STORY OF THE DAY - VOICE OF REASON

Sometimes I think I should just keep my
opinions to myself, she said, but
someone has got to be the voice of
reason.

From StoryPeople.

DIANA SAYS, 'HAPPY MARDI GRAS!'

Diana dressed for the celebration in her own special beads.

Today is our Mardi Gras celebration. The parades pass in front of St John's Episcopal Church. We have church, then a potluck lunch, and then two parades. On Tuesday, we are not going anywhere soooo, 'Eh la bas! Mardi Gras!'

Pictured above is a sedate church member wearing her regular Sunday go-to-meetin' hat.

Above is sedate church member's daughter dancing in the street.




Balfa Brothers - 'La Dance Des Mardi Gras'

A ROMANTIC LOVE STORY

From The Bitch and Moan Club on Facebook via Lapin, that sentimental old rabbit. Thank you.

The picture makes me cry
I don't know why

JUAN COLE TRANSLATES OMAR KHAYYAM

Omar Khayyam (31)

Don’t try every door
because of some bauble;
you just have to accept
the good and bad of your time;
a shake of the cup
and a toss of the dice–
whatever comes up,
you’ll just have to play it.

Translated by Juan Cole
from Whinfield 31 .

Posted by Juan at his blog Informed Comment. I'm enjoying immensely Juan's series of translations of Omar Khayyam.

UPDATES FROM NO ANGLICAN COVENANT COALITION

From the No Anglican Covenant Coalition:

Church of England

General Synod voted 24 November 2010 to send the Covenant to diocesan synods. If a majority of synods , the question will be brought back to General Synod for a final vote.

Diocesan votes in favor of adopting the Covenant:

Lichfield
Durham
Europe
Bristol
Canterbury

Diocesan votes against adopting the Covenant:

Truro
Birmingham
Wakefield
St Edmundsbury & Ipswich
Derby
Gloucester
(Added as per votes taken today)
Salisbury
Portsmouth
Rochester
Leicester

Since the Anglican Communion Office sends out only pro-Covenant material, our like-minded brothers and sisters in England (with a little help from their friends in other churches of the Communion) are working double time to assure that as many dioceses as possible receive material presenting the argument against the adoption of the Covenant. It seems that when the delegates to diocesan synods hear both sides of the argument, they are more likely to vote against adoption of the Covenant.

That the ACO uses its resources to present only one side of the matter in question seems not right, if the goal is a fair assessment of the sentiments of the church at large as to whether the adoption of the Covenant would be a good thing. The materials that go out to the churches of the Anglican Communion from the ACO demonstrate the same lack of balance.

"A Short Introduction” also attempts to give a more balanced view of the Covenant than is available elsewhere. As our Convenor for the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Revd. Canon Hugh Magee, has said, “Many people have complained that the official study material from the Anglican Communion Office has lacked balance and has failed to take seriously the concerns of Covenant critics.”

Further news from the NACC:

"PROFESSOR MARILYN McCORD ADAMS APPOINTED AS COALITION’S FOURTH PATRON LONDON – The Revd Dr Lesley Crawley, Moderator of the No Anglican Covenant Coalition, and Dr Lionel Deimel, the Coalition’s Episcopal Church Convenor, have announced the appointment of Professor Marilyn McCord Adams as a Patron of the Coalition. Professor McCord Adams joins Bishops John Saxbee and Peter Selby, and Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch whose appointments were announced previously." (My emphases)
....

McCord Adams is Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. From 2004 to 2009, she was Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University and Residentiary Canon at Christ Church, Oxford. She also served as a member of the Church of England General Synod at the time when the Anglican Covenant was being developed.

We win some, and we lose some. What happens if the results of the votes in diocesan synods in the Church of England come down with a majority against adoption?

UPDATE: Today four Church of England dioceses voted against adoption of the Covenant. My cup runneth over!

UPDATE 2: Thinking Anglicans posted the vote totals for the four dioceses.

MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN?

From CNN:

In a move that could again dramatically shake up the Republican primary race, billionaire and major Republican donor Sheldon Adelson is expected to donate an additional $10 million to the super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, Winning Our Future, a source with knowledge of the donation told CNN.

That contribution is expected soon, before the end of the month, the source said. The timing is important because Gingirch, whose campaign has been lagging, is hoping to do well in several of the upcoming Super Tuesday states that vote on March 6 to boost his effort. His allies will need that money to be in a position to help. Because ten states go to the polls on that one day, money is key in order to do well.

Well, I don't know about that. Why isn't money doing it for Mitt? Why is Santorum still in the race, although his campaign war chest is small?

Adelson has told associates his major motivation is to see Barack Obama defeated in the general election, as CNN previously reported.

I don't know about Gingrich defeating Obama, either. If he is the nominee, I believe even more folks will fall out of love with him when the glare of the spotlight shines steadily on him.

Adelson is blatantly attempting to the buy the nomination for Gingrich. I wonder how the five Supreme Court justices who decided that corporations are people sleep nights as they watch the obscene amount of money being thrown around.

'MISSION' DEFINED

A definition of 'mission' may be found on page 855 of The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Q. What is the mission of the Church?
A. The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.

Q. How does the Church pursue its mission?
A. The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.

Q. Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?
A. The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.

My reason for posting the quote is to remind myself of the reference base in the BCP for the meaning of mission, because when members of the church, especially leaders in the church, speak of mission, I so often have only a vague idea of the meaning the speakers assign to the word.

Thanks to Tobias Haller for leading me to the definition in the BCP.

TWO STORIES OF THE DAY

PRETEND VISITOR

We stood out on the porch before we
went inside & she told me her secret.
Pretend you're just visiting, she said.
That way you'll forget that they're
family.

WISE

A lot of people have asked me how I got
to be so wise, he said, & I never had an
easy answer, so most of them left
convinced they'd made a mistake.

From StoryPeople here and here.

GOTTA LOVE SENIORS

During a visit to my doctor, I asked him, "How do you determine whether or not an older person should be put in an old age home?"

"Well," he said, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the person to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," I said.. "A normal person would use the bucket because it is bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No" he said. "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"
___________________________________________

A short neurological test

1- Find the C below.. Please do not use any cursor help.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below.

9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
6999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

3 - Now find the N below. It's a little more difficult.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This is NOT a joke.. If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you're far from having a close relationship with Alzheimer.

Congratulations!

Thanks or blame to Ann.

THE BISHOP OF BRAY

In good Pope Benny's golden days,
When Loyalty no harm meant;
A Furious High-Church man I was,
And so I gain'd Preferment.
Unto my Flock I daily Preach'd,
Popes are by God appointed,
And Damn'd are those who dare resist,
Or touch the Lord's Anointed.

And this is law, I will maintain
Unto my Dying Day, Sir.
That whatsoever Pope may reign,
I will be the Bishop of Bray, Sir!

The name of the Bishop of Bray is Legion, because there are many of them.

Note: With apologies to 'The Vicar of Bray'.