From Kirstin at Barefoot and Laughing:
Prayers
My eye is gunky, red, straight, and healing well. Thank you for all of your prayers.
I got a call from my dermatologist this afternoon. The bump on the back of my ear, that we thought might be basal-cell skin cancer, turns out to be melanoma.
I'll know more on Monday.
I am, in a word, terrified. Pray, please.
Posted by Kirstin at 10:15 PM
Saturday, April 26, 2008
"I Iz Contractr"
Please go read Scout Prime at First Draft to see her satirical take on the story of the contractors who used newspaper instead of rubber tubing to fill the cracks in the levee in New Orleans. I'm not kidding.
This falls into the funny-but-not-really-funny category. It's a disgrace and could have major and tragic consequences.
"Homeless Need Compassion, Not Criminalization"
Ormonde Plater, at Through the Dust shares a letter from Episcopal Deacon Lydia Hopkins to the New Orleans City Council Housing Committee. An excerpt:
Elaine and I both had an opportunity to speak and Fr. Baer read the Bishop's letter, listing most of the names we had available this morning. The consensus--apparently shared by Ms. Midura and Ms. Head by the end of the meeting--was that criminalizing homelessness will NOT help to solve the problem, and that housing, social services, and case management must be in place before there is any serious talk about forcing the homeless off of the streets.
Unfortunately, the chair of the committee was not present, nor were there sufficient members present to take a vote.
The full text of Hopkins' letter is at Ormonde's site and at EDOLA, the website of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.
Bishop Jenkins' letter:
Homeless need Compassion, not Criminalization
Dear Members of the City Council,
We write to you today to express our grave concern over the proposed ordinance on public habitation, section 54-419 of the City Code.
Please know that we are not bystanders offering our opinion on the work that others are doing. We, along with countless other members of the community, have been actively involved in ministry to the homeless and precariously housed in our city. We provide food and clothing to those living on the streets; we assist with re-housing efforts as well as the transition from FEMA trailers to permanent housing; we provide case management services and resources to help families remain housed; and we help to rebuild homes for the most vulnerable members of our community. We see first-hand the varied factors that contribute to the homelessness crisis, and our experience has taught us that the homeless need compassion, not criminalization. A simplistic “quick fix” as proposed in this ordinance will only exacerbate the dire conditions that are keeping residents down-and-out.
The failure of our community to develop and implement a comprehensive affordable housing strategy in the wake of unprecedented disaster is a communal failing. Yet this ordinance penalizes only those individuals who have fallen through the cracks—and we expect that there will be many more yet to come.
Furthermore, the ordinance will divert precious city resources to policing and jailing the destitute, at a time when our city is in the grips of a wave of violent crime and our jails are stretched to capacity.
We call on you to adopt a policy that affirms the dignity of every human being in our community, including the homeless.
We believe that our limited resources can be more compassionately and effectively utilized to house rather than criminalize the homeless.
We ask you not to pass this ordinance.
We stand ready to work with you and offer our experience, our time and our energy in order to draft a comprehensive, effective, and ethical solution to our city’s homelessness crisis.
In faith and hope,
Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins
Bishop, Diocese of Louisiana
Rev. Jerry Kramer
Rector, Church of the Annunciation
Rev. Jim Quigley
Rector, St. George's Episcopal Church
Rev. Lydia Hopkins
Deacon, St. George's Episcopal Church
Rev. Elaine Clements
Deacon, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Nell Bolton
Exec. Director, Office of Disaster Response
Diocese/ACT
Shakoor Aljuwani
Community Organizer
Diocese/ACT
Amen, amen, and amen!
Elaine and I both had an opportunity to speak and Fr. Baer read the Bishop's letter, listing most of the names we had available this morning. The consensus--apparently shared by Ms. Midura and Ms. Head by the end of the meeting--was that criminalizing homelessness will NOT help to solve the problem, and that housing, social services, and case management must be in place before there is any serious talk about forcing the homeless off of the streets.
Unfortunately, the chair of the committee was not present, nor were there sufficient members present to take a vote.
The full text of Hopkins' letter is at Ormonde's site and at EDOLA, the website of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.
Bishop Jenkins' letter:
Homeless need Compassion, not Criminalization
Dear Members of the City Council,
We write to you today to express our grave concern over the proposed ordinance on public habitation, section 54-419 of the City Code.
Please know that we are not bystanders offering our opinion on the work that others are doing. We, along with countless other members of the community, have been actively involved in ministry to the homeless and precariously housed in our city. We provide food and clothing to those living on the streets; we assist with re-housing efforts as well as the transition from FEMA trailers to permanent housing; we provide case management services and resources to help families remain housed; and we help to rebuild homes for the most vulnerable members of our community. We see first-hand the varied factors that contribute to the homelessness crisis, and our experience has taught us that the homeless need compassion, not criminalization. A simplistic “quick fix” as proposed in this ordinance will only exacerbate the dire conditions that are keeping residents down-and-out.
The failure of our community to develop and implement a comprehensive affordable housing strategy in the wake of unprecedented disaster is a communal failing. Yet this ordinance penalizes only those individuals who have fallen through the cracks—and we expect that there will be many more yet to come.
Furthermore, the ordinance will divert precious city resources to policing and jailing the destitute, at a time when our city is in the grips of a wave of violent crime and our jails are stretched to capacity.
We call on you to adopt a policy that affirms the dignity of every human being in our community, including the homeless.
We believe that our limited resources can be more compassionately and effectively utilized to house rather than criminalize the homeless.
We ask you not to pass this ordinance.
We stand ready to work with you and offer our experience, our time and our energy in order to draft a comprehensive, effective, and ethical solution to our city’s homelessness crisis.
In faith and hope,
Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins
Bishop, Diocese of Louisiana
Rev. Jerry Kramer
Rector, Church of the Annunciation
Rev. Jim Quigley
Rector, St. George's Episcopal Church
Rev. Lydia Hopkins
Deacon, St. George's Episcopal Church
Rev. Elaine Clements
Deacon, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Nell Bolton
Exec. Director, Office of Disaster Response
Diocese/ACT
Shakoor Aljuwani
Community Organizer
Diocese/ACT
Amen, amen, and amen!
Saturday Morning Wake-up Laugh
A Department of Water representative stopped at a ranch and talked with an old rancher. He told the rancher, 'I need to inspect your ranch for your water allocation.'
The old rancher said, "Okay, but don't go in that field over there."
The Water representative said, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me. See this card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land. No questions asked or answered. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?"
The old rancher nodded politely and went about his chores.
Later, the old rancher heard loud screams and saw the Water Rep running for the fence and close behind was the rancher's bull. The bull was gaining on the Water Rep with every step. The Rep was clearly terrified, so the old rancher immediately threw down his tools, ran to the fence and shouted out.....
"Your card! Your card! Show him your card!"
UPDATE: I forgot to add that this is from the usual suspect, Doug.
The old rancher said, "Okay, but don't go in that field over there."
The Water representative said, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me. See this card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land. No questions asked or answered. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?"
The old rancher nodded politely and went about his chores.
Later, the old rancher heard loud screams and saw the Water Rep running for the fence and close behind was the rancher's bull. The bull was gaining on the Water Rep with every step. The Rep was clearly terrified, so the old rancher immediately threw down his tools, ran to the fence and shouted out.....
"Your card! Your card! Show him your card!"
UPDATE: I forgot to add that this is from the usual suspect, Doug.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Feast Day of St. Mark The Evangelist
Modern icon by Laternix, taken from Wiki.
The Apostle Peter had a co-worker whom he refers to as "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13). Papias, an early second century writer, in describing the origins of the Gospels, tells us that Mark was the "interpreter" of Peter, and that he wrote down ("but not in order") the stories that he had heard Peter tell in his preaching about the life and teachings of Jesus.
The Gospel of Mark, in describing the arrest of Jesus (14:51f), speaks of a young man who followed the arresting party, wearing only a linen cloth wrapped around his body, whom the arresting party tried to seize, but who left the cloth in their hands and fled naked. It is speculated that this young man was the writer himself, since the detail is hardly worth mentioning if he were not.
From James Kiefer at the Lectionary.
Readings:
Psalm 2 or 2:7-10;
Isaiah 52:7-10;
Ephesians 4:7-8,11-16;
Mark 1:1-15 or Mark 16:15-20
PRAYER
Almighty God, who by the hand of Mark the evangelist have given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: We thank you for this witness, and pray that we may be firmly grounded in its truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
The readings for the feast include one of my favorite passages from Isaiah:
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
Baby's First Doctor Visit
A woman and a baby were in the doctor's examining room, waiting for the doctor to come in for the baby's first exam. The doctor arrived, and examined the baby, checked his weight, and being a little concerned,asked if the baby was breast-fed or bottle-fed. "Breast-fed," she replied.
"Well, strip down to your waist," the doctor ordered. She did. He pinched her nipples, pressed, kneaded, and rubbed both breasts for a while in a very professional and detailed examination. Motioning to her to get dressed, the doctor said,
"No wonder this baby is underweight. You don't have any milk."
"I know," she said, "I'm his Grandma, but I'm glad I came."
Would you believe me if I said that I made this one up? I didn't think so. It's from the usual source. Today is silly Friday, you know.
"Well, strip down to your waist," the doctor ordered. She did. He pinched her nipples, pressed, kneaded, and rubbed both breasts for a while in a very professional and detailed examination. Motioning to her to get dressed, the doctor said,
"No wonder this baby is underweight. You don't have any milk."
"I know," she said, "I'm his Grandma, but I'm glad I came."
Would you believe me if I said that I made this one up? I didn't think so. It's from the usual source. Today is silly Friday, you know.
Not To Be Outdone
Elizabeth Kaeton, at Telling Secrets, is defending her dissertation today and could use a few prayers of support, if you can spare them. Nevertheless, I could not allow myself to be outdone by her in posting contributions from Doug. I chose different cartoons, but all of hers are in color.
As Doug says, "Gas humor - Sad, but too true!" As to the bottom cartoon, I'm old enough to remember gas at 29 cents a gallon.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
A Story Of A Skirt
Some years ago, when I was driving to New Orleans for a luncheon with the members of the Jane Austen Society, my skirt felt tight around my waist, so I unbuttoned it to feel comfortable until I got to where I was going. It was an unpressed pleated skirt, kind of full, fastened with only two buttons, one on an extension tab and the other at the end of the waist opening, with no zipper. When I arrived at my destination, I got out of the car, and almost immediately, my skirt was around my ankles. I looked to see who was around to witness this excruciating moment, and I saw only a middle-aged man looking my way. His eyes widened, and he quickly looked away. I pulled up my skirt and buttoned it, thankful that only one person had witnessed my humiliation and more thankful that I was wearing a slip. I had a story to tell my friends, once I was inside the restaurant.
Grandpère and my daughter and I talked about the incident while we were having lunch this week, and we had another good laugh about one of my more embarrassing moments as an inadvertent stripper.
Grandpère and my daughter and I talked about the incident while we were having lunch this week, and we had another good laugh about one of my more embarrassing moments as an inadvertent stripper.
Who You Gonna Believe?
From USA Today:
A day after returning from the Mideast, former Democratic president Jimmy Carter on Wednesday defended his meetings with leaders of the militant Palestinian movement Hamas, and said his visit doesn't lend the group credence.
....
"Hamas was not legitimized by my visit," Carter said. "They were legitimized by the fact that their people voted for them to be the ruling party in their parliament."
Where Rice "gets this repetitive claim that I was warned and advised not to go and urged not to go — she's completely mistaken," he said. "I think she's being misinformed. I don't think Condoleezza is deliberately lying, but the statement she's making is false."
....
Carter said he spoke with David Welch, Rice's deputy.
"He never said anything about 'Don't go to the Mideast. Don't meet with Hamas. Don't meet with Syria.' He never said anything like that," Carter said. "That was the only person in the government with whom I've discussed it."
Knowing what you know about Condoleezza Rice and her history of "misspeaking", who do think is telling the truth, Carter or Rice? Perhaps, Welch misinformed Condi about what he said to cover his rear. Perhaps Condi misspoke about what Welch told her. Who knows? She does not have a reputation as a truth-teller. Actually, I find this delicious, Carter calling them on their "misspeaking" and the press actually covering the story.
A day after returning from the Mideast, former Democratic president Jimmy Carter on Wednesday defended his meetings with leaders of the militant Palestinian movement Hamas, and said his visit doesn't lend the group credence.
....
"Hamas was not legitimized by my visit," Carter said. "They were legitimized by the fact that their people voted for them to be the ruling party in their parliament."
Where Rice "gets this repetitive claim that I was warned and advised not to go and urged not to go — she's completely mistaken," he said. "I think she's being misinformed. I don't think Condoleezza is deliberately lying, but the statement she's making is false."
....
Carter said he spoke with David Welch, Rice's deputy.
"He never said anything about 'Don't go to the Mideast. Don't meet with Hamas. Don't meet with Syria.' He never said anything like that," Carter said. "That was the only person in the government with whom I've discussed it."
Knowing what you know about Condoleezza Rice and her history of "misspeaking", who do think is telling the truth, Carter or Rice? Perhaps, Welch misinformed Condi about what he said to cover his rear. Perhaps Condi misspoke about what Welch told her. Who knows? She does not have a reputation as a truth-teller. Actually, I find this delicious, Carter calling them on their "misspeaking" and the press actually covering the story.
Please Stop!
From the Associated Press via Yahoo News:
The US military on Tuesday announced the deaths of five troops in a series of bombings as blasts in Baghdad killed 10 people and a female suicide bomber slaughtered six Iraqis north of the capital.
Further news from the Associated Press:
A top American general urged radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday to rein in his fighters as a U.S. soldier was killed during a gunbattle in a militia stronghold in Baghdad.
....
The American military said 21 suspected gunmen were killed in the two neighborhoods late Tuesday. Iraqi officials said 15 civilians were among the dead, including two women.
The American general believes that al-Sadr could stop the attacks, if he would. The general wants him to "choose the road of peace and responsibility". Perhaps al-Sadr could stop the fighters, or perhaps not. They may be beyond his control.
What about the discrepancy in the count of the number of gunmen v. civilians who were killed? Whom are we to believe?
Is the surge working? We still have 160,000 troops in Iraq putting great strain on our military. The present troop numbers are unsustainable.
Note: I believe that the soldier mentioned in the second article is included in the five who were mentioned in the first. The total number of troops killed in the 24 days of this month is 38, the highest number since September 2007.
That's not counting the number of Iraqis killed.
Lord, have mercy.
The US military on Tuesday announced the deaths of five troops in a series of bombings as blasts in Baghdad killed 10 people and a female suicide bomber slaughtered six Iraqis north of the capital.
Further news from the Associated Press:
A top American general urged radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday to rein in his fighters as a U.S. soldier was killed during a gunbattle in a militia stronghold in Baghdad.
....
The American military said 21 suspected gunmen were killed in the two neighborhoods late Tuesday. Iraqi officials said 15 civilians were among the dead, including two women.
The American general believes that al-Sadr could stop the attacks, if he would. The general wants him to "choose the road of peace and responsibility". Perhaps al-Sadr could stop the fighters, or perhaps not. They may be beyond his control.
What about the discrepancy in the count of the number of gunmen v. civilians who were killed? Whom are we to believe?
Is the surge working? We still have 160,000 troops in Iraq putting great strain on our military. The present troop numbers are unsustainable.
Note: I believe that the soldier mentioned in the second article is included in the five who were mentioned in the first. The total number of troops killed in the 24 days of this month is 38, the highest number since September 2007.
That's not counting the number of Iraqis killed.
Lord, have mercy.
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