HYPOCRITE OF THE YEAR AWARD - REP. JOE WALSH

From Think Progress:

In July, the press learned that Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), a Tea Party freshman in Congress, owed $117,000 in unpaid child support to his ex-wife. Walsh, despite earning a hefty salary as a member of Congress, has continued to refuse to pay his ex-wife to support his children. Now, it appears, an influential Christian right lobbying group is lending some support to the deadbeat congressman.

The Sun-Times reports that the Family Research Council, a social conservative advocacy nonprofit headed by CNN pundit Tony Perkins, has awarded Walsh a 100 percent rating as a “True Blue” member of Congress. The FRC said it gave the honor to Walsh because of his “unwavering support of the family”

What a role model! What an example to us all! Joe Walsh receives the "True Blue" award for supporting 'the family'. One wonders what his own family, his children think about his true blueness.

From the Family Research Council:

As our Mission Statement declares, "Family Research Council champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society."

What were the folks at the FRC thinking to choose Joe Walsh as an model of 'unwavering support of the family', when he doesn't support his own family?

Paul Krugman tries to understand:

There’s a big difference between the left and the right in such matters, one that I don’t fully understand, although I’m trying. Here’s how it goes: if a liberal politician is caught behaving badly — enriching himself while preaching the need to help the poor, or just in general showing himself less than admirable by having an affair, visiting call girls, whatever — his career is over.

But if a conservative politician who preaches stern traditional morality is caught engaging in actions that are at odds with what he preaches — buying sex, taking wide stances in restrooms, or, in this case, stiffing his family even while preaching family values — he may well ride right through the scandal.

Does any group give an award for the Hypocrite of the Year? No? Well, I'll take it upon myself to designate Joe Walsh as my Hypocrite of the Year for having the chutzpah to accept the award. Shame on you, Joe. Take care of your own family before you interfere in the family lives of the rest of us.

OH YES! THANK YOU, BISHOP GENE ROBINSON

Bishop Gene Robinson, of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, hits the nail on the head and explains in simple terms that we can all understand what Occupy Wall Street is about.

H/T to Jim Naughton at The Lead.

GHOST

There was a haunted house on the outskirts of town which was avoided by all the townsfolk: The ghost which 'lived' there was feared by all.

An enterprising journalist decided to get the scoop of the day by photographing the fearsome phantom. When he entered the house, armed with only his trusty camera, the ghost descended upon him, moaning piteously, clanking chains, and generally being hauntingly obnoxious. The reporter interrupted the moaning and said, "Hold on a minute! I mean you no harm. I just want your photograph for the newspaper. You'll be a sensation!"

The ghost was quite happy at this chance to make the headlines and posed for a number of ghostly shots.

The happy journalist rushed back to his darkroom and began developing the photos. Unfortunately, however, they all turned out to be black and underexposed.

So what's the moral of the story?

The spirit was willing but the flash was weak.


Cheers,

Paul (A.)

I know, I know. Halloween is past and gone, and if Paul (A.) wasn't a bit under the weather, I'd ask him to leave the stage. Perhaps, my posting his past sell-by date and corny joke will cheer him up and make him feel better. He is such a hero. His lovely wife Catherine said:

Paul(A.)'s lovely wife has been completely swamped with grading papers for the last few days, so Paul (A.) has arisen from his sickbed to make me dinner Friday, breakfast Saturday, and breakfast and dinner today. I may finish the grading in time to go to school tomorrow. God Bless Paul (A.)!

'DANSE MACABRE' FROM MR CATOLICK

Excellent video from Mr CatOLick.

The gentlemen in the danse are Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, former Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, Giles Fraser, and former Dean of St Paul's, Graeme Knowles.

WAXING GIBBOUS MOON

The picture shows the moon as it looked when I walked tonight.

Waxing gibbous moon
The words themselves a poem
Turning full moon soon

A repost which I use from time to time when the gibbous moon shines in the night sky.

ST EDMUNDSBURY AND IPSWICH DIOCESE SAYS STICK A FORK IN IT...

...the Anglican Covenant, that is. The synod of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocese in the Church of England voted to reject adoption of the covenant.

From Lesley's Blog:

The synod met on Saturday the 5th and the motion was rejected.

That makes the number of Dioceses in the Church of England split evenly:

Lichfield and Durham have voted for the Covenant.

Wakefield and Edmundsbury & Ipswich have voted Against.

This is fabulous news. I heard one Church of England bishop say recently that although he had reservations about the Covenant, he couldn’t speak against it because he had sworn an oath of obedience to Rowan Williams. It really does need to be the lay people and the clergy who stop this mad document. Well done Bishop Peter Selby, and well done to the members of Eds&Ips synod.

I agree. The vote to reject the covenant is fabulous news.

About this:

I heard one Church of England bishop say recently that although he had reservations about the Covenant, he couldn’t speak against it because he had sworn an oath of obedience to Rowan Williams.

????!!!

Bishop of Buckingham, Alan Wilson, in the comments to Lesley's post:

As a bishop who has taken an oath of canonical obedience in all things lawful and honest, I have to say I think it’s bizarre to think this commits me to blind obedience to any notion the Archibishop (sic) may adopt. I think it is a higher and more positive form of obedience to be more honest, and had some of my colleagues had the spine to advise him earlier about their real feelings about some of the drawbacks in this particular scheme it would have been an act of loyalty, not disloyalty. In none of my dealings with him (which are not amazingly extensive) have I ever seen anything that implies he would want anything less than honest critical friendship.

And we all say, 'Amen!'. Of course, as former colonials, what we say may not count. Still, I commend Bishop Alan, and I only wish a greater number of bishops in the Church of England had his courage.

Picture from Wikipedia.

LSU - 9 ALABAMA - 6

WE SAID, 'GEAUX TIGRES', AND THEY WENT!

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FRIEND CATHY

Cathy's Birdbrain, picture above, passed away last night. Please pray also for Groucho, her mate, pictured behind Birdbrain, who is missing her very much. Cathy said:

I loved her dearly and she was a clever birdie, inquisitive and sweet, and had all sorts of little quirks and used to talk to me in all sorts of ways that no other bird has done or will do. The boy bird, Groucho, is still pretty quiet and refuses to eat or drink.
....

I will keep her here for a couple of days and then get her cremated - I want to keep her ashes. I don't want to bury her because I may not stay in this flat and I want her close by me, not in some pet graveyard. At the moment I can't even think straight, or stop crying.

Birdbrain looks such a sweet birdie, with her blushing feathers on her cheek. I know how Cathy loved her birdies. In all our rush of activities in London and with Cathy working, I never got to see Birdbrain and Groucho, but I wish I had.

O Lord our God, we come before You this day in sadness. Birdbrain, who brought Cathy so much joy in life, has now died. Her happy times with Cathy and Groucho have come to an end. They miss Birdbrain already.

Help Cathy, O God, to remember the good times with Birdbrain. Remind her to rejoice in the happy times she brought to her home. Let her be thankful for the good life she was blessed to give to her.

We are grateful to You, God, for creating Birdbrain, for entrusting her to Cathy's care, and for sustaining her in her love for a measure of time. We understand that all that lives must die. We knew that this day would come. And yet, O God, she would have wanted one more day of play, one more evening of love with Birdbrain.

O God, as Cathy has taken care of Birdbrain in life, we ask that You watch over her in death. You entrusted Birdbrain to Cathy's care; now, she gives her back to You. May she find a happy new home in Your loving embrace.

As we remember Birdbrain, may we love each other more dearly. May we care for all Your creatures, for every living thing, as Cathy protected the blessed life of Birdbrain. May her memory bless our lives with love and caring forever. Amen.

Prayer (with editing) by Rabbi Barry H. Block.

9-9-9

It was reported tonight that Herman Cain devised his famous tax plan after his romantic advances were rejected by three consecutive German women.

Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

I'm rolling on the floor with this one.

UPDATE: I just watched the Rachel Maddow segment on Herman Cain. Unbelievable!

Cain: "I'm proud to know the Koch brothers.... I am the Koch brothers' brother from another mother."

Rachel is right. Cain's campaign is all theater. He's putting his followers on, and they don't seem to know, or, if they know, they don't care.

ABOUT THAT ANGLICAN COVENANT...

...the Tikanga Maori says:

The Anglican Covenant is all but dead in the water as far as this church is concerned. This follows a crucial vote by Tikanga Maori at its biennial runanganui in Ohinemutu today.

The Covenant will still come before General Synod in July, but a decision to accept it requires a majority vote in all three houses – lay, clergy and bishops – and by all three tikanga.

Today's runanganui decision effectively binds all Maori representatives on General Synod to say no.

Two of the five hui amorangi – Te Manawa o Te Wheke and Te Tairawhiti – have already rejected the Covenant, largely on the grounds that it could compromise Maori rangatiratanga (sovereignty).

Moving today's resolution, Archdeacon Turi Hollis noted that the Covenant applied at provincial level. "If one diocese makes a decision that another objects to – then the whole province will be held accountable," he said.

“We are being asked to conform to the standards of the rest of the world. Yet we have a constitution that the rest of the world does not understand.

“Would that have been agreed to had the Covenant been in force?

“The proposed Covenant is trying to impose on us something that should be based on relationship – on whanaungatanga or manaakitanga.”

Seconding the motion, the Rev Don Tamihere said the Covenant was not about homosexuality.

“It is about compliance and control.

“We are being asked to sign over our sovereignty, our rangatiratanga to an overseas group… To a standing committee over whom we have no choice or control. And they have the power to recommend punishment.

“The proposed Covenant offers us nothing new – or nothing we need as Anglicans, as Hahi Mihinare, or as disciples of Jesus Christ.

“We don’t need it to have faith in Jesus Christ: We already have a covenant that binds us to our saviour, Jesus Christ. And that is the only covenant we need.”

Philip Charles (Te Waipounamu) said: “Over the years, the practice has been: If you disagree with the church, you leave.

“And those groups who have left have often withered and died.

“The Covenant changes that. If you disagree with a group – you kick them out.

“I give it two thumbs down.”

The Rev Ngira Simmonds (Manawa o te Wheke) pointed out that to be Anglican means to be in relationship with people – even if you don’t like them.

“We want this church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia to focus, instead, on acting for the restoration of justice.”

No mincing of words there. I intended to emphasize my favorite words in the quote but then decided to put the entire quote in bold.

I'm not sure that the rest of the world understands the constitutions and canons of the Episcopal Church, either, and I expect that the constitutions of a good many of the churches in the Anglican Communion could be compromised by adopting the covenant.