Could Senator Thune Become President in 2012

The WSJ has a look

2011 LSU Baseball Schedule Announced

Go here.

Secession , Nullification and Sanctuary Cities

I have noticed something odd in the debates over immigration.

People who advocate state rights, the possibility of secession, and wanting the State have the ability to nullify Federal law have huge problems with sanctuary cities. That is those places where the city or county Governments have said they will not help federal authorities in deporting illegal aliens. In fact these cities often help illegal aliens . A lot of the before mention people want to the bring the wrath of the Federal Government on these places and basically want local Govt workers to be drafted as federal agents.

On the flip side people that support sanctuary cities as a general matter are in horror that the States are fighting the provisions of the Fed Law dealing with health care, look with horror that certain groups thinks Federal laws can be nullified, , and generally take a dim view of Federalism on a lot of matters it seems and support a Federal Govt with great powers. In fact in reality they are much more Secession and Nullification like people that actually adovcate those doctrines at least as to nullification in a practical sense.

Funny how both groups are inconsistent in some ways. In both cases it seems they just don't like the Federal law that was passed.

Obama Has A Woman Problem!!

From a recent Fox News Poll

Fox News/Opinion Dynamics polling shows Mr. Obama averaged a 59% approval rating among women in 2009, but seven months into 2010, that’s dipped 14 points to just 45%. That’s tough news for a party that is used to benefitting from the gender gap, a phenomenon political analyst Larry Sabato says surfaced in the 1980 presidential election. “It exists in almost all elections, ranging from five to eight percentage points,” according to Sabato......

Ouch!! This is the reality. If he cannot carry the majority of women he loses in 2012. PERIOD. Now 2012 is a political lifetime away however as the article points out:

Sabato says the timing couldn’t be better and that “Republicans have recruited lots of women.” In South Carolina, there’s gubernatorial nominee Nikki Haley. In California, Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman are in high profile races. Sabato says the GOP knows what’s at stake in going after female voters. “They’ve looked at demographic figures,” Sabato adds, “they understand that moving forward into the 21st century, the Republican party can’t be perceived as a white, male party.”
Shoring up the effort to reach women is the party’s most prominent female, Sarah Palin. The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee and Fox contributor has blanketed the country endorsing candidates she calls Mama Grizzlies, and predicts they could make all the difference in the fall midterm elections. “This year will be remembered as the year when common sense conservative women get things done for our country,”Palin told supporters.

This is very true and we are seeing some true diversity among these women in the GOP. Some conservative some moderate just like the GOP. Now that does not mean the women will just pull the lever for a woman of course. However the meme of the GOP just being all male power based gets less easier to advocate.

These Things Don't Usually Happen In Keithville Louisiana - Wife of 50 years Kills Husband Via Hitman

Crazy and sad story gets odder.

See Sheriff: Keithville wife hired hitman-Investigators say Sunday's fatal Keithville shooting develops new twist

However the wife might have a defense and this where it gets more odd and tragic. My Bossier has that link Mrs. Luttrell charged in husband's murder where the daughter tells the the Televevision station that her mother suffers from suffers from Alzheimers.

So who knows. If that is true perhaps she is not really guilty at all and was used. We shall see.

Going to Communion Via Twitter

Lord Save Us From Idiots. Get Religion has Tweeting the Eucharist

Ann Rice's Sadly Leaves Catholicism and All Christianity? (Well I hope Not)

This would be extremely disappointing if true. American Catholic has Anne Rice Breaks Up With Christianity.

In the comments I agree with fellow Louisiana blogger Michael Denton the whole tone sounds weird.

I have a feeling and a sincere hope that this facebook entry was the result of a person having a VERY VERY VERY bad day. If you are on the internet a lot we all post things in frustration we want to take back the next day.

I have a feeling that might be the case.
Further for the record while certain Catholics and other Christians might have had disagreements with her it seemed to me that the back and forth was always respectful and they were very respectful of Ann, her beliefs, and her journey.

So hopefully this is just a few people getting under her skin.

The Benefits Of Having The Last Name of Zolp

From Aggie Catholics 10 Fun Catholic Facts

6 - If your last name is "Zolp" then you get a full scholarship to Loyola Chicago, that is, if you can verify that is really your name with your birth certificate and baptismal certificate. Only 4 people have received the scholarship so far.

Teacher Unions Versus Obama Part II

I find it curious that this story is getting so little coverage. See Obey’s axe hovers over Obama's $1.3B education program

Reading that story you only get a small little hint of the displeasure of the teach unions as to Obama pet project. Kaus that follows this issues is more aware.

It is sort of interesting that Obama is not highlighting this program more. Also would it not be wise for Obama to sort of make a show that he is disagreeing with Teacher Unions here. That might delight some folks he needs to win back. It is not like 2012 the Teachers Unions will support the GOP so what does he have to lose?

A Swiss Guard That Served Three Pope Dies( Final Interview Vid)

Plus a lot of cool facts about the Swiss Guard on the page too!!

Did 44 State Legislatures Pass 191 Laws Regarding Illegal and Legal Immigration?

Jim Geraghty has this post up at his spot at NRO.

Wow: 44 States Passed 191 Laws on Immigration So Far This Year

July 28, 2010 2:23 PM

By Jim Geraghty

Tags: 2010

How potent is the issue of illegal immigration? This potent:

In the first six months of 2010, every state in regular session considered laws related to immigrants or immigration. . . . As of June 30, 2010, 44 state legislatures passed 191 laws and adopted 128 resolutions. Five bills were vetoed, for a total of 314 enacted laws and resolutions.

Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas are not in regular session in 2010.

Now Jim is a pretty straight shooter and honest political guru. He does a good job and and really doesn't spin so much just to make the conservatives look good. So I chalk this up to maybe not looking at the link.

Now no doubt illegal immigration is getting some play in the State legislatures but as you can see many of these laws don't have a lot to do with illegal immigration. As to legal immigration there are lot of laws that give money to migrant services and such.

Now there are LAWS there that try to deal with illegal immigration but to say that there 191 laws dealing with it is sort of misleading though I think it is unintentional misleading.. Also most of those 341 resolutions have nothing to do with illegal immigration and many have just a slight connection to immigration.

Is Cable News Overated?

I saw this at Contentions.

Fox Dominates Cable News Ratings

Peter Wehner - 07.28.2010 - 2:09 PM

According to the Huffington Post, Fox News continued its complete domination of cable-news ratings in July. The network averaged 1.85 million viewers in primetime for the month — more than CNN, MSNBC, and HLN combined. The top 11 rated programs, each with a total of more than a million viewers, belong to Fox News (three programs topped two million viewers). As a point of comparison, no other program on any other cable network was able to draw as many as a million viewers (Hardball with Chris Matthews, for example, was able to draw only a little more than half a million watchers).

The dominance of Fox News is an extraordinary media phenomenon. Roger Ailes is a genius at his profession. And the success of Fox News continues to cause liberals to vent and fume, pout and lash out, whine and act irrationally. Sometimes breaking up a quasi-monopoly will do that to people.

In any event, it’s time for liberals to make their own inner peace with a Fox-dominated cable-news world. If they don’t, they will continue to go around the bend.

This is sort of a reality check is it not as to really how engaged Americans wish to be with politics. I mean the way us Politico oriented political bloggers act hanging on every word and then cheer leading or going on attack mode as to the Matthews, the Olberman's, The Becks, The Hannity's you would think that tens and ten of millions of Americans are glued to the set watching them every night.

It also might mean our friends are really being polite to us as they have to listen to us explain the exciting stuff we saw last night on talking head show x.

Good Grief Harry Reid Might Survive and Win!!

the bad thing about populist movements is sometimes they don't vet their people very well.I think we are seeing that in Nevada where a Senator that should be going down I think will win.

See An Absolutely Abysmal Poll For Sharron Angle I had major concerns about Angle and I was really hoping one of her GOP primary opponents will would win. Not saying she cannot pull it out but I can see how she might turn some people out.

The problem Angle has is perhaps Nationwide GOP success. I am not sure the main aim of voters will be to return the GOP to power by a vote or two. I think they just want divided Government again and want to slow the Obama agenda way the heck down. Voters are sophisticated enough to know they might be able to accomplish this without having the GOP take numerical control of the Senate. So if it looks like in the end it GOP gets close to 50 votes in the senate and perhaps takes the house or close they might stick with Reid.

NCR-New Church h Laws Against Ordination Of Women is Like the Burning Of Brides in India

I willing wish at times we could put those on the fringe Catholic right that rant about Masonic conspiracies and there counterparts on the fringe left on a deserted island together.

National Catholci Reporter has printed the absurd opinion piece I have seen in their paper. Which is saying a lot. Father Z breaks it down at A new low for NCR: hating the Church while begging for its affirmation

Americans Appear To Want Do Nothing Government Again

Maybe that is a good thing. See 55 Dem House Seats In Trouble via AJ . Of course it is just enough House Seats to where neither the forces on the right nor the left can get a lot fo their agenda through without compromise. Maybe that is what the people want?

Another Article On the Closing of Catholic Schools- Why Not Look to Kansas?

The Deacon Bench has an article that we sadly see often. See Catholic schools shrinking, struggling . This time the place is St Louis and the usual reasons are given.

One of the things I have noted is that Catholics in the USA have an amazing ability to be ignorant about what is succeeding in other Dioceses. That goes from Mass attendance, to programs to bring in converts, to vocations to the Priesthood and religious.. It goes as well as to Catholic schools. I mean what do these Bishops do at their meetings? Don't they network?

The fantastic success of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wichita has been noted in the Catholic press on a few occasions.

See Go Wichita! and Tuition-free Catholic schools via Ten Reasons. Also see this 2009 article from OSV.

In the OSV article we learn:
The most effective model of stewardship is the Wichita, Kas., diocesan school system, where no family pays tuition from kindergarten through high school, says the NCEA's Curtin.
"Wichita might be home to one of the strongest Catholic school systems in the nation, with impressive test scores, rising enrollments, supportive parishes, an authentic Catholic identity and a unique funding model," concluded the nonsectarian Thomas B. Fordham Foundation in its 2008 policy study, "Who Will Save America's Urban Catholic Schools?"
The Dayton, Ohio-based think tank says that the Wichita schools "may offer a model for how other communities could make their Catholic school system work for Catholic and non-Catholic students alike."
There are no entrance exams for the schools. Of the almost 11,000 students in Wichita Catholic schools, more than 1,300 are Spanish-speaking and over 2,300 are minority. Almost a quarter come from low-income families......................

The concept encompasses the entire Church community and all its ministries, said Father Lanzrath. While each school family is asked to sign a pledge to tithe 8 percent of their income to their parish and to attend Mass weekly, each parishioner is also asked to tithe 8 percent to the parish. Each parish gives 10 percent of its income to the diocese, and the diocese subsidizes poorer schools.
Other dioceses are experimenting with no tuition at some schools, including one in Brooklyn, N.Y., as well as some schools in Chicago, Indiana and in other parts of Kansas. No other diocese yet has tried the concept diocesanwide...........

What ? Repeat No other Diocese has in the entire United States has tried to implement this nationwide. This policy has been in full effect For ten years and proven a great success with the amount of catholic schools growing. Free tuition, great education, the concept of stewardship, more Mass attendance, and having Catholic schools available to those of limited needs. Further I have read that 10 percent of the students that attend these schools are special needs!!

What the heck is not to like? I know there as to everything there is not a one size fit all solution to every problem but I have a hard time seeing why this model would not work in most places.

Yet unless you happen to happened just to read the occasional article on this most Catholics are clueless this is happening there.

Update- Can any Louisiana Catholic give me a reason why this would not be a success State wide?

Has The Episcopal Church Profited By Having Female Bishops and Priests (Updated)

I want to interact with a post from Anglican land here. It is a rather long post so feel free to skip on down to something else if this is not your cup of tea.

Now as an orthodox Catholic, I find the concept of female Priests (ests) and Bishops an impossibility. That is just my Traditional Roman Catholic understanding as it deals with the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Still I think it is important to look at the pros and cons in the Episcopal Church since they have had females Bishops for twenty years and female priest since at least 1974. We are often told that if the RC's changed their tune on this we would be on the way to high Cotton.

However what I hope to focus on in this post is that even if one thinks females Priests and Bishops are possible there are still problems to be dealt with.

Virtueonline has a post on this. SeeWomen Bishops Will Sink the Church of England As They Have Done In the Episcopal Church. .

I agree and disagree with this article to some degree. Here are some parts:
In July 1974, The Episcopal Church in the person of two retired and one resigned bishops irregularly ordained the "Philadelphia Eleven" to the presbyterate. The event caused great consternation among the church hierarchy. Later, the House of Bishops called an emergency meeting, denounced the ordinations and declared them invalid. Charges were filed against the dissident bishops. Attempts were made to prevent the women from serving their priestly ministries.

In 1990, 20 years later, Barbara Harris was ordained Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts and the die was cast.............

Now this gives an interesting time line that I think is important. One is sort of shocked how fast this happened. In fact if you are an Episcopal really concerned about ecumenical matters this is really shocking especially if you are tend toward the Anglo Catholic side. Basically the TEC moved at warp speed on the crucial issue of Holy Orders and the result being perhaps a rupture beyond repair as to any possible reunion to Catholic and/or Eastern Orthodox Churches.

This is kind of shocking because often Episcopals seemed to have a kinship in their view with the Orthodox.

Now the further you progress from the Anglo Catholic side the less you care about this of course. Who cares about all those Papist and Eastern Orthodox with their un biblical practices as it were.

Still 20 years seems not a lot of time to contemplate overturning 1900 years of teaching on this. It does not seem a proper amount of time to contemplate, pray, , consult, and do the theology on this.

Now again in the TEC the importance of this particular issue varies. If you have a more Anglo Catholic view of Sacraments then this is a revolution. If you have a more Protestant/Reformed/Evangelical view and see this as something akin to ordinances then perhaps one sees it as not so earth shaking. For instance we see that SOME Evangelical Episcopals ( Orthodox Evangelical TEC folks both supported and opposed female priests and there still appears to be a internal split on this issue among them) that could live with women priests are now putting their foot down on the different facets of the gay issue as to orders and marriage Regardless things moved fast.

It was understood at that time that it would be optional for parishes and dioceses not to have a woman bishop and that no one would be coerced into having a woman bishop preach, confirm or celebrate communion. Consciences would be respected

In July of 2000 at the 73rd General Convention, Harris successfully called for defeat of an amendment that would have allowed four dissenting bishops to continue denying ordination to women as long as they held office. .....

Well that was predictable in my view. So in 1974 we had the first female Priests and in 1990 the first female Bishop under the promise of tolerance and now the TEC is doing lawsuits against those that don't comply with the new way of things.

..............It was the end of the road for any kind of toleration for the Anglo-Catholic bishops of San Joaquin, Quincy and Ft. Worth. In time, all three dioceses would leave the Episcopal Church. For liberal and revisionist bishops, exclusion became the operative word in the name of a higher inclusion, of course.

So true and you can bet dollars to donuts as to active gay clergy and Bishops the same thing will happen. Even in lets say liberal Catholic circles we see this. They are for inclusion with the "right" sort of people and if many other Catholics are excluded in the process that is just collateral damage. Why? Because our views are a social injustice and evil.

...........Today, there are 17 women bishops ranging from Harris, the first female bishop, to Glasspool, the last.

Harris, now 80 and divorced, once described her sexuality as "ambiguous". Glasspool is an avowed lesbian. Only one, Bishop Geralyn Wolfe of Rhode Island, might be described as orthodox. It was she who deposed a black woman priest who declared she could be both an Episcopal priest and a Muslim at the same time. This took guts, as one doubts that a liberal or revisionist white male bishop would have had the temerity to dump her for fear of the Black Women's Caucus coming down on top of him for lack of inclusion.

Today, TEC has a woman Presiding Bishop who many think is about the worst of the worst. Not only is she not remotely orthodox in faith and practice, she preaches "another gospel" (Gal.1:7) that is no gospel at all. She believes that social amelioration through Millennium Development Goals will bring about the Kingdom of Heaven on earth where, presumably, she will be made CEO alongside our Lord, if indeed He is necessary at all.

Now this is one of the crucial problems is it not? There appears to be an amazing amount depressing group think among these female Priests and Bishops.

This blogger, who I think is a Baptist, at The Politics of the Cross Resurrected hits on this issue at Intolerant Liberals Take Over the Church of England. Another good post that should be read in full.

He states:

In denominations in which many women were ordained it appears that, although a minority are orthodox and Evangelical, the majority are liberal in theology. Thus the overall effect has been to make the denomination more liberal. Accompanying the ordination of women is the ideology that there must be equal gender representation on all committees, which means that the smaller, more liberal pool of females is over-represented. Those wondering how confessional denominations could shift to wild-eyed heresy in such a short period of time need look no further than this political reality for an explanation.

I think this is very very true. Now I have met some "Orthodox" Protestant female ministers in the Methodist faith. However they now even seem to be getting fewer and fewer.

At this point I should be clear what I mean about "ministry". The term ministry I think in Catholic circles is being used far too much. I think this confuses the role of the ordained and the laity.

As to minister or ministry I am talking about the ORDAINED. Those that have something akin to orders. I am not talking about various forms of what is called " ministry" where the laity (both female and male) perform important work for the Gospel IE- education ministry, youth Ministry, music ministry , hospital ministry, campus ministry, social justice ministry ,etc etc etc.

Now let me returning to the issue of orders and the Priesthood.

When you think about in the Catholic context I have rarely met females that wanted to be Priests that did not have lets say a rather very progressive theological agenda. An agenda that's whole purpose seemed to be to turn traditional Catholicism on it head from Liturgy to her traditional moral and religious teaching.

How many Catholic females that want orders are advocates of adoration, basic traditional liturgy, traditional views on marriage and sexuality, the cult of the Saints, the rosary, etc etc. At least as to the females I have met that wanted to be Priests I can think of NONE, ZERO NADA.

How many retreats have you been on (where these creatures are in abundance) where they are leading all sort of alternative Liturgies that involves such things as praying in 4 directions so the Winds and Mother Earth can bless us.

I would say this is a significant problem. It also appears looking at other faith communities once these women gain power there will be little hope for what I call "orthodox women" to gain entry.

Cross Resurrected concludes
Once the Anglican Communion represented a via media between Roe and Protestantism and seemed to have an historic mission as a bridge to ecumenical unity. That mission now lies in taters because of intolerant, politicized, theological liberalism and it determination to accommodate the Church to the world instead of standing firm for the Gospel. This is unspeakably sad, but thankfully we know that the true Church cannot be destroyed by anything that happens on earth and that Jesus Christ reigns forever.

Now if you are an Anglican/ Episcopal of lets say a conservative bent this is a amazing set of affairs.Though perhaps you disagreed that over 1900 years of Christian teaching on this issue should be overturned you and your family stayed around so that the Body of Christ would not be fractured. Now in just 30 to 40 years you are being told SUBMIT or be shown the door out. Have no mistake that these folks think exclusion of females (and now active open homosexuals) from the Priesthood is a social injustice and A EVIL and thus this exclusion is necessary. So you have to respect that.

Virtue in his post goes on to review certain statistics in Dioceses with female Bishops to see if how successful these female Bishops have been. See his post for that. He concludes:

The answer as to what women bishops in The Episcopal Church have achieved is nothing. If they were CEO's of small corporations, they would all have been fired for failure, at the very least, to maintain growth and expand it, that is, show a return (on the plate) for future growth. All these dioceses are contracting with an average parishioner age in the low to mid 60s with the average size congregation now below 70.

Research VOL has conducted shows that in every diocese where a woman has been made bishop, it has sunk deeper into the numerical quagmire. They have become infatuated with their own power (Barbara Harris being one of the best or worst examples, depending on your point of view) and they have followed the theological trajectory of white western liberal males with the added touch of empowerment, rights and tampons.

The most recent "power play" was the "nyet" imposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury on Jefferts Schori in refusing her the "right" to wear her miter in Southwark cathedral. It was thought that if she did wear it, thousands would flock to the altar, following a vigorous sermon on sin and salvation, and give their lives to Jesus in the midst of the third rendition of "I come to the Altar Alone".

The sad truth is the Church of England will follow The Episcopal Church. They will slowly collapse together as the Global South continues to present an unalloyed Biblical gospel and watch as "the Lord adds daily those who are being saved" to His church


The Episcopal Church's homosexual agenda with its numerous "gay" priests and two openly "gay" bishops has followed the trajectory of women bishops. In the Church of England, the same homoerotic theology will follow the trajectory of women bishops. In both cases, the end will be the same..................

The "rights" agenda is indivisible from the essentially secular philosophy and secularized theology of post-Christian Western countries that has lead to the ordination of women. By its own logic, it will have to include the gay and "transgendered."

As the late Fr. Richard John Neuhaus once said, "Where orthodoxy is optional, orthodoxy will sooner or later be proscribed." That is clearly now what will happen in the Church of England. It has already occurred in The Episcopal Church.

Now I disagree with some of where the writer is going here. More on that in a second.

However that quote from Father Neuhaus seems like a prophecy that is fulfilled over and over again. Again this should not be surprising!! What was once viewed as Traditional Christian views on this issues is now viewed as social injustice that screams to the Heavens to God himself to be corrected. It is now a evil which mean you are a agent of evil if you hold them

You can stay around but you better be quiet and needless to say you will be given any real responsibly in your parish and don't even dream about submitting your seminary application. For instance if you have reservations about active homosexual conduct there will be no place on the vestry for you. In fact there should not be. If your Church has same sex unions then your objections would offend certain people and is nothing less than Hate Speech against the people of GOD. So sit down and be quiet before we call the police to escort you off the property.

Again where orthodoxy is optional orthodoxy will sooner or later be proscribed.

You can bet we would see this in spades in the Catholic Church if this ever happened. As we have seen repeatably the famed "tolerance" of liberal and progressive Catholics is often very intolerant of any view that disagrees with them.

Now I do disagree with the writer here some. As the comments in that post point out it is not clear it can be proved from Stats alone that the disasters that are occurring in these Dioceses are because these Bishops are female.

For instance similar things are happening where the Bishops are male. So one could could make a case that the liberal theological bent is causing this. I think in the Episcopal context there is something too that. So I am not sure the Stats by themselves prove the point the author is trying to make. However I do think it shows that female bishops have not shown ed the results the world and the New York Times has promised.

Now as a Roman Catholic I think there is more at play here than just liberal theology. Since I think female Priests are an impossibility that means all the sacraments they give absent Baptism is a futile exercise . In other words the bread stays bread.

As for Female Bishops (if Anglican Orders are valid) any people they attempt to consecrate to the Priesthood is a futile exercise thus the Sacraments those Priest give (besides Baptism)is a futile exercise. That has spiritual effects.

However if you don't agree with my Catholic theology I still think the above articles make a good point. That is the depressing amount of theological and political group think among female clergy has never abated and has in fact increased. As to the TEC and other similar bodies any hopes of a more orthodox female clergy getting any where near the altar seems dim. I think this presents quite a problem. As Cross Resurrected pointed out there is a "political reality" at play here.

Update- Catholics see your future in an alternative Universe where the Church has women Bishops and Priest. See A new low for NCR: hating the Church while begging for its affirmation . Father Z is very well to point out that "Power" seems to be the overriding theme here. Once they get it there will be no dissent allowed. Again there is a particular poltical reality involved.

Robert Duvall On How Hollywood Portrays Christians and Fly Over Country (Plus His New Movie)

Tip of the hat to Denny Burk on this who is a Baptist I need to add to the links.

Duvall is one of my favorite actors. He also showed through his movie the The Apostle that one could have an intelligent movies dealing with Christian themes and yes it sells. Hopefully Hollywood will get that point more fully one day. More on that below.

Duval gave a interview to Christianity Today where he talks on his new movie and other matters.

In that interview the movie industry and Christians come up

Why do you think Hollywood has a tendency to mock Christians and preachers?

Well, it's not just Christians. I mean, I'm a Christian. But they mock the interior of the United States of America, the heartland. They don't go out of their way to understand what's really there.

I actually agree with that but I also think they mock middle America because of the Christain nature of it.

Returning to the Apostle he is asked about that:

Some people thought The Apostle was mocking Southern holiness or Pentecostal preachers …

Who said that?

Oh, some Christians wished it had been a more positive portrayal of a preacher rather than a man with all these …

Let me straighten these people out. And you can put it in print. My guy [Rev. Euliss "Sonny" Dewey, the title character] killed a guy out of anger, right? But he wasn't one half as bad as King David in the Psalms, who sent a man off to be killed so he could be with his wife. Every time I read the Psalms I think of that. But on the other hand, I heard that Billy Graham liked the movie, and many, many preachers did. Rev. James Robison of Fort Worth said I could use anything from any of his services to put in the film. So I'm not mocking.

If Hollywood had done this, they would have mocked these people. No, I did not mock these people. I didn't patronize these people. I've been in many, many churches, Pentecostal churches. I could have made these people look bad if I wanted to. So you can tell these people I did not mock these people or condescend at all. Had I done it in a Hollywood movie, we would have patronized these people. That's why I had to do the movie myself.

I agree with that and to be clear I think the the Preacher and faith community he portrayed was more Southern Holiness than Pentecostal. Which one could be picked up by his attention to details. I thought it was a great movies and I rarely heard Christians that had problems with it. Anyway good interview read the whole thing.

Help Save the Gulf Coast By Drinking A Beer

A donation of 75 cents per beer drunk!! Alive and Young has the details at Save the Gulf Coast, Drink Beer!

An American Catholic Cardinal Explains The Church's Full View on Immigration.

Colored me shocked but Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles did not mess this up. I have always said making him the point man on this issue was huge mistake because:

1. Fairly or unfairer is viewed as not handling the sexual abuse scandal well in California. So right out of the box you are turning off some Catholics and good number of the public at large.

2.Among lets say "conservative" theological bent Catholics he is viewed as bad news( fairly or unfairly). So right of the box you are turning them off.

3. When he does speak the press reports some of his most bomb throwing comments he makes which tends to give a incomplete picture of the Church's viewpoint on this hot issue.

For all those reasons I was hoping and praying that Cardinal Dinardo from Houston would be the more public face because he has none of the above problems.

However here via this Arizona Catholic Newspaper we see a calm reasoned postion that gives a fuller picture. I hope this continues.

Veteran Sports Journalist Exposes the Dark Side of Les Miles

Shocked I tell you just shocked. I mean he masticates in front of children!!

A Nice Summary of Evangelical Beliefs On the End of the World

The always good Joe Carter at the Evangelical section of First Things has a good post on this. See Jesus is Coming Back When? – A Crash Course in Evangelical Views of Eschatology

I find it interesting the different school of thoughts. For whatever reason the Southern Baptist Church I attended was not so much under the influence of the Dallas Theological School so the "Rapture" as many people think of it was a concept I was not raised with. But as you see it is one of many views.

New York Times Talks Galileo and the Catholic Church Again

I think every journalism student sholud in school be required to take a test on the facts of this case. mainly because they mention it so much.

Anyway First Things has Digging Up Galileo, Again The comments are good. One reason I am posting this is that in the comments they provide a link to a PDF file. That is “The Galileo Affair” by Owen Gingerich from the Aug, 1982 issue (vol. 247, no. 2) of Scientific American that really gives you a understanding of going on. It is located here. A nice article to down load and keep track of.

Hope And Change- Special Needs Kids and Parents Get Thrown Under the Bus?

Good grief.

Congressman Barney Frank Goes Berserk Over A Buck

See That Stingy Barney Frank

Mississippi Democrats Involved In Huge Internal Spat (There is Sex Involved)

Wow. I saw a blogger from Mississippi posted this and a link.

The Democrats in Mississippi are having a good ole Mississippi Mudfight. Jamie Franks is the State Chairman. He and his wife divorced. He filed a notice of intent to sue with the Lee County (Tupelo) School District stating he intended to sue its Superintendent for Alienation of Affection for having an affair with his wife. The Superintendent, Mike Scott, is an elected Democrat. Apparently Mr. Franks leaned on his buddies in the county party because the Lee County Democratic Executive Commit tee got nvolved as well and demanded Scott resign. Well, Mr. Scott went and got a very sharp lawyer and beat Franks to the punch by filing a lawsuit first, accusing him, the Mississippi Democratic Party, and the Lee County Democratic Executive Committee of malicious interference with his employment, negligence, extortion, defamation, and using the media to advance the conspiracy. He even admits to the affair in his lawsuit. Its dynamite. The picture on the right is one of he and his wife. Its pretty funny actually. The Democratic Party elders in Mississippi are horrified, to say the least. The link contains the complaint and exhibits. well worth reading.

See his blog post as well as the a cop of the lawsuit here at JJ obtains copy of Jamie Franks lawsuit Via Jamie Franks Jambalaya -A jambalaya of commentary, politics, culture, and jackassery in Jackson, Mississippi

GoodBye Future of Catholics Week Hello Future of Mainline Protestant Week

The Anchoress has the links to the great series of posts that Patheos is doing. See Crucifix to Cross; Hello Protestants!

Intend to follow those post a good deal

The Catholic Mass In 155 A.D. (Vid)

Nice Youtube vid via the Anchoress. See The Mass: 155 AD & More

A Republican Talks Secession!! (Please Stop)

It seems unfair that we Republicans and conservatives have to be weighed down by any wild comment a sole Republican makes but there it is.

See ObamaCare Doesn’t Justify Secession

You know If I encountered one of these people I think I would ask them the following question. What are you going to do with the residents of your state that DON'T want to secede!! Put them in camps, deprive them of their land if they are in open rebellion against you and send them into exile?, Start the firing squads.

How does Rep Wamp think this idea with go over with a large particular demographic in Memphis. What will you do with them they fight back.

Catholics and Evangelicals Again

I give an amen to this post. American Catholic has Of Protestants and Priorities

Catholic Church Pays For John Knox Look a Like For Scotland Trip

American Catholic has the details at Awkward.

An Optimistic Article On LSU's Jordan Jefferson

From Nola.com

Jefferson took the suggestions to heart. He attended the Manning Passing Academy and picked the brains of Peyton, Eli and Archie about leadership more than arm angles. He spent more time in the film room, but with increased knowledge on what to look for on game tapes.

He took over the 7-on-7 passing drills, often dragging wide receivers to the practice field when they'd rather hang out by the pool. Jefferson always was around the practice facility throwing to receivers or into a net.

"(The Mannings taught me to) make sure those guys follow your lead, that they are behind you 100 percent," he said. "Making sure you understand how your receivers run the routes -- every receiver is different, their running styles are different. I really focused on that the past couple of weeks since I've been at camp, and I started to notice the small things."

Jefferson talked to everybody, even his defensive teammates. He spent a lot of time hanging out with his roommate, cornerback Patrick Peterson, and middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, who is the leader of the defense. They talked leadership.

"I told him he's one of the leaders on the team, whether he wants to be or not," Sheppard said. "The quarterback has to be a leader to have a championship football team. Jordan is ready to take on that role.

"It wasn't the questions he asked me, but the expressions and the way he was giving feedback that he was ready to roll. He's working hard every day, putting in the hours."

Read the whole thing

Another Look At the "You Can't Tell Me I am Not A Catholic" Article in the Boston GLobe

Get Religion has a good piece on this at A Catholicism for journalists?

Looking back at the article I am amazed how much bad information is in it.

Anyway I left this comment:

A good article and I agree if the Boston Globe is going to run a piece like this then there needs to be counterpoint

"I suppose there are few people like Mr Wilson in comment two but for most the issue of child abuse in the Church is just being used as talking point for pre-conceived ideas. Lets face it we sort of went through this in 2001 and much of what has been reported is old news. I think the Church has started to recover in the USA.

However I think what you touch on and perhaps what Rod is touching on is this is far than just a Catholic attitude. I know people in Evangelical communities that have the ideas they are their own “Pope” and their “informed conscience” are the ultimate guide.

Of course one finds that their “informed conscious” is not too informed at all.

The Charles Pierces of the world are abundant all over the place, but if you set them down with a informed Catholic or just a informed Christian period on many issues they could not back their arguments based on scripture, tradition, philosophy, history, natural law, theology, or consistent Church witness.

Have we not seen this in numerous stories at just the religious literacy problem most Americans have. Even the agnostic Camille Anna Paglia has ranted how horrible it is because she sees it her class room

The fact that so many Christians think they are experts on everything under the sun is pretty amazing. It brings to mind the Chesterton’s quote:

“Tradition means giving a vote to most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead.” Chesterton goes on to say: “Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death. Democracy tells us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our groom; tradition asks us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our father.”

Returning to the Globe article is that not really what is going on here. Charles and Bill in comment two might be talking about Popes and stuff but what about the above. That is one reason they don;t leave and become Eastern Orthodox or if they have problems with that become Traditional Lutherans, or Traditional Anglicans.

Heck maybe they don’t need a Orthodox Catholic respond at the Globe . What about just a well informed Eastern Orthodox. Take the Pope and the “opulence of the Vatican” out of the question and I suspect he would not like them either.

Oh All This Alabama / Florida Dynasty Talk

Give me a break we are the SEC. Where dreams of such stuff die. I can't wait till we can play and stop all the BS pontifications.

Like the President Of the USA There is No True Vacation For the Pope

I am sure if I have to see what Obama sees in his daily security briefing I could not just lay out by the pool and pour a Bourbon and Coke and just RELAX. Of course for the Pope the fact he is in his 80's and never will retire from this till he is dead adds to the strain

From the Vatican Newspaper translated on this page
At the residence in Castel Gandolfo:
The Pope's working vacation
Benedict XVI's summer stay in Castel Gandolfo is entering its third week - surrounded by the beauty of Nature and by history, as he himself said on the day he arrived here last July 7.

Apart from the fact that all his private and public audiences have been suspended in July, the Pope's day is not much different from his routine at the Vatican, though it starts somewhat later.

The Pope spends much time reading, studying and writing, punctuated by meditation and prayer, listening to music and playing the piano, and long afternoon walks in the gardens of the Pontifical Villas with his private secretary, Mons. Georg Gaenswein.

The Pope still has to look through his daily correspondence and important documents sent on daily from the Vatican, and he has been preparing for major events in the coming months.

Above all, his apostolic trips: to Carpineto Romano (Sept. 5), to the United Kingdom (Sept 15-19), to Palermo (Oct. 3), and to Spain (Nov. 6-7) - and all the papal texts that have to be written for these trips.

Then there is the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Bishops' Synod to be held at the Vatican Oct. 10-24.

He must also finalize his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation following the Special Assembly on the Word of God last year, as well as the Message for World Youth Day 2011.

At the end of July, he expects a working visit from his Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and a few days later, the arrival of his brother, Mons. Georg Ratzinger, who will be in Castel Gandolfo for all of August.

On Aug. 28-29, Castel Gandolfo will host the annual reunion-seminar of the Ratzinger Schuelerkreis, at which the Pope and his former doctoral students will discuss this year the hermeneutic of Vatican-II, based on the Pope's historic address to the Roman Curia in December 2005.

Benny Hinn and the National Enquier

Oh dear see Get Religion's report Benny Hinn and the National Enquirer. To be honest the Enquirer is often more right than wrong on these things. If they reported evidence Pope Benedict was having a affair with a Italian starlet I would seriously think about just sleeping in bed for a month.

So we shall see

Did CNN Host Really Says He wants a Crackdown on Blogs?

I agree with Althouse that this is is all slightly misleading. See I crack down on Newsbusters for saying "CNN Host Calls for Crackdown on 'Bloggers' in Wake of Sherrod Incident."

As she points out a lot depends on what the word "legal" means. In the context of the remarks I took the plain meaning to to refer to civil suits rather than regulation.

Louisiana's Cyber Bully Law and The Case of Phoebe Prince

I have been quite vocal that I have concerns about the recently passed Cyber Bully law in Louisiana. The tragic death of Phoebe Prince was of course part of the discussion.

Now it appears that there might be a possibility things were not as advertised and there might be new victims here. See The Complicated Truth About Phoebe Prince

Again these things are complicated and I still have major reservations in the area we are going. Will a 27 year old DA just out of LSU law school have the ability or even the discretion to handle these cases properly.

Will Senator Webb's Affirmative Action Comment Cause A Democrat Primary Challenge

Lots of talk about Senator Webb today. Instapundit has the links

I thought this was interesting:
UPDATE: Moe Lane predicts disaster: “Senator Webb seems to have forgotten that he has a ‘D’ after his name these days, which effectively means that this entire article is thoughtcrime that will pretty much guarantee him a messy primary in 2012. Progressives do not appreciate thoughtcrime, particularly in their converts: they bought Jimmy Webb in 2006, and they expect their purchases to perform as expected.”

Hmm maybe but I am doubtful. I am no expert on VA politics but I am not sure beyond a few areas in Northern VA a progressive Democrat challenge would gander enough votes to be a threat to him.

Further keeping VA blue for the DEMS is a high priority. I expect there would be enormous pressure from the White House and the Dem establishment to make sure a challenge would not happen or if it did to keep the progressive types in line and with Webb. They don't want a messy primary and then have to waste more money when they have to gin up turnout in Nov 2012

Noted Female American Catholic Blogger Exposed In Far Right Wing Conspiracy

Maybe one day I can be in a timeline!!

Who Does the Rome Gay Priest Scandal Really Hurt?

I guess this will hit the American shores soon. A little trouble is brewing in Rome. I am a little underwhelmed by this scandal. Shocking they found three gay priest and found they were having sex!! It is the pictures and the lurid details that give it the yuck factor.

The best piece and take on this can be seen at Politics Daily. See Rome's Gay Priest Scandal Makes Everyone Look Bad

Now I have seen this publication called a mainstream conservative weekly. You can go to the link and read the story and see the lurid pictures. (You can use google translate to get it in English). I am not linking it because for a mainstream publication it has a nice bit of nudity of women so gosh I don't want to offend anyone. But the link is there in the above linked piece..

First it makes journalists look bad. As he says:
Secretly filming priests -- or anyone -- in their private lives, and especially while having sex with a "honey pot" apparently brought along for the purposes of entrapment, is so far beyond the pale of journalistic standards that it makes Andrew Breitbart look like Walter Cronkite.

Indeed.

Of course it hurts the Church of Christ needless to say..

But as he points out does it not hurt other people. That is gay Priests and Catholic ins general that have some level of Same Sex attraction.

? We can divide that group into two categories. Those Priests laity that have some level of Same sex attraction but are chaste and then those that want to go HEY VATICAN homosexual acts are ok get with the times. Quit being homophobes.

So if a someone that is trying to take a stance that the Catholic Church should recognize homosexual conduct should be recognized as Holy well does this piece help? It seems to make the case for what Benedict has been doing and demanding as formations in Seminaries.

Panorama offered a fig leaf by saying that it would not reveal the priests' names or any other details about them, but that may not be protection enough for the men.

In fact, the Diocese of Rome, which is headed by the Bishop of Rome, a.k.a. Pope Benedict XVI, is undertaking an investigation to uncover the identity of the clerics and says it will "rigorously prosecute" anyone else who has engaged in conduct "unworthy of priestly life," which pretty much means gay priests.

Indeed, the response by church officials in Rome is another disturbing element of the sordid tale, though it is hardly a surprise given the Vatican's ham-handed media strategy during the past months of new sexual abuse revelations -- reactions that have more often than not worsened the scandal and the image of the church and the pope.

After the Panorama expose' was published, officials of the Vicariate of Rome (churchmen who oversee operations of the diocese for the pope, who is usually busy tending his global flock) issued a statement calling on priests like those cited in the magazine article to come out of the closet and leave the priesthood.

Priests who are living "a double life," said a statement from the Vicar of Rome, "have not understood what the Catholic priesthood is and should not have become priests" in the first place.

"Consistency demands that they be discovered. We do not wish them ill but we cannot accept that because of their behavior the honor of all the other priests is dragged through the mud."

Under Pope Benedict, the Vatican has taken strong measures to try to weed out gay men from the priesthood, whether they are sexually active or not. Part of this is in response to the sexual abuse scandal, which many in the Vatican -- and the rest of the hierarchy -- believe is due to the behavior of homosexual priests.

Now let me put that statement put out by the Diocese of Rome translated in English in full .

The magazine Panorama, in its issue of July 23, out in newsstands today, has a long article entitled 'Le notti brave dei preti gay' (Happy night of gay priests), in which the writer claims to have spent some time with gay priests and recorded their activities with a hidden camera.

The purpose of the article is obvious: to create scandal, to defame all priests on the basis of a statement by one priest who claims that 98 percent of all the priests he knows are homosexual, and ultimately, to discredit the Church.

In the process, it purports to put pressure on the part of the Church that it calls 'intransigent, and persists in not looking at the reality' of homosexual priests.

The events narrated in the article can only bring pain and concern to the ecclesial community of Rome which knows its own priests - those who do not live a double life but 'one life only', which is happy and joyful, consistent with their vocation, dedicated to God and the service of their fellowmen, committed to live the Gospel and bear witness to it as a model of morality for everyone.

There are more than 1,300 of them in 336 parishes, and in oratories, multiple works of charity, various institutes of consecrated life and in other ecclesial organizations working in the universities, in the world of culture, in hospitals and on the frontiers of poverty and human degradation - not only in our city but in far lands and in difficult situations.

Those who really know the Church of Rome - where hundreds of priests from all parts of the world also live as students - know that the overwhelming majority do not in any way live a 'double life'. Few priests do not understand what it means to be a Catholic priest; and fewer still those who have decided that they should not have been priests at all.

They know that nothing forces them to remain priests. Consistency requires those who have had a change of heart to come forward. We wish them no ill, but at the same time, we cannot accept that their behavior results in smearing the honor of all other priests.

In the face of this, we adhere with conviction to what the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, Bishop of Rome, has repeated often in the past months: 'the sins of priests' call on all of us to a conversion of the heart and of our life, to be vigilant and not to "poison Christian faith and life, undermine the integrity of the Church, weaken its capacity for preaching and witness, and besmirch the beauty of her face".

The Vicariate of Rome is committed to pursue strictly, following the norms of the Church, all behavior that is unworthy of the priestly life.

Now lets be clear here. The Church is not on a witch hunt as to Priesst that have some level of same sex attractions. The Church is focused on behavior!!! not orientations.

Even under the new guidelines of Seminary formation the Church is sophisticated enough to realize there is are differences in levels of same sex attractions a person might have and then DEEP SEATED same sex attractions that might present a problem in the future.

In other words the Church realizes that is is tad simplistic to put everyone into categories of Straight and Gay and label a person just by certain levels of attractions they might have. In other words the Church does not view one same sex encounter some guy had in youth with a friend as making someone "gay".

So when we are talking double lives the Church is talking about Priests described in this article or are in regular unchaste relationships. I am afraid that will get lost.

However I have to think if you are on the side of the argument that the Catholic Church should legitimize Same Sex sexual acts and relationships this article will not help in the end.

LSU Fans And Media Ignore Reality Regarding the Demise of Les Miles

I like Les and I defend him though at times he drives me crazy. I agree the last two years could have been improved on. Still Les is a easy fun target and people including a loud segment of the LSU fan base, talk show folks, sports bloggers, and others get on the bandwagon to stir stuff up.

The SEC is a soap opera for guys and a SEC soap opera would be incomplete without the scent of a coaches blood in the water. First it was Tuberville and Nutt as to "Hot Seat" Soap Opera. This year it is Les . If Les got the boot it will most likely be the coach of Georgia next.

Dennis Dodd of CBS throws a bucket of cold reality that peanut gallery should be looking at.

SEC fans think their school is like the Disney world. The best place in the entire world that everyone wants to come too. They have failed to note recently that two high profiles SEC schools did not get anywhere their first choice (or for that matter 2nd, 3rd, or 4th) as to Coaches. That is Auburn and Tennessee.

There are many reason for this. Coaches are like all people and have concerns for family stability and stability for the Coaches (who also have families). Perhaps they look at times of the expectations that are a tad unrealistic and go forget that.

Now lets look at LSU. Dodd mentions Les Miles's contract. I am not sure Les would be owed all that money but it would be significant.

LSU fans think the almighty TAF (The Tiger Athletic Foundation) and it's members are a source of unlimited income. This is false.

Also LSU fans look around. Not only is the economy bad, but because of the potential oil moratorium, the closing down of shipyards, the now devastated fishing industry Louisiana and indeed LSU is even in more of a hell of a fix.

Before the oil spill it was well known that next year will be fiscal Armageddon for all public universities in Louisiana. Now it is true that LSU athletics does not take taxpayer funds however there are more legitimate demands or LSU athletics to give more direct payments to LSU.

Expect this to increase greatly next year. In other words even if you could come up with Alumni to pay out Les's option , this already strapped source will be called on for a huge amount of money just to keep the LSU athletic program and all it's capital improvements that are in development just to be at the status quo. It should also be noted that even though the LSU Athletic staff is paid by LSU Athletic fund revenue they all had to take voluntary pay reductions last year. Now it's true that LES would not get a LUMP payment. It would be paid out over a period of time. However if LSU fans have any chance of getting the Coach they think they deserve" that is going to cost. Looking at the recent experiences of Auburn and Tennessee it appears it might costs a lot more than many people think

BUT BUT BUT Coaches would come running to Louisiana because of the "talent". Have no doubt that Louisiana has talent but I think the fan base has an unrealistic view of it.

If the talent was so good then why do we not see sustained success at Div I schools such as Louisiana Tech, ULM, Tulane, and ULL.

We see in other States with established SEC programs great success. Look at Southern Miss in Mississippi, Troy in Alabama etc etc.

There is talent but it is not at the level that LSU fans like to imagine. I also just noticed that only one native LA resident (Kentrell Lockett of Ole Miss) was named to either 1st or 2nd All-SEC team by the media. Also did you notice Did ya notice both of the All-SEC picks from LSU were from out of state? Imagine what the effects of the Oil spill and the damage to the fishing industry could do as to this talent pool in the future. These players have things called parents and parents have to work. We have not factored in the possibility of huge hurricane yet!!

Now out of state sports media does not connect all these dots. In state radio sports talks show people don;t talk about this because to the audience LSU sports are place to where they can go and ignore all this depressing news. But ignoring it does not make it go away and the people that make the trains run on time at LSU are quite aware of it.

At this point I am sure Les and other LSU Coaches is thanking his lucky stars that Texas A @ M did not get an invite to the SEC because we are going to going into TEXAS more than ever for recruits.

I second Dodd's comments on Les's ability and his record. I also suspect that sine football coaches are very political creatures Les has cultivated his own allies in the LSU system.

Now over the next months as Les is put under a microscope we hear countless callers on talk radio and people on message boards tell us how their friend at TAF or "HIGH UP" at LSU tells us Les is out the door. The wheels are in motion. Well after observing these folks contacts over the years I have learned that 95 percent of the time they are wrong!! But it will make a great soap opera though it is a distraction.

So LSU fans unless Les has a disaster of a season expect to see him on the sidelines next year as the LSU Coach. Which I think would be in the end a good thing.

Chris Dodd Gives Reality Check on Miles on the Hot Seat Talk

I find the Miles bashing and some of the pontifications by the media on this funny. Dodd gives a reality check

Pope Benedict Is The 7th Oldest Pope Since the 1400

It appears 1400 is used because that is the place where we can start to get reliable records.

We also learn if Papa can hang on to 2015 (I think that is likely Or so I hope) he jumps to second place !!!

If he hang on till he is 94 he will be the secnd oldest Pope since 1400 ( an perhaps the oldesd ever !!) by beating out Leo XIII who dies at 93 in 1903.

More here at

Benedict XVI among the top ten oldest Popes since 1400

Catholic Vocations Increase In India Despite Persecution

Maybe that is what the United States Catholic Church needs. In fact in some ways the bump we see in vocations might be because we are under siege(though nothing like the hell we see in India there is no comparison we are not dying just hated)

See Vocations increase in India despite religious persecution, Catholic bishop report

BTW I love Bobby Jindal but I am slightly annoyed as a Indian American he is not speaking out on this.

What The Heck Jim Brown To Speak At Conservative Party Convention!!

I guess Louisiana readers will get this more. Jim Brown was of course the Democrat that was former Sec of State and Sec of Insurance. Oh and he also is the dad of Campbell Brown that is leaving CNN.

I never voted for Jim Brown but I respected him as a politico. If you have to run against a woman call him up because he did it several times and beat them. Not a easy task because there are minefields. I actually met Brown once in person at a funeral and talked with him at some length. I had met him before several times but you know it was the typical 15 second shake hands smile say something nice and move on the next warm body. He was the typical Northeast Louisiana politico and I don't really mean that as a slam. I like those guys. Oh plus I think he is a Catholic so that gets him some points :) .

Plus people from that whole Ferriday Louisiana/ Natchez Miss area are so interesting. As I have mentioned before my family had the pin ball/ juke box and yeah the illegal slot machine monopoly in that area so I am tuned in with the ole family stories. Carlos Marcello came to my great grand dad's funeral so enough said. It is an interesting area to say the least. So north east Louisiana politics has always been a great topic of discussion with us.

Moving on Jim Brown also got sent to Fed Prison. Now I am not saying Brown was pure as the Virgin Mary on a lot of stuff (one day I will you give you my theory on why he ran for Governor), but a lot of die hard Republicans including myself found his conviction an injustice. I wrote to Bush asking he pardon him and I was tad shocked with all Brown's family connections he did not get one. Of course Bush Sr and even Dave Treen were trying to get GW to commute Edwin Edward's sentence and that did not happen. So if GW was going to refuse dad I suppose Brown was out of luck. Not saying this great northeast Louisiana politico was not crooked in the past but what they got him on was BS!!

That being said I saw this on his site -
Jim will cap a busy week back in New Orleans on Saturday Night, July 24^th, where he is the keynote speaker at the annual convention of The Conservative Party USA. Jim’s evening address will take place at the Loews New Orleans Hotel.

Whoa!! Look at their platform

I have to admit though I worked and voted against Jim Brown in every race I would love for him to come back. For that I guess he has to get a pardon. CALLING OBAMA. Again I would have no problem with that. In truth he pretty much was an effective Sect of State and later Insurance. Still is Brown going to come back as Mr Tea Party / Conservative party?

Maybe he and Woody Jenkins can be on a ticket!!

Update- Regardless I hope Brown succeeds on his radio show. I suspect he would be more interesting than "Moon" that believe it or not many conservative find annoying. Get him on KEEL.

This Sums Up My Position On The Sherrod NAACP Controversy As A Conservative

To a tee.

Wow Do Alabama Players Hate their Mommas? Moms Dying lets go to South Beach

This will not help his pr. Oh yes perhaps just maybe his Momma said go party don;t worry about me. Uh but you know when to refuse that offer.

The Most Stupid Sports Article Ever!!! Reggie Bush is Kunta Kinte, a Runaway slave. (Update)

Oh where to start!!!

Update- For those under 30 Kinta Kinte was the main character in the acclaimed mini series ROOTS. The fact I just realized so many would not know who that is make feel old *(

Sorry Hannity , Newt, and others Are Wrong On Mosque At Ground Zero Issue

Just watched Hannity on this and more disappointing an attorney I respect on this issue of the first amendment.

I am not thrilled with this but I am a lot more concerned about the first amendment here. I would get sick to my stomach if the KKK put up a KLAN chapel within a block of where MLK was killed. But yet if they bought the property and if lets say a Baptist or Catholic Church could be built there then denying them a permit is wrong.

The same logic I heard just there is the same certain liberals do on trying to make all sort of actions and speech "hate Speech". Not going down that road.

Am I the only conservative that thinks this goes against our core convictions even if it is very distasteful perhaps to many of us.

Update-

Let me give this scenario to my fellow Christians. Let us say that Church that opposes homosexual conduct wants to put a major Church in the Castro district of San Fran. Gays would respond that this was horrible. I mean a freakin huge Cathedral. That in their view such Churches not only discriminate against gays but have caused huge persecution and even DEATH to homosexuals to because of the views. PERMIT DENIED and the next week the a Lutheran gay friendly church( pic your faith community) gets the permit. SEE the problem?

You can't just set up a legal principle and precedent like this and hope it just applies to one particular case.

Update II-
Think of this. President Adams declares that no Catholic Churches can built in the D.C. until Protestants are allowed to have Churches in Louisiana and what we now know as Mississippi where the Protestant faith is outlawed.

What is the difference between that and Newt's Saudi Argument?

Holy Communion Literally Going to the Dogs

Not picking on the Anglicans. I am sure in some area of wacko Catholic land this is happening too.

Fox News Does Not Care About Religious News!!

That is kinda of shocking and you would think it would be the other way around. See Murdoch meets Oprah, kills Beliefnet? Notice Rod Deher's comments about FOX too that are noted.

Again I find this sort of sad and perplexing. FOX could have been sort of a counterweight to the NYT and to some of the much touted voices (not all) on the Washington Post's On Faith page view of the world of faith and religion.

I still think religious reporting sells so why not.

Why A Catholic Convert and His Family Became Latin Mass Catholics

A nice post here by Canterbury Tales. See Seven Reasons why I joined a Latin Mass parish...

More People Concerned about SHIRLEY SHERROD / NAACP Stuff Than Louisiana Economic Survival!! (VIDS)

We had a major rally here in Louisiana attended by thousands of Louisiana folks in the oil and gas industry. The reason for that rally was because the Federal Govt is about though their actions destroy 100,000 Louisiana jobs. Oh and also hurt the nation's national security.

Yet both conservatives and liberals seem most concerned about this D.C. Summer Silly season stuff of some Ag official/NAACP/ TEA Party/OBAMA/ FOX News controversy.

Who cares!!! I mean I care but does this story really merit ignoring what should have been the HUGE NEWS EVENT OF THE DAY. I suppose 20,000 Louisiana and Mississippi folks are going to have to go to D.C. and do a massive sit in at the Captiol and chain ourselves to the White House gates to get the needed attention.

Trust me you will not care in two weeks as you turn next to another bit of political entertainment. It will all be forgotten.

The big story was in Louisiana today and trust me this affects Americans a lot more than this nonsense. Yet the news coverage was nothing like it should have been.

The Hayride has the great speeches
At The Rally Today (#2)… (Jindal speech)
At The Rally Today… (Lt Gov Speech - A great one)
Lafourche Parish President and new Louisiana political rock talks to Fox See The Rally (#3, Sort Of)…
See her speech here At The Rally (#4)…

Anyone listening. Get off the damn political tabloid YADA YADA STUFF and start worrying about something that very well could affect you!!

Good Grief this story has pushed the major issue of the year off the headlines.

Africans Might Not Be Singing Songs To Obama Like Bush

A few years ago we had Africans singing songs of heartfelt thanks to Bush!!which was their way of showing gratitude and thanks to the USA people.

Times might be changing with the new boss. See WHAT YOUR RIGHT HAND IS DOING

There used to be a time that the Congressional Black Caucus and other black political groups in the USA cared about Africa!! Maybe that was all just lip service? In fact I have often though it was in reality. This seems a a tad more important than talking about alleged racism in the tea party.

Besides being the the Christian thing to do, the right thing to do, it is very much in the USA's secualr interest that we do as a matter of national security and for future markets.

See from MCJ

WHAT YOUR RIGHT HAND IS DOING

When Can Can Permanent Deacons Remarry?

I did not know this. Abita Deacon has the answer at Can permanent deacons remarry?

Should Catholics Love Ole Tyrant King George the III

A different viewpoint. See King George III -From a Catholic perspective, the unthinking disparagement of King George III, as some sort of tyrant should itself be disparaged.

Tip of the Hat to Ten Seasons

Great Quote By Flannery O 'Conner on the Catholic Church

I agree with The Deacon Bench Yep. That about says it.

" ... All your dissatisfaction with the Church seems to me to come from an incomplete understanding of' sin. ... what you seem actually to demand is that the Church put the kingdom of heaven on earth right here now, that the Holy Ghost be translated at once into all flesh. The Holy Spirit very rarely shows Himself on the surface of anything. You are asking that man return at once to the state God created him in, you are leaving out the terrible radical human pride that causes death. Christ was crucified on earth and the Church is crucified in time. ... The Church is founded on Peter who denied Christ three times and couldn't walk on the water by himself. You are expecting his successors to walk on the water. All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful. Priests resist it as well as others. To have the Church be what you want it to be would require the continuous miraculous meddling of God in human affairs ..."

-- Flannery O'Connor, quoted by the Happy Catholic,
which is a very happy blog (and very pretty one, too!).

Don't Pretend to Be Jewish If You Are Trying To Pick Up A Woman In Israel

It might send you to jail. An interesting Rape by fraud case in Israel.

In Louisiana It Is Not Fishing Folks Versus Oil Folks

The Daily King Fish had a somewhat critical piece on the huge "Rally for Economic Survival” at the Cajundome held today.

He says in part:
My issue here is that there are far more folks being affected by this man made, BP causes disaster. I am told that there are thousands of Mom and Pop Bait and Tackle shops that have closed down permanently because nobody is fishing due to the oil. There are thousands of Shrimpers, Oystermen, fisherman and others completely out of work and will likely be out of work for years to come due to this completely manmade disaster. Where is there help? Where is the attention to them?
Today in the Daily Advertiser in Lafayette there was an Op Ed by Ewell Smith, Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion board. He rightfully points out that many families on the cost have both offshore O&G workers as well as shrimpers and fishermen - That they are interconnected. That isn’t lost on me. And I agree with his letter.
But so much focus solely on this moratorium as if it was lifted POOF all our problems are gone.
Simply isn’t the case.

From all indications I am getting fishermen people and those that work in the oil Industry are not opposed to each other aims here. So I think we need to avoid the US versus THEM.

The fact the huge destruction to the Louisiana oil Industry that could occur overnight affects Fishermen too. It affects their customers and yes it affects a tax base that provides the taxes for such things as schools, hospitals, roads , and other vital social services.

So we are all in this together. The problem was that the media took some time in even realizing how many jobs such moves being considered by the Obama administration would cost Louisiana in the short term and long term. It also failed to consider that the long term cost might actually hurt the environment since much of this Offshore revenue is about to go in the Coastal erosion fund. A issue that is critical to fishermen.

It seemed for weeks it was Fishermen , Fishermen all the time on the media. To say they have been ignored or that their huge valid concerns are being ignored I think is folly. They might not be addressed fast enough in D.C. ( I agree with that) but I think it is wrong to say Louisiana political leaders or the general populace have ignored the Fisherman's saga or that we think restoring Louisiana off shore oil production is a magic bullet.

A Mississippi Priest Is Being Promoted For Sainthood

This is related to my post Saltillo Mexico and Deep South Catholics . Amy Wellborn in the comments gives me this great update. See Sainthood promoted for Mississippi priest

I went with a much of Catholic kids ( I was a Chaperone at the huge age of 19 lol) down to Saltillo and we got to spend a full week with him. He was amazing.

Leading Political Analyst Says Louisiana Senate Republican Primary A Non Story

See Louisiana Senate Hype: Don’t Believe It

Saltillo Mexico and Deep South Catholics

Amy Welborn has being a series of posts on the Mission Trip she is on to Mexico. She visited Slatillo and had a post on that. See Saltillo

A lot of Catholics from the Deep South go to the Saltillo and the surrounding Missions. I did this years ago and it was life changing. The Catholicsof Mississippi have a special relationship with Saltillo and so many Catholics from Louisiana and Bama I think hitch along with them.

Update- Thanks for the heads up from the comments!! See A Mississippi Priest Is Being Promoted For Sainthood

Radical Environmentalists and the Opponents of Immigration Reform

The subject that no one on the right or the left really want to talk about it seems. It is like both sides of the debate want to keep this a dirty little secret.

Time Magazine Goes After the Vatican on Women Priests (Update)

and other matters!! Father Z has a good take on this deceptive piece. See “Catholic” MSM pundits and getting things dead wrong . Did these people even watch the Vatican Press Conference? Did they attend the Press Conference the American Catholic Bishops did on this? I suspect they did but decided not to talk about that. In other words they are misleading their readers.

We see
About the concern in the media that sexual abuse against minors was being equated with the attempted ordination of women in the eyes of canon law, Msgr. Scicluna said in English, "They are not on the same level." Serious sins are divided into those against Christian morality and those committed during the administration of the sacraments, he explained.
Sexual abuses of minors and child pornography are the graver sins and represent "an egregious violation of moral law." And while the attempted ordination is grave, it's "on another level," he said, explaining that it is a wound that goes against the Catholic faith and the sacrament of Holy Orders.
"So they are (both) grave but on different levels," Msgr. Scicluna said, noting in Italian that their comparison is incidental as both "are found in the only document that attempts to put in order all of the competence on the delicts that are reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."

Now as a simple PR matter I would have had two press conferences one dealing with the Sexual abuse norms and then perhaps a week later roll out the other new updates as to other matters. But to be honest would it have made a difference to the MSM.

Why does Time magazine care so much about what the Catholic Church teaches on the Priesthood and other matters?

Last time I looked the Eastern Orthodox , that number 300 million people, have the exact same viewpoint as to the issue of women priest and homosexual conduct. YET YET I rarely see Op-EDS blasting the Eastern Orthodox Church. Why is that?

Update
Also see First Things has A Lesson in Graviora Delicta for the Church Haters and
Media Matter's has Time's Padgett Likens 'Misogynous' Catholic Church to Segregationists.
OSV has Despicable enormities-Media’s snide attacks and refusal to see Church’s genuine and far-reaching reform efforts must stop

Looking At National Geographic's A World Without Oil

I watched this interesting show yesterday. It starts out with the unlikely scenario that oil ran out all over the globe at one time!! Still I understand why they did that so they could set up - I day Without oil , 1 week without oil, one year without oil , 40 years without oil etc etc.

The show was pretty good in showing how oil is such a huge part of our lives. However in their show nuclear power and hydro electric power does not exist it appears!! So that is a fault. Also they say there would be no way to repair or put up satellites because there would not be fuel to launch the rockets. I was under the impression that these rockets are fueled by liquid oxyegen and liquid hydorgen so I am not so sure that is correct. Still a interesting show.