Rev. Erudite Redneck, B.S., B.S., M.A., M.Div.

What'd life be without Homegrown Tomatoes?!? (Guy Clark rules). (Sorry they're blurry. In my excitement I done went and shook the phone!)

--ER

So, as I was zoom-zooming to work this mornin' in my new Baby Car, I glanced down and noticed that the coffee cup I'd fetched from the cabinet was none other than the one commemoratin' the late great Dale Earnhardt's No. 3 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet.

And I thought, what would Dale think of me and my little Baby Car? So, I asked him.

See, awhile after he died, one day when in the spirit, I felt Dale thump me in the chest and tell me all but audibly, "Hey. I'm OK."

And at that moment, on Northeast 63rd Street just east of Outabounds Lane, in Oklahoma City, I laughed out loud and let go of my part of the grief that had beset and besotted the ER clan from the instant we saw Dale hit the wall and die at Daytona.

We all cried that day and for days afterward, me, Dr. ER and Bird -- and we don't give a damn who gets it and who doesn't, but I swear it was as if we all lost a close uncle or cousin or something. People called us from all over the country to express condolenses. I almost expected the doorbell to ring and to find somebody on the porch bearing fried chicken and potato salad or something in a Crock Pot. But I digress.

What would Dale think of the Baby Car? I think he'd approve.

The little thing does zoom-zoom-zoom to have a four-cylinder, 2.3-liter engine, and it handles well. Put 10 or a dozen or 43 Mazda 3's in a race and it'd be fun. I can see Dale grippin' the wheel, zoom-zoom-zooming along. Racin' is racin -- and compared to my lumbering old truck, the Baby Car seems like a racecar.

That it's a Mazda "3" -- with a 3 on the back, and a 3 on each front floorboard -- makes me think ol' Dale might like to drive it.

But I know he'd prefer his Chevrolet.

'Cause he wadn't the jet set.
He was the old Chevrolet set.
And, as the song says, "Ain't we got love?"

I loved Dale. I love my Big Old Truck. And I love my new Baby Car.

Makes me feel dang near multicultural.

--ER

... and somebody should put his damned book online immediately so he won't make a damn cent on it.

Nothing has made me sicker about this puke of a presidency in a long time. To be a paid liar is bad enough. To admit it afterward is worse. But then to shill a book as if he'd repented?

He can go to hell.*

Disgust is not repentance.

--ER

(*Not a reference to his actual eternal soul.)

Shot from atop Mount Scott, in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, southwest Oklahoma, with my non-fancy digital camera, on May 26, 2008 by ER.

--ER

I like this shot. Don't care that it's grainy. It's kind of a visual pun. Grain cars lined up for the harvest of wheat -- grain. And, you can't get that kind of grainy look with a digital camera -- it takes film. ("Pixely" is not the same.)

This was 200-speed Kodak film with my trusty Pentax K-1000, with a -- shoot, I don't know, a 70-210 mm, stetched out, and a 2X behind it -- (about a mile? half-mile?) south of a grain elevator in Frederick, Okla.

Shot at -- LOL, hell if I know, I bracketed it all ways.

But it was film. And it'd look good bigger with the right frame. And I like it. :-)

--ER

Hoo boy. After today's dinner, at the house, if my neck got any redder, the white collar I'm forced to wear would burst plumb into flames. :-) ... (Note; I am totally behind on readin' comments over the weekend, but I see y'all had fun!)

--ER

Going to Mount Carmel Cemetery, near Electra, Texas, so Dr. ER (and I) can pay respects at the resting place of Dr. ER's loved one who died last week.

We're taking our cameras, in case any weather pops, although it looks like it's all going to be north of us today. But, who knows? We might wind up in the Panhandle by evenin'.

If not, and harvest is under way (first load in the state was at Walters, Okla., last week), well, one can never take enough pix of combines in the field and trucks lined up at grain elevators.

--ER

Uno. The whole famn damily dined this afternoon at the Pig Out Palace! Brudder, Little Big Sister, Big Big Sister, Mr. Big Big Sister and Dr. ER and my own self (Urrp.)

Two-0. There was appropriate oohing and ahhing over my new wheels. Twenty-five mpg, by the way, after three-quarter tank of roughly half-and-half city and highway driving. Saaaa-LUTE! (ER's actual car shown this time. My poor ol' sick pickup is visible in two pix.)

Three-0. Pig Out Palace or not, I think I'm going to test-drive the new cooking grate I got for my trusty Weber kettle grill tonight with some dogs. Recall, y'all, that the last time I grilled, I got illed, very majorly, and I think I have something of a tiff with the grill now. So, I tossed the old grate and got a nice shiny one for it. Hey, it's a mental thing, so I've gone mental. :-)

Quatro. The Prayer of Confession today at church:

Lord of Life, we are beset with troubles of every kind. The illness of loved ones; the loss of relationships; anxiety over finances; confusion over the meaning and purpose of our lives. We have not come to worship in order to make those anxieties disappear, but to equip ourselves with faith to handle them. Not the kind of faith that assumes that troubles will magically disappear. But the kind of faith that places ultimate trust in the Ultimate Mystery. In the meantime, we will watch the birds and delight in the lilies of the field. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, our Teach and Lord, we pray, Amen.

Five-o. Our new auxiliary kitty, Miss Eames, and our primary kitty, Ice-T, appear to have reached detente. But Miss Eames doesn't like me. I got upset about something her first night here and my yellin' and carryin' on scairt her. I am large and loud. She is small and quiet. My bad. :-( Sigh.

--ER

Not my actual car. Mine is "copper red mica" -- kind of a blood color.

"Mazda 3"

--ER

Dr. ER got up with the chickens for an early flight and was in Houston by 7:30 a.m., on her mission to rescue one juvenile domestic shorthair kitty.

Subject name: Eames.

Return flight tomorrow!

Yes. She's wack.

The saga to date:

God gives us another cat.

Meet Eames.

"Happy Cat Day!"

Poor titty tat.

Over and out.

--ER

Sigh. I'm posting this because I think it a fair example, a snapshot, of garden-variety "thinking" on the wars. Someone I love who cannot possibly agree with this confused rant forwarded it in teh e-mail.

Read it, but hold on tight! Expect whiplash from contradictions and inconsistencies. How much can someone get mixed up? Oh, and the "Jesus" thing at the end, after the writer spilled so much bile, is hilarious and sad and pathetic all at the same time.

Lord help us.

xxxxxxxxxx

Letter from one "Angry Woman"

"Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?

Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet? ... Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and -- you guessed it -- I don't care!!

If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or ater, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior!

If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country!

And may I add: "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem" -- Ronald Reagan.

I have another quote that I would like to add AND ... I hope you forward all this.

"If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Also by Ronald Reagan.

One last thought for the day: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said: "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in, and how many want out."

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G.I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.


Gag.

Discuss.

--ER

OK, so now I'm thinking: Keep the truck. Because as my Brudder, who minces words even less than I do, said: "You know yer gonna get raped on the trade-in."

He's right. So, I'm thinking of keeping the truck, trading the 13-year-old Mazda, such as it is -- for somethin' that gets good mileage. I think I could live through three months with two car payments.

So, I plan to drive a Honda Accord, a Mazda of some kind, and a Dodge Caliber.

But I'd sure like to check out a Subaru. Problem is they're in Norman, which is plumb at the other end of the city from me.

--ER

Blast from the past ...

On today's Focus on Certain Kinds of Family radiotelephone "broadcast," Doctuh James Dobson updated listeners on last week's outrageous decision by the United States Supreme Court to redefine freedom, in Brown vs. Board of Education.

"It was a breathtakin' overreach by a co-urt and one that has fah-reachin' implications, not only fah Kansas, but fah the country and the family at la-arge," said Doctuh Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family.

The court struck down Plessy vs. Ferguson -- a fine, ah say, a fine a piece of legislatin' as evuh come from the bench, you know, the kind we'uns like -- thus legalizing "inter-racial" edu-ma-cation.

Joining Doctuh Dobson on the "broadcast" were Tony Perkins, president of the Family Citizens Council; Tom Minnery, senior vice president of gubment and public policy at Focus on Certain Kinds of Family Action; and Pastuh Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel of Chino Hills, Calif.

"Judicial activism is back in this country with a vengeance," Perkins said. "They completely overstepped the Congress and established public policy. This is a judicial shotgun weddin'. A salt-and-peppuh weddin' Next thing you know, why, they'll be lettin' homo-sexuals git married and divorced. And dogs and cats'll be livin' together. Where will it end?"

Minnery said the ruling makes state separate-but-equal amendments absolutely essential.

"Schoolin' means schoolin' for white young'uns ovuh heah, and schoolin' for colored young'uns over theah," Minnery said. "It’s always meant that."

One more thing:

Pbththth.

Read the real thing from FOTF.

--ER

Here's y'alls' -- the Prayer of Confession today at church:

Lord of Life, we are surrounded by the distractions of ego, and the bonfire of the vanities. We seek out our 15 minutes of fame, forgetting that in the eyes of God we are all extraordinarily ordinary. We allow ourselves to enjoy the thought that we deserve our lives of privilege, and that others have brought on their own misery. But the good news is not that the poor might someday be just like us; rather that we might recognize among the poor our twin brother or sister. After all, what good does it do to be first in line, if God starts serving at the back of the line? In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, our Teacher and Lord we pray, Amen.

That kind of hit me right where I needed to be hit this morning.


Now, y'alls' turn:

Dr. ER lost someone very dear to her today. One of those larger-than-life, but loved-you-just-as-you-are peeps, the kind that are too, too rare. Not a "matriarch," but something like that.

We knew it was near, but ... you know. It always feels like it comes out of the blue.

Dr. ER is driving in from Boulder on Monday. We'll head to Texas one day this week. Prayers, karma, peaceful thoughts, the vibes of the Comforter and peace that passes understanding, please, for us both, but mostly for Dr. ER, Sister Dr. ER and Bird.

--ER

Uno. Why would anyone give up hope? If that's all there was left to hold onto? I don't get it. I don't think anyone every actually *does* give up hope. I think they just get weary, and they lose their grip on it. That is *not* the same thing as giving it up.


Two-o. Latest thinking on the veehickle front: I trade what's left of my poor truck for a Honda Accord coupe (best mileage of the large-car class), and later I buy a used 4WD Ford Ranger. Whattayas think? That gets the four things I require: Good gas mileage and relative safety (in the Accord), and a pickup and 4WD (in the Ranger). ... If you can suggest something comparable to the Accord in both safety-size and gas mileage, please do. :-)


Three-o. OSU-OU Bedlam Baseball (first game in Tulsa, tonight and tomorrow in OKC is, crap, in, like, less than two hours. I will be there. Ticket bought. Check, Friday. Ticket cared for and kept up with. Check, since then. Ticket dropped in the damn toilet? Yes! &%$%**^%! Don't ask. Thank goodness for e-mailed printable tickets! :-)


Four-o. Fred Craddock preaches at church tomorrow. Cool. I've heard nothing but good things about this servant of the Lord, the Rev. Dr. Fred Craddock, who is a Christian (Disciples of Christ) preacher. (DrLobojo, do you know of him? Consider yourself invited). I aim to get there early to get my regular seat. (Square in front of the pulpit, six to 12 rows from the front.)

Five-o. Meeting my in-laws for barbecue at Jakes's at Chickasha, OK, tomorrow afternoon. I love 'em. A belated mother's day-father-in-law-birthday thing. :-) They are good peeps.

Six-o. Then, I'll go drivin' around southwest Oklahoma with two camaras, my digital as well as my old Pentax K-1000, since it's the one with all the lenses, lookin' for cool long-lens pix of wheat (growing fast, and it's tall and green around here), and combines (prolly too early since spring has persisted for so long); and pix of other things for official publication. Because, since -- did I mention? -- I have commandeerered a company car, a PT Cruiser, for the day, so I have to justify it with "work." :-) :-) (Not to diminish the time it takes to take good pix; but it's fun, is all I'm sayin').

Off to the game!

--ER

God bless Chris Matthews.

Who is Kevin James?

Ignorance gone to seed. Perfect representative of right-wing talk radio.

--ER

A little thank-God-it's-Friday levity and frivolity, y'all.

--ER

I just now learned that Dottie Rambo died in a bus crash the other day. The Rambos were major hot in the Southern Gospel music world when I was a teenaged Southern Gospel radio announcer.

I unabashedly love Southern Gospel music to this day. Here's a sample of Dottie.



--ER

Congrees votes to toss bucket of water on raging forest fire.

To wit:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate late Wednesday approved and sent to the White House legislation directing President Bush to temporarily halt oil shipments into the government's emergency reserve, hoping to lower energy prices.

Final approval came without debate after Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada received assurances from other senators, including Republicans, that no one would object.


Your suggestions, please, for dealing with the energy situation -- not just the gas price situation, although they're Siamese twins.

Let gasoline hit $10 a gallon -- it'll cripple the economy, and then both gubment and bidness types who have been tiptoeing around this for 35 years will come to some agreements that matter, unlike messing with the emergency oil reserve, and some conclusions.

On the horizon is the national catastrophe Brother Jimmy Carter, prophet, warned us about 30 years ago. (Tip o' the Resistol to Dan at Payne Hollow.)

--ER

Tried on each of these this morning ...








a Toyota RAV4, a Dodge Dakota and a Jeep Wrangler ...





... and my inner redneck WANTS THE JEEP!

No rush, as long as the '95 Mazda (Bird's college car) holds out.

--ER

This is just a cool story. Yer family cookin' and eatin' tales, please.

--ER


By Bella English
Boston Globe

CHOCOWINITY, N.C. - My Aunt Lil died last summer, and besides missing her dearly, I miss those big, southern Sunday dinners she had been fixing for half a century. After church, the extended family would assemble at her table for a feast: ham, roast beef, or fried chicken, green beans, black-eyed peas, okra, a platter of tomatoes and biscuits, all washed down with tea so sweet it would make your teeth ache. Then on to pound cake - chocolate for special occasions.

Loosen yer belt and read it all.


The longest lead I ever wrote on a feature story was 100-plus words, one long but not run-on tantalizingly scrumptious sentence describing in detail what was going on a plate as someone filled it from a buffet line at a Texas family get-together. The paragraph put you right there, and made anyone who read it hungry. :-)

--ER

Y'all start.

Some fodder: "Original Sin" from Wikipedia.

An unorthodox Christian view: "Original Blessing" and Creation Spirituality (Matthew Fox), from Wikipedia.

--ER

Must've needed to be taken down a peg.

Got a rejection e-mail on a Denver job Friday, and got a rejection letter in the mail on another Denver job Saturday.

Yesterday's vehicle trouble was just the beginning.

I got two blocks from the house on my way to church this morning and what I thought was smoke started pouring out of the tailpipe. I came back immediately and saw that it was steam, and water was dripping from the exhaust.

A bad sign. A very bad sign, especially with the knocking that precipitated it.

So, I've been surfing, sort of stunned, and continuing blog-commenting correspondence with a couple of new atheist blog pals, Jonathan at Musings of a Strange Mind and Billy at Billy's Occasional Blog.

And looking at new cars and trucks online, trying to decide whether to trade now or continue the plan to pay the truck off, then buy something new and small that gets good mileage.

And, I listened to a couple of sermons I've missed lately, which I commend to y'all.

"Breakfast of Compassion." (April 20)

"Is Jeremiah Wright or Wrong?" (March 30)

--ER

Gasoline prices have finally hit ER right where it hurts.

My Shell card is full (mostly because I just learned that Jiffy Lube takes Shell cards, and I had about $500 worth of service done on my truck [113,000 miles], but still: Full is full.)

And I found out it was full AT the Jiffy Lube, which caused me to have to put a radiator flush-and-fill on a non-gas card (I should have paid cash or used a debit card, but I was caught by surprise and just grabbed another card).

And, of course, the truck was on fumes. So I did use a debit card (same as cash, ouch!) to fill it up: almost $79 bucks.

And now the radiator is leaking from the reservoir bottle: $69 at the dealership, plus labor, and if I was totally positive I could do it myself, today, I'd do it, but I'm not, and I have a dinner date with my in-laws tomorrow at Chickasha, about 100 miles away, and I don't want to put them off.

I could drive the Mazda formerly known as Bird's car, but I'd need to pay cash to put gas in it for the trip, and I don't wanna do that.

So, I reckon ...

Wait a dang minute. If I'm gonna have to pay cash for something, and I'm gonna have to, I'd rather pay cash for a part than for gas.

So, hmmm. I think I will take the Birdmobile to go buy the truck part, and at least see if I can install it myself today. If I can't, well, then I'll put some gas in the Birdmoble and take it to Chickasha tomorrow.


It's not that huge of a gamble. I've got the tools. My R needs shined upsome anyway -- and I did already buy a Haynes manual because I've got three more payments on the truck and it's mine. The elimination of the $508/month payment will help me afford gas for the behemoth.

--ER

The Apostle Paul suggested we are to be "fools for Christ" -- not total morons.

Various branches of the faith have taken what probably was a not-well-thought-out quip by the Apostle Paul in the first place and institutionalized it, like everything else. (See "Foolishness for Christ.")

I Corinthians 4:10: "We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised." (KJV)

First, this remark comes amid something of a rant in the letter to the unruly bunch of Christians in Corinth. Paul seems exasperated in Corinthians 4.

"Fools" there is from the Greek moros. which Strong's says means "dull or stupid (as if shut up), i.e. heedless ... blockhead, (appar.) absurd. ... prob. from the base of musterion,, from a der. of muo (to shut the mouth); a secret or "mystery" (thought the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites) -- mystery."

Like so much else, it takes some thinking to get at what Paul meant -- even if it was actually an offhand remark.

There are so many morons for Christ, it makes me wonder.

Moron: One deficient in judgment and good sense: ass, fool, idiot, imbecile, jackass, mooncalf, nincompoop, ninny, nitwit, simple, simpleton, softhead, tomfool. Informal: dope, gander, goose. Slang: cretin, ding-dong, dip, goof, jerk, nerd, schmo, schmuck.

Discuss!

BTW, to any who hadn't noticed, these two posts have had extended lives, with very interesting, although tedious, threads.

Amazimg Grace Notes

And especially,

"No more blood for guilt"

--ER

(Thump, thump). Mic check! Mic check! Is this thing on?? ...

Ahem. Teh Internets have been down at my house.

I raced a tornado -- and won!

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it, although there is some discussion as to whether the strong storms that whupped Oklahoma City yesterday evening had tornados.

I say they did. I was in the middle of it, listening to the local expert TV weather gurus and spotters simulcasting on my truck radio. They don't make stuff up, although those boys do get excited. 'll bet they call it an EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

But hey, hearing a spotter say "lowering" is good enough for me. Especially when it's raining sideways. I was heading north as it was heading north and then east and our paths crossed but just missed each other.

For people who know Oklahoma City: I was leaving work as the sireens went off, heading north 10 miles to the house. A miles north, Mike Morgan (TV weather guru) was saying possible tornado at Warr Acres. The next mile over Lake Hefner. The next mile over Quail Springs mall, and now bearing east more than north.

I was at Memorial and Broadway and it was coming fast from the mall area. Cloudy and foggy, big rain, but the front edge of the thing was boiling. Very cool. At 33rd and Kelly in Edmond, Mike Morgan is yelling by now, "Edmond! Edmond! Edmond! Get to your palce of safety NOW. This is serious, etc."


I'm thinking; Well, it's pretty cool out; if it's a tornado it's a small one, and fickle; if the glass breaks, from hail or debris, that'll suck, and if some idiot fraks out and drives into me, that could suck; but the most the thing itself might do is roll the truck a few times, and I've got my seatbelt on and air bags. Rock on.

Mike Morgan says the hook had just crossed around Memorial Road/Kilpatrick Turnpike area at Broadway Extension. And I'm, by now, about a mile north and a little west of there. So, the thing has passed behind me. Cool.

Then it got dark in an instant. The wind picked up. It was raining sideways already, but now visibility was about gone, except foe tail lights right in front of me. I race on, worryin' about the dogs -- sireens still blarin' and Mike Morgan and the spotters still yellin' on the radio.

Only once did I think, I might have to slip it 4WD and go around these people, when stuck at a light (rush hour) Only once dd I think, I might have to slip it in 4WD and push these little cars the hell out of my way.

I was racin' home to get to the dogs to put 'em in the house. Within a half-mile of my neighborhood, the traffic is slowed to a crawl and I am trying hard not drive over the car in front of me. OK, sure, you couldn't see -- but hey, I could get the house by feel from this point.


Finally whip into my neighborhood and I can see nothing but fuzzy shapes that I know are houses and cars parked in the street. I sped on, slowing only to turn onto my street, and then to slide into my driveway. It's about 10 feet from where I get out of my truck to the front porch. I busted it to get there -- and got so wet I had to change clothes.

First, I ran to the back yard and hollered at Riker and Bailey. They were like, "Yessir! Go into the sunroom? Absolutely. Glad to do it. Yessir!" No barking, not bitching to be fed. They were quiet, and they laid down in the floor and looked at me with thankful eyes.

Ice-T was on the back of a couch, sort of nervy, quiet and stiff.

Turned the TV on, ran to change clothes. Grabbed a flashlight and made sure the was nothing in the way of me and all the critters congregatin' in the bathroom in the middle of the house.

But before long, the main storm had passed, about an hour and 10 minutes after it spun up.

Most fun I've had with weather since I lived in Texas. :-)

--ER

Dr. ER directed me to D.C. Cabbies Talk Politics, a story by CNN. I totally concur. I've had some of the best conversations with cabbies in D.C.

--ER

Man! If studyin' the Bible and figuring out how it fits modern life and the Christian faith were easy, everybody would be doing it. :-)

--ER


Liberating word
The power of the Bible in the global South

by Philip Jenkins

Gatherings of the worldwide Anglican Communion have been contentious events in recent years. On one occasion, two bishops were participating in a Bible study, one from Africa, the other from the U.S. As the hours went by, tempers frayed as the African expressed his confidence in the clear words of scripture, while the American stressed the need to interpret the Bible in the light of modern scholarship and contemporary mores. Eventually, the African bishop asked in exasperation, "If you don't believe the scripture, why did you bring it to us in the first place?"

Read it all.

Discuss.

--ER

Poor Eames didn't take too kindly to gettin' her front feets declawed, and had to become a conehead!

Pic by Bird via cellphone, at the clinic where Eames will remain incarcerated until Dr. ER can retrieve her. First, Dr. ER has to go to ^*$%^ Hawaii for work! :-(

--ER

That'd be the "Beautiful Indian Territory" as promoters used to call it, Sequoyah County particularly. (Yes, they were referring to I.T. before Oklahoma Territory was carved out to the west; but this is my story and I'm stickin' to it).

(Actual history: Indian Territory, and Oklahoma Territory.)

It's been right at a year since I was home. Big Brudder says Sunday is Decoration Day at the cemetery where Mama ER, and about everybody else in my clan, rest in peace.

And there's my oldest goodest buddy K.Kat to see, and Charlie's Chicken in Sallisaw, which, oddly, has the best dang ribs in the country (and only this Charlie's Chicken sells 'em! Weird.) Good time to go. Adios.

--ER

20-plus years ago!

Thurman Thomas does Tailback U proud.

And: Happy birthday to me. I'm 44 &*$#@^&! years young. Sh-t. Gift to myself: A drive to Stillwater to watch my 32-11 Oklahoma State baseball Cowboys start to close out a great season against Utah Valley.

Maybe, ahem, a side stop of Willie's, and George's, two old friends of mine. :-) I still have a fancy rocks glass I swiped from Willie's a generation ago. :-)

--ER

First, I retract any bitching I have ever done about county-based weather warnings; I bitched a year ago because the tornado sireens went off in my town with an almost clear sky because there was a tornado in the exact opposite end of the county from here, about 25 or so miles way.



Ha. This evening, me and the dogs were on the patio smokin' a cigar, havin' a drink and readin' a book when the sireens went off. I said, "WTH?" and came in and saw Mike Morgan, meteorologist star of KFOR-TV, tell me that there were tornados on the ground some 10 or 15 miles southeast of me.

I. Had. No. Clue.

Tornado sireens good. Mike Morgan and KFOR-TV weather, and their copter jockey Jim Gardner, better.

Damn. There's one on the ground in Pawhuska. Redneck Tornado Alley prayers aloft!

Oh, the house is drywall-repaired and painted and the instant yard is installed. Yay.

--ER

OKC is OK. (Denver, too).

Okies: Spread the word.

--ER