Dave Barry's New Year Message

I always try to read Dave Barry's year end summary... this years version is quite a doozy. The year 2007 CE had it's high points, but it had its share of low ones too.

APRIL

In other scandal news, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales gets into hot water when congressional Democrats allege that his name can be rearranged to spell ''Re-Label Zoo Gnats'' and ''Gala Lobster Zone.'' President Bush calls Gonzales ''a person in which I have the utmost whaddyacallit'' and pledges to ``stand behind him 100 percent for the time being.''

and...

MAY

. . . Democrats in Congress -- continuing to implement their policy of being passionately against the war while avoiding doing anything that might get them blamed for stopping the war -- vote to continue funding the war, but boldly enter many snippy remarks about it into the congressional record. President Bush receives this devastating news stoically, then goes ahead and makes his putt.

Happy New Year all! May the year 2008 bring you blessings and encouragement! Yeah, even you orthodox types!!

Christmas hero in the Diocese of San Joaquin

My hero for the week: an Episcopal priest who stands for healing and reconcilation, not for division and self-rightousness, locked out of his vicarate by his Bishop, apparently for the crime of abstaining in the San Joaquin Diocese's vote to leave the Episcopal Church.

If I can't get into that building, I'll go to their homes. We'll find another place to worship. I'm a priest here in Atwater for those who want to remain Episcopal.

It really is curious how there is a "Southern Cone of Silence" on this news item. Think what we'd hear if it was a conservative mission being shut down. Double standard? Nah.

Anyway, pray for those that are working to Remain Episcopal in California.

There are those who wish to take the South Dakota Episcopal church in this direction, but thankfully they are a clear minority... as a whole pragmatic South Dakotan Episcopalians I have talked to have quite resented the invitations to leave the Episcopal Church; they are focused on their home parishes and their work, not who is in and who is out.

Episcopalians here have told me they are not that interested in determining what is orthodox and "reasserting"... and would like to spend energy on the call of Christmas: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and loving one another.

Shocking, I know.

Christmas wishes to all!

Holy Family Values

Susan Russell tonight writes meaningfully about her family (and in extension all the families God blesses us with):

We may not be a family James Dobson focuses on but that doesn’t make us any less family. And it doesn’t make the values that bind us together any less holy.

May you be richly blessed this season and in the coming year!

End of year financial note: buy shredder company stocks

Ooog. Merry Christmas all!

A little cheery graph from Radar Online for your holiday blogging pleasure....

Guantanamo continues to be out of control

News from America's internationally famous human-rights eyesore today reminds us that Congressional oversight continues to be terribly lacking.

Lawyers for a Guantánamo detainee (who was 15 at the time) have been ordered not to tell their client — or anyone else — the identity of witnesses against him.

Please send a quick note to Sens. Thune and Johnson and Rep. Herseth that everything we hold dear is threatened by this kind of thing.