According to the person who posted the photo, the balloon crucifix was made for a skit in a Baptist church. My faithful correspondent, Lapin, sent me a better picture, but I was not able to lift it.
Image from One Bread One Body.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Balloon Crucifix - What next?
According to the person who posted the photo, the balloon crucifix was made for a skit in a Baptist church. My faithful correspondent, Lapin, sent me a better picture, but I was not able to lift it.
Image from One Bread One Body.
Feast Day Of Absalom Jones
Early bird, Padre Mickey, beat me to a post on Absalom Jones, a former slave, and the first person of African heritage to be ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. I am so pleased that Padre Mickey was first, because his post is so much better than mine would have been. Check it out.
Readings:
Psalm 137:1-6 or 126
Isaiah 61:1-4 or 42:5-9
John 15:12-15
PRAYER
Set us free, heavenly Father, from every bond of prejudice and fear: that, honoring the steadfast courage of your servants Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, we may show forth in our lives the reconciling love and true freedom of the children of God, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Image from Wiki.
Adventus On Justice At Guantanamo
Rmj at Adventus posted on the plans by the Pentagon to seek the death penalty for six Guantanamo prisoners, who allegedly played a role in the 9/11 attacks. The prisoners will be charged with war crimes, with the trials conducted by military tribunal.
The posts are here, here, and here.
In a comment there, I said that our system of justice seems to have moved into a realm beyond even the Bizarro World, where up is down and black is white. Read them and weep.
The trials will not be concluded before Bush leaves office. They will be part of the legacy for the next president.
The posts are here, here, and here.
In a comment there, I said that our system of justice seems to have moved into a realm beyond even the Bizarro World, where up is down and black is white. Read them and weep.
The trials will not be concluded before Bush leaves office. They will be part of the legacy for the next president.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Obama Wins Maryland, Virginia, and DC
From the AP via Talking Points Memo:
Sen. Barack Obama won primaries in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia with ease Tuesday night in a determined drive to erase Hillary Rodham Clinton's delegate lead in the Democratic presidential race.
"Tonight we're on our way," he told cheering supporters in Madison, Wis. "But we know how much further we have to go on," Obama added, as he celebrated eight straight victories over Clinton, the former first lady now struggling in a race she once commanded.
And two more Clinton staff members have been fired.
Can we now say Obama has momentum? Wait. There are those who say that it's really about Texas and Ohio. We shall see. I think it's great that we have a contest going here. It's exciting.
Oh yes. McCain took all three states, too.
Sen. Barack Obama won primaries in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia with ease Tuesday night in a determined drive to erase Hillary Rodham Clinton's delegate lead in the Democratic presidential race.
"Tonight we're on our way," he told cheering supporters in Madison, Wis. "But we know how much further we have to go on," Obama added, as he celebrated eight straight victories over Clinton, the former first lady now struggling in a race she once commanded.
And two more Clinton staff members have been fired.
Can we now say Obama has momentum? Wait. There are those who say that it's really about Texas and Ohio. We shall see. I think it's great that we have a contest going here. It's exciting.
Oh yes. McCain took all three states, too.
Wagging Her Puppies
From Reuters.
Dolly Parton will cancel her North American tour, because she is suffering from back trouble. I'm sorry to hear that she is hurting. I love Dolly as a singer and as a person. May God bring her healing.
Dolly's comment:
"Hey, you try wagging these puppies around a while and see if you don't have back problems," the folksy singer-songwriter said in a statement.
Enough said.
Thanks to KJ in the comments at OCICBW for calling this to my attention.
For John (The Surge Is Working!) McCain
From McKlatchy, a list of violent incidents in Iraq on Monday February 11, 2008:
Baghdad
- Around 8:30 a.m. a roadside bomb targeted a civilian car in Al Mashtal area, killing one civilian and injuring two others.
- Around 9 a.m. a roadside bomb exploded near Al Mansour fuel station injuring two people.
- Around 11:55 a car bomb exploded near tribal sheikh Ali Hatem's office in Arasat area. About noon another car bomb targeted police patrols heading to the first car bomb site in Al Hurriya intersection exploded, 11 people were killed and 30 others were injured and Hatem was injured also in the bombing.
- Around 6 p.m. a parked car bomb near a police station in Dora neighborhood, injured three civilians and two police officers.
- Police found three bodies throughout Baghdad, one in Fidhiliyah, 1 in Obeidi and one in Tobchi.
Diyala
- Gunmen kidnapped Dr. Ahmad Al Jubouri in Muqdadiyah.
- Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Muqdadiyah, three gunmen were killed.
Nineveh
- Mortar shells slammed into Al Zinjeli area in Mosul, injuring two residents.
- Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army convoy in Al Nahrawan area in Mosul, three gunmen were killed in the attack and one soldier was injured.
- A roadside bomb targeted a U.S. military convoy in Al Wahda neighborhood, injuring a woman and a child were near the bomb site.
- Gunmen attacked and injured one man near Mosul.
Babil
- A bomb placed in a neighborhood representative (Mukhtar) office in Hilla exploded yesterday, injuring four people.
Basra
- Gunmen kidnapped a foreign journalist and his translator Sunday night. An Iraqi police captain identified the kidnapped to be a journalist who works for CBS news and said the gunmen using two civilian cars kidnapped the two men near Qasr Al Sultan hotel in Basra.
Thanks to Juan Cole at Informed Comment for the tip.
Yes, the numbers of incidents of violence are down in Iraq, but how long can our military hold up our end of the surge?
From CBS4 Denver:
By Erin Emery, Denver Post
FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) ― A Fort Carson soldier who says he was in treatment at Cedar Springs Hospital for bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse was released early and ordered to deploy to the Middle East with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
The 28-year-old specialist spent 31 days in Kuwait and was returned to Fort Carson on Dec. 31 after health care professionals in Kuwait concurred that his symptoms met criteria for bipolar disorder and "some paranoia and possible homicidal tendencies," according to e-mails obtained by The Denver Post.
Oyster writes of the husband of an associate of his wife who is about to leave for his fifth deployment to Iraq.
Habakkuk 1:2-4
The Prophet’s Complaint
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not listen?
Or cry to you ‘Violence!’
and you will not save?
Why do you make me see wrongdoing
and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
So the law becomes slack
and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous—
therefore judgement comes forth perverted.
I know well that the war is not God's doing, but our doing, but, nevertheless, I cry out with Habakkuk.
Baghdad
- Around 8:30 a.m. a roadside bomb targeted a civilian car in Al Mashtal area, killing one civilian and injuring two others.
- Around 9 a.m. a roadside bomb exploded near Al Mansour fuel station injuring two people.
- Around 11:55 a car bomb exploded near tribal sheikh Ali Hatem's office in Arasat area. About noon another car bomb targeted police patrols heading to the first car bomb site in Al Hurriya intersection exploded, 11 people were killed and 30 others were injured and Hatem was injured also in the bombing.
- Around 6 p.m. a parked car bomb near a police station in Dora neighborhood, injured three civilians and two police officers.
- Police found three bodies throughout Baghdad, one in Fidhiliyah, 1 in Obeidi and one in Tobchi.
Diyala
- Gunmen kidnapped Dr. Ahmad Al Jubouri in Muqdadiyah.
- Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Muqdadiyah, three gunmen were killed.
Nineveh
- Mortar shells slammed into Al Zinjeli area in Mosul, injuring two residents.
- Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army convoy in Al Nahrawan area in Mosul, three gunmen were killed in the attack and one soldier was injured.
- A roadside bomb targeted a U.S. military convoy in Al Wahda neighborhood, injuring a woman and a child were near the bomb site.
- Gunmen attacked and injured one man near Mosul.
Babil
- A bomb placed in a neighborhood representative (Mukhtar) office in Hilla exploded yesterday, injuring four people.
Basra
- Gunmen kidnapped a foreign journalist and his translator Sunday night. An Iraqi police captain identified the kidnapped to be a journalist who works for CBS news and said the gunmen using two civilian cars kidnapped the two men near Qasr Al Sultan hotel in Basra.
Thanks to Juan Cole at Informed Comment for the tip.
Yes, the numbers of incidents of violence are down in Iraq, but how long can our military hold up our end of the surge?
From CBS4 Denver:
By Erin Emery, Denver Post
FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) ― A Fort Carson soldier who says he was in treatment at Cedar Springs Hospital for bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse was released early and ordered to deploy to the Middle East with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
The 28-year-old specialist spent 31 days in Kuwait and was returned to Fort Carson on Dec. 31 after health care professionals in Kuwait concurred that his symptoms met criteria for bipolar disorder and "some paranoia and possible homicidal tendencies," according to e-mails obtained by The Denver Post.
Oyster writes of the husband of an associate of his wife who is about to leave for his fifth deployment to Iraq.
Habakkuk 1:2-4
The Prophet’s Complaint
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not listen?
Or cry to you ‘Violence!’
and you will not save?
Why do you make me see wrongdoing
and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
So the law becomes slack
and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous—
therefore judgement comes forth perverted.
I know well that the war is not God's doing, but our doing, but, nevertheless, I cry out with Habakkuk.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Bogie's Reputed Mistress Dies In New Orleans
From the AP via Yahoo News:
NEW ORLEANS - Verita Bouvaire Thompson, the reputed longtime mistress and confidante of Humphrey Bogart, has died. She was 89.
Thompson died of natural causes at JoEllen Smith Living Center on Feb. 1, according to her boyfriend, Dean Shapiro, a 58-year-old New Orleans writer.
May Verita rest in peace and rise in glory.
She sounds like quite a gal, matching Bogie drink for drink, cussword for cussword, minding his toupées, and reputedly mistressing him.
All the way to her death, her friends said, Thompson adhered to a striking style and outlook reminiscent of the 1940s and Bogart's movies, dressing in Chanel suits, high heels, hat and gloves - with a whiskey smash in hand.
That's style all right. And with all that, she lived to be 89 AND had a 58 year old boyfriend.
From Mexico, to Arizona, to Hollywood, to Natchez, Mississippi, to New Orleans in the 1990s, she lived life to the fullest. Somehow it seems quite fitting that she spent her last years in New Orleans. She's a New Orleans type of woman.
NEW ORLEANS - Verita Bouvaire Thompson, the reputed longtime mistress and confidante of Humphrey Bogart, has died. She was 89.
Thompson died of natural causes at JoEllen Smith Living Center on Feb. 1, according to her boyfriend, Dean Shapiro, a 58-year-old New Orleans writer.
May Verita rest in peace and rise in glory.
She sounds like quite a gal, matching Bogie drink for drink, cussword for cussword, minding his toupées, and reputedly mistressing him.
All the way to her death, her friends said, Thompson adhered to a striking style and outlook reminiscent of the 1940s and Bogart's movies, dressing in Chanel suits, high heels, hat and gloves - with a whiskey smash in hand.
That's style all right. And with all that, she lived to be 89 AND had a 58 year old boyfriend.
From Mexico, to Arizona, to Hollywood, to Natchez, Mississippi, to New Orleans in the 1990s, she lived life to the fullest. Somehow it seems quite fitting that she spent her last years in New Orleans. She's a New Orleans type of woman.
The Violence Continues
Seven American troops were killed in Iraq last week, five in Kirkuk and two in Diyala. Numbers of Iraqis were killed by bombs and other means. The violence continues. John McCain says the surge is working, and that we can stay in Iraq for many years as the violence decreases. He says we can have victory in Iraq. Will some enterprising newsperson ask him how exactly he defines victory in Iraq. What will it look like? We, the citizens, need to know.
The violence will not continue to decrease. Our military is worn out. Their equipment is worn out. The Iraqis do not have a functional government. They will not have one soon. Despite what McCain says, there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
And then there's this story from Jane at Acts of Hope. A young man who had already served in Iraq received a letter saying that he would be redeployed there. He killed himself. He will not be counted as a casualty of the war, but he is very much a casualty of the war. Read the story as Jane tells it. Read her beautiful prayers, prayers that should never have been necessary. He is not alone. Others take their own lives as a result of PTSD after serving in this misbegotten war or to avoid returning to the war. We must bring the troops home. We must end this war.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
The violence will not continue to decrease. Our military is worn out. Their equipment is worn out. The Iraqis do not have a functional government. They will not have one soon. Despite what McCain says, there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
And then there's this story from Jane at Acts of Hope. A young man who had already served in Iraq received a letter saying that he would be redeployed there. He killed himself. He will not be counted as a casualty of the war, but he is very much a casualty of the war. Read the story as Jane tells it. Read her beautiful prayers, prayers that should never have been necessary. He is not alone. Others take their own lives as a result of PTSD after serving in this misbegotten war or to avoid returning to the war. We must bring the troops home. We must end this war.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Lenten Season At The Diocese Of Wenchoster
Pardon my tardiness with the Lenten column from the Diocese of Wenchoster, but I was traveling this week. Here's the word for the season from Bishop Roderick Codpiecium:
"Rimimber thou art dust,
End to dust thou shelt retarn."
Such will be may wards et both services on Esh Wednesday, when I will gently make the sane of the Craws on the foreheads of the faithful. Once again we are awl remainded of our mortelity end our depindence on the Lawd for our very being. I know I am. Then after the later marss we will adjourn to the Nane Bills for the great Linten tradit-i-on of bitter cakes washed dine with a paint or two of Old Roger – again a symbol of our moral fragility.
Lint begins, end I hope thet both the clargy end the larty of this darsis will take seriously the admoni-t-ion of Our Lawd to indeed put Satan behained us end keep our eyes on the metters of Gawd’s kingdom. I do implore you awl not to take the Linten nerratives literally however. Claiming up onto the pinnacles of our perish charches and announcing to mimbers of the Mothers’ Union that they’d bitter bear you up lest you strake your foot against a stone is not pastorally or medically sensible. I speak from experience. No, let your Linten obsarvances be simple end free from the excesses of some of our more boisterous clargy. I know main will be. End never forgit – it will itch at tames, but thet is what it is supposed to do!
Bliss you awl!
+ Roderick Codpiecium
Very likely, as the season continues, I will do further posts from the diocesan website, but you may want to explore on your own. The illustrations are excellent - as are the captions. Here's the link.
For Episcopalians And Anglicans Only
If you are Episcopalian or Anglican (or even if you're not) and enjoy a laugh, I urged you to visit Clumber's posts on the Anglican Periodic Table (there are
Clumber is a genius of an old dog. Can't you tell by the picture?
Yes, We Can!
Ormonde Plater has left a new comment on your post "Louisiana Folks, Please Go vote":
Mimi, Kay and I voted for Obama. Our daughter and her husband voted for Hillary and are shocked at us. (I'm shocked at them.) Yesterday I was teaching new deacons to sing the Exsultet and got them to sing "Yes, we can!" to the opening melody.
Ormonde, my friend, thank you.
Yes, we can!
UPDATE: The first estimate on voter turnout in Louisiana was 15%, which is pitiful. The corrected number is 25%, which is still pitiful, but it's better than the smaller number. I believe that part of the reason for the low turnout in the primaries is because we are habituated to the parties having settled on the candidates before we even get to vote.
Mimi, Kay and I voted for Obama. Our daughter and her husband voted for Hillary and are shocked at us. (I'm shocked at them.) Yesterday I was teaching new deacons to sing the Exsultet and got them to sing "Yes, we can!" to the opening melody.
Ormonde, my friend, thank you.
Yes, we can!
UPDATE: The first estimate on voter turnout in Louisiana was 15%, which is pitiful. The corrected number is 25%, which is still pitiful, but it's better than the smaller number. I believe that part of the reason for the low turnout in the primaries is because we are habituated to the parties having settled on the candidates before we even get to vote.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Louisiana Folks, Please Go vote
Today is primary day in Louisiana. Usually, all is decided by the time of the Louisiana primaries, but today we have a chance to make a difference in the choice of the Democratic Party. McCain seems to have a wrap on the Republican nomination.
I just received a call from MoveOn.org reminding me to vote. The woman asked for whom I would vote. I said Obama. She said, "That's great! I'm surprised at how many Louisiana people are for Obama." I'm pleased to hear that, too. I will vote for the Democratic nominee in the election, but I prefer that Obama be the choice.
Vote for whomever you choose, but vote. It's important.
Image from Wiki.
UPDATE: Results for the Democrats statewide in Louisiana - Obama - 57%; Clinton - 43%
UPDATE 2: I suppose I should put the Republican results up, too - Huckabee - 44%; McCain - 42%
Am I More Dog Than Cat?
You Are: 50% Dog, 50% Cat |
 You are a nice blend of cat and dog. You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful. And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long. |
That's about right. I have had both cats and dogs as pets, but I believe that I want a cat for my next pet.
Thanks for the link to Scout the Dog's blog Scout's Food For Thought.
Friday, February 8, 2008
"New Orleans Citizens' Prayer"
Shamelessly nicked from Michael Homan's blog:
Our mayor, who art in Dallas
Hollow be thy fame...
Thy flyer miles, thy quips and smiles
In the Ninth, as it is in Lakeview.
Give us this day our faces red
And forgive us our embarrassment, as we forgive
those who embarrass us.
Lead us not into demolition
But deliver us from developers.
For thine is the Superdome, and the Market Force
and the RSD
Forever and never,
Amen
Michael says, "This was just forwarded to me from Jennifer. I didn't write it, don't know who did, but wish I did."
The prayer is so very right for the seldom seen around town mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, who is not known for breaking his back doing good deeds for the benefit of the citizens of his city.
Thanks to Oyster for the tip.
Our mayor, who art in Dallas
Hollow be thy fame...
Thy flyer miles, thy quips and smiles
In the Ninth, as it is in Lakeview.
Give us this day our faces red
And forgive us our embarrassment, as we forgive
those who embarrass us.
Lead us not into demolition
But deliver us from developers.
For thine is the Superdome, and the Market Force
and the RSD
Forever and never,
Amen
Michael says, "This was just forwarded to me from Jennifer. I didn't write it, don't know who did, but wish I did."
The prayer is so very right for the seldom seen around town mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, who is not known for breaking his back doing good deeds for the benefit of the citizens of his city.
Thanks to Oyster for the tip.
Another New Car
Hoookay. We have spent part of three days at the car dealership, unloading our leaking car (Yes,they took it back. I was not having the leaker.) and finding and arranging financing for the new vehicle. We now have pretty much the same car, but in the 2008 model which was not eligible for 0% financing. I'll say that although the whole process was a hassle, we came away satisfied, except for the lost time talking and waiting around the car dealership.
Grandpère lost his temper with the folks at the dealership when he first heard about the seriousness of the leak, but, after all, the fault lies with the factory and not with the folks who sell the cars. I had to calm him down, (he's a pistol, he is) but I was firm about not wanting to keep the car we had owned for a week. I believe that by remaining calm, I scored points with the manager, who, when all is said and done, was quite nice and obliging.
The manager's challenge was to get us in later model car with the same monthly note as the leaker, for the same loan period. He did it and took a hit on his price for the sake of retaining our good will. He said that he appreciated our patience. By giving him time, he was able to work things out so that the factory took the hit, rather than the dealer - which is where the hit should go. I surprised the hell out of him when I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek after he told us what good customers we were. I believe that I embarrassed him just a little.
So. Car problem solved. Exhaustion gone after a couple of nights in my own bed. Family drama calmer - for the moment - home sweet home.
It's amazing to me that we can walk away with a new car without one dollar changing hands, with a five year loan at our advanced age. We will probably not take that long to pay the car off, but still....
Grandpère lost his temper with the folks at the dealership when he first heard about the seriousness of the leak, but, after all, the fault lies with the factory and not with the folks who sell the cars. I had to calm him down, (he's a pistol, he is) but I was firm about not wanting to keep the car we had owned for a week. I believe that by remaining calm, I scored points with the manager, who, when all is said and done, was quite nice and obliging.
The manager's challenge was to get us in later model car with the same monthly note as the leaker, for the same loan period. He did it and took a hit on his price for the sake of retaining our good will. He said that he appreciated our patience. By giving him time, he was able to work things out so that the factory took the hit, rather than the dealer - which is where the hit should go. I surprised the hell out of him when I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek after he told us what good customers we were. I believe that I embarrassed him just a little.
So. Car problem solved. Exhaustion gone after a couple of nights in my own bed. Family drama calmer - for the moment - home sweet home.
It's amazing to me that we can walk away with a new car without one dollar changing hands, with a five year loan at our advanced age. We will probably not take that long to pay the car off, but still....
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Don't Thank Me, Thank Doug
Two bees met in a field. One said to the other, "How are things going?"
"Really bad," said the second bee. "The weather has been cold, wet and damp, and there aren't any flowers, so I can't make honey."
"No problem," said the first bee. "Just fly down five blocks and turn left. Keep going until you see all the cars. There's a Bar Mitzvah going on and there are all kinds of fresh flowers and fresh fruit."
"Thanks for the tip," said the second bee, and flew away.
A few hours later the two bees ran into each other again. The first bee asked, "How'd it go?"
"Great!" said the second bee. "It was everything you said it would be. There was plenty of fruit and, oh, such huge floral arrangements on every table."
"Uh, what's that thing on your head?" asked the first bee.
"That's my yarmulke," said the second bee. "I didn't want them to think I was a wasp."
I thank you, Doug. This was just what I needed tonight.
"Really bad," said the second bee. "The weather has been cold, wet and damp, and there aren't any flowers, so I can't make honey."
"No problem," said the first bee. "Just fly down five blocks and turn left. Keep going until you see all the cars. There's a Bar Mitzvah going on and there are all kinds of fresh flowers and fresh fruit."
"Thanks for the tip," said the second bee, and flew away.
A few hours later the two bees ran into each other again. The first bee asked, "How'd it go?"
"Great!" said the second bee. "It was everything you said it would be. There was plenty of fruit and, oh, such huge floral arrangements on every table."
"Uh, what's that thing on your head?" asked the first bee.
"That's my yarmulke," said the second bee. "I didn't want them to think I was a wasp."
I thank you, Doug. This was just what I needed tonight.
A Word For The Day
Though the fig tree does not blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Habakkuk gives a good reminder today, on the Thursday after Ash Wednesday, that God is still Emmanuel, no matter what. My distress is not mainly about the car, or the near-missed plane, or the delayed suitcases, or exhaustion. It's about things I can't talk about in a public venue such as a blog. None of it is life-threatening, and the problems, too, shall pass, but a few prayers for the matters of which I cannot speak would not be at all unwelcome, my good readers. Thank you.
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Habakkuk gives a good reminder today, on the Thursday after Ash Wednesday, that God is still Emmanuel, no matter what. My distress is not mainly about the car, or the near-missed plane, or the delayed suitcases, or exhaustion. It's about things I can't talk about in a public venue such as a blog. None of it is life-threatening, and the problems, too, shall pass, but a few prayers for the matters of which I cannot speak would not be at all unwelcome, my good readers. Thank you.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
We're Home!
We're home. I am exhausted. The children had a wonderful time. Our lodgings were lovely, and we ate some great meals.
Before we left, we had a family drama, which I will not go into. We had a hair-raising departure, barely making it on the plane before it took off, and then finding that two of our suitcases had not arrived at our destination with us.
Padre Mickey left a comment saying that he hoped we were not still at Disney having fun because Lent had started. Well, I missed my ashes today, but my Lent has started.
Our brand new car has a leak in the back window that has been leaking for a long time sitting on the lot, and it messed up the trunk and other parts of the car, leaving them rusted and mildewed. The dealer is going to take it back, but now we have to pick out another car, renegotiate for a good price and redo the financing, because we cannot find a 2007 model of the car I want. The 2007 models have 0% financing.
As I left Disney, I said, "Adios", not "Hasta la vista"; "Adieu", not "Au revoir"; and "Addio", not "Arrivederci". I loved seeing the children enjoy themselves, but next time, it will be without me.
Sorry that this first post is such a downer. I guess it's due to exhaustion.
Before we left, we had a family drama, which I will not go into. We had a hair-raising departure, barely making it on the plane before it took off, and then finding that two of our suitcases had not arrived at our destination with us.
Padre Mickey left a comment saying that he hoped we were not still at Disney having fun because Lent had started. Well, I missed my ashes today, but my Lent has started.
Our brand new car has a leak in the back window that has been leaking for a long time sitting on the lot, and it messed up the trunk and other parts of the car, leaving them rusted and mildewed. The dealer is going to take it back, but now we have to pick out another car, renegotiate for a good price and redo the financing, because we cannot find a 2007 model of the car I want. The 2007 models have 0% financing.
As I left Disney, I said, "Adios", not "Hasta la vista"; "Adieu", not "Au revoir"; and "Addio", not "Arrivederci". I loved seeing the children enjoy themselves, but next time, it will be without me.
Sorry that this first post is such a downer. I guess it's due to exhaustion.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Off To The Magic Kingdom
Yes, peeps, tomorrow Grandpère and I are off to Walt Disney World with eight other family members. Don't laugh. It's a sacrificial trip for GP and me. My very own son would not take his children to Orlando without us. Since my daughter and her family were going, my son's two children wanted to go, too. Five cousins will be together. They're close in age, (two age groups) and they enjoy each other's company enormously. Whatever you think about the old folks going, it's a magical place for the children, and that's why we're doing it.
Actually the last time we were there, we had a pretty good time. We relaxed, ate well, sat by the pool, and generally enjoyed ourselves in a mild sort of way.
Before I leave, I'm turning on comments moderation until I get back, so no comments may appear until then. If I have the use of my son-in-law's laptop, comments may appear, and I may put in a word or two. We shall see.
We will have someone stay in our house while we are gone.
UPDATE: Au revoir, mes amis. Que Dieu vous benisse! Attendez! Soyez bon!
Wise Words From Adventus - Ecce Homo
From Rmj:
It isn't war that is hell. It's our acceptance of war. It isn't war that is brutal. It is people who are brutal; and our acceptance of war as a condition of our existence; the same way we accept poverty, and hunger, and homelessness. It doesn't have to be this way. That we let it be this way, is what is brutal.
"We have met the enemy, and he is us."
Read the whole post and look at the picture.
It isn't war that is hell. It's our acceptance of war. It isn't war that is brutal. It is people who are brutal; and our acceptance of war as a condition of our existence; the same way we accept poverty, and hunger, and homelessness. It doesn't have to be this way. That we let it be this way, is what is brutal.
"We have met the enemy, and he is us."
Read the whole post and look at the picture.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Do I Know The Bible!
You know the Bible 100%!
Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!
Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes
Paul linked to this quiz at his site. He is another who scores at 100%. I'm rather surprised that I scored 100%, (I promise I did not steal Paul's results!) since I came to my knowledge of the Bible mainly as an adult, not having memorized Bible verses in Sunday school as a child. I see from Paul's comments that Padre Mickey scored 100%, but I believe that he memorized Bible verses as a child, too.
Having said that, some of the choices in the multiple-choice test were ridiculous, and one would know immediately that they were not the correct answers. It is a silly quiz, as Paul says.
From Bishop Charles Jenkins Of Louisiana
From the Bishop's Blog:
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Prayers and Support on Several Pending Issues
Prayers Needed
Please pray with me. I seek your prayer and support on several pending issues.
Some may know that Case Management across the Gulf Coast will cease in March unless a bill pending in Congress allows FEMA to fund our efforts. Case Management has been heretofore carried on by a coalition of national relief organizations under the stewardship and leadership of the United Methodist Council on Relief (UMCOR). Our coalition is called Katrina Aid Today. Other church groups have included Lutheran World Services, Catholic Social Services and Episcopal Relief and Development. The original funding for Case Management came not from tax dollars but from a gift to the United States from the government of Qatar. We who have been involved in Case Management more than matched this gift. A bill in Congress (S2335) would enable FEMA to continue to fund Case Management. No new taxes are needed because the funding is in the FEMA budget.
Case Management is teaching one to fish. You know the old story of giving a person a fish today and they will be hungry tomorrow. Teach them to fish . . . Case Management is a professional means to enable people to construct a recovery plan, to provide some resources to make the plan feasible, and then for people to stand on their own. The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana alone graduated 325 families in December of last year. So please, pray for a miracle here. I do not want to see this important ministry stop nor do I want to see it sputter to a temporary halt and then try to start up again. We have proven our capacity to do Case Management.
I ask also that you pray about my capacity to continue funding a relationship with a law firm in Washington, Krivit and Krivit. This is a complicated issue (Church and State). The fact is that we would not be so far along in seeking funding for the continuation of Case Management were it not for the hard work and professional knowledge of the good people in this firm. I am out of money to pay them. They are working on faith now. I have many requests “out” for funding but so far, no action. There is more, much more, for us to do with Krivit and Krivit.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Bishop Jenkins [Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana]
Posted by Bishop Charles Jenkins at Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Prayers and Support on Several Pending Issues
Prayers Needed
Please pray with me. I seek your prayer and support on several pending issues.
Some may know that Case Management across the Gulf Coast will cease in March unless a bill pending in Congress allows FEMA to fund our efforts. Case Management has been heretofore carried on by a coalition of national relief organizations under the stewardship and leadership of the United Methodist Council on Relief (UMCOR). Our coalition is called Katrina Aid Today. Other church groups have included Lutheran World Services, Catholic Social Services and Episcopal Relief and Development. The original funding for Case Management came not from tax dollars but from a gift to the United States from the government of Qatar. We who have been involved in Case Management more than matched this gift. A bill in Congress (S2335) would enable FEMA to continue to fund Case Management. No new taxes are needed because the funding is in the FEMA budget.
Case Management is teaching one to fish. You know the old story of giving a person a fish today and they will be hungry tomorrow. Teach them to fish . . . Case Management is a professional means to enable people to construct a recovery plan, to provide some resources to make the plan feasible, and then for people to stand on their own. The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana alone graduated 325 families in December of last year. So please, pray for a miracle here. I do not want to see this important ministry stop nor do I want to see it sputter to a temporary halt and then try to start up again. We have proven our capacity to do Case Management.
I ask also that you pray about my capacity to continue funding a relationship with a law firm in Washington, Krivit and Krivit. This is a complicated issue (Church and State). The fact is that we would not be so far along in seeking funding for the continuation of Case Management were it not for the hard work and professional knowledge of the good people in this firm. I am out of money to pay them. They are working on faith now. I have many requests “out” for funding but so far, no action. There is more, much more, for us to do with Krivit and Krivit.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Bishop Jenkins [Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana]
Posted by Bishop Charles Jenkins at Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Where Has He Been All My Life?
From Slimbolala:
RSfMS(wC):* Heavenly Hairdos
Are their combovers in heaven? Do all angels have full heads of hair? Is your heavenly hairdo your hairdo from when you die or from some other juncture in life? (Or does your hair transcend individuality and become one with all hair? Do such earthly styling considerations cease to exist in the manifold stylistic glory of the afterlife?) What does Thomas Aquinas say?
* Random Stuff from My Sketchbook (with Commentary)
Is this brilliant, or what? And posted on Aquinas' feast day, too!
Slimbolala's profile tells us only that he is from New Orleans. That's recommendation enough for me!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
One Million Iraqis Dead From The War
From Reuters via the New York Times:
LONDON (Reuters) - More than one million Iraqis have died as a result of the conflict in their country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, according to research conducted by one of Britain's leading polling groups.
That's not counting the wounded, some of them with severe injuries, like our own wounded. That's not counting those living in Iraq in conditions of danger and hardship. That's not counting those who fled the country and are living in refugee camps. What a terrible tragedy for Iraq.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Thanks to Holden at First Draft for the link.
LONDON (Reuters) - More than one million Iraqis have died as a result of the conflict in their country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, according to research conducted by one of Britain's leading polling groups.
That's not counting the wounded, some of them with severe injuries, like our own wounded. That's not counting those living in Iraq in conditions of danger and hardship. That's not counting those who fled the country and are living in refugee camps. What a terrible tragedy for Iraq.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Thanks to Holden at First Draft for the link.
Ormonde Needs Prayer
Our friend, Ormonde at Through the Dust, the archdeacon who posts so brilliantly on the deacons of church, is in need of our prayers. He has been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and will begin chemotherapy in February. Please pray for him and, perhaps, offer him a word of encouragement at his blog.
Bush Should Be There
From the Kentucky Herald-Leader:
MOSUL, Iraq - A suicide car bomber targeted a U.S. patrol Tuesday in Mosul, killing at least one Iraqi and wounding as many as 15, the military and police said, a day after a roadside bomb killed five American soldiers in the increasingly lawless northern city.
At a U.S. base outside Mosul, scores of U.S. troops and an honor guard stood at attention on the airfield tarmac as five coffins of their slain comrades were loaded onto a plane for the journey home.
....
Soldiers refused permission to photograph the ceremony, saying the pain of the sudden loss of five comrades was too great, and that not all the families had been notified.
"President Bush should be out here watching this ramp ceremony to see what it is really like," said one soldier, who asked not to be identified.
"The people who created this war need to be thinking about the families of these 18-year-olds who are dying."
Posted without comment. The soldier said it for me.
MOSUL, Iraq - A suicide car bomber targeted a U.S. patrol Tuesday in Mosul, killing at least one Iraqi and wounding as many as 15, the military and police said, a day after a roadside bomb killed five American soldiers in the increasingly lawless northern city.
At a U.S. base outside Mosul, scores of U.S. troops and an honor guard stood at attention on the airfield tarmac as five coffins of their slain comrades were loaded onto a plane for the journey home.
....
Soldiers refused permission to photograph the ceremony, saying the pain of the sudden loss of five comrades was too great, and that not all the families had been notified.
"President Bush should be out here watching this ramp ceremony to see what it is really like," said one soldier, who asked not to be identified.
"The people who created this war need to be thinking about the families of these 18-year-olds who are dying."
Posted without comment. The soldier said it for me.
Gov. Bobby Jindal Watch - Three (cont.)
Following up on the first part of my post No. 3 on Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana's Gold Standards For Ethics For Politicians In Louisiana, in which the governor's main man "forgets" to report a $118.000 campaign contribution from the GOP, which should have been reported last July:
"What Jindal Saith and What He Doth"
From James Gill at the Times-Picayune:
Legislators, please do not giggle the next time Gov. Bobby Jindal launches into one of his sermons about ethics, transparency and the new day that is dawning in corrupt old Louisiana.
He is ready to lift you up, and rescue you from sin. Yet some of you may detect a droll irony when Jindal hands down laws he proposes to guide you to the path of righteousness.
....
But please remember what a solemn moment it will be when you gather at the special session he called for early Lent. It is just bad luck that his own transgressions became known shortly before Mardi Gras.
There will be a temptation to point fingers from the back of the chamber and mock Jindal as a Pharisee. But that will get us nowhere. Just concentrate on what he saith and forget what he doth.
Any legislators who cannot keep a straight face should just stare at the floor until they can compose themselves. Do they think state government is a joke?
Read the rest, but you get the drift.
"What Jindal Saith and What He Doth"
From James Gill at the Times-Picayune:
Legislators, please do not giggle the next time Gov. Bobby Jindal launches into one of his sermons about ethics, transparency and the new day that is dawning in corrupt old Louisiana.
He is ready to lift you up, and rescue you from sin. Yet some of you may detect a droll irony when Jindal hands down laws he proposes to guide you to the path of righteousness.
....
But please remember what a solemn moment it will be when you gather at the special session he called for early Lent. It is just bad luck that his own transgressions became known shortly before Mardi Gras.
There will be a temptation to point fingers from the back of the chamber and mock Jindal as a Pharisee. But that will get us nowhere. Just concentrate on what he saith and forget what he doth.
Any legislators who cannot keep a straight face should just stare at the floor until they can compose themselves. Do they think state government is a joke?
Read the rest, but you get the drift.
In Remembrance - Mohandas Gandhi
Thanks to Paul for the reminder that today is the 60th anniversary of the assassination of Gandhi. As I said in the comments at Byzigenous Buddhapalian, "Paul, thanks for this. And Gandhi's only weapons were truth, love, and a determination to remain non-violent. And he won, thus demonstrating the power of powerlessness."
I offer a few choice words of wisdom from the great leader:
Be the change that you want to see in the world.
Ah, that we could take this one to heart and live it.
A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.
Whoa! I pray that the actions of our leaders do not reflect what "resides in the hearts and in the soul" of the people of my country, but I fear that they may - more than I realize.
What is true of the individual will be to-morrow true of the whole nation if individuals will but refuse to lose heart and hope.
Therein lies my hope, that enough of us persist in the push for justice, mercy, and humility and that, in so doing, we do not "lose heart and hope".
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
Timely words for many of us in opposition to the leadership today in the good old U. S. of A. - that we do not "lose heart and hope".
Please do click the link to read Paul's post.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Gulf Coast And The State Of The Union
Here's what Bush said about New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in the State of the Union speech:
Tonight the armies of compassion continue the march to a new day in the Gulf Coast. America honors the strength and resilience of the people of this region. We reaffirm our pledge to help them build stronger and better than before. And tonight I'm pleased to announce that in April we will host this year's North American Summit of Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the great city of New Orleans. (Applause.)
Clap, clap, clap.
Indeed, it is the strong people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and the "armies of compassion", the volunteers, who give so generously of their time and talents, who do the major work of recovery in the areas affected by Katrina and the federal flood.
There were bets around here as to whether Bush would allude to the Gulf Coast at all in the SOTU, since he did not speak of the area at all in his speech last year. He did mention it, and I'm pleased that he's setting the North American Summit in New Orleans. That will throw a few bucks to New Orleans and help their economy.
I wonder if he will be just a tad embarrassed that so many areas remain totally devastated. Will he be ashamed to show the visitors from Mexico and Canada around those devastated areas? Will he limit the tour to the areas that look pretty good? Since Bush spoke the words, will he speed up the implementation of his "pledge to help them build stronger and better than before"?
From the Baton Rouge, La. Advocate:
“He mentioned revenue sharing in Iraq but failed to mention revenue sharing at home,” said [Sen. Mary] Landrieu, D-La.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter welcomed Bush’s continued commitment to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Vitter, R-La., is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has made several visits to the battle region.
Sen. Vitter, what about the home front? What about the continued commitment to the people in your own state, citizens of the United States of America?
Meanwhile, Landrieu said, the planned economic summit will mean the eyes of the world will be on the state.
“At least Louisiana and the Gulf Coast were mentioned,” Landrieu said. “This conference puts us in the international spotlight.”
For better or for worse.
Tonight the armies of compassion continue the march to a new day in the Gulf Coast. America honors the strength and resilience of the people of this region. We reaffirm our pledge to help them build stronger and better than before. And tonight I'm pleased to announce that in April we will host this year's North American Summit of Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the great city of New Orleans. (Applause.)
Clap, clap, clap.
Indeed, it is the strong people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and the "armies of compassion", the volunteers, who give so generously of their time and talents, who do the major work of recovery in the areas affected by Katrina and the federal flood.
There were bets around here as to whether Bush would allude to the Gulf Coast at all in the SOTU, since he did not speak of the area at all in his speech last year. He did mention it, and I'm pleased that he's setting the North American Summit in New Orleans. That will throw a few bucks to New Orleans and help their economy.
I wonder if he will be just a tad embarrassed that so many areas remain totally devastated. Will he be ashamed to show the visitors from Mexico and Canada around those devastated areas? Will he limit the tour to the areas that look pretty good? Since Bush spoke the words, will he speed up the implementation of his "pledge to help them build stronger and better than before"?
From the Baton Rouge, La. Advocate:
“He mentioned revenue sharing in Iraq but failed to mention revenue sharing at home,” said [Sen. Mary] Landrieu, D-La.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter welcomed Bush’s continued commitment to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Vitter, R-La., is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has made several visits to the battle region.
Sen. Vitter, what about the home front? What about the continued commitment to the people in your own state, citizens of the United States of America?
Meanwhile, Landrieu said, the planned economic summit will mean the eyes of the world will be on the state.
“At least Louisiana and the Gulf Coast were mentioned,” Landrieu said. “This conference puts us in the international spotlight.”
For better or for worse.
Mystic Krewe Of Barkus
Since Lapin asked if my Diana had participated in the Krewe of Barkus parade in New Orleans, I thought I'd give you a view of the exciting event, even if Diana did not participate.
From the Times-Picayune:
In the French Quarter, crowds jammed sidewalks from Rampart to Jackson Square as the beloved pooch parade, the Mystic Krewe of Barkus, rolled to the theme "Indiana Bones and the Raiders of the Lost Bark." Before the parade, hundreds gathered for several hours at the pre-parade "Pawty," enjoying music, food and admiring costumed dogs and themed floats.
Diana, as a one-eyed dog, would be quite a novelty, don't you think? Of course, I would not want to exploit her for her difference. What about a one-eyed queen of the Mystic Krewe of Barkus? Diana and I can dream, can't we?
Here's A Good Guy
From Mike in Texas:
He's not only just a local guy, but a member of our church, which is behind his work 100%.
San Antonio Authorities Arrest Syringe Exchange Workers
The Texas state legislature authorized creation of the state's first legal needle exchange, as a pilot project, in San Antonio. Local officials are blocking the plan and now harm reduction workers involved in a needle exchange there have been arrested.
Please go read the rest of the story at Mike's website, Lavender Wolves.
As I say so often, "No good deed goes unpunished".
Good Fortune From A Cookie
Me: "Adventure can be real happiness."
Lucky numbers: 12, 14, 18, 22, 28, 38
Grandpère: "You may be hungry soon: order a takeout now."
Lucky numbers: 11, 24, 25, 37, 39, 41
Grandpère's fortune is so very true and right. He thinks about food much of the day. Immediately after finishing one meal, he is thinking of the next. He shoulda done what they said.
Shall we rush out to buy lottery tickets?
Image from Wiki.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Gov. Bobby Jindal Watch - Three
Continuing with the "Gov. Bobby Jindal Watch Series", following Part One and Part Two, here's the word from C. B. Forgotston at Forgotston.com on Gov. Bobby Jindal's Gold Standards For Ethics For Politicians In Louisiana. See how he practices what he preaches.
Thanks to Oyster for the tip. What would I do without the Big Oyster?
Thanks to Oyster for the tip. What would I do without the Big Oyster?
Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas
From James Kiefer at the Lectionary:
In the thirteenth century, when Thomas Aquinas lived, the works of Aristotle, largely forgotten in Western Europe, began to be available again, partly from Eastern European sources and partly from Moslem Arab sources in Africa and Spain. These works offered a new and exciting way of looking at the world....While remaining a Christian, he [Aquinas] immersed himself in the ideas of Aristotle, and then undertook to explain Christian ideas and beliefs in language that would make sense to disciples of Aristotle. At the time, this seemed like a very dangerous and radical idea, and Aquinas spent much of his life living on the edge of ecclesiastical approval. His success can be measured by the prevalence today of the notion that of course all Christian scholars in the Middle Ages were followers of Aristotle.
I was schooled in scholastic philosophy, or Thomism, more than 50 years ago at Loyola University in New Orleans, but Thomist philosophy has fallen out of fashion. The important contribution that Aquinas made, as Kiefer says, is that he set a precedent for engagement with philosophies and spiritualities which are not explicitly Christian. It remains a treacherous road for theologians to travel.
Some Christian scholars today are undertaking, with varying degrees of success, to explore the relations between Christianity and various contemporary studies or world-outlooks that have been used as weapons by opponents of Christianity.
With respect to the painting of Aquinas by Fra Angelico, who, by the way, is one of my favorites, the good brother has made him into a grim looking fellow, hasn't he? The other image at Wiki by Carlo Crivelli shows Aquinas as crabbed-visaged also.
His two best-know works are the Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra Gentiles.
Readings:
Psalm 37:3-6,32-33 or 119:97-104
Wisdom 7:7-14
Matthew 13:47-52
PRAYER
Almighty God, you have enriched your Church with the singular learning and holiness of your servant Thomas Aquinas: Enlighten us more and more, we pray, by the disciplined thinking and teaching of Christian scholars, and deepen our devotion by the example of saintly lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Image from Wiki.
Clinton And Obama To Vote "No"
From FireDogLake comes word that both Clinton and Obama will be present in the US Senate to vote "No" on the motion for cloture by the Republicans on the FISA bill.
Excellent! They had better be there to vote "No". They are both still serving in the US Senate. The vote will take place this afternoon at 4:30, so it's not too late to contact your senators to ask them to vote against the cloture motion.
This matter involves complicated maneuvering in the Senate. If you want to know more, go to Democracy For America.
If you care about the U.S. Constitution and your government spying on you, it's important to make the calls.
UPDATE: I called my Republican senator, David Vitter, just for the hell of it, to ask him to vote "No" on cloture, even though I know he won't. The young woman who answered the phone did not know what I was talking about, nor how the senator would vote, and she was not able to reach anyone who did know to ask them. I know more than the office worker knows, but it doesn't hurt to annoy them a little, does it?
Sen. Landrieu's office did not answer. Perhaps, they're getting lots of calls. I made do with an email message, but I will try to call again later.
UPDATE: Cloture vote failed 48-45, 60 needed to pass. Yay!
Mary Landrieu voted "Yes". Boo!
Excellent! They had better be there to vote "No". They are both still serving in the US Senate. The vote will take place this afternoon at 4:30, so it's not too late to contact your senators to ask them to vote against the cloture motion.
This matter involves complicated maneuvering in the Senate. If you want to know more, go to Democracy For America.
If you care about the U.S. Constitution and your government spying on you, it's important to make the calls.
UPDATE: I called my Republican senator, David Vitter, just for the hell of it, to ask him to vote "No" on cloture, even though I know he won't. The young woman who answered the phone did not know what I was talking about, nor how the senator would vote, and she was not able to reach anyone who did know to ask them. I know more than the office worker knows, but it doesn't hurt to annoy them a little, does it?
Sen. Landrieu's office did not answer. Perhaps, they're getting lots of calls. I made do with an email message, but I will try to call again later.
UPDATE: Cloture vote failed 48-45, 60 needed to pass. Yay!
Mary Landrieu voted "Yes". Boo!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
"Remain Episcopal" Gathering in San Joaquin
From Episcopal Life:
Hundreds of people—from as far south as San Diego and as far north as Seattle—packed the historic Church of the Saviour in Hanford January 26 in joyous celebration and support for remaining Episcopalians who are "Moving Forward, Welcoming All" and claiming their status as the official Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.
....
Cindy Smith, president of Remain Episcopal, said the organization has received generous financial, liturgical and emotional support from all over the country, including from clergy from across the nation who willing to serve congregations on an interim or permanent basis.
Organized in 2003, Remain Episcopal is "planning for the day we cease to exist, a day the renewed leadership of the Fresno-based Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin can once planning for the day we cease to exist, a day the renewed leadership of the Fresno-based Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin can once again continue the reconciliation, work and mission of the church," said Smith, who called for patience as the way forward as communities of faith continue to form and grow and the future of the Central Valley churches continues to unfold.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori sent both written and videotaped greetings to the gathering. "We expect to work next to clarify the status of members of the clergy in the Diocese of San Joaquin, and the status of any former diocesan leaders who wish to remain in The Episcopal Church," she wrote in a letter read by the Rev. Canon Bob Moore, the designated interim pastoral presence for the diocese.
....
"Once the ultimate status of John-David Schofield is adjudicated by the House of Bishops, and if he is deposed, I will seek to gather the remaining members of the Diocese in a special convention to elect new leadership and make provision for an interim bishop. I will work with diocesan leaders to clarify ownership of the personal and real assets of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin," the Presiding Bishop's letter said.
On January 11, Jefferts Schori inhibited Bishop John-David Schofield of San Joaquin from continuing to serve after a Title IV review committee determined he had abandoned the communion. He has the options of recanting his position, renouncing his orders or declaring that the Title IV assertions are false.
If a majority of bishops concur with the Title IV review committee's findings during the March 7-13 House of Bishops meeting at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, the Presiding Bishop will depose Schofield and declare the episcopate of the San Joaquin diocese vacant.
....
[T]he Rev. Canon Robert Moore, who was appointed as the interim pastoral presence for remaining Episcopalians, presided and served as homilist.
"It is wonderful to look out here and see so many faces," said Moore who told the gathering they are in the process of recreating and reforming a "new and wondrous" church. "It's happening as we speak," he said amid hearty applause.
"We are not establishing a new Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, we are celebrating, worshipping and working for the continuing Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. You are the Episcopal Church in this part of the world," he said.
What struck me about the service was its fullness of joy and its familiarity. It was so very like the service in my church. I love that they prayed the "Prayer of Humble Access", although the Rite II Eucharist was used. I often say the prayer silently before the Eucharist because of my fondness for it.
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
What a glorious day of celebration for the faithful Episcopalians of the Diocese of San Joaquin. May the Spirit of the living God continue to be powerfully present with them.
Here's a link to the video of the service at the Church of the Savior, Hanford, California.
Hundreds of people—from as far south as San Diego and as far north as Seattle—packed the historic Church of the Saviour in Hanford January 26 in joyous celebration and support for remaining Episcopalians who are "Moving Forward, Welcoming All" and claiming their status as the official Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.
....
Cindy Smith, president of Remain Episcopal, said the organization has received generous financial, liturgical and emotional support from all over the country, including from clergy from across the nation who willing to serve congregations on an interim or permanent basis.
Organized in 2003, Remain Episcopal is "planning for the day we cease to exist, a day the renewed leadership of the Fresno-based Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin can once planning for the day we cease to exist, a day the renewed leadership of the Fresno-based Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin can once again continue the reconciliation, work and mission of the church," said Smith, who called for patience as the way forward as communities of faith continue to form and grow and the future of the Central Valley churches continues to unfold.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori sent both written and videotaped greetings to the gathering. "We expect to work next to clarify the status of members of the clergy in the Diocese of San Joaquin, and the status of any former diocesan leaders who wish to remain in The Episcopal Church," she wrote in a letter read by the Rev. Canon Bob Moore, the designated interim pastoral presence for the diocese.
....
"Once the ultimate status of John-David Schofield is adjudicated by the House of Bishops, and if he is deposed, I will seek to gather the remaining members of the Diocese in a special convention to elect new leadership and make provision for an interim bishop. I will work with diocesan leaders to clarify ownership of the personal and real assets of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin," the Presiding Bishop's letter said.
On January 11, Jefferts Schori inhibited Bishop John-David Schofield of San Joaquin from continuing to serve after a Title IV review committee determined he had abandoned the communion. He has the options of recanting his position, renouncing his orders or declaring that the Title IV assertions are false.
If a majority of bishops concur with the Title IV review committee's findings during the March 7-13 House of Bishops meeting at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, the Presiding Bishop will depose Schofield and declare the episcopate of the San Joaquin diocese vacant.
....
[T]he Rev. Canon Robert Moore, who was appointed as the interim pastoral presence for remaining Episcopalians, presided and served as homilist.
"It is wonderful to look out here and see so many faces," said Moore who told the gathering they are in the process of recreating and reforming a "new and wondrous" church. "It's happening as we speak," he said amid hearty applause.
"We are not establishing a new Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, we are celebrating, worshipping and working for the continuing Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. You are the Episcopal Church in this part of the world," he said.
What struck me about the service was its fullness of joy and its familiarity. It was so very like the service in my church. I love that they prayed the "Prayer of Humble Access", although the Rite II Eucharist was used. I often say the prayer silently before the Eucharist because of my fondness for it.
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
What a glorious day of celebration for the faithful Episcopalians of the Diocese of San Joaquin. May the Spirit of the living God continue to be powerfully present with them.
Here's a link to the video of the service at the Church of the Savior, Hanford, California.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thought For The Day - Elie Wiesel
The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference;
the opposite of beauty is not ugliness, but indifference;
the opposite of learning is not ignorance, but indifference;
Hatred cannot be anything but evil.
Hatred contaminates me.
We cannot give in to hatred;
To preserve humanity we must fight indifference.
the opposite of beauty is not ugliness, but indifference;
the opposite of learning is not ignorance, but indifference;
Hatred cannot be anything but evil.
Hatred contaminates me.
We cannot give in to hatred;
To preserve humanity we must fight indifference.
Bush Allows Alaska Logging Plan
From the LA Times:
Millions of acres of the country's largest national forest would be open for logging and other development under a Bush administration forest management plan released yesterday, a move critics said will hurt wildlife and destroy pristine lands.
....
"Time and again, these guys have had to rewrite this plan, and they just keep coming back with the same answer," said Franz Matzner, forest and public lands advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Logging levels are way down, and there is just no demand for this timber. The Bush administration is just dedicated in its last months to go after the roadless rule one forest at a time."
Think about it. Housing prices have dropped through the floor. How could there be great demand for lumber for building new houses?
Bush is determined to destroy as as much of our reputation, as many of our institutions, and as much of our land as is possible before he leaves office. He is determined to give big business whatever they want, no matter the cost.
Millions of acres of the country's largest national forest would be open for logging and other development under a Bush administration forest management plan released yesterday, a move critics said will hurt wildlife and destroy pristine lands.
....
"Time and again, these guys have had to rewrite this plan, and they just keep coming back with the same answer," said Franz Matzner, forest and public lands advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Logging levels are way down, and there is just no demand for this timber. The Bush administration is just dedicated in its last months to go after the roadless rule one forest at a time."
Think about it. Housing prices have dropped through the floor. How could there be great demand for lumber for building new houses?
Bush is determined to destroy as as much of our reputation, as many of our institutions, and as much of our land as is possible before he leaves office. He is determined to give big business whatever they want, no matter the cost.
From My Daughter
A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old news reel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said
"What box?" Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its content s to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most was...my time."
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.
I'm requested to pass this on to 15 people. I'll pass it on this way.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old news reel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said
"What box?" Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its content s to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most was...my time."
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.
I'm requested to pass this on to 15 people. I'll pass it on this way.
Catholic School Students Discplined
From the Daily Comet:
When her daughter was suspended from E.D. White Catholic High School, it was for actions taken in a realm seemingly beyond the reach of administrators.
Along with more than 20 seniors, Deneen Spinella’s daughter was suspended from the school for joining an online discussion group where administrators say students posted profane comments and attempted to share coursework answers.
According to a letter sent to one parent, school officials said students violated a policy outlined in the campus code of conduct that prohibits them from engaging in online activity -- on or off campus -- that could harm the school’s image.
Hmmm, "...harm the school's image."
Though administrators suspended her daughter for attempting to cheat, Spinella said, they misinterpreted her intentions. She said her daughter created the group -- titled "Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources" -- in hopes of gathering information for teachers who couldn’t answer questions posed to students.
"She was trying to collect information, put it on a CD and hand it over. The teacher would use it because they didn’t have a guide," she said. "Because she took it upon herself to put the school first, they persecuted her for it."
I found myself smiling as I read the story, but I feel bad for Deneen Spinella's daughter, because she was stripped of "her academic titles, including a high-ranking position in the Key Club and her membership in the National Honor Society". I only know what I read in the newspaper, but what the students did does not seem that bad to me.
Though administrators suspended her daughter for attempting to cheat, Spinella said, they misinterpreted her intentions. She said her daughter created the group -- titled "Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources" -- in hopes of gathering information for teachers who couldn’t answer questions posed to students.
The group was removed from the Facebook website for a brief period, but it is now back up. I wasn't able to gain access to it.
Near the top of the page, a description for the group reads "MAYBE I DON’T WANT TO DEFEND THE CATHOLIC FAITH!?" A photo of local Catholic Bishop Sam Jacobs appears in the top right corner.
The group also includes this statement, with no mention of an author: "(This site) was not a way to cheat and if the school administrators would have taken a chance to look at this page then they would no (sic) that no cheating actually occurred on this page."
I don't know the motivation of the student organizer nor the motivation of the students who participated, but it doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Maybe I'm missing something.
I know that rules are rules, and the parents signed statements, etc., etc., etc., but the teen years are a time of questioning, a time for the young people to find their way. What message do the suspensions send to the students about exploring their faith and addressing their doubts, instead of squelching them? A very wrong message, I'd say. Maybe some of the students don't want to defend the Catholic faith as it's being presented to them. Maybe that's OK.
I attended Roman Catholic schools for 17 years of my life. It was a long time ago, but it seems not much has changed. My only "C" grade in college was in a course called "Christian Marriage". I am convinced that the reason I made that "C" was because I argued with the priest who taught the class about Matthew 19:9, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery." I said that it seemed to me that Jesus was saying that one was permitted to divorce one's spouse and marry another if the spouse was unfaithful. He said that was not the meaning of the statement. I persisted in my questioning. I argued with him. I wouldn't let it go, with the end result that I made my "C" in the course.
Once, during a job interview, the interviewer said of my college transcript, "All "A's" and "B's". No wait; here's a "C". Let's see what subject the "C' is in. Oh! 'Christian Marriage'." He and I both laughed. And I've only been married for 46 years.
There is questioning, and there is QUESTIONING! QUESTIONING gets you in trouble. Is it possible that the teachers were truly not equipped to deal with the questions of the students? I believe it is. In the courses which prepared them to teach religion classes, perhaps the future teachers were not encouraged to explore their own doubts and questions.
In my humble opinion, the school authorities were harsh in their response. Do the school authorities have a clue about offline conversations among high school students?
"Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources". That's pretty funny.
UPDATE: I have been told that the student who was suspended for nine days would have lost a full scholarship to a private university of good reputation, if she had stayed to serve her suspension at E. D. White.
UPDATE 2: Further discussion on this matter may be found at the website of the Daily Comet Forum.
When her daughter was suspended from E.D. White Catholic High School, it was for actions taken in a realm seemingly beyond the reach of administrators.
Along with more than 20 seniors, Deneen Spinella’s daughter was suspended from the school for joining an online discussion group where administrators say students posted profane comments and attempted to share coursework answers.
According to a letter sent to one parent, school officials said students violated a policy outlined in the campus code of conduct that prohibits them from engaging in online activity -- on or off campus -- that could harm the school’s image.
Hmmm, "...harm the school's image."
Though administrators suspended her daughter for attempting to cheat, Spinella said, they misinterpreted her intentions. She said her daughter created the group -- titled "Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources" -- in hopes of gathering information for teachers who couldn’t answer questions posed to students.
"She was trying to collect information, put it on a CD and hand it over. The teacher would use it because they didn’t have a guide," she said. "Because she took it upon herself to put the school first, they persecuted her for it."
I found myself smiling as I read the story, but I feel bad for Deneen Spinella's daughter, because she was stripped of "her academic titles, including a high-ranking position in the Key Club and her membership in the National Honor Society". I only know what I read in the newspaper, but what the students did does not seem that bad to me.
Though administrators suspended her daughter for attempting to cheat, Spinella said, they misinterpreted her intentions. She said her daughter created the group -- titled "Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources" -- in hopes of gathering information for teachers who couldn’t answer questions posed to students.
The group was removed from the Facebook website for a brief period, but it is now back up. I wasn't able to gain access to it.
Near the top of the page, a description for the group reads "MAYBE I DON’T WANT TO DEFEND THE CATHOLIC FAITH!?" A photo of local Catholic Bishop Sam Jacobs appears in the top right corner.
The group also includes this statement, with no mention of an author: "(This site) was not a way to cheat and if the school administrators would have taken a chance to look at this page then they would no (sic) that no cheating actually occurred on this page."
I don't know the motivation of the student organizer nor the motivation of the students who participated, but it doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Maybe I'm missing something.
I know that rules are rules, and the parents signed statements, etc., etc., etc., but the teen years are a time of questioning, a time for the young people to find their way. What message do the suspensions send to the students about exploring their faith and addressing their doubts, instead of squelching them? A very wrong message, I'd say. Maybe some of the students don't want to defend the Catholic faith as it's being presented to them. Maybe that's OK.
I attended Roman Catholic schools for 17 years of my life. It was a long time ago, but it seems not much has changed. My only "C" grade in college was in a course called "Christian Marriage". I am convinced that the reason I made that "C" was because I argued with the priest who taught the class about Matthew 19:9, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery." I said that it seemed to me that Jesus was saying that one was permitted to divorce one's spouse and marry another if the spouse was unfaithful. He said that was not the meaning of the statement. I persisted in my questioning. I argued with him. I wouldn't let it go, with the end result that I made my "C" in the course.
Once, during a job interview, the interviewer said of my college transcript, "All "A's" and "B's". No wait; here's a "C". Let's see what subject the "C' is in. Oh! 'Christian Marriage'." He and I both laughed. And I've only been married for 46 years.
There is questioning, and there is QUESTIONING! QUESTIONING gets you in trouble. Is it possible that the teachers were truly not equipped to deal with the questions of the students? I believe it is. In the courses which prepared them to teach religion classes, perhaps the future teachers were not encouraged to explore their own doubts and questions.
In my humble opinion, the school authorities were harsh in their response. Do the school authorities have a clue about offline conversations among high school students?
"Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources". That's pretty funny.
UPDATE: I have been told that the student who was suspended for nine days would have lost a full scholarship to a private university of good reputation, if she had stayed to serve her suspension at E. D. White.
UPDATE 2: Further discussion on this matter may be found at the website of the Daily Comet Forum.
Friday, January 25, 2008
A True Friend Of My Beloved City
Kirstin at Barefoot and Laughing has been in New Orleans for several weeks doing interviews for a book on survivors of Katrina and the federal flood. She will take leave on Sunday. Her farewell gift is a beautiful and moving post on my beloved city of New Orleans. She is among the best of the best of those who attempt to describe the nearly ineffable attraction of the city for those who are natives and for those who are New Orleanians by adoption. Not all natives of the city love it. Not all who visit or move to the city like it, but those who fall in love, fall hard.
I have not lived in New Orleans for over 40 years, but, as yet, I feel like a New Orleanian living in exile. There is much to like about the town that I live in, but the home of my heart is, and will always be, New Orleans. For me, to be a New Orleanian is part of my nature, part of who I am, whether I live there or not.
You can imagine my joy when a visitor sees what I see and feels what I feel about my beloved and writes something like this:
There is hope here. I heard it yesterday in the voice of a woman who had organized a neighborhood renewal, since spread throughout the city, based on cooperation and sharing resources. I saw her love for her home, and this city, shining in her eyes, as she talked about how she has been blessed in the gifts she’s been able to give.
I hear it over and over, in the stories people tell me of their lives in this city since the storm. They tell me why they love it here, why they came home, why they stayed. They stayed because it is their home. Because Houston or Mobile or wherever, just wasn’t. Because this is New Orleans. There is a vivacity here that is unique to this place. So much in the culture is about relationships, and about acceptance. You can be whoever you are—not only in the Mardi Gras, crazy way portrayed in the media (though there is that), but in your dailiness as well. The violence, and crime, are of course awful. But life is celebrated here, too.
I am in love with the spirit of resurrection I see and feel all around me. I’d give anything to be able to stay, longer than I can. I’m hoping and praying to come back. The spiritual rebirth is as apparent as the physical, and everything in me wants to be part of it.
Please go read her entire post. Kirstin has a wonderful gift for writing, and this piece is from her heart.
I have not lived in New Orleans for over 40 years, but, as yet, I feel like a New Orleanian living in exile. There is much to like about the town that I live in, but the home of my heart is, and will always be, New Orleans. For me, to be a New Orleanian is part of my nature, part of who I am, whether I live there or not.
You can imagine my joy when a visitor sees what I see and feels what I feel about my beloved and writes something like this:
There is hope here. I heard it yesterday in the voice of a woman who had organized a neighborhood renewal, since spread throughout the city, based on cooperation and sharing resources. I saw her love for her home, and this city, shining in her eyes, as she talked about how she has been blessed in the gifts she’s been able to give.
I hear it over and over, in the stories people tell me of their lives in this city since the storm. They tell me why they love it here, why they came home, why they stayed. They stayed because it is their home. Because Houston or Mobile or wherever, just wasn’t. Because this is New Orleans. There is a vivacity here that is unique to this place. So much in the culture is about relationships, and about acceptance. You can be whoever you are—not only in the Mardi Gras, crazy way portrayed in the media (though there is that), but in your dailiness as well. The violence, and crime, are of course awful. But life is celebrated here, too.
I am in love with the spirit of resurrection I see and feel all around me. I’d give anything to be able to stay, longer than I can. I’m hoping and praying to come back. The spiritual rebirth is as apparent as the physical, and everything in me wants to be part of it.
Please go read her entire post. Kirstin has a wonderful gift for writing, and this piece is from her heart.
About The Man Who Licks His Comb
From Juan Cole on the State Department re-hiring Paul Wolfowitz as an adviser on arms control:
Hiring Paul Wolfowitz to advise the State Department on arms control is like hiring Lindsay Lohan as a driving instructor.
Besides, when someone is consistently wrong and always vastly exaggerating the threat from abroad, it isn't normal.
....
And we need him to vastly exaggerate the threat from Iran, why? Maybe because no one reputable would take it on.
Take Cole's "trip down memory lane" on Wolfowitz's mistakes from the long-ago past.
Read the rest of Cole's post for the day and for days past, if you like. I try not to miss his daily reports on the Middle East.
Riding On The Road To Damascus?
An illumination depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul from "Livre d'Heures d'Étienne Chevalier" (c. 1450–1460) by Jean Fouquet.
In the church calendar, we celebrate the conversion of Saul of Tarsus from a persecutor of Christians to a follower of Jesus. He then became known as Paul.
Acts 22:6-11
Paul Tells of His Conversion
‘While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered, “Who are you, Lord?” Then he said to me, “I am Jesus of Nazareth* whom you are persecuting.” Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. I asked, “What am I to do, Lord?” The Lord said to me, “Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.” Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.
In most depictions of the event, Paul is shown on a horse, but in his own account in "Acts", there is no mention of a horse. My question: Was Paul riding a horse?
Won't some biblical scholar help me out here? Would a person in Saul's position in Roman-occupied territory have been traveling on a horse? I want to know.
Readings:
Psalm 67
Acts 26:9-21
Galatians 1:11-24
Matthew 10:16-22
PRAYER
O God, who by the preaching of your apostle Paul have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Image from Wiki.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Gov. Bobby Jindal Watch - Two
From the Baton Rouge Advocate:
Gov. Bobby Jindal faces state ethics charges for failing to timely disclose more than $100,000 in campaign aid he received from the state Republican Party.
The Louisiana Board of Ethics ordered a public hearing to explore charges that Jindal and his governor’s campaign committee violated the state’s Campaign Finance Disclosure Act.
Timmy Teepell, Jindal’s chief of staff, said Thursday night that Jindal would pay the fine.
Jindal failed to “accurately disclose in-kind contributions” from the state GOP, according to a Tuesday letter notifying Jindal of the reporting problem.
Well, that didn't take long. Our new governor ran on the promise of change, the promise of bringing ethics back to government in Louisiana. He'll have to start with himself, won't he?
Thanks to Oyster for the heads-up.
Gov. Bobby Jindal faces state ethics charges for failing to timely disclose more than $100,000 in campaign aid he received from the state Republican Party.
The Louisiana Board of Ethics ordered a public hearing to explore charges that Jindal and his governor’s campaign committee violated the state’s Campaign Finance Disclosure Act.
Timmy Teepell, Jindal’s chief of staff, said Thursday night that Jindal would pay the fine.
Jindal failed to “accurately disclose in-kind contributions” from the state GOP, according to a Tuesday letter notifying Jindal of the reporting problem.
Well, that didn't take long. Our new governor ran on the promise of change, the promise of bringing ethics back to government in Louisiana. He'll have to start with himself, won't he?
Thanks to Oyster for the heads-up.
"Through the Eye of Katrina"
The current issue of the Journal of American History focuses on Katrina.
This special issue of the Journal of American History, “Through the Eye of Katrina: The Past as Prologue?” provides a compelling first take on the history surrounding the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Twenty articles and essays, written by scholars who specialize on areas that surround this topic, discuss the Katrina disaster through multiple lenses, including political, urban, environmental, architectural, and musical history.
The articles, pictures, audios, and videos are available online. Scout Prime at First Draft beat me to this one.
Image from the Journal of American History.
ORDINATION OF FLORENCE LI TIM-OI
From James Kiefer at the Lectionary:
Florence Li Tim-Oi was ordained a priest by Bp. Ronald Hall of Hong Kong in 1944, primarily because of difficulties occasioned by the Japanese occupation of China. A storm of protest after the war forced her to refrain from exercising her role as a priest. Towards the end of her life, she emigrated to Canada where she was able to resume her priestly duties. She died in 1992.
Readings:
Psalm 116:1-2
Galatians 3:23-28
Luke 10:1-9
Prayer
Gracious God, we thank you for calling Florence Li Tim-Oi, much-beloved daughter, to be the first woman to exercise the office of a priest in our Communion; By the grace of your Spirit inspire us to follow her example, serving your people with patience and happiness all our days, and witnessing in every circumstance to our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Florence demonstrated extraordinary patience in her long wait to exercise her priestly ministry. My bolding in the biographical information.
Florence Li Tim-Oi was ordained a priest by Bp. Ronald Hall of Hong Kong in 1944, primarily because of difficulties occasioned by the Japanese occupation of China. A storm of protest after the war forced her to refrain from exercising her role as a priest. Towards the end of her life, she emigrated to Canada where she was able to resume her priestly duties. She died in 1992.
Readings:
Psalm 116:1-2
Galatians 3:23-28
Luke 10:1-9
Prayer
Gracious God, we thank you for calling Florence Li Tim-Oi, much-beloved daughter, to be the first woman to exercise the office of a priest in our Communion; By the grace of your Spirit inspire us to follow her example, serving your people with patience and happiness all our days, and witnessing in every circumstance to our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Florence demonstrated extraordinary patience in her long wait to exercise her priestly ministry. My bolding in the biographical information.
A Word From Brother Causticus
Brother Causticus, who writes at TitusOneTen, my favorite of all the vergers of my virtual acquaintance, has broken silence to request prayers for the people of the Diocese of San Joaquin - for those who will go and for those who will stay. Brother Causticus is working with the vergers of the diocese in their "listening process" and is presently situated "en suite with the very-nearly-abstemious and Tablet-perusing Deacon Thorndike Andrewes, availing himself of the complimentary Internet connection in a commodious double queen room at the Comfort Inn overlooking historic downtown Hanford, California."
Hearing from the good brother again was immensely satisfying, but I was somewhat mystified by his words in the quote which follows:
Though the machinations of offense by proxy – "I, Little Stone Bridget, am thoroughly vexed that Dagenham Rector, noted apostate, has promulgated vulgar representations of and about Father Mass Progeny, which under no circumstances should be viewed by any faithful Anglican, but can be found at… & etc." – are endlessly instructive to be certain, BC avers presently the moment arrives where the thurible must be stoked, torches must be trimmed and lit, and – the Cross leading the way! – the procession move ever on.
Of whom does he speak? Who are these people?
Please go read his entire entry. You won't be sorry. We must encourage him not to leave us without his words of wisdom for long stretches of time.
Hearing from the good brother again was immensely satisfying, but I was somewhat mystified by his words in the quote which follows:
Though the machinations of offense by proxy – "I, Little Stone Bridget, am thoroughly vexed that Dagenham Rector, noted apostate, has promulgated vulgar representations of and about Father Mass Progeny, which under no circumstances should be viewed by any faithful Anglican, but can be found at… & etc." – are endlessly instructive to be certain, BC avers presently the moment arrives where the thurible must be stoked, torches must be trimmed and lit, and – the Cross leading the way! – the procession move ever on.
Of whom does he speak? Who are these people?
Please go read his entire entry. You won't be sorry. We must encourage him not to leave us without his words of wisdom for long stretches of time.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Gov. Bobby Jindal Watch
From Americans United:
Take Louisiana, for example. Earlier this week, Bobby Jindal, a 36-year-old Indian-American, took the reins as the state’s 55th governor. Jindal, who served two terms in Congress as a representative of a suburban New Orleans district, broke through racial divisiveness in the state by touting his personal faith.
....
Jindal, the son of immigrants from India and a born-again Roman Catholic, suggested on the campaign trail that he supported teaching “intelligent design” in public school science courses and boasted about his animosity toward reproductive rights.
....
[Louisiana Family Forum's Tony] Perkins also noted that Jindal’s “top priority” would be to revamp ethics laws to make Louisiana more attractive to businesses “that have shied away from my home state because of its history of political corruption.”
“Once that mission is accomplished,” Perkins continued, “I fully expect him to turn his attention toward promoting a more pro-family environment within the state.”
Bobby Jindal is a Rhodes scholar. He well knows that ID is not science and has no place in the science classroom. This is plain and simple pandering to religious fundamentalists. One wonders what sort of "pro-family environment" we can expect, considering his "animosity toward reproductive rights". We shall see if the new governor meets Tony Perkins' expectations.
You'd think Perkins would know enough to shy away from the mission accomplished metaphor. The fundamentalists seem to enjoy military analogies.
The full name of the organization that these quotes are taken from is Americans United for Separation of Church and State. I believe I'll join and throw them some support.
Thanks to Fran at FranIAm for calling the group to my attention.
Take Louisiana, for example. Earlier this week, Bobby Jindal, a 36-year-old Indian-American, took the reins as the state’s 55th governor. Jindal, who served two terms in Congress as a representative of a suburban New Orleans district, broke through racial divisiveness in the state by touting his personal faith.
....
Jindal, the son of immigrants from India and a born-again Roman Catholic, suggested on the campaign trail that he supported teaching “intelligent design” in public school science courses and boasted about his animosity toward reproductive rights.
....
[Louisiana Family Forum's Tony] Perkins also noted that Jindal’s “top priority” would be to revamp ethics laws to make Louisiana more attractive to businesses “that have shied away from my home state because of its history of political corruption.”
“Once that mission is accomplished,” Perkins continued, “I fully expect him to turn his attention toward promoting a more pro-family environment within the state.”
Bobby Jindal is a Rhodes scholar. He well knows that ID is not science and has no place in the science classroom. This is plain and simple pandering to religious fundamentalists. One wonders what sort of "pro-family environment" we can expect, considering his "animosity toward reproductive rights". We shall see if the new governor meets Tony Perkins' expectations.
You'd think Perkins would know enough to shy away from the mission accomplished metaphor. The fundamentalists seem to enjoy military analogies.
The full name of the organization that these quotes are taken from is Americans United for Separation of Church and State. I believe I'll join and throw them some support.
Thanks to Fran at FranIAm for calling the group to my attention.
Rajun' Cajun Radio
All Louisiana, All The Time!
While I was setting the radio stations on my new car, (yes, my car died in the accident, or rather it was so damaged, that we had to put it down) I discovered a new radio station, Rajun' Cajun Radio, out of Golden Meadow, Louisiana. That's down Bayou Lafourche from me - way down the bayou.
6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - The Hot Sauce Express - "Get on the Hot Sauce Express" with Bu-Bud and Waylon Thibodeaux. Every weekday morning, they host a 4-hour morning show featuring some of the best Cajun, Zydeco and Swamp Pop music in the world. On Friday mornings, from 7am - 8:00am, join Hugh Louviere for the South Louisiana Hunting and Fishing Show.
What's not to like? Well, I skip the fishing part. Some of the Swamp Pop Music sounds a lot like rhythm and blues and the old rock 'n' roll, the good stuff from the 50s.
Every cloud must have a silver lining
Wait until the sun shines through
I can't stay a melancholy baby forever, right?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
One Year Ago Today....
At the 1 year anniversary of my first blog post, I reflect on a year that was in many ways a wonder to me. When I started to blog, I thought that after the first rush of virtual friends dropped by, few would come around to visit, but I wanted to write and do commentary on the events of the day and give my family and friends a break from my harangues. Even if the blog turned out to be nothing more than a diary, it would not be all loss.
The time and work required to do what seemed like simple posts is beyond what I ever imagined. The blog has taken over my life in ways that I never thought possible. I confess that on some days I look at what I have written, and I think that it's not worth the time I put in. I've said to myself, "Woman, give it up". Let me be clear. I'm not soliciting compliments or reassurance with these words. Far too many of you good folks have complimented me far beyond my desserts, and I thank you for the many kind words. But, in the end, it will be my own judgment of what I do here that will determine if I think it's worth the time and effort.
Through the blog, I have met so many wonderful people, in both virtual and real life. Our gathering in New York was fantastic. I would not have missed that for the world. I loved meeting Kirstin in New Orleans. You, my friends, have enriched my life greatly. I won't name names, because you are many, and I would surely leave someone important out.
A week or so ago, I happened to notice that my numbers on StatCounter were right at 57,969. Today they're at 59,562. In a few days, I will round off 60,000. Now I know that's nowhere near the numbers of the big league religion bloggers, but I am humbled to have that many visitors. I'm sure that a large number of visitors come from Google or some other search engine and don't find what they want at my blog and click off immediately. Perhaps a few take a look around and one or two come back. The great majority of those who visit do not leave a comment. To those of you who come to read, thank you. To those of you who leave comments, a special thank you. I love the exchange in the comments, as much, if not more, than the writing. But, of course, without the writing, there would be no exchange.
At the end of a year, I owe more to you, my readers, than I can say. It was good for me. Was it good for you?
The time and work required to do what seemed like simple posts is beyond what I ever imagined. The blog has taken over my life in ways that I never thought possible. I confess that on some days I look at what I have written, and I think that it's not worth the time I put in. I've said to myself, "Woman, give it up". Let me be clear. I'm not soliciting compliments or reassurance with these words. Far too many of you good folks have complimented me far beyond my desserts, and I thank you for the many kind words. But, in the end, it will be my own judgment of what I do here that will determine if I think it's worth the time and effort.
Through the blog, I have met so many wonderful people, in both virtual and real life. Our gathering in New York was fantastic. I would not have missed that for the world. I loved meeting Kirstin in New Orleans. You, my friends, have enriched my life greatly. I won't name names, because you are many, and I would surely leave someone important out.
A week or so ago, I happened to notice that my numbers on StatCounter were right at 57,969. Today they're at 59,562. In a few days, I will round off 60,000. Now I know that's nowhere near the numbers of the big league religion bloggers, but I am humbled to have that many visitors. I'm sure that a large number of visitors come from Google or some other search engine and don't find what they want at my blog and click off immediately. Perhaps a few take a look around and one or two come back. The great majority of those who visit do not leave a comment. To those of you who come to read, thank you. To those of you who leave comments, a special thank you. I love the exchange in the comments, as much, if not more, than the writing. But, of course, without the writing, there would be no exchange.
At the end of a year, I owe more to you, my readers, than I can say. It was good for me. Was it good for you?
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