WHERE LOUISIANA'S VOUCHER MONEY GOES, OR IS OUR CHILDREN LEARNING?

Brilliant post by CenLamar exposing the lack of responsibility and oversight of the school voucher program, a pet project of Bobby Jindal and State Superintendent of Education, John White, part of a plan to destroy public education in Louisiana.

Yesterday, after more than a year of sustained criticism in the state, national, and even international media, Louisiana Superintendent John White (no relation) announced the Department of Education was banning the New Living Word School in Ruston, Louisiana from participating in the so-called Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program (the SSEEP), more commonly known as the school voucher program. Under the direction of Governor Bobby Jindal and the majority Republican state legislature, Superintendent White is responsible for rolling out and implementing the most expansive school voucher program in the nation’s history, a program that potentially qualifies as many as 56% of Louisiana students.

Read it all, and weep for the children of Louisiana.  Note especially the leaked email from White to "muddy up the narrative," rather than deal with the revelations about the inadequacies of New Living Word School long before now.

Since the Louisiana State Legislature is responsible for enabling this type of scam, I blame them for supinely bowing before the governor to pass legislation allowing the mad voucher scheme to go forward.

"WE ACT LIKE IT'S JUST FOR US"

From nakedpastor.

THE CIVIL WARS - "BILLIE JEAN"

Joy Williams and John Paul White sing Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."

THE COME- BACK CREPE MYRTLE

Our glorious crepe myrtle before Hurricane Gustav in 2008

After Gustav with broken limbs pruned

Coming  back in 2009

 

The crepe myrtle in 2013, glorious once again

 

A sister crepe myrtle

GOLDFISH

Two goldfish were in their tank.

One turns to the other and says,

"You man the guns,

I'll drive." 

Cheers, Paul (A.)

Pretty goldfish. 

DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU WANT TO CRY?

Statement by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco on the "U.S. Supreme Court decisions June 26 striking down part of the Defense of Marriage Act and refusing to rule on the merits of a challenge to California’s Proposition 8":

Today is a tragic day for marriage and our nation. The Supreme Court has dealt a profound injustice to the American people by striking down in part the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The Court got it wrong. The federal government ought to respect the truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, even where states fail to do so. The preservation of liberty and justice requires that all laws, federal and state, respect the truth, including the truth about marriage. It is also unfortunate that the Court did not take the opportunity to uphold California’s Proposition 8 but instead decided not to rule on the matter. The common good of all, especially our children, depends upon a society that strives to uphold the truth of marriage. Now is the time to redouble our efforts in witness to this truth. These decisions are part of a public debate of great consequence. The future of marriage and the well-being of our society hang in the balance.

Sad, just sad.  And I repeat my mantra: If marriage between a man and woman is foundational to the well-being of our society, why have not the cardinal and the archbishop done their duty by marrying and contributing to the good of society?  Oh yes, I know - celibacy.  Perhaps the church might reconsider the requirement for the well-being of society.

JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG IS MY HERO

Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional; its formula can no longer be used as a basis for subjecting jurisdictions to pre-clearance.

Justice John Roberts in the majority opinion, along with Justices Alito, Kennedy, Scalia, and Thomas.

After exhaustive evidence-gathering and deliberative process, Congress reauthorized the VRA, including the coverage provision, with overwhelming bipartisan support. It was the judgment of Congress that “40 years has not been a sufficient amount of time to eliminate the vestiges of discrimination following nearly 100 years of disregard for the dictates of the 15th amendment and to ensure that the right of all citizens to vote is protected as guaranteed by the 2006 Reauthorization. That determination of the body empowered to enforce the Civil War Amendments “by appropriate legislation” merits this Court’s utmost respect. In my judgment, the Court errs egregiously by overriding Congress decision.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the dissenting opinion, with Justices Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayer.

The link to the text of Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, Attorney General, et al.

The majority justices who eviscerated the Voting Rights Act because they believe discrimination in voting rights is ended must inhabit a different planet than Earth.

A COUPLE OF VISUALS TO MAKE YOU HAPPY

 

Good news, indeed, after the bad news yesterday of the evisceration of the Voting Rights Act ruling by the Supremes.

WANING GIBBOUS MOON

 

Dark sky alight with 
Golden waning gibbous moon 
Now rising higher

Photo by NASA with a golden color adjustment.

GARY AND TRACY RICHARDSON'S WEDDING FLASH MOB

What do you think? I like it. Obviously, the approval of those in attendance was not 100%. At YouTube Gary says, "Debby that was just my A. Betty at a very old age needing the loo bless her?"

Andrew Brown in the Guardian:

The couple in this video were not churchgoers, and had lived together for years before they got married. They only went to a church after it was suggested by the stately home where they held their reception. But they managed to get a ceremony there that did both solemnity and joy, which are things that weddings need.

Aside from the disco dance, the wedding service followed the traditional marriage liturgy of the Church of England.

Brown adds:

I doubt that [Kate] Bottley will ever become a bishop. At the moment she is not even a full-time parish priest. She works three days a week looking after three rural churches, and two days a week as a chaplain. But it isn't bishops who will keep the church of England going.

You go, Kate!

GEORGE, THE GOLFER

The was a man named George who got a new job.  His fellow employees always met for a round of golf every Saturday.  They invited George to join the group and meet them at 10:00 Saturday morning.  George replied that he would love to join them, but he might be ten minutes late.

On Saturday morning George was there at exactly 10:00.  He golfed right-handed and won the round.

Next Saturday rolls around, and George says that he will be there, but he may be ten minutes late again.  He shows up right on time, golfs left-handed, and wins the round.  This continues for the next few weeks, with George always saying that he may be ten minutes late, and then always winning the round golfing, either left- or right-handed.

The other employees are getting tired of this, and decided to ask him what the deal was.  They said, ''George, every Saturday you say you may be ten minutes late.  You never are.  Then you show up and golf either right-handed or left-handed, and you always win.  What is up with that?''

George replies, ''Well, I am a very superstitious kind of guy.  Every Saturday when I wake up, I look over at my wife.  If she is sleeping on her left side, I golf left-handed.  If she is sleeping on her right side, I golf right-handed.''

''Well,'' one of the employees questioned, ''What happens if she is lying on her back?''

George replies, ''Then I am ten minutes late.''


Cheers,

Paul (A.)

Paul (A.) is a wicked, wicked man.

UPSTAIRS LOUNGE FIRE MEMORIAL SERVICE - 40 YEARS AGO TODAY

 

On Saturday afternoon, I attended the memorial service for the people who died in the fire at the UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans. The cover of the service bulletin shows the names of the people who died in the fire.  The listing of  "Unknown White Man" (three in number) is especially poignant.  Fr Bill Richardson, the then rector of St George, who presided at a memorial service for the dead a short time after the tragedy, was also remembered.

Fox8 in New Orleans covered the event. (Don't turn away at the "Fox" label; the news coverage by the local station is quite different from Fox News on the cable channel.)

June 24, 1973, an arsonist set fire at the bottom of the staircase leading to the Upstairs Lounge, a known gay bar.  "The bartender at the time got 20 victims out of the back of the bar," explained Wil Coleman of Pride New Orleans Celebration.

Flames trapped patrons on the second floor.  Others could see out the windows and reach out, but they couldn't physically get out.  "The windows were all barred and people couldn't get out." said New Orleans resident Mary Christie.  "What a horrible thing, and the fact that they had no sprinkler systems," she said.

Twenty-nine people died in the fire.  Three others died later of their injuries.  The final death toll was 32.
 
The Upstairs Lounge fire was the worst fire in New Orleans, and its impact was far-reaching not only because of the tremendous loss of life in this building, but it sparked a gay rights movement in this city.
....

[Fr Richard] Easterling and others gathered for a mass at St. George's Episcopal Church uptown Saturday to remember all 32 victims, including three people who were never identified. The day after the fire on June 25, 1973, St. George's held a memorial for the survivors and loved ones when no one else would.

I agree with the writer's conclusion that the tragic deaths in the fire lit a spark to begin the movement on the local scene toward equality and justice for LGTB persons.  Fr Bill Richardson's courage in agreeing to hold the memorial service at St George Episcopal Church 40 years ago placed the Episcopal Church squarely in its midst.  Many, even those within the movement, are not aware of this pivotal event in the history of the struggle for gay rights.

I commend the station for their coverage of the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.  The video report of the Fox8 news segment may be seen at the link above. 

Last week, I put together a group of quotes about the tragedy, which includes more information.

ARCHDRUID EILEEN 'SPLAINS IT ALL ABOUT THE SUPERMOON

Archdruid Eileen answers questions about the supermoon.

Q - What exactly is the Supermoon?

A - It's when the Moon suddenly becomes much larger than normal. This makes it considerably brighter and more massive.

This one snippet will serve to send you over to the site of the Beaker Folk to read the rest of the Q&A.

Last night the moon was beautiful and appeared full, but I gather tonight is the night.

The photo is from NASA and was not taken tonight.

UPDATE: The supermoon was gorgeous here this evening.