Awwww!! You Don't See This Very Often

Thanks to Doug.

Congratulations And Best Wishes To IT And BP

IT and her PB BP will be married tomorrow. Read her beautiful post at Friends of Jake:

Dear Friends,
Tomorrow, Oct 12, your token atheist IT and her beloved partner (BP) will marry each other in a civil service in California. In all meaningful personal respects, we have been married for years, but we are seizing the opportunity to marry legally in the eyes of the State. You might call it "claiming the blessing" ;-). I'll be away for awhile on a honeymoon, where I plan to avoid the internet.

I am confident in the support of all my friends here at Friends-of-Jake's. If you feel the urge to commemorate our happy event, please leave me a note in the comments! We are also asking friends to consider donations to the No on Prop 8 campaign (because we would like our marriage to be legal after Nov 4th), or Feeding America, aka America's Second Harvest, to feed the hungry in these hard economic times.

IT is the favorite atheist of our little blogging community. We all love her and want her and Beloved Partner to have a long and happy marriage.

H/T to Fran.

Lunch At MiLa

 

Grandpère, my daughter, and I shared lunch a few weeks ago at MiLa Restaurant in New Orleans to celebrate my daughter's birthday and mine. Daughter paid the bill, which I thought was not quite right. GP should have paid, don't you think?

Paul, the BB, first called my attention to the restaurant when he posted a picture of the interior of the restaurant, taken from the outside, during one of his many meanderings around New Orleans in the CBC (Central Business District). I could not find his picture to give a link, but I was intrigued by the decor. When I checked for reviews of the restaurant, I found this, and it was enough for me to suggest that we go to lunch there. I know, I know. Too many links for one post.

We arrived there at a few minutes after two o'clock, late for lunch, but we were the only patrons in the restaurant. I was sorry to see that. I'd have thought we'd see a few diners finishing their lunch. The wait staff was excellent, attentive, but not to the point of intrusiveness. The three-course lunches are reasonably priced and offer a small, but inviting, number of choices. My daughter and I ordered the same dish:

Smoked Pepper Dusted Petit Filet, Mixed Vegetables, Roasted Shiitakes, Red Wine Sauce, along with a Shrimp and Artichoke Salad

GP ordered:

Filo-Crusted Redfish
Spring Peas and Pearl Onions, Lobster Emulsion, with the Shrimp and Artichoke Salad

The salad was delicious, and my daughter and I both loved our entrées. GP didn't rave about his dish, as we did ours. I don't know why he ordered redfish, because he warns me not to order speckled trout and redfish, because he catches them, and why should we pay restaurant prices for them? He's not overly enthusiastic about meals which I think are delicious. He's not overly enthusiastic about any restaurant meals. I think his taste buds are failing. Nothing seems quite good enough.

Then on to dessert. I had the Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding With Confiture of Louisiana Strawberries, which is to die for, and Daughter had the Chocolate Mousse, which is also to die for. I know because we tasted each other's desserts. GP had the Louisiana Citrus Sorbets, Housemade using Plaquemine’s Parish Citrus, Shortbread Cookie, Mint Purée, which he did allow was quite good. Yay! Finally. The menu varies, so you will not find all of the dishes we ordered listed in the menu on their website.

Our waiter told us that the restaurant is busy during the dinner hours. I hope that's so, as I'd really like to see this one make it. From the website:

MiLa is the culmination of both the marriage of chefs Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing and their respective home state cuisines – Mississippi and Louisiana.

They do quite a good job of it, and I wish them well in their venture. I love the decor that the two chose for the restaurant. I thank Paul for drawing MiLa to my attention. If you're from New Orleans or not far away, I urge you to give this wonderful place a try. Visitors to the city, too, go have a meal there.

McCain's Snarling Mob

I've spoken before about what a dangerous game I think the McCain/Palin campaign plays in trying to rouse fear about Obama in the electorate. The video demonstrates the results of that tactic. They're ugly, and even McCain seems to think that things are getting out of hand. You reap what you sow, Senator. Will he stop the vicious ad campaign? Will he muzzle himself, but especially, will he muzzle Palin? I think not.

Josh Marshall at TPM says:

And yet this conveys too much suggestion of planning and intent. I have more the sense of someone desperately casting about and losing control of the situation itself. Even hypocrites can get in over their heads. Indeed, in a more nuts-and-bolts strategic sense McCain has really gotten himself into a hole because the campaign he's been running has almost entirely been premised on the claim that you should be scared of an Obama presidency. Not that McCain, if he'd run a very different campaign, couldn't have run on issue disagreements with Obama. But right now if you take away fear of Obama becoming president, there's almost no reason not to vote for him since McCain has basically conceded the issue agenda to Obama. If you look at every poll for months, voters are dying for change. Fear of Obama is the only thing keeping him from leaving McCain in the dust. Take that away and McCain's done.

Further, Juan Cole at Informed Comment says:

So having created this foaming-at-the-mouth mob, McCain finds himself booed by it when he offers some pro forma boilerplate about Obama being decent and a family man. But his campaign ads haven't been alleging decency, they've been alleging "terrorist ties." You can't wave raw meat dripping blood at Doberman Pinschers and then suddenly pull it away without producing snarling, baring of incisors, and straining at the leash.

I have nothing further to add.

Bloggers' Prayer

Fr. Scott quotes the prayer below which he will pray, and he invites other bloggers to join with him in praying.

"Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord."

(Book of Common Prayer, page 827)

The prayer is one of the many hidden treasures in the BCP, which I had not yet discovered in my 14 years in the Episcopal Church. Shame on me. It's a lovely prayer. I've prayed a version of it myself, asking God's help that my blog will bring honor to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (No, don't laugh. I am not kidding!) I well know that I have, too often, failed to live up to that ideal, but I hold on to it in hope that one day I will, and I shall continue to try.

My only quibble with the prayer is in the joshing comment I left at Scott's place on "what many read". I told Scott, "Depending upon what you mean by 'many'...."

Another Good Man Gone

Fr. Geoff Farrow, a Roman Catholic priest from Fresno, California, about whom I posted earlier, has been suspended from the priesthood and removed from his position as pastor of his parish for speaking out publicly in his church against his bishop's "pastoral" letter advocating a vote in favor of Proposition 8, which would ban gay marriages in California.

In a letter which I wrote to our bishop early this week. I explained that I intended to take a private retreat and then, unless I heard otherwise from him, resume my duties at St. Paul's this weekend. Today, I heard from the bishop that I have been suspended as a priest and removed as pastor of the Newman Center. In all candor, I had anticipated that response which is why, I had removed my personal property from the parish house and offices. I bear no personal animosity to the bishop for his decision.
....

I have no regrets since, it was my hope that this statement would lead to greater discussion of the treatment of gay and lesbian people in and by the Church. Also, it is my earnest hope that in some small way, this helps to preserve the civil rights of gay and lesbian persons which are currently under attack by the proponants of Propostion 8.

How sad that a courageous and compassionate man such as Fr. Farrow will no longer be permitted to continue in his ministry. My prayers are with him during this very difficult period.

H/T to Brian at Noble Wolf.

How Can I Not Love This Man?

In the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Chris Rose interviews Michael Almereyda, movie maker and all-around Renaissance man from Kansas. Almereyda's film tltled "New Orleans, Mon Amour", will be shown on Sunday at the New Orleans Film Festival. I like it already just from the title. It's the story of two people who meet doing relief work after Hurricane Katrina. All right then! Now it's a must-see.

Anyway, since it's his third movie about the city, Chris asks Almereyda what draws him to make movies about New Orleans. He answers:

I'm the same as most people: Crazy about New Orleans. I love the people, the architecture, the music, the food, and the way they all blend together. I love the hauntedness and the sense of immediacy. And I love the unique rhythm of the place -- the way things are always switching from slow to fast, lazy to frenetic, and back again.

My heart melts. But wait! There's more.

Chris asks Almereyda if the New Orleans Film Festival has reached "big-time" status, and he answers:

You seem a bit fixated on this idea of "bigness." The thing is, if you have to ask, it's hard to pretend this is a big potato festival. But the bigger potatoes aren't necessarily the tastiest. And the big, self-important festivals aren't the most fun. I'm sure the New Orleans Fest will yield a fair number of treasures this year and I'm assuming it's one of the few festivals on the circuit that allows you to bring to-go cups into the theaters. That's good enough for me.

That's telling him, and it's good enough for me, too.

Connecticut Court Rules For Equal Treatment Under The Law

From Mike in Texas and Holy Foolishness in an email:

The Connecticut Supreme Court posted its decision on Kerrigan v. Public Health -- a marriage equality case --

Here's the whole decision.

Here's the bottom line:

We conclude that, in light of the history of pernicious discrimination faced by gay men and lesbians,1 and because the institution of marriage carries with it a status and significance that the newly created classification of civil unions does not embody, the segregation of heterosexual and homosexual couples into separate institutions constitutes a cognizable harm.

We also conclude that (1) our state scheme discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation, (2) for the same reasons that classifications predicated on gender are considered quasi-suspect for purposes of the equal protection provisions of the United States constitution, sexual orientation constitutes a quasi-suspect classification for purposes of the equal protection provisions of the state constitution, and, therefore, our statutes discriminating against gay persons are subject to heightened or intermediate judicial scrutiny, and (3) the state has failed to provide sufficient justification for excluding same sex couples from the institution of marriage.

Very good news, indeed. The opponents of gay marriage are engaged only in a holding action. Movement is in the direction of acceptance. The acceptance may not come as swiftly as some of us might like, and others will see the decision as the rush toward Armageddon, but the outcome is not in doubt.

Companies That Are Merging

Investment tips for 2008 for all of you with any money left, be aware of the next expected mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some BIG bucks.

Watch for these consolidations in 2008:

1.) Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. Will merge and become:

Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.

2.) PolyGram Records, Warner Bros., and Zest Crackers join forces and become:

Poly, Warner Cracker.

3.) 3M will merge with Goodyear and become:

MMM Good.

4. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge and become:

ZipAudiDoDa

5. FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS, and become:

FedUP.

6. Fairchild Elec tronics and Honeywell Computers will become:

Fairwell Honeychild.

7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become:

PouponPants.

8. Knotts Berry Farm a nd the National Organization of Women will become:

Knott NOW!

And finally ...

9. Victoria 's Secret and Smith &Wesson will merge under the new name:

TittyTitty Bang Bang

OH YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO FORWARD THIS ONE.

Oh no, Susan S. I'm going to post it. Thank you. In these trying times we need any help that we can get.

Geaux Joe!

From FirstRead at MSNBC:

“All of the things they said about Barack Obama in the TV, on the TV, at their rallies, and now on YouTube … John McCain could not bring himself to look Barack Obama in the eye and say the same things to him,” Biden said this morning. “In my neighborhood, when you’ve got something to say to a guy, you look him in the eye and you say it to him.”

To which Josh Marshall adds (forgive me if I offend anyone, but I simply could not resist):

After the election, in the interests of national reconciliation, I imagine Obama and Biden may allow McCain to make special non-custodial visits to his testicles.

Hey! It's just a word, a part of human anatomy.