Mighty Ballistics Hi-Power

A few months ago a kind churchperson gave me his old Crossman 1389 Backpacker pump action air pistol. Handy bit of kit, I thought, as I loaded a .177 pellet into the chamber, pumped away and squeezed the trigger while aiming at a pecan tree. Disaster, the pellet didn't fire, neither did the next one, or the one after that, so I put the pistol away.

Until today and a new tin of pellets. Guess what, the pistol performed flawlessly, shooting through an old plastic milk container with unerring power and accuracy.

Handy addition to the backyard range.

In other news, I preached on the miracle of the feeding of the 5000, focusing on the symbolism of the loaves. 5 loaves for the Pentateuch, showing that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law; and as Elisha multiplied 20 loaves to feed 100, Christ does the same but by orders of magnitude greater. He is the fulfillment of Prophecy. It stands to reason, then, that he multiplies two fish, expressing his twofold nature and the people who will benefit from the heavenly nourishment that he offers. Both Jews and Gentiles fall within the grace of the New Covenant, grace that is nothing less than Our Lord himself.

Where do we find this? In the Eucharist, as typified by the miracle.

I went on like that in several 10th Seconds of Forever, at the end of which my MC, who has forgotten more about riding than I will ever know, said, "That wasn't very good." 

Rebuked!

LSP

Church of England, on the Moon?

The Church of England may have been found, on the moon. Pictures suggest that the small and declining denomination has set up shop on the Earth's orbiting companion.

While some think that the Earth's moon is home to UFO space alien bases, others think that the diminutive Church of England is responsible for "on the square" crater anomalies.

According to one expert: 

"Skeptics that debunk the Church of England on the moon theories do not have the slightest idea what is going on up there, or why human beings have not traveled to the moon even though it is a point of interest for us not only because of its proximity but also because of the exploitable natural resources present on the moon."

Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who helped exploit oil and gas from Africa when working for Elf, was unavailable for comment.

The Shard

Ad Astra,

LSP

Fort Worth, Leader of the Pack?

I've been at the International Congress of Catholic Anglicans in Fort worth (ICCA). What was it like? Here's a quote from Balaam's Ass (BA):

“We’re gathered at a time of crisis and because of a crisis. We stand for the Faith and Order of the undivided Church, yet we have a proliferation of jurisdictions. The overriding purpose, the imperative of our meeting, is to address our ecclesial deficit.”

BA continued, “In doing so, and when we’re done, would to God that Betjeman’s words might be extended to this Anglo-Catholic Congress: ‘Those were the waking days, when Faith was taught and fanned to a golden blaze.”

You can read the whole thing here and while you're at it, ponder the unholy alliance between Planned Moloch and our new SCOTUS inspired Rainbow Utopia.

In the meanwhile, Fort Worth? Ahead of the pack.

LSP

Justin Welby, Climate Change Goof Off

Church of England leaders, led by their top decision-maker, Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, have ruled that fighting climate change is a "holy duty."

Meeting at their Synod in York, the Cof E rulers have called for their future ministers to be trained in ecotheology and ecojustice. To help with this, Welby, who is known around the world as Dobbie, suggested that "cutting back on paper" and less "travel" will make the dwindling church greener.

Other measures include diocesan "ecocommisars", taking less photos on cell phones and installing solar panels. The Synod drew back from a proposal asking church members to not eat a sandwich on the first day of every month.

The CofE will encourage its declining membership to "fast and pray" against the evil of climate change, so that the weather will get colder by 2 degrees celsius.

Perhaps you think I made this up, as some kind of joke. Think again.

Well done, Dobbie.

ISIS laughs,

LSP

Emergency!!

I'd no sooner driven to Fort Worth with my old pal Colonel N, and registered for a conference, when he became violently sick and had to be carted off to the Emergency Room at Harris Methodist.

Five hours or so later he was feeling better, unlike the eastbound traffic on I30, which is like an out of control fast train to Tartarus.

Let's pray this isn't a metaphor for the Anglo-Catholic Movement in North America.

Cheers,

LSP

The Confederacy

The Confederacy seems to be in the news lately, so here's Lord Acton's thoughts on the subject, expressed in a letter to General Robert E. Lee, after the war:

"I saw in State Rights the only availing check upon the absolutism of the sovereign will, and secession filled me with hope, not as the destruction but as the redemption of Democracy. The institutions of your Republic have not exercised on the old world the salutary and liberating influence which ought to have belonged to them, by reason of those defects and abuses of principle which the Confederate Constitution was expressly and wisely calculated to remedy. I believed that the example of that great Reform would have blessed all the races of mankind by establishing true freedom purged of the native dangers and disorders of Republics. Therefore I deemed that you were fighting the battles of our liberty, our progress, and our civilization; and I mourn for the stake which was lost at Richmond more deeply than I rejoice over that which was saved at Waterloo."

Lee replied:

"I yet believe that the maintenance of the rights and authority reserved to the states and to the people, not only essential to the adjustment and balance of the general system, but the safeguard to the continuance of a free government. I consider it as the chief source of stability to our political system, whereas the consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded it."

I'd say that was prescient.

LSP

Baltimore Mayor Attacked by Lacheisha!

Baltimore Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, was attacked this morning by Lacheisha Pailin-Sheffer at the Mondawmin Festival. Lacheisha poured a cup of water on Rawlings-Blake and was dragged off to jail by the Mayor's special guards.

Baltimore has been plagued by residents not paying for their water.As of March, 25,000 thirsty customers owed the City some  $40 million in unpaid bills. So Rawlings-Blake decided toturn off the spigot, leading to 150 shut-offs a day in April. 

Detroit has a problem with unpaid water bills, too.

Weird, eh?

LSP 

Backyard Blasters

It's important to keep your shooting skills honed, so it makes sense to set up a range in your back yard, a BB gun range.

Hours of fun and the ammo is cheap. Just be careful that your Blue Heeler doesn't try and eat the speeding BBs in mid-air...

Cheers,

LSP

Easy There, Cowboy! Tortillas?

You don't have to eat all of your delicious Mexican breakfast of Huevos Rancheros, although it's hard not to. No, sometimes you can leave the tortillas and take them home for later, which is what we did this morning.

I was looking forward to those tortillas, so imagine my surprise to find the elder, and supposedly more responsible, recruit stretched out on his rack with  a Kindle Fire and a white, polystyrene box.

Tortillas?

"Did you eat all the tortillas?" I asked quietly, with a certain degree of menace, while looking at the white box. "Er, yes."

"Tell me, if you're living with other people, is it better to be more considerate, or less considerate?"

"More considerate."

"So. Is it more, or less considerate, to eat the house supply of tortillas?"

"Less considerate."

"Correct. I'm relieved to find your logic circuits still working, despite their momentary lapse."

Go On, Drink Some Water

Sheepish tortilla grins over and forgiveness issued, I discovered the youngest recruit hunting for squirrels in the back yard, with a Daisy. Maybe he'll beat the opposition and we can eat some squirrel.

Rounds down range,

LSP

Start Young

I think it's important to start them off young, so I took two recruits out to the range today for a spin on the ARs and pistols.

Seriously Loading

They shot well, which made me proud, and now they're walking Blue Armageddon, who successfully managed to kill a small chicken yesterday.

Shoot!

I've turned the diminutive bird into poppers, much to the fascination of the youngsters. "How did you learn to do that?" they asked, wonderingly. "Ah hah!" I replied, with great wisdom.

We'll eat those poppers in a bit.

Cheers,

LSP

Airborne Forever...

I seem to spend most of my time in airports these days. Some are better than others and Terminal E at DFW is in a constant state of turmoil and construction. Avoid it, if you can.

When I'm not in an airport, which is rarely, I walk my dog. He is fierce and loyal.

God bless,

LSP

Back in Texas -- Happy 4th of July!

I'm back in Texas now, in the countryside, and it's good to be back after the writing challenge that was the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. 

I managed to write a quick article at the airport, accusing the iniquitous TEC of "systemic racism," and then it was over, mission accomplished.

As I write this in depth "thought piece" a very small white chicken is pecking about in my back yard. It escaped, somehow, from its colleagues next door.

Have a great 4th of July!

LSP