GOOD NEWS FOR GENERAL SYNOD OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

From Simon Sarmiento at Thinking Anglicans:

Readers may recall this General Synod motion (See below) which is being debated next Wednesday. And there is this amendment (See below).

A paper rebutting the claims made about the Episcopal Church, compiled by me, has been issued to General Synod members.

That paper can now be read in full here.

The motion proposed to General Synod by Lorna Ashworth reads:

“That this Synod express the desire that the Church of England be in communion with the Anglican Church in North America”.

The ACNA motion amendment reads:

The Bishop of Bristol (the Rt Revd Mike Hill) to move as an amendment:

Leave out everything after “That this Synod” and insert:

“(a) recognise and affirm the desire of those who have formed the Anglican Church in North America to remain within the Anglican family;

(b) acknowledge that this aspiration, in respect both of relations with the Church of England and membership of the Anglican Communion, raises issues which the relevant authorities of each need to explore further; and

(c) invite the Archbishops to report further to the Synod in 2011”.

My heart beat faster when I read the list of persons whom Simon consulted in writing his paper.

In compiling this note I have consulted David Booth Beers, Chancellor to the Presiding Bishop and Mary E. Kostel, Special Counsel to the Presiding Bishop for property litigation and discipline. I have also been assisted by: the Revd Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG, the Revd Scott Gunn, and Ms Susan Erdey of the Church Pension Group.

Simon's paper is a clear and concise refutation of erroneous claims and charges now circulating amongst the members of General Synod of the Church of England against the Episcopal Church, which demonstrate misunderstanding or ignorance of the polity of the Episcopal Church. Thanks be to God that one Englishman understands the governance of the Episcopal Church! (I'm joking, of course, because other Englishmen besides Simon understand the polity of TEC.)

Of course, all of the leaders of the Church of England could have consulted with the same persons. I wonder how many took the trouble.

Simon's final paragraph in his paper reads:

Natural justice requires that people take responsibility for their actions. No one has forced individual clergy or laity to leave the Episcopal Church — and they do have the right to do so if their consciences are wounded by the decisions of that church. It is, however, a matter of both church and civil law — and natural justice — that they do not have any right to retain property given in support of the church when they choose to leave it.

Do I hear an "Amen!"?

BAD NEWS - GOOD NEWS

The bad news:

The bullying by classmates and taunts of "homo" only got worse after Jacob began dyeing his hair and wearing eyeliner in eighth grade. One student scrawled "I hope you die" on his shoe, he said; another drew a pocket knife on him.

Jacob's grades dropped, and he missed school from fear. His father tried repeatedly to get school officials in their working-class village in upstate New York to help protect his son from harassment. The response by the Mohawk Central School District, according to a federal lawsuit, was to do "virtually nothing."

The good news:

The 15-year-old might soon get a measure of satisfaction. The lawsuit filed by Jacob and his father against the school district with the New York Civil Liberties Union could be close to settlement, according to both sides.

The negotiations come as the U.S. Department of Justice seeks to intervene in the case, citing the "important issues" it raises in enforcing federal civil rights laws.

"There is a growing recognition across the country that schools need to take harassment based on gender expression and homosexuality seriously," said NYCLU attorney Corey Stoughton. "If there is a settlement in this case, that's an affirmation of that principle."
....

Mohawk School Superintendent Joyce Caputo said the district denies allegations in the lawsuit, but she stressed they are working with the NYCLU and the Justice Department to settle the suit in a way that benefits everyone.

Well, it's about time Ms Caputo. Nothing like facing a lawsuit with the feds involved to get the powers moving. And it's way past time for the Title IX antidiscrimination law to be applied to harassment of gays.

From the AP.

TODAY AND YESTERDAY

Good morning all. Today's weather begins miserably - chilly, rainy, dark. I'm thankful that today's weather did not come early as my schedule yesterday was rather full:

9:00 AM - Grandparents Day at my granddaughter's new school. Grandpère and I were quite impressed with the school.

11:15 AM - Leave the school and head to one of our two Mexican restaurants for lunch.

2:00 PM - Go to audiologist for a check-up to see if my new hearing aids are working right. She tells me that I have cotton in my right ear.

3:00 PM - Pick up my granddaughter at school, because she had to stay after school to take a math test, but the test was postponed. Race across town to her house for her to be home for her younger brother's arrival on the school bus.

3:30 PM - Back across town to the doctor's office for removal of cotton from ear, which turns out not to be cotton, but a fungus.

4:15 PM - Back to the other side of town to stay with my grandchildren until my son gets home from work.

7:00 PM - Drop off prescription to treat fungus.

7:10 PM - Back home.

This morning, we just now received a call from my granddaughter asking us to pick her up from school, because she is not feeling well. She has a headache and is a little freaky, because she is almost never sick and takes it quite hard the few times that she becomes ill.

The picture above is of the chairs in El Paso Restaurant here in Thibodaux. The purpose of the picture is to cheer me up and to cheer you up, too, if you need cheering up. The waiter informed us that the chairs and tables in the restaurant were made in Guadalajara. They're bright, playful, and - well - cheerful.

The rain is now a downpour.

"WHO DAT?" GETTING OUT OF HAND?

This judge found in favor of the Who Dat Nation.

On Wednesday, Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Michael Bagneris ordered a Feb. 1 jury trial delayed in light of the New Orleans Saints' historic trip to the 2010 Super Bowl.

"The court takes judicial notice that Saintsmania permeates the city of New Orleans," Bagneris wrote in a one-paragraph ruling in an asbestos lawsuit, filed in 2005 by Dano Paul Becnel against Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Inc., and about 20 others
....

"Many prospective jurors for the parish of Orleans, several attorneys involved in this litigation and court personnel plan on traveling to the promised land -- the Super Bowl in Miami, Florida," wrote Bagneris, a 17-year veteran of the Civil District Court on Loyola Avenue.

"The court recognizes that this pilgrimage enhances the chances of the Who Dat Nation to acquire the long sought-after Holy Grail: the Vince Lombardi trophy."
....

Reached at his office Wednesday afternoon, Bagneris said that he won't hold any jury trials next week because of the Saints making their first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

"After the victory, everyone will be in a really good mood," Bagneris said. Asked if he expects the Saints to beat the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 7, the judge nearly scoffed.

"How could anyone doubt that, after watching such a divine intervention on Sunday," he said, referring to the Saints' win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Bagneris set a new trial date for Feb. 9, exactly one week before Mardi Gras.

I dunno. A week before Mardi Gras? If the trial goes into the height of the Mardi Gras season....

Realists know that between Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Lenten period, there's no good time to do business in New Orleans or south Louisiana.

Thanks to Paul (A.) for the link.

A SONG TO INSPIRE...

Ormonde at Thrugh the Dust posted a song to inspire the Saints to victory in the Superbowl.

WHO'S INTERESTED IN A BILLBOARD?

Love the pic.

Thanks to Paul (A.).

EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE OVER 40

I tried it; I liked it--you will too!!


The older we get the more important it is to incorporate exercise into our daily routine. This is necessary to maintain cardiovascular health and maintain muscle mass.

If you're over 50, you might want to take it easy at first, then do more repetitions as you become more proficient and build stamina.


Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program!


SCROLL DOWN.............











NOW SCROLL UP..

That's enough for the first day. Great job.

Have a glass of wine.


Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

WHO DAT?™ WEDDING AND HONEYMOON

From the Daily Comet:

A lot of couples dream about their wedding, but Jaime Davis Triche and her new husband, Jamie Triche, have been dreaming about a Saints Super Bowl. The couple were married Jan. 22, and there was only one way to spend their honeymoon: cheering the Saints to victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Houma couple, who have been together eight years, have spent much of their time together enjoying a shared passion for the New Orleans Saints.

Both Jaime and Jamie say they've been Saints fans since they were children.

The Triches spend most Sundays cheering on the Saints at Spahr's Seafood restaurant, where Mr. Triche is known for doing cartwheels around the restaurant every time the Saints win a game.
....

Many of their wedding guests, knowing the couple's intense Saints' fever, gave them housewares decorated with fleurs-de-lis. But Mrs. Triche said her stepfather had a special gift to start their life together right: tickets to the next day's playoff game, when the Saints would play the Vikings to determine which team would head to the Super Bowl.

Congratulations Jamie and Jaime. May you have many more happy years together cheering on the the Saints.

You, my readers, are probably tiring of the endless Saints talk. I freely admit that I may have who datted™ my blog nearly to death right about now.

ABOUT DA NFL AND WHO DAT?

Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said he had a conference call with the NFL's general counsel to discuss cease-and-desist letters some Louisiana T-shirt makers received from the league. The letters demanded they stop selling shirts featuring the phrase that's part of a popular cheer by Saints fans, citing trademark infringement.

"They've conceded and they've said they have no intention of claiming the fleur-de-lis, which would be ridiculous, or the 'Who Dat,' which would be equally ridiculous," Caldwell said in an interview. The fleur-de-lis is a traditional symbol of New Orleans that's featured on Saints helmets.
....

Lauren Thom, owner of the Fleurty Girl T-shirt shop in New Orleans, said she's changed the product description of her "Who Dat" shirts after getting a letter from the NFL demanding she quit selling them. She's sold out of her stock and is now managing back orders.

"Yes it disrupted business, but it's been kind of great as well. We've had lines of people waiting to buy our merchandise," Thom said. "One lady told me she wanted to buy anything in the store that was not NFL-licensed. I told her 'that's everything in the store!"'

"What started out as a letter that scared the bejesus out of me, has turned out to be the best thing ever for my business," she said.

Seems that a good many folks shared our desire - no official NFL stuff. The shop in Jefferson Parish where we purchased the items in the picture above was doing a brisk business while were there. We purchased our yard sign at the shop, along with a T-shirt for Grandpère and a pewter butter dish with a fleur-de-lis handle on the cover for me.

Story from the AP. Thanks to Ann for the link.

ABOUT THAT $3 MILLION "BRIBE", JIMMY...

Appearing on Fox News' Hannity following his arrest for charges relating to an alleged plot involving Sen. Mary Landrieu's phones, James O'Keefe repeatedly falsely suggested that Landrieu had received a $300 million bribe in return for a vote on health care reform legislation. In fact, Landrieu did not receive $300 million; rather, the Senate version of the health care bill included a provision that could give $300 million to Louisiana Medicaid to deal with the fallout from Hurricane Katrina.

Pipsqueak James (The Pimp) O'Keefe is getting on my nerves. Who would ever believe that he is a pimp, anyway?

Republican Senator David Vitter said:

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said Landrieu's actions and the controversy that followed it hurt the merits and prospects of state congressional members to securing future federal Medicaid dollars.

"I'm afraid that legitimate arguments in favor of the Louisiana hurricane-Medicaid fix will never be focused on now because of the deal-making over the Obama health-care bill," Vitter said.

Republican Governor Bobby Jindal said:

Without Landrieu's language, Louisiana's federal assistance for Medicaid will be cut because the state's post-Hurricane Katrina economic surge temporarily drove up average income in the state because of government aid and high-paying reconstruction jobs. The federal share of Medicaid aid is higher for states with lower average incomes. State officials have argued the state shouldn't be penalized for an artificial, temporary per-capita income boost.

"Louisiana only asked to stay where we were; to have the same payment schedule that we've always had," Landrieu said.

Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration and much of the state congressional delegation have publicly sought a fix to the temporary drop in federal Medicaid match money for Louisiana, though Jindal and most of the state's congressmen oppose the Democrat's health care bill.

Republican Louisiana Secretary of Health and Hospitals said:

While the Republican National Committee immediately charged that Landrieu has made a "backroom deal with (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid for her support of the government takeover of our health care system,'' Alan Levine, Louisiana secretary of health and hospitals in the Jindal administration, said that even those who oppose the bill ought to be grateful that Landrieu used her leverage to try to fix the state's so-called "FMAP'' problem.

"Look,'' said Levine, who has been lobbying the administration and Congress on the FMAP issue for eight months, "it's good to have a senator in a position to be able to make demands like that.''

"While I don't support the bill, she is doing the best she can to help the state, and she should be applauded,'' he said.

No bribe, Jimmy. An earmark maybe, but an earmark that Mary Landrieu did right to insist upon. My necessity is your earmark and vice versa. I'm just saying.

From MediaMatters