Overheard on Prairie Home Companion:
“Democrats don’t get angry — we get bumper stickers.”
“Compassionate conservatives would put a child on death row but would grant them a wish before the executed them.”
Oh what the heck… click here to listen to the whole thing.
We talked to our mechanic and they can’t seem to figure out what’s up with Sable. Their diagnostic guy works on Volvos and thinks it’s the fuel pump under the gas tank, so they’re going to drop the fuel tank and see if they can replace it. Bottom line: we’ll probably have Sable back on Monday and repairs are going to be an arm and a leg. I miss driving and I miss Sable, so it’s worth the cost.
My friend Jill called to thank me for proofing her sermon for her and I told her about our predicament. So… she came and got us in Newark and drove us to Columbus and taught Jon how to drive her spare car (Toyota Corolla with a manual transmission). Her car runs well — Jon is just having to get used to driving a stick shift. It was really scary yesterday when she stalled on 270 while getting on 70 to go home. Then… we stalled on the onramp getting on 37 to get home and kept going backward down the ramp. We finally got up the hill and into the turn but Jon isn’t sure how he did it. One of the nice things about Ohio being relatively flat: very few major hills. I don’t think Jon could be doing this if we lived in San Francisco.
So… we have wheels this weekend — and for $70-200 less than it would be otherwise.
It’s 0100 here at Casa K-M and I can’t sleep. Therefore, I’m blogging some things out to clear my mind.
Operation Change Pat Robertson
This was inspired by Rick. Basically, I think that Pat Robertson’s 21-day prayer offensive against the Supreme Court is a bit on the LAME side, so I think we should have “Operation Change Pat Robertson”, which would be a 21-day prayer offensive to change Pat Robertson and make him a compassionate human being instead of someone who needs to be cured of “foot-in-mouth” disease. I’ll make the site if anyone wants to make me a pretty graphic or two.
Unexpected Thank You Note
I got a thank you note in the mail today from the people whose car I dented two weeks ago. Apparently, they were very touched by the fact that I left a note with my contact information so that if there was damage, it could be easily fixed. They praise my “[having] a conscience” and being “mature and responsible”. Ummm thanks… but really I was just covering my butt legally because if I hadn’t left a note, it would be hit and run. Still… I was very surprised to get the note and I am thankful that the people whose car I dented were so gracious. (They actually ended up with a better car than they started with — the body shop even fixed some stuff that dated before me hitting them.)
Car Problems
Sable (our Volvo) has been in the shop for the last few days. They haven’t had a chance to look at her until tonight and the consensus is that it’s probably a bad fuel pump. Please lift some prayer/good karma/pleasant thoughts our way because we’d really like to have her back. I miss driving and it’s also cut into our mobility and freedom a bit. If we can’t have her back by Monday, we’ll have to rent a car because Jon is on call for 3 pastors next week and *needs* wheels.
I am currently being rebuked by my killer attack lemur, so heigh ho heigh ho it’s off to bed I go! *whistles the rest*
If you’ve been following various secular and Christian media outlets, you’ve probably seen the news that Pat Robertson is launching Operation Supreme Court Freedom, which is a 21-day prayer offensive to make 3 justices of the Supreme Court retire so that conservative ones can be appointed in their place. Ummm… isn’t this just a little presumptious? I mean… he’s presuming that he is a.) correct in all of this and b.) that the Lord Almighty didn’t place these judges in power. I mean… they were put on the bench legally. That’s more than we can say for our President. (Sorry… I really couldn’t resist that. Really. I couldn’t.)
Let’s look at Pat’s little manifesto. And for those who want to accuse me of prooftexting it and quoting out of context, you can go to the linked portions and read them yourself. Oh yes… and send any and all hatemail here. (Remove the NOSPAM from the address.) For those who want to fisk me thoroughly, do so in your own journals and leave the link in my comments. Having covered all the hate mail and comment procedures, let’s start…
Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote:
“You seem to think that the Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter of constitutional interpretation, a very dangerous doctrine indeed and one that would place us under the tyranny of an oligarchy.”
How wise Jefferson was. Yet even Jefferson could not have foreseen what the Supreme Court has done to the Constitution of the United States since 1962. Just think what five unelected judges have done to our nations moral framework.
Yes Pat, let’s quote a deist president who insisted on including the 1st Amendment to the Bill of Rights so that people could have the freedom to worship as they please. Even better, let’s quote someone whose choice of Bible version was one that edited out all the stuff about Jesus. Yeah Pat… you’re real credible there.
So let’s look at the supposed mayhem wreaked by the Supreme Court:
-In 1962, they ruled prayer out of the public schools.
Actually, prayer still exists in school — it just cannot be compulsory. When I was going to school in California (which most in this country view as a state of tofu and avocado eating hippie freaks who worship trees), we were never told not to pray before tests. I had teachers who even gave us a moment of silence before we began to use for prayer or to focus. We were never told we couldn’t pray over lunch — I did all through high school and Christian clubs were allowed in every public school — as long as membership wasn’t compulsory.
On Saturday evening, we were driving to the store after church and Sable (our ’84 Volvo 240 GL) started sputtering. We made it about another 50 feet before she died… in the middle of the street in heavy traffic. As soon as traffic cleared, I jumped out and ran down the street trying to find somoene who was home. A couple was and they stopped traffic in the lane closest to the curb and helped us coast into their driveway. We called AAA and were able to get a tow truck. They towed us to our mechanic and I dropped the keys off there this morning. (It’s a block and a half from where we live.) We’re hoping to have Sable back by Friday — otherwise, we’ll have to rent a car or something because Jon’s in charge at church next week and we have to be able to get around. I’m not incredibly worried but I’d like reliable transportation again.
Mass in Nature’s Cathedral
On Sunday morning, Bill picked us up and I did my morning surfing and devotions during the 8:00 service. After the service, we packed up everything we’d need to celebrate Communion and have the church service at Flory Park and went over there. I’d written out the prayers the night before and Jon had used them in the 8:00 service, so all I really had to do for prep was print out the readings. We went through the skit for the Gospel with the kids and got the mics adjusted and started the service. It went well other than Jon’s guitar continually going out of tune. Afterward, we had our church picnic and I saw the nice rock on the finger of one of our college people. (She and her fiancé got engaged on the 4th of July.) They’re pretty much the only people in the church my age and it was fun hanging out with them. I also got to know one of the teenagers in the congregation and her mom and I have a feeling that our stock just went up because R is the kind of person that I would have hung out with in college and it was probably good to have people who understood as pastors for her.
I got bills paid (without crying or having to dip into savings) today and I also got the lawn mowed. Right now, my office assistant is demanding attention, so off I go to scratch a kitty belly.
Wonderful/Magnificent/Awesome Thing That Happened Today: My father-in-law had offered to help us out with the $3000 in medical bills that have mounted this year. I thought that he might help us with a payment or two. Yeah… he paid off 3 of our creditors in full and paid 1/4 of one of the other bills. All that’s left are the two that we are contesting with the insurance company.
Thing That Is Icing on the Coffee Cup Cake: Finding out that Blair Hornstine’s offer of admission to Harvard has been rescinded. There is justice in the world. Now… let’s hope she loses her frivilous lawsuits and has to pay court costs for the school district. Oh yes… her valedictorian victory was even lamer because she didn’t even show up to give the friggin’ speech that she sued to have. (Thanks to my favorite right-wing fundamentialist Mac for the news. *sighs* The guy prays for my immortal soul and sends me wonderful news briefs. If only he was a liberal…)