act recently passed in the United States is one example, as are the many pieces of civil rights legislation that have slowly changed American public behavior, especially in the area of race relations. We note the distance our own culture still needs to travel in removing discriminatory practice from social interactions, yet we have also seen how changed hearts and minds have followed legal sanctions on discriminatory behavior.

We give thanks for the clear position of the United States government on human rights, for the State Department’s annual human rights report on Uganda, which observes that the existing colonial-era law on same-sex relations is a societal abuse of human rights, and for the State Department’s publicly voiced opposition to the present bill. We urge the United States government to grant adequate access to the U.S. asylum system for those fleeing persecution on the basis of homosexuality or gender identity, to work with other governments, international organizations, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide adequate protection for these asylum seekers, and to oppose any attempts at extradition under a law such as that proposed in Uganda.

Finally, we note that much of the current climate of fear, rejection, and antagonism toward gay and lesbian persons in African nations has been stirred by members and former members of our own Church. We note further that attempts to export the culture wars of North America to another context represent the very worst of colonial behavior. We deeply lament this reality, and repent of any way in which we have participated in this sin.

We call on all Episcopalians to seek their own conversion toward an ability to see the image of God in the face of every neighbor, of whatever race, gender, sexual orientation, theological position, or creed. God has created us in myriad diversity, and no one sort or condition of human being can fully reflect the divine. Only the whole human race begins to be an adequate mirror of the divine.

We urge continued prayer for those who live in fear of the implications of this kind of injustice and discrimination, and as a Church, commit ourselves anew to seek partnerships with the Church of Uganda, or any portion thereof, in serving the mission of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That Gospel is larger than any party or faction. It is only in mutual service and recognition that we will begin to mend our divisions.

We are grateful for the willingness of the Anglican Communion Office and Lambeth Palace to hear this plea on behalf of all God’s people, and urge their continued assistance in seeking greater justice. We note the impediments this legislation would pose to the ability to continue a Listening Process in which all of the Anglican Communion is currently engaged.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop

The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ in 109 dioceses and three regional areas in 16 nations. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

From Episcopal Life.

Thanks to Ann.

UPDATE: "Request for Executive Council Meeting Withdrawn".

Read Fr. Jake's post.

I am concerned that the release of a statement by the PB was cause for some members of Executive Council to think that there was no longer any need for them to make a statement. Speaking personally, I am much more interested in hearing from all four orders, not simply from our Presiding Bishop. The Executive Council is the authority on these matters, as they are our representative body. This feels very much like falling back into past patterns; letting the Bishops call the meetings and make the statements.

I agree. The meeting should have proceeded as scheduled.

Please Pray...

...for my brother-in-law, who has acute diverticulitis

...for my niece Donna, who is recovering from a hysterectomy

...for Kay, who is recovering from spinal surgery

...for JimB

Jim said...

Sue-z and I are facing the tent option unless something good happens soon. I am a candidate for a gig in Arkansas and am praying for a fair shot at it.

...for Susan S.' sister-in-law

susan s. said...

My sister-in-law is having both of her knees replaced today.

UPDATE: From Eileen:

Can we add my mil Peggy here? She's moving to rehab later today to continue recovering from her hip replacement surgery for the next few weeks.

From Arkansas Hillbilly:

... and I hate to be a burden, but could you add me to the prayer list... I had a "minor procedure" done Wednesday and the end result still hurts something fierce.

Prayer requests are never a burden.

By The Light Of The Full Moon

Great ball shining bright
Rolling on dark night's ceiling
Sun's light brings to earth


I'm one night late. Sorry.

Presiding Bishop Katharine - Door Still Open to Gay Bishops

Mark Harris at Preludium says:

Still in some quite remarkable ways Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori continues to speak in ways that make me proud to be part of the same church with her.

Listen to her interview by Denis O'Hayer on WABE.

After hearing her, I'm with Mark. I have not always agreed with Bishop Katharine, but, in this interview, she gets it right.

On The Other Hand...

Another point of view from a women's rights activist from AFP.

Women's rights activists on Tuesday backed a US troop surge in Afghanistan but warned that hard-fought gains in women's rights will vanish without a long-term commitment to develop the country.

"If the US left, women would be back in their burkas," said Esther Hyneman, a member of Women for Afghan Women (WAW), a rights group advocating for Afghan women in the United States and Afghanistan.
....

"America must make a long-term commitment to Afghanistan. Countries cannot recover overnight from 30 years of war, chaos, destruction, subjugation," she said.

We must not abandon the Afghans, especially the women, but we must stop fighting the war there. A presence, perhaps, but not a fighting presence. What will happen in July of 2011? Should we occupy parts of the country forever? A UN presence?

According to the article by Seymour Hersh to which I linked in my previous post on Obama's address on the war in Afghanistan, the Pakistanis are more and more in sympathy with the fundamentalist anti-American Muslims, and they don't want us in their country. As fundamentalism spreads, women will be oppressed. We must search for solutions other than wars, and I don't know what those solutions are, but we can't occupy great swaths of the Middle East.

Thanks to Ann for sending the link.

The Same-Sex Marriage Debate

UPDATE: View the enlargement here.

From Pharyngula.

Thanks to Paul (A.) for the link.

Because Everyone Should See This

Senator Diane Savino, a state senator from New York, on gay marriage.

Thanks to Fran for calling the video to my attention.

A Sweet, Possibly Apocryphal, Story

From Ruth Gledhill:

The Archbishop of Canterbury has a son who is of school age and who, like any schoolboy and certainly like my own young son, loves nothing more than a good play date.

This boy was apparently round at a friend's house the other day when his dad, Dr Rowan Williams, appeared on the television, as he does.

'Oh look,' piped up the boy's school friend. 'There's that man on the telly who does the hoovering at Pip's house.'

Mitres off to you Jane, you've got your priorities right. I think you might just be deserving of another bottle of Times champagne for this coup in domestic ecclesiastical politics.

Credit due. Archbishop Williams, if you push the Hoover in your house, you deserve applause. You're an example to all husbands. How about a video of your technique? We may learn a more efficient way to do the chore.

Thanks to Lapin for the link.

The President's Plan For Afghanistan

From the transcript of President Obama's address on the war in Afghanistan:

And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.

With all due respect, I don't buy the president's plan. What will be different in Afghanistan in 18 months? What will we accomplish in that time period, which will include more killing and maiming of Americans and Afghans? That's not to speak of the billions in the costs of the war, billions that could be put to better use than fighting a war we cannot win. The war becomes Obama's war now.

And this from TPM on the mostly ignored, but quite real "giant shadow army of contractors":

Private contractors employed by the Defense Department in Afghanistan will continue to outnumber the size of the American troop presence, even after President Obama sends 30,000 more soldiers to fight in the war, according to the military's most recent contractor count.

The latest figure on DOD contractors in the country is a whopping 104,100, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command tells TPM. That number, which is expected to grow, is already greater than the 98,000 U.S. troops that will be in the country after the new deployments.

The president mentions Pakistan several times during his address, as well he should. According to Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker, the nuclear weapons in Pakistan are much less safe than the leadership in both Pakistan and the US would have us believe. If you're looking for something else to worry about, read Hersh's article. It's long, but worth a read. A couple of paragraphs from the beginning of the article:

In the tumultuous days leading up to the Pakistan Army’s ground offensive in the tribal area of South Waziristan, which began on October 17th, the Pakistani Taliban attacked what should have been some of the country’s best-guarded targets. In the most brazen strike, ten gunmen penetrated the Army’s main headquarters, in Rawalpindi, instigating a twenty-two-hour standoff that left twenty-three dead and the military thoroughly embarrassed. The terrorists had been dressed in Army uniforms. There were also attacks on police installations in Peshawar and Lahore, and, once the offensive began, an Army general was shot dead by gunmen on motorcycles on the streets of Islamabad, the capital. The assassins clearly had advance knowledge of the general’s route, indicating that they had contacts and allies inside the security forces.

Pakistan has been a nuclear power for two decades, and has an estimated eighty to a hundred warheads, scattered in facilities around the country. The success of the latest attacks raised an obvious question: Are the bombs safe? Asked this question the day after the Rawalpindi raid, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “We have confidence in the Pakistani government and the military’s control over nuclear weapons.” Clinton—whose own visit to Pakistan, two weeks later, would be disrupted by more terrorist bombs—added that, despite the attacks by the Taliban, “we see no evidence that they are going to take over the state.”

Madame Secretary, I hope against hope that you are right.

No, Mr. President, I cannot buy into your plan.

UPDATE: A link to a post by Fred Schwartz at Real Anglicans which I urge you to read. Fred is a Vietnam vet. Fred's father served in WWII, and his son is presently serving in the Gulf of Oman. I quote the final paragraph, but please read the entire post.

Let me end this with where I began. My son is in the Gulf of Oman. He and his friends are professionals, they go where they are told to go, and do what they are told to do. That is the beauty of our military; actually, that is the brilliance of our military. It is up to our civilian government to say where and when and how and for how long. I for one, do not want my son and his friends, pilots and his shipmates, to be there for one more second than needs be. If, we are there for "the long haul" and we will continue a mission that is ill-defined and ill-conceived and we are unwilling to do what we started to do in the first place, then it is time to stop the madness.

Please Pray For Juan

From Margaret:

And the reality of Juan's situation is looming with his first hearing this Thursday. An impossible maze with impossible hurdles. Yet, we are preparing to leap with faith...

Some days are just like that.... impossible. Faith full. Today, after a month of rain, the sun is shining --a respite of sun. And it's not yet that clear, cold, blue-white winter sun --it is still full of warmth. And texture.

Margaret and Joel have taken into their home a young man, Juan, an illegal immigrant, who must attend a hearing tomorrow, Thursday, because he turns 18 years old. Then, on Dec. 7, he will have an immigration hearing at which a decision will be handed down as to whether he will be allowed to stay in the country or taken into custody and eventually deported. Please pray that the seemingly impossible will come to be - that Juan will be permitted to stay in the US.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Sad News - Gay Marriage Blocked

The gay wedding that was to take place yesterday did not.

From Reuters:

A gay Argentine couple and the mayor of Buenos Aires vowed on Tuesday to appeal a last-minute court ruling that blocked plans for Latin America's first legal same-sex marriage.

Alex Freyre, 39, and Jose Maria Di Bello, 41, were granted a marriage license by a city judge two weeks ago. That ruling gave approval for the two men to wed in the capital despite a national policy defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

But a national judge on Monday ordered the suspension of the ceremony, which had been planned for Tuesday, saying that the city judge had no power to make the earlier ruling.

"The wedding's been suspended but we're appealing to the Supreme Court today so we can figure out which court ruling to follow," said Ivan Pavlovsky, a spokesman for Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri.

I'm so sorry. There's still hope. We await the Supreme Court ruling.

Write It Down!

There was an elderly couple who had been married for ages and ages. He was starting to have problems with his memory, so Mrs. Elderly Couple figured out that if Mr. Elderly Couple wrote things down in his little notebook, there was much less strife in the household.

One evening as they were in bed reading, she said, "I feel a little hungry; I'd love to have a snack!" He said, "Well, what do you want? I'll go in the kitchen and prepare it!" She said, "Well, some ice cream would be nice! Write it down. Also, some chocolate syrup on the ice cream would be wonderful! Write it down." "Anything else?" he asked. "Well, perhaps some whipped cream and toasted almonds! Have you been writing this down?" "I don't need to write this down; I can remember it," he said. She said, "You'd better write it down because you know what happens when you don't." He said, "Ice cream with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and toasted almonds. What's so dang hard about that?" "I still think you should write it down," she said. He wandered off to the kitchen, mumbling, and she returned to her book.

About twenty minutes later he returned carrying a tray with pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, butter and maple syrup. "I told you to write it down," she said. "I wanted fried eggs, not scrambled!"

Padre Not-Doug

Padre Mickey sent this joke to me. Does he think I'm old, or something? The Music Director at his church told the joke Sunday during the announcements. The congregation at Padre's church celebrates a festival or has a party with delicious food nearly every Sunday. They tell jokes during the announcements. They have a band playing at their services. I want a church like Padre Mickey's.

And One More Thing...

Are you shocked that I post about condoms? I consider this another public service announcement on World AIDS Day.


Thanks to Ann.

Ugly Weather And More Oysters

Coldish (for us), rain, sometimes driving rain, brief (thank goodness!) near gale force winds - not ideal weather for road travel, but travel we did to the ophthalmologist for a check to see that all was well after my recent cataract surgeries. All is as it should be, thanks be to God.

After the office visit, I heard the oysters calling, and we headed back to Drago's Restaurant. We ordered charbroiled oysters as an appetizer once again. After I tasted the first oyster, I said, "Ummm, this is better than sex." I asked Grandpère, "Do you think these are better than sex?"

He blushed and said, "I don't know. You embarrass me." Now this conversation was strictly entre nous. No one else was within earshot. Why was GP embarrassed? I asked him, but he couldn't say.

We moved on to the the salad and the entrée. Mine was more oysters, this time fried, and GP had Shrimp Herradura, the dish I had last time, except mine was with oysters. Drago's does fried oysters well, too.

My one complaint about the food is that the salad consists mainly of iceberg lettuce, with a few, a very few, tasty salad greens thrown in. Note to chef: ditch the iceberg altogether.

Then it was back home again in the nasty weather, with me tense in the passenger seat, braking with both feet.

Image stolen from Mark's profile. Mark blogs as Oyster at Your Right Hand Thief, and he's not at all good about answering email.

World AIDS Day

Who says the U S federal government can't do anything right? Have a look at the official AIDS website. Watch the video of President Obama and his wife get tested for AIDS in Kenya three years ago, when he was still a senator, and listen to his message for today. Check out the wealth of resources and information in easy-to-understand language on the prevention and treatment of AIDS.

Today is World AIDS Day. Go get tested. Everyone should take the test.

The First Gay Marriage In Latin America

From the Guardian:

Two Argentinians will this week become the first gay couple in Latin America to get married, following a three-year campaign that pitted politician against politician, overturned laws and angered millions of Catholics.

The Beruti register office in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires will never have witnessed a marriage like it. On Tuesday, Alex Freyre and José María Di Bello, who met three years ago at a conference on HIV, will make history and divide a continent as they become Latin America's first gay married couple.

The ceremony will be a tribute to their determination as well as their love for each other, after a bitter three-year campaign which has divided a city, outraged Argentina's powerful Roman Catholic church and overturned the constitution.
....

The most controversial marriage in Argentina's history became possible when a city court judge ruled that it was unconstitutional for civil law to stipulate that a marriage can exist only between a man and a woman. The marriage licence was granted on 16 November. Since then, the couple and their lawyers have come under virulent attack from church leaders, who have warned that the marriage could act as the catalyst for the swift decline of the continent's traditional family values.

The archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, has publicly lashed out at the city's mayor, Mauricio Macri, who decided not to lodge an appeal against the judge's decision to grant the marriage licence. An appeal by the city government against the judge's ruling would, in effect, have overturned the judge's decision and stopped the licence being granted. Bergoglio said that, in failing to act, Macri had "gravely failed" at his task of governing.

I'm sick, sick, sick of hearing from angry people who warn that gay marriage will destroy traditiontal marriage and family values. Straight people, look to your own marriages and family values and begin your work there. Get the planks out or your own eyes before you admonish others about their ways.

"This is just one marriage in one city in Latin America, we are very far away from this right being extended across the country, let alone the continent," said Analia Mariel Mas, the lead lawyer working with the couple.

"Recently, we travelled with a delegation of equality rights campaigners to the north of the country, and had people waving crucifixes at us as if they were seeing Satan in human form. So there needs to be a change to the national legislation to force through changes and uphold our constitutional rights. Change won't happen if we try to do this case by case." (My emphasis)

Waving crosses as if to ward off Satan? Alex and José love each other and want to live together as a married couple, and why shouldn't they? And how does their marriage cause harm to anyone else?

Alex says, "We have people calling us every day saying we are their heroes, people we don't know crying on the phone saying that Tuesday will be the best day of their life.... But we won't want to be heroes, all we wanted to do was get married.

Thanks to Fran for the link.