Required New Year's Reading.

I'm a bit late catching this post by Bill Whittle; but with Bill's posts it's always a case of better late than never. I don't know about you, but after I read Bill I always feel better about America, and about being an American.

Which is a great way to start the New Year.

Fred Thompson Talks To Iowa Voters.

This is why I support Fred Thompson. It's long, but worth watching.

A Happy New Year to all from RSR.

Blogging Isn't Everything, Y'know.

I've been busy the past few days taking care of some personal business and attempting to relax a bit. (Moderately successful on the former; not so much on the latter.) If you must have your RSR fix, dear readers, my Ron Paul piece is up over at Louisiana Conservative.

And if that isn't enough, Matthew has some interesting posts at his site for your reading enjoyment.

More later. Promise.

O Little Town Of Murder Rate.

Six shot in New Orleans on Christmas Day. At least two dead.

Mayor Nagin, yellow crime tape should not be a holiday decoration, no matter how much it helps your "brand".

For God's sake, man, DO SOMETHING.

Global Warming Is Caused By The Little People.

You know all those entertainment folks who praise Al Gore and lecture us about global warming? Well, here are some of them on holiday. I'm sure they all flew commercial or took mass transit to reduce global warming. Oh, wait........

(Side observation: Elle sure has aged rather well. Oh my, very well. Not so Michael Douglas.)

Christmas In Iraq.

A Christmas day Iraq news roundup from Gateway Pundit. If this what John Murtha and Nancy Pelosi call a "failure", we need more of them.

It Takes A Village....

....To kill a Terrorist. The simplest - and most accurate - explanation of counter-insurgency / counter-terrorism warfare to date.

Hattip: Instapundit.

Da Things Ya Finds On Da YouTube, Dawlin.

A documentary on 'Seafood City'. Really. If this makes you
wax nostalgic, you really do know what it means to
miss New Orleans.

Christmas Eve Palate Cleanser.

A very Matrix Christmas.

'Tis The (Political) Season.

We at Red Stick Rant have had enough of this demolition controversy. It's so un-Christmas. So let's switch gears a bit, dear readers, and look out on the national political landscape for some Holiday cheer:

Fred Thompson’s Christmas message. My. Thoughts. Exactly.

Compare it to Hillary’s “I’m-bringing-presents” message. For extra points, guess who’s money Hillary will be using to buy all those “presents” she’s got for you. (Hint: look in your wallet.) And, dare I ask (dare! dare!) - where’s Bill?

Here's Obama's entry. Calm, traditional, upbeat. Pegs on the cute kids scale, too. No wonder Hillary is scared.

Rudy weighs in. Complete with sweater vest, and lame fruit cake joke.

Mike Huckabee's is here. Or, maybe not.

Ron Paul’s message. Family, carols, grandma cooking, trimming the tree; it’s darn near Republican. And just in time for the Holidays, the Paulists got themselves a blimp. (It must be a Ron Paul blimp – it hasn’t been down to earth in years. [rimshot!]) It’s got a catchy Ron Paul = John Galt slogan that will really energize the .00001% of the electorate who get all excited about such things.

And so, from all of us at RSR: May each and every one of you have a Blessed Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and a Propserous New Year!

"Ain't Nobody Gonna Do Anything In Here..."

That's a quote from this video taken inside the New Orleans City Council chambers prior to yesterday's 7-0 vote on demolishing the four HUD housing projects. Watch it all. Watch the opposition as they respect the dignity of every human being, and watch them respect the polity of the City Council. The cheerleader encouraging the shouting was a nice touch.

I think the City Council vote was the climax of this "debate", and I expect to see it fade from the front pages for a number of reasons: first, primary season is upon us and the national media will be focused elsewhere; second, the more folks look at the facts the less plausible the opponents accusations become; and third, the opponents did not come off at all well yesterday - their behavior lost sympathy and support for their cause (case in point: Bishop Jenkins' statement afterwards). There will be a few spasms over this in the next few months, and some lawsuits, but I'm calling this one is over.

Maybe now we can get on with building decent housing for the people who need it. Wouldn't that, dear readers, be a great Christmas present?

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin has this post about Sharon Jasper, the activist shouting racial epithets in the video and who was profiled earlier in this Times-Picayune story on the debate. I must say, if you have a 60" TV in your living room you are not poor in my book. Unable to control your spending, maybe; but not poor. And the subsidized apartment she is in is better than the one my parents currently occupy post-Katrina, which they pay for. I am glad Bishop Charles Jenkins is distancing himself, and our diocese, from people like this "activist". He should never have been involved with them in the first place.

We Want You To Vote Until It Comes Out Our Way.

The New Orleans City Council voted unanimously yesterday to demolish the dilapidated housing projects that are causing so much controversy.

The "protesters", however, vow to continue. Why? Do the poor, who will have to wait even longer to get decent housing because their antics, matter a damn to these people? I guess not.

And Ray Nagin says that HUD must still apply for permits. I don't think that's true. HUD is a Federal Agency, and as such does not need local regulatory approval. (I think they are going through this on HANO projects to allow more local input, but I could be wrong.) Besides, Two of the four have already been submitted to Safety & Permits, but they are dragging their feet (once returning them because every drawing sheet was not "wet-stamped", signed, and dated by the Design Professionals).

And Episcopal Bishop Charles Jenkins, predictably, is in spin mode. More spin here, where he included this bit of classic Episcopal Church (tm) Newsspeak:

"I have come to think that the theological virtue of love is the basis for the baptismal covenant question which asks: “will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?".

Which is, as we now know, the only legitimate theological justification for doing anything (and everything!) in The Episcopal Church (tm) nowadays.

Oh Little State Of Louzzi-ann.......

Well, dear readers, tis the season, which means we need to make a list and..... well, you know. So we submit for your consideration a few holiday gift suggestions for this year's most memorable Louisianans:

Bobby Jindal: Time. I suggest we all give him some - he's gonna need it.

Kathleen Blanco: A Road Home (D'oh!). Or if the wait for that is too long, might I suggest a German steel mill - though the wait for that may be even longer...

William Jefferson: A new freezer. Go with a chest-type; he doesn't do upright.

FEMA: This is a tricky one, as I don’t know how one would wrap eternal damnation. Is a bow involved?

The Legislature: Lumps of coal. Not for anything specific, just for aspiring to be Legislators.

Ray Nagin: A 'Get Out Of Voting Free' card. Or, an 'I "heart" Dallas' bumper sticker.

David Vitter: Some Vaseline and an imagination.

Oliver Thomas: Ditto, Vitter.

Robert Cerasoli: A budget. Some Post-it notes and a few filing cabinets would also be appreciated.

Walter Boasso: Some ‘Tide™’ and a hose.

Foster Campbell: Who?

John Georges: A plan to recycle all of those unused copies of the ‘Georges Plan’.

LSU Coach Les Miles: A free Louisiana driver's license renewal; good for one year.

Brittany Spears: Underwear.

Mary Landrieu: A signed picture of herself with Hillary Clinton.

John Kennedy: A signed picture of Mary Landrieu with Hillary Clinton.

Charles Foti: A copy of 'Trial Law for Dummies'.

The Ethics Board: Some ethics.

Buddy Caldwell and Royal Alexander: Less mud.

And last - Alabama Coach Nick Saban: A chance to play the Bunkie Pre-K 'Disobedient Ponies' - about the only Louisiana school the 'Crimson Tide’ has a 50/50 shot at beating.

(also posted at Louisiana Conservative)

Is This The Future Of Your Church?

This article in Architect magazine, about what is happening to 65 Roman Catholic parishes in Boston, should give Anglicans in the US pause.

An Inconvienent Truth.

"There is not enough public housing for the poor in New Orleans," is a lie. But it's convenient lie to those who are getting attention by chaining themselves to the fences at HANO headquarters today. Chaining oneself to a fence for the poor makes one seem noble and compassionate; but chaining oneself to a fence for a lie is just silly and pointless.

Just how "actions" like this will get the poor housed any faster is beyond me.

Also, take a look at those "protesters" in the image - do any of them look like, well, displaced housing project residents?? Didn't think so.

My BGF!

Or, "Best GOD Forever!" From Chris at MCJ comes this fisking of a Dutch "atheist priest", who seems to be on the cutting edge of Episcopal Church (tm) theology with his God-Is-Just-Relationships silliness. And his church's response to this is pure Episcopal Church (tm), too.

Sacrifice The Pawns. Bishop To Queen 3.

Those opposing the demolition of the old HANO housing projects have succeeded in stopping, for the time being, the demolition, and the City Council will take up the matter.

Why would the opponents do that? Who does this benefit? The poor? Hardly. The faster the old, squalid, Soviet-style housing blocks are taken down, the faster the newer housing units replacing them can come online. (See HANO's website for what the new housing looks like.) Demolition would benefit those who need the housing sooner. Trying to renovate the existing units and bring them into compliance will mean additional years of waiting, not to mention hundreds of millions more in taxpayer dollars. And all of this suing and posturing taking place now is only delaying the date anyone can get into a new housing unit. Remember, before Katrina there were lawsuits to have the old projects razed and replaced with livable housing. That was being done when the storm hit. Why would anyone now oppose continuing in that direction?

If your agenda is to help the displaced poor return to New Orleans in the shortest time, you wouldn't. But if your agenda is to help you, or your "cause", with increased donations, higher visibility, or in scoring some political points, it makes perfect sense. No wonder they see facts as not relevant; they are their natural enemy.

My bishop, sadly, is still siding with the opportunists, sending out this e-mail yesterday:


Action Alert:
Demolition of Public Housing

Bishop Jenkins invites all concerned lay and clergy to join him at New
Orleans City Hall at 9 a.m. Thursday, December 20th to attend this meeting.

On Friday, December 14, the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana issued a special E-DoLA covering the public housing crisis in New Orleans.

Since the release of that information, a judge has ordered a stop to all demolition until the city council holds a hearing on Thursday. In addition, the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate for a 60-day moratorium on demolition, to enable our lawmakers to be fully satisfied regarding a number of disputed facts, and to address the fact that lawmakers have yet to be shown a "full and viable" plan that addresses immediate need for units by Katrina survivors, one-for-one replacement, and the long-term goal of new mixed income developments.

The debate and vote on Thursday represents a moral crossroads for our community. The lives and well-being of tens of thousands of people are at stake, and the weight of this decision and its implications for those in tenuous housing situations or homeless looms large. This is why we urge all residents with post-Katrina humanitarian and spiritual concerns to register their request of our elected officials to be thorough and not hasty, and to approve the request by our two most powerful Congressional leaders for the 60-day moratorium.

If you are unable to be at City Hall, please phone or email city council members to voice your concern for affordable, safe housing in New Orleans.

Arnie Fielkow - (504) 658-1060 AFielkow@cityofno.com

Jacquelyn Clarkson (504) 658-1070 JBClarkson@cityofno.com

Stacy Head (504) 658-1020 SHead@cityofno.com

Shelley Midura (504) 658-1010 SMidura@cityofno.com

James Carter (504) 658-1030 JCarter@cityofno.com

Cynthia Hedge-Morrell (504) 658-1040 CHMorrell@cityofno.com

Cynthia Willard-Lewis (504) 658-1050 CWLewis@cityofno.com


Charles, why stand now? If this is a matter of morality, theology and principal, where was this kind of moral, theological and principled backbone when the very fabric of our Faith was being torn apart by those who have thrown our church to the winds of pop culture values? Why one, now, and not the other? Charles, I remember you as my rector. I remember you as a man of Faith and strength. It was you who made my family feel at home at Saint Luke's. It was your guidance that renewed and strengthened our Faith. It was you showed me once again the power, mystery and majesty of Our Lord, and why "faith, reason, and tradition" matter. What happened??

'Tis The Season....

Blogging has been, and will continue to be, somewhat light until after Chrstmas. Along with the usual seasonal rushing about, we have several 2 January deadlines here in the office. Since we are closed between Christmas and New Year's, this means we need to be wrapped up by this coming Monday. Fun.

And on a happier note: this little site will be six months old in a few weeks, and I want to thank each of you for your patronage and support. My Sitemeter stats will never set the world on fire, but that is not why I do this (for why, see my first post). I do not know who most of you are (you never write.....) but I'm glad you find what we put up worth a look. So to each of you, my dear readers, a very Merry Christmas from Red Stick Rant!

Vote? Oh, I Thought You Asked "Did I BOAT on October 20th?"

Not letting facts intrude on a good spin seems to be a pretty popular pasttime in New Orleans lately. Fact: 'Ol C. Ray really didn't vote in the October 20th election; something which he chided others for not doing, and a charge he has deflected or denied.

Looser.

My "Top Ten Reasons Ray Nagin Didn't Vote" is here.

What Will They 'Offset' Next?

Al Gore can buy carbon offsets so he can feel guilt free. Now, Bill Clinton has a similar opportunity.

Hattip: Matthew.

Mythbusters And Mythbelievers.

The New Orleans Sunday Times-Picayune today has a Page One article on the HANO housing “crisis”, pretty much reiterating what I said earlier (here and here) about this – a fact-challenged "opposition" has basically contrived an issue where none existed prior. From the article:

”…a claim that has gained traction in Washington and the national media moved beyond perception and into the realm of demonstrable falsehood: that displaced public housing residents have no place to live.” (emphasis mine)

The article is long but well worth the read. It is a classic example of how a debate can be driven by perception and fear instead of facts.

And look who is buying into that “demonstrable falsehood” – none other than the Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana, Charles Jenkins. Two days before the TP article debunking the opposition, this was sent out by the Diocese. Why Bishop Jenkins, who has proven himself to the consummate fence-sitter on things like, oh, defending the Faith, should throw his weight and that of the diocese behind the HANO “opposition”, is beyond me. I wish he would be this demonstrative and decisive about opposing the “prophetic gift” being imposed on the Anglican Communion by The Episcopal Church ™. But I’m sure he has pleased 815 Second Avenue with his stand.

"CALLLLLLLLVIN!!"

I took the What 'Calvin & Hobbes' Character Are You? quiz. Result:

"You Are Calvin."

Those of you who know me know this result really isn't a surprise. You can take the test here.

My favorite C&H strip:


See the last panel, and you'll understand why.

Pathetic Intimidation Watch.

UPDATES posted. See below. -ed.

According to NOLA.COM, this poster is now appearing in New Orleans:


(image from www.nola.com)

Read it again. It really does say what you think it says. And if you have some time, dear readers, read the blog comments at the above link. One person says that this poster shouldn’t be seen as a threat, since it targets only property – not people. Comforting, isn’t it?

I have posted on this before, but I'll say it again - because of my work, which includes work for the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), I have first-hand knowledge about this situation. Some facts:

HANO is looking to remove the existing buildings because it will cost more to remediate and repair the units than it will be to take them down and rebuild. Do not forget that the projects in question were not in great shape prior to Katrina, and plans to demo some of them were in the works before the storm.

HANO is NOT, repeat NOT, looking to level these projects and leave the land fallow. They have plans in the works for new units – medium-density townhouses and flats similar to what they have done at other projects. I have seen the plans. And the sooner HANO can get the old buildings out of the way, the sooner newer, more livable units, can be completed.

HANO renovated several hundred of their newer townhouses and flats after the storm, but they have found few takers. Some of the units have been vacant for so long that HANO is having to put in de-humidifiers to prevent mold. HANO also has a voucher program for residents, too. So there are affordable homes available. Call HANO.

This whole issue has become so emotionally charged I do not think that facts will be much considered in resolving the issue, but I think they should be put out there anyway. (UPDATE: I think this YouTube video proves my point.) Those fanning these flames seem to have little interest in facts or in housing my fellow New Orleanians (I am a native), and a lot of interest in creating some publicity for themselves by exploiting people’s concerns and by intimidation. You don’t need facts to do that. (When they find who made this poster – not surprisingly there is no organization credit - I’d be willing to bet a a couple of bucks they aren’t even from New Orleans. Or more than a few in number.)

So be mindful, dear readers, to not let yourself be drawn into reacting emotionally when you hear more about this issue. That is what the creators of this trash want – your attention and over-reaction. Don’t give it to them. See it for what it is – a pathetic and desperate attempt to grab attention by being sensational and divisive, by increasing tensions, and by sowing mistrust and fear in an already battered City. Just remember the facts.

UPDATE: The demolitions have begun. This from WWL-TV. Pretty much confirms my worries that this is being driven by carpetbaggers folks from our-of-town looking to make an issue:

"License plates indicated that many of the protesters had driven in from as far afield as Ohio, Kentucky and Massachusetts."

UPDATE: Day two. So much for the mass of opposition:

"It was expected to be a large crowd, but only a handful of protestors gathered at the B.W. Cooper housing development Thursday morning to wait and see if crews would continue tearing down the development."

"Basically we are just on guard to watch out for the demolition crew so we can mobilize our forces pretty quickly to get out here quickly to lock arms, and stand down the bulldozers as long as necessary," said protestor Roderick Dean."

"But when the bulldozing started most of the protestors left – a sharp contrast from just a day earlier when about 50 protestors blocked the demolition of B.W. Cooper."

QED. I guess many of the protesters left to get an early start on those long drives home.

"Proud To Belong To His Church"

Me, too.

Watch it all. Not once will you hear the words "living into", or "dialogue" (used as a verb), or "invite into a deeper relationship", or "understanding of comprehensiveness." No "living in tension" here. THIS is what a Church leader should sound like.

Faith And Rebuilding II

From New Orleans, a new playground appears. In a day.

The Church of the Annunciation is an Anglican (Episcopal) church in the Broadmoor district of New Orleans, a neighborhood with many problems before Katrina, and devastated after. By most standards the storm should have killed the church. But God gave the church the ever-energetic Father Jerry Kramer, and He gave Fr. Kramer boundless Faith. Father Kramer LIVES that Faith. He doesn't "live into", or "live in tension with", or "dialogue", or any of that other 60's, post-modernist twaddle. He LIVES the Faith; he leads by example. And he has a growing church infected with that same spirit.

To help community recovery, the church decided to gave over a corner of their property for a neighborhood playground. And this past Saturday several hundred people showed up throughout the day (including your humble blogger and his wife) to erect the playground from materials provided by Kaboom! and the New Orleans Hornets. Volunteers came from Episcopal churches in Tennessee, Washington, DC, and Louisiana, the New Orleans Hornets, the neighborhood, Americorps, and many, many other places. Some images:


Beginning, around 10:00am.


Around Noon.


Faith does move mountains. One shovel-full at a time.


Getting close to the ribbon-cutting.


Just before ribbon-cutting at 3:00 pm.

Can Faith help build a better world? Yes. But if you look to the the Millennium Development Goals (peace be upon them) for that, or to Canons and Constitutions, or to General Conventions, you are looking in the wrong place. Look to the example of Father Kramer and the Church of the Annunciation. They know how to get it done.

(All images by Red Stick Rant)

Faith And Rebuilding I

In Baghdad, this Associated Press story about a church service:

"Under heavy guard and broadcast live on Iraqi state television, the service was capped by a handshake from a visiting Shiite imam—a symbolic show of unity between Iraq's majority Muslim sect and its tiny Christian community."

If this a "quagmire", we need more, not less.

Via Instapundit and Powerline.

Nagin on Lakeview: Bunch of Slackers.

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, the man who continues to prove Mark Twain's point, on the Lakeview neighborhood in New Orleans:

"Nagin admitted that Lakeview was an area he expected to be further along in the recovery..."

For those who don't know, Lakeview is the neighborhood where the 17th street Canal broke. It is also where both my wife and I grew up, were our families were living until Katrina, and where we have spent the last two years cleaning out and recovering what we could. Watch the whole interview.

And another gem that is, pardon my French, complete and utter bullshit:

"Meanwhile, the city's Public Works Department said they have finished road work on Robert E. Lee and that Fleur-de-Lis is under construction. They said all of the street signs have been replaced and that all stoplights are working in Lakeview."

I was in Lakeview last Friday. Robert E. Lee has only ONE LANE paved. One. And there are still lots of street signs missing and home-made signs in their place. Mouton and West End Boulevard, for one.

A Note Form The Management: Comments

We at Red Stick Rant have a very simple comments policy: "No profanity. No whining. No Spam. No hysterical rants. Reasoned, respectful rants only." It is listed every time you, dear readers, go to post a comment. And we do enjoy your comments.

But....

If you violate the rules, we will remove your comment. ESPECIALLY if you dump spam on our little site. So let this be a two-fold warning, dear readers - first, play within the rules (so far, most all have); and second, do not click on any links in any comment from anyone named 'Adam'. I do not know him; I have never conversed eith him, and I do not care what site he "writes for", or how it can make me money. HIS COMMENTS ARE SPAM, and they will be deleted as soon as they are found.

Other than that, dear readers, we at RSR hope you have a blessed day, and comment to your heart's content.

Hosea 8:7

"For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: It hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: If so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up."

The time of indecision and posturing for The Episcopal Church (tm) and the Anglican Communion is over, as the Diocese of San Joaquin has taken the vote heard round the world. Brad Drell has an excellent piece on what lies ahead.

New JSRV Bible.

Matthew over at Billy Ockham has seen a draft of the New Episcopal Church Bible, the JSRV (John Spong Revised Version), which will be marketed by Church Publishing world-wide as the "Living Into" Bible. Matthew's list is not complete, alas, as we at RSR understand that the following Books are also included:

Gospels:

Goals
Polity

Epistles:

Acts of Viki
Numbers
Exodus (Also known as the Book of Thieves)

UPDATE: RSR also understands that a 'Council of Newark' will be convened to establish and ratify the new Cannon.

Using A Tradgedy.

A distraught teenager goes on a shooting spree at a shopping mall. Again. And the press goes on a "usual suspects" spree. Again. From this FoxNews report:

"A teenage gunman carried his AK-47 into a Nebraska department store..."

But later in the story, we have this:

"She told the Omaha World-Herald that the night before the shooting, Hawkins and her sons showed her an SKS semiautomatic Russian military rifle — the same type used in the shooting."

OK. This is an AK-47:


It is about weighs about 7 pounds and is 36 inches long. It uses a replaceable 30-round magazine. The military version is fully automatic (multiple rounds are fired when you pull the trigger), the civilian version is self-loading only (one round fired for each pull of the trigger). The AK-47 is the primo-scary looking "assault weapon" of the anti-gun crowd.

This, is an SKS:


It is about 9 pounds, 40 plus inches long, and has a fixed 10-round magazine. It is self-loading only. It is similar to the WWII US M-1 Carbine; just bigger, heavier, and not so scary looking. IT IS NOT AN AK-47. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.

This tragedy will be no doubt be used by the anti-gun lobby to try and prove their point. And reports like the one mentioned above this only reinforce their propaganda. Either the reporter is ignorant on the subject on which they are writing - and has never heard of Google - or has an agenda. You decide.

Instead of disarming citizens, why not let law-abiding citizens protect themselves? What would have been the outcome if, after the first shot, someone with a CCW permit had shot this killer dead? Think about it.

(Images from: world.guns.ru)

UPDATE: If this was the typical response to someone trying to turn a mall, or a college campus, or a downtown street into a shooting gallery, I don't think it would happen too often. The people who commit these sorts of things are, by nature, cowards - they want to be seen as powerful and important, so they strike targets because they are vulnerable. If they thought their targets had the same power they did, and they wouldn't make it past the first shot or two.....
They have a name for that concept: it's called deterrence.

'Nagin' - Act I, Scene III.

We think it was Shakespeare Mark Twain who said (and we paraphrase, since we don't have time to Google right now): "Keep your mouth shut and let them think you a fool, open it and remove all doubt."

This morning Mayor C. Ray Nagin proved Mr. Shakespeare's Twain's point. Again.

Watch the whole thing, particularly his response to the charges of not voting in the October 20th election, and about the "Naginville" that has sprung up outside of City Hall in Duncan Plaza. The bits about Blanco and Katrina are pretty interesting, too.

UPDATE: D'OH!! It was Mark Twain: "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." We made corrections, lest our mother the teacher find out. Google is your friend, Google is your friend.....

Going Too Far.

As you can well imagine, dear readers, RSR is no champion of the former First Lady and Senator from New York. Not at all. But we are human, and therefore we wince when we see something cross the boundry from hard criticism to downright cruelty. And this, friends, is downright cruel.

How could anyone equate Mary Landrieu to Mrs. Clinton?? Sorry, but I think somebody owes Hillary a big apology.

"I Always Wanted To Be A June Bride."

The above was uttered by Bishop V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, who is planning to "marry" his boyfriend.

That a bishop in the church would say this, and that the leadership of the church doesn't seem at all bothered by it, speaks volumes about what is now important - and what isn't important - to our church.

I think it would be more than appropriate if he had a fat lady singing at the "ceremony".

UPDATE: Matthew, as usual, finds the perfect YouTube video!

What To Do For Lunch?

As the Noon hour approaches, don't forget that Dark Roasted Blend has your cool surfing distractions covered.

Wouldn't want to be doing that during work hours, now would we?

Naked Emperor Watch.

It's been over a month since The Naked Emperor posted anything. Anything at all. Not a thing on politics (commentary at which he excels). Not a thing on the the saga of the "Katrina Kannon". I check, hoping against hope, but.......

So listen here, bro - either you get busy on that keyboard, or I'll release your Kindergarten papers where you say you want to be, not the just "The Naked Emperor", but....

"EMPEROR OF THE WORLD"!!! And the fact you colored outside the lines on at least seven occasions.

Hey, its all there in crayon and glue.

The Episcopal Church Welcomes You. If You Agree With Us, That Is.

This reasoned, understanding, inclusive, and utterly non-judgemental missive actually appears at Episcopal Life Online:

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: Retired bishop announces plans to become Roman Catholic

By Karen T. Morgan • Colton, New York, Dec 03, 2007

I am totally, completely hurt, disturbed, have feelings of betrayal and abandonment by Dan Herzog, former bishop of the Diocese of Albany. He led this diocese down the path of glory and then totally abandoned them! I did not totally agree with his thinking...thinking which made the decision for him to return to the Roman Catholic Church. The Episcopal Church is traditionally a church of acceptance...even though we have had some imports from other denominations who have/are trying to turn us into what they believe and come from. My thought is: Go back to your narrow-minded, non-accepting, un-Christ-like thinking/attitudes and leave us Episcopalians alone to think and believe as Christ did, not judging, but accepting all who believe in Him!

Dan Herzog could not accept this way of thinking and believing, that is why he gave up the position of bishop, priest, clergy and became an ordinary person in the church. He went back to the Roman Catholic Church because that church does not accept and believe that all people who believe in Christ are precious in his sight and that God loves all people no matter who they are, and that all people are created in God's image.

How Accepting. How Inclusive. How...... Episcopalian.

To my Roman Catholic Friends: If you want to respond, you may reach the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (tm), here. UPDATE: And feel free to ask her about this little comparative analysis she gave about what separates us from your church.

Hattip: Chris Johnson.

Holy Engineering, Kate!

The Episcopal Church (tm) says individuals may leave the church, but parishes can't leave and take their property with them. Heh, heh, heh. Think again.

Can't you just see David Beers running down the road yelling, "Come back here with my church!!"

Hattip: Billy Ockham.

What Happened to "Make Levees, Not War"?

C. B. Forgotston questions the motives and sincerity of those opposing the demolition of the dilapidated HANO housing projects to make way for new, more livable units. The opponents are threatening a "war" if they don't get their way.

Our office has been directly involved with these (and other) HANO projects for well over a year, and C.B. hits the nail on the head:

"Note the reference to “our homes.” These are publicly-owned and taxpayer-subsidized apartment buildings.

Obviously, the threatened war is not over needed housing in New Orleans. There are hundreds of apartments currently available in other existing housing projects. The housing authority cannot get people who need housing to move into them.

Why?

It’s not because the available apartments are run-down. They have just been refurbished since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

It’s not because the available apartments aren’t in New Orleans.

It’s because the apartments are not in the exact same neighborhood as the apartments in which the renters lived."

Forgotston is right. HANO currently has numerous living spaces available, and has had for some time. I do not think housing is the issue here. Entitlement is.

The Gray Lady Goes Tabloid.

The New York Times thinks the rebuilding in New Orleans is newsworthy because..... (wait for it)...... Brad Pitt is involved. (Full disclosure: some of my colleagues are involved in this project, too, who I know and respect.) The rebuilding has been going on for some time now, sans hunky actor, so I wonder if the NYT really thinks this is "news fit to print", or are they trying to win back some of their declining readership by dropping a bit of beefcake into the mix?

Steenson Makes It Across The Tiber.

It's official. Jeffery Steenson, until last September a Bishop in The Episcopal Church (tm):

"was received into the Catholic Church this weekend in Rome at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

He is not alone, which speaks volumes in response to The Episcopal Church's (tm) "The Reactionaries Are A Tiny Minority, All is Well" mantra.

Bumper Respect.

I have mine.

Do you?

If It Will Save Just One Life......

In the wake of the hostage incident at a Hillary Clinton campaign office in New Hampshire, Matthew asks a, um, sticky question.
I want to know if she will also press for a ban on the possession of "high-capacity" road flares, too?

21-14.

Heh. And Heh, again.

(link fixed. - ed.)

UPDATE: Even more Heh.

Future Real Estate Opportunity At Prime Second Avenue Location. Recently Renovated.

This past week, the Powers-That-Be in The Episcopal Church (tm) issued a report on the state of our dying church, which included the following as one of the church's six "Areas of Encouragement":

"Recently completed renovations to the Episcopal Church Center at 815 Second Avenue in New York City have made that workplace more efficient and safer for our employees, while creating a positive and more attractive atmosphere for the whole church."

When something like this is an "Areas of Encouragement" for the future of your church, (and one of only six) you would be right to suspect that the state of the church is not good. And when you read vacuous bureaucratic phrases like "Conflict and change can create opportunity", "...we need a plan for action at all of our organizational levels"..., "...articulate and renew these leadership trajectories...", your suspicions are pretty well confirmed. As are your suspicions that that the Church leadership hasn't a clue about what to do to improve things.

Men Of Valour III.

Michael Yon's latest dispatch, Men of Valor III, is up.

From Micheal's e-mail: "The progress in Iraq could not be clearer. I have never seen so much hope among the Iraqis or our soldiers." If this is what a "quagmire" looks like, we need more of them.

Credibility And Authority.

Matthew has posted an excellent piece on why the Mainstream Media, and other institutions, have little of either anymore.

Another New Blog.

It's not really new, but it is new to me: Kiss My Gumbo is a blog from and about the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, but also opines on all sorts of things.

Stop by for a look, and tell Greta that Clifford sent you.

Eject. Eject. Eject. Again!

The incomparable Bill Whittle is back at the keyboard:

"I promised I would try to write less, more often. So this is the first in a series of little random thoughts that don’t really belong anywhere, but which I find interesting if only for conversation’s sake., so make it your day's required reading."

FREEDOM versus JUSTICE was posted a few hours ago; its your first assignment.

And browse through his archives. You won't be sorry.

Another Cool Blog.

I've been reading quite a bit of Matthew's "Blog Thingy" of late, and I recommend you do the same. Some recent items:

An excellent piece on the reasons against "Open Communion", and the canonical hypocrisy of liberal Episcopal parishes that practice the same. With video, too.

A video showing why exercising Second Amendment rights could be the end of the horror film genre. And violent crime in general.

What? Me Vote?

Top Ten New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Excuses for not voting in the October 20th election:

10. “Robert Cerasoli borrowed my car to fight corruption.”

9. “My ‘Dancing With The Stars’ tryout ran long.”

8. “I was in Pensacola giving civic leaders pointers on improving their city.”

7. “Without Oliver Thomas in city government, what’s the point?”

6. “I said I’d support John Georges, not vote for him.”

5. “Pointing out that America has not done right by us is very hard work. I was tired.”

4. “Did you see MY name on the ballot? Me either.”

3. “Eddie Jordan was camped in my front yard begging for money. I couldn’t leave the house.”

2. “I was promoting the New Orleans ‘brand’ in a new ‘K-Ville’ episode.”


And the Number One New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Excuse for not voting in the October 20th election:

“It’s a long drive from Dallas.”


UPDATE: They say imitation is the sincereist form of flattery. Therefore, I consider myself flattered. UPDATE update: But they also say great minds do think alike, and that seems to be the case here. My thanks, David.

Monday Afternoon Time Waster.

Superhero Personality Test results: You are Superman!

Me? Yeah, right.

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.



Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Really??

Mike Huckabee, one of the GOP presidential dwarfs, just hit the nail on the head:

"Every time we put our credit card in the gas pump, we're paying so that the Saudis get rich - filthy, obscenely rich, and that money then ends up going to funding madrassas," schools "that train the terrorists," said Huckabee. "America has allowed itself to become enslaved to Saudi oil. It's absurd. It's embarrassing."

And it's all too true. His solution is one I can support:

"Huckabee said "I would make the United States energy independent within 10 years and tell the Saudis they can keep their oil just like they can keep their sand, that we won't need either one of them."

Maybe this guy isn't such a dwarf after all.

Cool Site Alert.

Via the Blog-Daddy, yet another site that will allow you to rack up hours and hours of "General Office" time on your timesheet: Dark Roasted Blend - "All Sorts of Weird and Wonderful Things, Updated Daily".

UPDATE: Stuff like this, and this.

Men Of Valour II

Part II of Michael Yon's series is here. Today's required reading.

The Man On The Grassy Knoll Leaves A Comment.

Uh'boy. One of the hazards of blogging - weird comments. Very weird comments.

A few months ago, the Ontario Emperor had one of the most bizarre comments I have ever seen posted to a blog. And I do mean bizarre: rambling allegations of mind-control, body-snatching, conspiring Clintons, energy weapon attacks, genital torture, Presidential cross-dressing fantasies, Satanism, and worshiping George Bush, Sr., as a god.

Well, being a fairly new blogger, and looking for a link and some traffic, I put up this post about it. But other interests came to the fore, blog-wise, and this soon faded into the post plankton. I forgot about the whole thing.

Until today. Someone, using the stunningly creative name "Anonymous" (I suppose to throw off the Department of Mind Control and Mattress Tag Enforcement) left the following comment in my two month old post, defending the "commenter" at Ontario Emperor:

"Actually there are many victims of organized electronic harassment and stalking all over the nation who are intelligent and sane, but victims of psychological abuse and torture. The "dirty tricks" and tactics perpetrated on these victims are meant to discredit them and distract them from seeking support or having their voice heard. Because these patterns of abuse span years (some decades) and is so foreign -- burning sensations on their bodies; intimidation and anxiety through surveillance; thefts; vandalism; and sometimes physical harm -- that the victims often are swayed to blaming incorrect sources. This is naturally done by the perpetrators to conceal their nature, and most often suggested to the victims sub-aurally, so their thoughts are distorted without them realizing it. They are not to blame, what is happening to them is real. For these accounts one must dig deeper than their theories of what or whom is causing this programmed harassment, but to documented evidence of crimes and their testimony as to actual occurrences of targeted harassment and stalking. We as intelligent beings need to go beyond the "UFO" and find out exactly what _is_ happening (spy planes). Don't get caught up in the hype, read true victims accounts and then do a little digging, as Ms. Braziel has."

M'kay...... So, if you think Vladimir Putin and Rosie O'Donnell are sending you orders through nano-transmitters embedded in your brain after you ate a Snickers Bar, you are NOT a nut-job. You are "intelligent and sane"; just the victim of "psychological abuse and torture". Oh, and "dirty tricks". (It wouldn't be a world-wide conspiracy without "dirty tricks", now would it?). This is "naturally done" by some unnamed "perpetrators". Naturally. (I am glad to see that the "perpetrators" are going with natural methods these days and dumping the artificial ones. Much more eco-friendly.) Our anonymous commenter says that all of this is real, but gives no proof other than some oblique reference to "spy planes". (It's always the "spy planes"...)

"Anonymous" should know that the "perpetrators" are watching his every move. Here's proof:

Some stats on "Anonymous".
Location: Winona, Minnesota.
IP Address: 205.243.118.# (HIAWATHA BROADBAND COMM).
ISP: Sprint.
Computer: Macintosh.
Operating System: OSX.
Monitor: 1024x768, 32-bit color.
Visit Time: 2:16:45 pm, 9 minutes 18 seconds.
He arrived at Red Stick Rant from: http://mrontemp.blogspot.com/2007/08/reggae-reggie-whatever-you-call-it.html

"Anonymous", I have a special thank you gift for all first-time commenters here at Red Stick Rant. If you just give me your street address, we'll send you a free Snickers Bar....

Iraq Is A Quagmire!!

But not, aparrently, a quagmire for the side the Mainstream Media had hoped predicted: New boss turns the tables on Al Qaeda.

The "Surge" appears to be working. I'll bet with more good news like this, Hillary will be saying she supported the Iraq War all along!

Hattip: Instapundit.

UPDATE: And another reason we seem to have the advantage now: "Kafir Magic".

Children Are Not Healthy For Activists And Other Living Things.

An environmentalist thinks ending the human race is eco-friendly:

"While some might think it strange to celebrate the reversal of nature and denial of motherhood, Toni relishes her decision with an almost religious zeal.

"Having children is selfish. It's all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet," says Toni, 35.

"Every person who is born uses more food, more water, more land, more fossil fuels, more trees and produces more rubbish, more pollution, more greenhouse gases, and adds to the problem of over-population."

She would make a great Episcopalian.

UPDATE: Transterrestrial Musings has more. Including this obvious point:

"Well, if you hate humans so much, you know where to start, and it's entirely within your own power to end your own existence. Who would possibly miss you?"

UPDATE: A fine example of how they could acheive their ends(!) is here. It's natural, it helps the wildlife, and they would definitely end up one with the earth!

Common Sense? The Stafford Act Does Not Cover Common Sense.

Want to know why the recovery in New Orleans is dragging on and on? It takes 17 months for FEMA and GOSHEP to acknowledge that saving money might be a good thing:

"Reversing a decision that some found bureaucratically absurd, the Federal Emergency Management Agency granted $99,766 to the New Orleans Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on Wednesday for the expense of restocking a fish collection lost to Hurricane Katrina.

FEMA had said that the aquarium should use $616,849 to buy the fish from commercial vendors, a method the agency said would comply with disaster aid laws. But when aquarium staff went out and caught them for $99,766, the agency denied their petition for reimbursement, even though it saved taxpayers over half a million dollars."

Having had first-hand experience with this kind of legalistic, hyper-detailed stupidity bureaucratic mentality from the FEMA / GOHSEP folks, I am surprised they allowed common sense to prevail. The article called it right:

"But state officials say that the majority of 35,000 Katrina rebuilding projects have been stalled in strict interpretations of the Stafford Act, generating mountains of paperwork in which FEMA takes stock of damages as minute as the number of pencils lost at a school."

Think about that - the majority of the 35,000 projects are stalled in government red tape, two plus years after the fact. Just imagine how they will do when Hillary gives them control over our health care.

Men Of Valour.

Michael Yon has new post up, the first in a series called Men of Valor.

Recommended reading today.

Swimming The Tiber? Stand In Line.

Another Episcopal Bishop is calling it quits and heading to Rome. Bishop John Lipscomb joins Retired Bishop Daniel Herzog, Bishop Jeffery Steenson, and Retired Bishop Clarence Pope, all who have left in 2007.

When Bishops - "defenders of the Faith" - can no longer defend your faith, you have a problem as a church. A big problem. Not that those who caused the tear in the very fabric of the Anglican Communion see it that way (they see it is a "prophetic gift", not a problem). Nor is The Episcopal Church (tm) putting much effort into "dialogue" with those that disagree with them, or trying to keep them "at the table". (Do you think +Katherine would ever respond with a "please don't leave, we need you; pleeeeeese" letter? Me, either.)

What Part Of "The People" Do You Not Understand??

The Second Amendment to the Constitution, the one that protects the Right to "Keep and Bear Arms", has been argued over for years. The Supreme Court has not taken a look at it since the 1930's, but yesterday they agreed to review a lower court ruling that overturned a Washington D.C. handgun ban, based on an individuals right under the Second Amendment. Other courts have ruled otherwise in other parts of the US, and there is considerable confusion over the meaning of the Amendment. Eugene Volokh has much, much more on this case, including some very persuasive arguments for the individual rights viewpoint. Just keep scrolling.

Whatever way the Supremes decide, their decision will be monumental - and will be a major factor in the '08 election.

UPDATE: Why I am not supporting Mitt Romney - as governor of a State (sorry, Commonwealth") with some of the most oppressive firearms laws in the nation, some of which he enacted, Mitt had the stones to issue this about the Supreme Court's action yesterday. Flip-flopping Brahmin hypocrite.

And...... INACTION!

From Instapunit - it seems that Hollywood's new spate of anti-American anti-war films are tanking with the Americna Public.

If the US military dropped a bomb this big on a civilian population, they'd be up on charges.

3 BR, 2 BA Boathouse On West End Boulevard....

Remember this confidence-building exercise the next time Hillary, et. al., say the Federal government should be in charge of your health care.

With the people resposible for keeping New Orleans dry having problems with basic addition and subtraction, the boat davit my parents want on the side of their new house in Lakeview is making more and more sense.

Gun = Civilization.

Why a person's right to bear arms is so important to a free society.

UPDATE: And on a realted note, today is National Ammo Day. Bet they don't have that in Cuba.

heresy is orthodoxy.

File this in the "D'oh! Now why didn't I think of that" department.

Take one of my favorite books, George Orwell's 1984, and combine it with one of my worst vices, opposing The Episcopal Church's (tm) march over the cliff of irrelevance, and you get..... this. It is even written in 'Newspeak'.

Kudos for creativity and a wonderful metaphor for what is happening in The Episcopal Church (tm) today. Give it a look.

Hattip: This guy, who has a blog thingy. And give him a look, too. Some pretty good stuff.

Michael Yon: Come Home

Michael Yon posts an incredible series of images, with captions, that you won't find in the Anti-American Mainstream Media. It is today's must read: Come Home.

Are we winning? You decide:

"LTC Stephen Michael at St John’s. LTC Michael told me today that when al Qaeda came to Dora, they began harassing Christians first, charging them “rent.” It was the local Muslims, according to LTC Michael, who first came to him for help to protect the Christians in his area."

True change takes time. Something we Americans do not understand in this, The Instant Age.

Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly..... And Unwelcome.

Question: Why did you friendly neighborhood Red Stick Rant blogger leave Massachusetts and return to Louisiana?
Answer: Things like this.

And the Scouts were tossed because of a complaint from a SINGLE resident. One. Remember this next time some Lefty says they oppose the war, but "support the troops".

If you want to help these Scouts with their donation drive of items to be sent overseas to support our troops, donations can be sent to:

Boy Scouts Of America
Troop 45
Po Box 38-1241
Cambridge MA 02238


Hattip: Instapundit.

Gettin' With The Beat....

Bill Quick is still showcasing some great 50's modern, so give him a look. It's the good stuff, not to be confused with the 60's/70's nightmares James Liliks so wonderfully showcases.

Situational Integrity. Again.

"Gays should be hanged, says Iranian minister"

Bishop John Chane of Washington must be on the phone right now to his good friend, former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, and Rev. Elizabeth Keaton and INTEGRITY are surely planning a protest at the Iranian UN delegation offices.

Or not.

Just another "vehicle to the devine, +Kate?

Is Justice Accountable?

Via Instapundit, the Chicago Tribune reports that some are asking where the money raised for the Jena 6 is really going. After all the hype, I think some answers are in order, if nothing more than to refute the allegations.

But this, if true, doesn't exactly help their cause.

A Convienent "AND"

It used to be the standard mantra on House of Bishops / Deputies Listserv that people may leave The Episcopal Church (tm), but not parishes. To not believe thus will get you labeled as a robber or a thief over at the HOB/D. How Christian.

But in the last few weeks the Archbishop of Canterbury reiterated that it is the diocese and the bishop that are at the center of pastoral life and Communion in the Anglican Communion, not the national church organizations or their leaders. This has not set well with the US national leadership, or their attorneys, as several Orthodox dioceses in the US are now acting on that construct. And rather predictably, the mantra over at the HOB/D has changed as well: people may leave The Episcopal Church (tm), but not parishes AND DIOCESES.

UPDATE: Yes, I know I said earlier that I was sick and tired of blogging about the Current Unpleasantness in The Episcopal Church (tm). But I am more sick and tired of the Orwellian 'newsspeak' of the current national leadership. The Presiding Bishop writes a threatening letter to a fellow Bishop, and they call it "reaching out with open arms." Please. If you could harness their spin, we could power cities.

Blogger's Block.

I hate times like these; I don't know what to blog about.

Yes, me. At a loss for an opinion.

The local elections are (mostly) over, and those that remain are pretty uninteresting. New Orleans, and her recovery, are the same - a joke - but how many times can you point out the obvious? I am sick of blogging about The Episcopal Church (tm), as the politically-correct tailspin seems to be getting more extreme (and the crash everyone wanted to avoid more inevitable). Besides, that is a niche market covered by far better bloggers than me. We seem to be winning the GWOT (aka The War), and the evidence is obvious even for anti-American pessimists and the Press, (Sorry, I repeat myself.) Hurricane season is over, as is baseball season, and both had positive results from this vantage. Yes, the Presidential race is heating up. But do you really need ANOTHER blogger's opinion on that? (My $.02: - If Hillary couldn't keep track of simple personnel files during her last stay at the White House, why should we trust her with the GO codes now?) Plus, we are busy as hell right now, work-wise, and I don't have time to scour the 'Net looking for interesting stuff.

What's a blogger to do?

More later.

UPDATE: Hello to the person/persons from The Episcopal Church's (tm) Domestic Foreign Missionary Society who found this site and this post by doing a blogsearch for "episcopal church" or anglican. Nice to see you. Poke around a bit - we have much more on the fastest shrinking denomination in America.

Veterans Day.

Today is a day to remember those who put on the uniform and served, and to thank them for their sacrifice. We owe our very freedom to their service. Some served during peacetime. Some during conflict. Some sacrificed their time; some sacrificed much more. Some sacrificed all. Where they served doesn't matter; neither does when. They served. And many continue to serve.

So thank you, John, Earl, Morgan, Toby, Keith, Garland, Kicker, Jack, Rick, David, and Lloyd.

Happy Birthday, Mac.

The United States Marine Corps turned 232 yesterday.

"Semper Fi" to all those who have worn the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.

Michael Yon.

I've had several e-mails from Michael Yon lately, and haven't posted on a one. My apologies. His dispatch yesterday is, to me, the picture of the week month year; it's an image of Iraq that the mainstream press works hard to ignore: Thanks and Praise.

This is not the first time Michael has captured an image of the war with more than his pen. Remember that image the next time some Lefty rags on the "cruelty" of the US military.

Michael is a free-lance journalist and he is telling a side of this conflict very few are willing to tell. Please, if just 3 of my readers (that'd be 33% of you) would support his efforts, I'd be ever greatful.

Hi, Jim.

Interesting. Someone from the Shaw Group dropped by tonight at 9:06pm, getting to our little site by Googling "Jindal emperor". The Shaw Group is headquartered in Baton Rouge and run by the former head of Louisiana's Democratic Party and Friend of Bill Clinton, Jim Bernard.

I Was Wrong.

This post originally commented on a post at StandFirm, calling attention to an image here (scroll down near the end) of someone - dressed in clerical garb, with a collar and purple shirt - at an "anti-war" rally in San Francisco. The person in the image is wearing a clerical stole in the "chain-link fence" scarf pattern identified with Palestinian terrorist groups like Fatah and Hamas, with Palestinian national colors as accent. And the person looks remarkably like retired Massachusetts Bishop Barbara Harris, someone who has been critical of Israel in the past and supportive of the Palestinian cause. A number of people at StandFirm agreed with the identity, and I made my comments from that.

I. Was. Wrong.

Bishop Harris says that she was not in San Francisco at the time, and that the person in the image is not her. I have no reason to doubt Bishop Harris. I apologize to her for linking to that information on this site, and I ask for her forgiveness. While we are worlds apart (!) on many things theological, I will not criticize her for something she did not do. The truth is more important than making a point.

I also ask those at StandFirm who jumped to the same conclusion to do the same.

UPDATE: And I make my apology even though this is, according to Sarah Dylan Breuer, what Bishop Harris has to say about the incident:

"But that’s the way it goes in this wonderful racist country of ours and this lovely hate-filled church we know and love.

While I do have a concern for Palestinian people, I also have a deep concern for so called “orthodox Anglicans” who think they have cornered the market on revealed truth and righteousness. (They remind me of Fred Phelps and his squad). It must be a heavy burden to be so freakin’ right all of the time."

Thank you, Bishop, for your loving display of Christian forgiveness. Seems a lot of people "think they have cornered the market on revealed truth and righteousness"....... (the whole thing is in the Standfirm thread here. Scroll down.)

Perfect Is The Enemy Of The Good.

If you read anything this week, read this: NOSTALGIA OF THE WORDSMITH INTELLECTUALS

Hattip: 'Jeffersonian' at Standfirm.

Slidin' Down +Kate's Slippery Slope.

(Note: Several updates posted at the end.)

With the election, World Series, and retreats, I have neglected postings on the Current Unpleasantness in The Episcopal Church™. A lot has happened and, sadly, things aren’t looking good. A quick synopses:

The House of Bishops meeting back in September in New Orleans was supposed to be the “Come to Jesus” meeting with respect to the American church’s giving the finger to the rest of the Anglican Communion over sexuality. It was supposed to end there. But the Bishops, in true Episcopal Church™ style, responded with platitudes, legalisms, and parliamentary mechanics that changed absolutely nothing. In fact, several Dioceses, such as California, have already said they don't care what the Bishops decided in New Orleans, they're gonna go ahead anyway. So far, neither the Presiding Bishop, nor the Archbishop of Canterbury, is calling them on it. Nor are they likely to do so.

Therefore, the dispute remains.

Adding fuel to the fire, a few weeks ago the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote a letter to Bishop Howe in Central Florida concerning churches in Bishop Howe’s diocese that want to leave The Episcopal Church ™ and associate with another province in the Communion. The Archbishop said in the letter that the focus in the Anglican Communion was not the national church organization, but the bishop and the diocese - and that Priests and congregations should look to the bishop for their identity, not to the national church. Finally, some focus from the Archbishop, who is the “Focus of Communion”. As you can imagine, the letter got Episcopal Lefties and New Agers gnashing teeth and rending their (sunrise hued) garments. What’s the point of working for years to take over a respected national organization in order to advance your agenda, if that national organization doesn’t really matter anymore? So the Archbishop’s office, to quiet down their Lefty American cousins, issued a “clarification”. The waters quickly returned to their earlier, muddy state.

And were made even muddier by this report, which says the Archbishop of Canterbury may allow foreign Bishops to take over parishes and dioceses in other countries in order to keep the Anglican Communion from splitting. Hmmmm.

The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church ™ recently met, too, and said several things. First, it said the House of Bishop’s song-and-dance response in September to the Primates requests was just fine with them, but holding off on more gay Bishops and gay marriage should only be a temporary pause - which they don't like. Not at all. Second, they took a look at Anglican Covenant. Short answer: Cute, but.... REALLY. It's SO First Century. And if it doesn't let them charge ahead with their "prophetic gift" thing, they're not too interested. Third, the ever-falling numbers in church membership and attendance were ignored by pointing out that it’s happening to everybody. Well, not quite. While mainline protestant denominations like Methodists and Presbyterians are indeed sliding, the Mormons and Roman Catholics seem to be growing. (But the Presiding Bishop said we’re better than them, so I guess they don’t count.) Wasn't all of this “new thing” approach by the Church supposed to reverse the slide for us? The Millennium Development Goals (peace be upon them), gay bishops, and Clown Eucharists don't seem to be packing ‘em in like they thought. "Full Inclusion" is not resulting in full pews, but who cares - the offerings are up!

It's not all doom and polity, though: in the plus column Bishop-elect Mark Lawrence (finally) received the necessary consents to be consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. The National Church leadership does not want him getting a pointy hat as he is not a lockstep-Lefty, but he was elected by the rules so they don't have much choice. I'm sure that the National Church - and their lawyers - will be keeping their Canons at the ready in case he steps out of line.

And speaking of Canons at the ready, yesterday the Presiding Bishop wrote a letter and "reached out" (that is the Episcopal Church's description, not mine) to the dissident Diocese of Pittsburgh, and it's Bishop, Robert Duncan. +Kate is not at all happy that Bishop Duncan is choosing the wrong side in the Current Unpleasantness - he's openly defending the traditional view of Faith and Scripture, and he supports taking the Diocese out of the National Church if necessary in order to keep in Communion with Canterbury. Duncan is taking the Archbishop at his word about that Bishops-and-Dioceses-are-more-important-than-national-churches thing. And +Kate is taking off the gloves - play ball our way, or else. (An interesting aside - the Presiding Bishop's letter mentions "Constitution" and/or "Canon" seven times, but "Christ" is only mentioned once. In closing. What does that tell you....?) The good Bishop Duncan has yet to respond.

Well, that's about it from the trenches of The Current Unpleasantness. If you want more detailed, and far more wry analysis, I highly recommend Chris Johnson over at MCJ.

UPDATE: The good Bishop Duncan has responded to the Presiding Bishop with stunning brevity and clarity. A commentor at StandFirm likened it to the pastoral equivalent of General MacAliffe'a answer to the Germans at Bastogne. Since we orthodox pretty much feel like the we've been surrounded and besieged, I think the comparison is apropos. The gloves are off; it's now mitre to mitre. (For those keeping count, Bishop Duncan's letter mentions "Faith" and "saints" once each, and "Christ" "Jesus" and "Lord" in the closing. He even uses some Latin. "Constitution" and/or "Canon" are nowhere to be seen.)

UPDATE: Bishop Howe of Central Florida, who is mentioned above, has also responded to the Presiding Biishop's letter to Bishop Duncan, and he is not happy. Bishop Howe, while orthodox, has tried to work within the system to find a compromise to The Current Unpleasantness, but I think his patience is wearing out. He criticizes the Presiding Bishop's "thinly veiled threat" of disciplinary action if the Diocese doesn't tow the party line; which Episcopal Life, aparrently The Episcopal Church ™ version of Pravda, actually refers to as an "offer of reconciliation". Read the Presiding Comrade's Bishop's letter (link above), and judge for yourself.

He Lives!

Contrary to rumors circulating widely on the 'Net, and much to the chagrin of many folks here, Brad Drell is very much alive. Though, what is occupying his time seems to be pretty darn, um, complicated.

If It's Tuesday, It Must be Project Meetings.

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday - I was in New Orleans all day, in meetings (again!) on a rebuilding project.

And to think - I ASKED for this project. Ugh.

Governor-elect Jindal: If you want to do one thing to truly help the post-Katrina recovery, eliminate the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP). Or, at least, get them out of the recovery process and give rebuilding decision-making back to the folks in State government with the professional qualifications to do just that. It's time the carpetbaggers out-of-town consultants go home.

There. That may get me fired from the project, but it needed to be said - the rebuilding process for public infrastructure is a joke.

We Are The Champions. Of The World.

Yes, we WON last night. The World is Ours! And in a sweep at that. I don't quite know what to say at times like these; but if a pictrure is worth a thousand words, here's at least a grand for all you who trashed my boys from Landsdowne Street:


See you bums next year.

Blanco Shout Out.

Chris Muir at 'Day by Day' mentions our outgoing governor's leadership qualities in today's strip. Though, "indifference" is not the word I'd use.....

Michael Yon on Afghanistan

Michale Yon's latest post is up: The Perfect Evil: Coming to Roost. He's not optimistic about events in Afghanistan.

As usual, read it all.

Good to be back among the speaking. I spent the weekend at a silent men's retreat at Manresa House in Convent, Louisiana, being quiet and getting a bit closer in my walk with the Almighty. I do this yearly, along with my father and (sometimes) my brother. Manresa is the former site of Jefferson College, but has been run by the Jesuits as a retreat house since the 30's. ("Jesuits?", I hear you ask, "But aren't you Anglican?" I am. But the Jesuits have this retreat thing down with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatious Loyola. And besides - I'm closer, theologically, to my Roman brothers than many of my Episcopal brothers/sisters/whatevers.) And it is the silence, I think, what makes the retreat for me. Three days inside one's own head, just you and God, can be a mind-bending experience - it is for me, every year. My "2x4 To The Head" time. Manresa is indeed idyllic:









If you can't find God in a place like that, in silence, you're in trouble.

Spiritual Exercises.

I'm going to be away for a few days on personal business, so no postings unless there is something urgent. Until I great back, check out the many fine blogs in the blogroll on the right (which you should be doing anyway). And, GO SOX!!

God's peace, one and all.

P. S. Naked Emperor: Wish you were here.

Your Basic Blowout.

13-1. What the heck happened to Colorado last night??

Just three to go for the Boys from Landsdowne Street.

Going Postal With Numbers.

I am highly suspicious of this report: Estimate puts N.O. population at 70 percent of pre-Katrina.

If you read through the article, you see the claim is based on postal deliveries to addresses. Hmmmm. If an address had a family of, say, four or five before Katrina, but now the house is occupied by one or two, that can skew the actual result by a large factor. With entire swaths of New Orleans East, the Lower 9, and Lakeview unoccupied, I can not see how 7 out of 10 have returned.

(My parents often had mail delivered to their flooded house in Lakeview before it was torn down. I wonder if that is one of the addresses counted....)

"All We Are Sayyyyying, Is The Same As Before...."

You gotta love the Boomers - they've got sticking their head in the sand down to an art form. And whole bunch of 'em got together the other night at the National Cathedral to practice their art, and to let folks know that.... war is bad. (Really?? I had no idea.)

"It was an extraordinary night of prayer and music in the nation's capital when more than 2,500 gathered October 16 for an interfaith celebration at Washington National Cathedral to express their desire for global peace and an end to the continuing war in Iraq."

Apparently, not all wars are bad enough to get David Crosby into a church, just wars that Republicans fight. (I guess he was booked solid during that Bosnia thing.) Chris Johnson over at MCJ has a wonderful analysis of the event.

But the last line from the ENS article quoted above got me wondering: Why just "an end to the continuing war in Iraq?" Is continuing to fight in Afghanistan alright with them?

It's Tough To Find Shoes To Match The Magazines.

My daughter loves 'Hello Kitty', and she loves to shoot. So please don't let her know about this.

When The Numbers Don't Fit The Theory....

A good national analysis of the results from the Governor's Race last Saturday, refuting the major excuse(s) of The Left as to why Jindal won outright. Note that, contrary to the protestations of those few, the vote from New Orleans - or the lack thereof - was not the deciding factor in Jindal's win. This is, I think, the reason he won:

"Hurricane Katrina did have an effect on this year’s governor’s race — it just isn’t the one that the Left wants to claim. The election was not determined by the attrition of Democratic voters in New Orleans as much as it was by Katrina’s revelation of the major problems with the Democrats who have run things from Baton Rouge."

Maps. I Just Love Maps.

Parish map of the Governor's election on Saturday. Note that all of the major metropolitan areas, except New Orleans, went more then 50% for Jindal.

Hattip: The Dead Pelican.

Duck And Cover - It Ain't Just For Nuclear War Anymore.

The Naked Emperor gets to see some of Ray Nagin's New Orleans "brand" up close and personal. (Yes, I know it's technically Gretna, but just.)

Pennant!!

The Boys from Landsdowne Street have done it again, coming from behind to claim the AL Pennant.

First Jindal, now this. It's been a great weekend.

Chris Is Back.

Chris Muir's Day by Day cartoon is back up, so make sure to stop by. It's also over on the right side of this blog, every day.

Let The Chattering Begin!

Roundup of yesterday's election results and commentary: The Dead Pelican and Louisiana NewsLink. Here is a national view.

The Louisiana Secretary of State has the raw numbers. Very interesting reading, it you're into that kind of thing. John Georges actually won Orleans Parish, but even with the support of Ray Nagin he only beat Jindal by 1,092 votes. It appears that Nagin doesn't have much clout in the Big Easy anymore, and even less outside of Orleans Parish. Baton Rouge had 124,000 total come out to vote in this election, with Jefferson Parish at 116,000, and Orleans with just over 75,000. I think the implications of those numbers for the future are obvious.

Off to watch Game 7.

A LIVEblog Two-fer!!

With so much going on tonight, the crack staff of Red Stick Rant will attampt to liveblog BOTH today's election results and Game Six of the ALCS. (I figure most folks will already be watching the LSU-Auburn game...) Posts will be quick, so pardon the typos and syntax errors.

And away we go....

7:55 ALCS: Bottom of the first, and Drew just hit a Grand Slam HR! Bos 4, Cle 0.

8:17 ELECTION: WAFB-BR at 1%: Atty General - Alexander, Caldwell, and then.... Foti. Governor is Jindal at 55%, with Boasso and Campbell at 14% each, and Georges at 9%. Hope it stays this way.

8:20 ALCS: Cleveland scored one top of the second, Sox stranded two in the bottom. BOS 4, CLE 1. Third inning starting.

8:27 ALCS: Two Cleveland base hits, and two on....

8:31 ELECTION: WAFB and WBRZ both still showing 1% reporting. Check back in a minute.

8:34 ALCS: Cleveland goes nowhere. Bottom of the third coming up.

8:43 ALCS: Drew up again, with two on, no outs.... Base Hit! Manny comes home! BOS 5, CLE 1. From the yelling in the in the other room, seems the Tigers just scored, too!!

8:48: ELECTION: Sec. State's office has 135 of 3,967 precincts reporting - Jindal still up at 58%, with Boasso 17%, Campbell 13%, and then Georges 11%. Don't know where in the state these numbers are coming from.

8:50 ALCS: Elsbury, 1 RBI!! Lugo doubled, two more in!!!! BOS 8, CLE 1.

8:58 ELECTION: 344 precincts in to the Sec. State. Governor: Jindal, 54%, Boasso 18%, Campbell 14%, Georges 12%. Lt Gov. Mitch 50%, Kershaw 38%, Beard, 10%. AG's race is all tied up at 33% each - Alexander slightly ahead.

8:59 ALCS: Two more for Boston! 10-1 now.

9:02 ELECTION: 440 in at the Sec. State. Jindal still above 50%, but not by much. Boasso is a real surprise - 18% right now. Georges? 12%.

9:06 ALCS. 3rd inning is over. Thankfully for Cleveland.

9:10 ELECTION: WAFB-BR is saying Jindal at 35%, but Sec. State office has him at 53%. Sec. State's website has slowed to a crawl.

9:15 ALCS: Top of the 4th - no result for Clevelend. Bottom of the 4th coming up.

9:25 ELECTION: Sec. State has 1,378 precincts in. Jindal 52%, Boasso 19%, Campbell 14%, Georges 13%. LT. Gov: Landrieu 50%, Kershaw 37%. Att. Gen: pretty evenly split, with Alexander trailing slightly.

9:26 ALCS: 4th inning over. Still 10-1, Boston. 5th starting. Shilling still in for the Sox.

9:33 ELECTION: 1,670 precincts showing at the Sec. State's office. Jindal sliding to 51%, Boasso still in second at 19%. Walter Boasso seems to be the real surprise tonight, and Georges the real disappointment. But there is more than 50% to come.

9:37 ELECTION: WBRZ is saying that most of the reported precincts are from north Louisiana, which would explain Campbell's numbers - but not Boasso's. They are saying that New Orleans has not reported in, so much of Jindal's and Georges' (and Boasso's?) base has not been counted.

9:39 ELECTION: 1,840 precincts reporting in, and numbers are about the same.

9:42 ALCS: Top of the 6th. Shilling still in. Just struck out his fourth of the night.

9:46 ALCS: Shilling just got his 5th strike-out. Sox at bat.

9:47 ELECTION: Sec. State's website is pretty much locked up. Switching to TV......

9:52 ALCS: Lowell doubles off the Green Monster. 2 outs right now.

9:55 ALCS Nope. Lowell stranded. On to the 7th.

9:58 ELECTION: 2,626 precincts in. Jindal creeping up - 53%. Boasso at 18%. Georges now in third, with 14%, and Campbell at 13%. Looks like the New Orleans area is coming in. Landrieu is now at 56%; Kershaw is sliding, at 32%. In the AG's race, Caldwell is up, but it's still pretty evenly split. Bob Odom is looking like he's in a runoff with Mike Strain.

10:00 ALCS: Cleveland scores on a sac-fly - 10-2 now, Boston leads.

10:02 ELECTION: WAFB-BR is reporting that Jindal has only 47%, but they're saying that there is a "computer error." Hmmm.

10:09 ELECTION WAFB-BR is not showing Jindal at 53%, and Boasso at 18%. Whew. More in line with what we've seen with the Sec. State's numbers.

10:12 ELECTION: WBRZ-BR is showing Landrieu at 56%, and Kershaw at 37%, with 77% reporting. Looks like that one is over.

10:16 ELECTION: Boasso speaking at this campaign headquarters now. Just wanted to say "hello" to supporters. Says it isn't over yet.

10:16 ALCS: 7th inning over. Top of the 8th - nothing for the Indians.

10:19 ELECTION: Finally. Update from the Sec. State's office. 3,214 precincts reporting - same precentages as before in the Governor's race, but now with 81% of the vote in. Landrieu seems to be re-elected. AG's race too close to call - but Caldwell is currently leading. Sec. Agriculture race seems to be Odom and Strain seem to be headed for a runoff.

10:23 ALCS: Ortiz doubles off the Green Monster. Manny up next......

10:25 ALCS: Manny had a sac-fly. Another Sox run in. 11-2, Boston.

10:27 ALCS: Lowell has RBI single. Another one in for the Sox. Drew singles just after.

10:30 ALCS: Sox strand loaded bases. Into the 9th. 12-2, Boston. Indians better explode here, or it's Game 7.

10:34 ELECTION: 3,428 of 3,967 precincts reporting at the Sec. States website. Precentages still the same. Jindal still at 53%. This could be historic, folks.

10:37 ALCS: We are one out from Game 7.

10:38 ALCS: Game 7 is on. 12-2, Red Sox. Tomorrow night is it!

10:42 ELECTION: 3,529 of 3,967 precincts reporting. Jindals lead still at 53%. Boston and Bobby look like winners tonight. The amazing thing is the poor showing of John Georges. I guess Ray Nagin hasn't got the coat-tails Georges, or Nagin, thought.

10:45 ELECTION: Foster Campbell concedes. Jindal is about to speak....

10:48 ELECTION: WAFB-BR is projecting Jindal winning outright. Bob Odom is in a runoff for the first time since 1979.

10:55 ELECTION: Still waiting......

10:57 ELECTION: Walter Boasso now speaking. Concedes. No word from Georges....

11:00 ELECTION: Bobby Jindal is at the podium. Claims victory. Thanks challengers, thanks wife, thanks parents. Still speaking, mostly boilerplate. New day for Louisiana. New image for the state. Will tackle corruption. Lots of talk of change.

11:08 ELECTION: Looking over the crowd on TV it is amazing the ethnic and racial diversity in the room. I hope the national Republican Party is taking note. If he can pull this off, you may be looking at the GOP presidential nominee in 2012 or 2016.

11:12 ELECTION: 3,803 of 3,967 precincts reporting. Stick a fork in it - it's done. The Republican realignment in Louisiana is here. We are truly a Red State. The Democratic candidates for Governor got only 31%. Huey Long is whirling in his grave(and Edwin Edwards in his cell...).

11:35 ROUNDUP: Jindal wins in the first primary. Georges has not conceded that I know of. Very bush league, John. Ray Nagin, who backed Georges, clearly doesn't have the stroke everyone thought. Bye, bye, Ray. Mitch Landreiu (D) wins in the first primary, too. Jay Dardenne (R) easily wins the Secretary of State's office. The Attorney General's race is the only one too close to call - Caldwell leads, with Foti second and Alexander a close third. The vote difference between Foti and Alexander is less than 4,000 as of now. Jim Donelon (R) was reelected as Insurance Commissioner, but there will be a runoff between Bob Odom and Mike Strain for the Commissioner of Agriculture.

11:36 LSU-AUBURN: LSU 30, Auburn 24. LSU, Sox, Jindal - lots of victirues tonight!!

11:40 ELECTION: Foti, the incumbent, has just dropped down to 3rd place in the AG race. If this holds, he will be out. (UPDATE: It has held. Foti is out.)

11:47 ELECTION: Quick and dirty review: of the 31 Senate seats in play, The Republicans seem to have taken 8, and are in runoffs in 4 more.

12:00 ELECTION: Quick and dirty review: of the 78 House seats in play, The Republicans seem to have taken 17, and are in runoffs in 28 more. Seven of those runoff seats both run-off candidates are GOP, so those can be counted in addition to the 17. It wasn't the sweep some predicted, alas.

12:02 COMMENTARY: I'm done. Great time, but I'll see you tomorrow. Hope this helped.