Saturday, November 28, 2009

Notes and Seasons

Her luck completely bautumned out in Hot Springs--
No one even to write a suicide note to for.
Next winter summer the carrion birds will have
Written their thank you notes--
Moved on.

Friday, November 06, 2009

Sunset in Maine, Sunrise in Birmingham

This week was a sad week for the gay and lesbian community in Maine. There is some silver lining in the clouds, this time in Birmingham Alabama. Tomorrow Metro Church of God will be hosting the final conference of "Love Won Out," Focus on the Family/Exodus International's Road Show to help gays go straight, something not really recommended by the American Psychiatric Association.

Here is the description of one of the breakout sessions, "Answering Pro-Gay Theology:"
This session takes a look at the growing acceptance of homosexuality in the [get this] evangelical community and offers a clear biblical response to a revisionist theology that says homosexual behavior is not sinful.

Conference goers are encouraged to not seek sexual contacts and must wear wristbands at all times. This is in some contrast to a single parent function Focus on the Family sponsored in 1997 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I was present and was seated where I would have a good chance of meeting a woman who lived right up the road. She had the same name as my dog and was just as shy around strangers as my lovely Leesha was.

Now if I can just unlearn some of my ingrained heterosexual habits. Oh well, I learned them along the way; surely I couldn't have been born straight just as no one was ever born gay.

Just think, pretty soon there will be no James Dobson to kick around. And it is not polite to talk about Ann Coulter's love life. It is probably not polite to remark that she is lanky either.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Single Fifty Six Doubled

Fifty six years ago today my sister Ruth Elaine was born. Country singer Deborah Allen was also born that day. September 30th 1953 was the fifty sixth anniversary of the death of Saint Therese of Lisieux, patron saint of aviators, florists, AIDS victims, also of illness(es) and missions. Ruth died in 1991 of breast cancer, the same disease that claimed the life of Azelie, Saint Therese's mom. Ruth made it clear to me that she was somewhat haunted by the proverb "whoso curses his father and mother his lamp shall be put out." She was the mother of five sons, who spent a good deal of their childhood in the Children of God organization. Her son Jonathan has a current affiliation with that organization, which has had to overcome its own shadowy past of childhood sexual abuse and unlawful child custody.

Truman Capote was born in 1924 on September 30th. James Dean died on September 30th 1955 in an automobile accident. In 1993 a 6.4 earthquake rocked Southern India and claimed approximately 10,000 lives.

Here is a prayer of Saint Therese I like: "I implore Thee dear Jesus to send me humiliation whensoever I try to set myself above others." Amen.

An average pregnancy lasts about nine months. Being the last day of the ninth month of the year, September 30th is a good day to be born.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Metaphor for Rapture

I made a comment at deeptruths dot com that nine eleven could be seen as the fulfillment of the Hebrew prophecy "for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us." I have a brother who turned forty two on nine eleven, so tomorrow he reaches the half century mark. Forty two is interesting if nothing else. Don Kistler said it stood for the second coming of Jesus Christ, citing forty two months from the book of Daniel and the forty two generations in the gospel of Matthew.

There will continue to be metaphors for the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note that others besides the late David Brandt Berg consider America to be the Babylon of the Book of Revelation. "Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy" intones an ultimate reality for the number forty two.

The half century mark? It could be the year of jubilee is just ending or just beginning. Take your pick.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Carat on a Stick

Eighty three years ago today Rudolph Valentino died. He had brought a single red rose to Ditra Flame when she was deathly sick in the hospital as a child with the request that she return the favor on the anniversary of his death.

Did he give her a carrot on a stick? Maybe so. But surely she experienced some joy as the mysterious lady in black who made annual visits to his crypt.

I guess we can all hope to endear ourselves to at least one person who will remember us after we are gone, either on our birthday, our wedding day, the day we died or some other meaningful date on the calender.

Rest in peace, Rudolph Guglielmi Valentino!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

On George Tiller

"He has killed more babies than he has saved," Mr Gietzen said of Mr Roeder. "I don't care how much fan mail he is getting."

(David Barston in "An Abortion Battle to the Death" in today's New York Times.)

Unfortunately The Sanctity of Life is trumped by the sanctity of the family unit and the sanctity of marriage. Acts of passion between married partners should be their business and acts of teenagers need to be looked at as sometimes tragic and reversible by the act of abortion.

I think it is one thing Bill Clinton had right. Abortion should be legal but rare. And adoption should be encouraged.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Artist as a Young Man

The artist, like the God of the creation, remains within or behind or beyond or above his handiwork, invisible, refined out of existence, indifferent, paring his fingernails.

(James Joyce--A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man)

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Every Fury On Earth

Every fury on earth has been absorbed in time, as art, or as religion, or as authority in one form of another. The deadliest blow the enemy of the soul can strike is to do fury honor. Swift, Blake, Beethoven, Christ, Joyce, Kafka, name me one who has not been thus castrated. Official acceptance is the one unmistakable symptom that salvation is beaten again.

(Let Us Now Praise Famous Men--James Agee)

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

MORE DICED CARROTS PLEASE!

Well today someone might win $339 for celebrating Square Root Day. For myself I cut the fat half of a parsnip into square root "coins," munched them raw and sauteed the remainder in vegetable oil.

I suppose if I pigged out on diced carrots at a restaurant I may be eligible for the $339 prize.

Maybe on 04/04/16.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Gnostic Notes: Neither Accept Nor Reject

Gnostic Notes: Neither Accept Nor Reject

This seems important to neither accept or reject. It puts you in the camp where others cannot judge you as much as you yourself have suspended judgement.

(Click on title to access link.)