A Sign

A sign.

Thanks, GWB.

LSP

Magnificat

Mary exults in the Magnificat, which we heard in today's Gospel. Here it is:

MY soul doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth * all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me; * and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; * and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; * as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

I'd say that was as relevant now as it's ever been.

God bless,

LSP

Anglo-Catholics, This One's For You. A Confession

I know it's terribly confusing, but there's a movement, or a shadow of a movement, within Anglicanism that asserts catholicity for our part of the church. Scripture, creeds, sacraments, apostolic tradition, piety, liturgy, salvation, the nature of the church herself, all these and more are viewed and believed in through a catholic lens.

Now, as a part of this movement, such as it is today, I have a confession to make -- and yes, make yours before Christmas, if you can -- there was a time, not so long ago in the greater scheme of things, when I felt that if I didn't have this:

St. Nicholas du Chardonnet

I wasn't somehow cutting it. But I got this:

Rural missions in Texas. Not shrines in Boston, New York, Philly, Chicago, or even Texas, for that matter. And you know what, I don't feel shortchanged for a moment.

Don't get me wrong, I love a Solemn High Mass as much as I loathe, scorn and despise liturgical dance, or the monstrous regiment of priestesses, women bishop figures and associated clowns. But here's the thing -- don't let yourself become that most ridiculous and pathetic of creatures, a church snob. God will surprise you. In my case, that's been for the good.

Don't Teacup, Fool

In related news, I've reminded the bishop that it'd make a lot of sense to put a new rule in place regarding postulants for ordination. Viz. If you can't ride and you don't shoot, you can't get in.

That is all.

Your Old Pal,

LSP

Pathetic Oberlin Students Demand Fried Chicken.

Ultra lib Oberlin college in Ohio is in an uproar about culturally insensitive food, with students, apparently from the Black Student Union, demanding fried chicken as a regular menu item, and less cream. 

Via the Oberlin Review -- Students called for CDS to adhere to more traditional meals, including making fried chicken a permanent feature on the Sunday night menu and providing more vegan and vegetarian options.

A Typical Fried Chicken Dinner

And we'll have none of that white privilege cream, either.

The petition also outlines a list of proposed meals, offering authentic food ideas, recommendations on how to properly prepare food and reduce the amount of cream used in dishes because, as stated in the petition, “Black American food doesn’t have much cream in it.”

But culinary quarrels are the least of it. The pampered libleft elite at Oberlin have presented their white supremacist oppressors with a list of 50 demands.

Lena Dunham, Clay Golem?

Lena Dunham went to Oberlin.

Make of this what you will.

LSP

 

The Harvard Placemat

Everyone knows that Harvard is Satan's Vatican and that it issued special Holiday Placemats For Social Justice.

Rod Dreher gives some helpful advice to families trying to cope with their social justice warrior children ruining Christmas with their obnoxious "talking points." Dreher recommends you go full Cartman:

When your Harvard undergraduate comes home for the holidays and undertakes to preach about politics at the dinner table, ask yourself, “What would Eric Cartman say?” Then say it over and over again, until the SJW runs sobbing from the table.

Harvard has since apologized for it's risible placemats, but remember this, the Devil is the Father of Lies.

Your Friend,

LSP

#BlackGunsMatter

At least they do if you know how to shoot them. With that in mind, I went down to the range with a couple of black guns and an eye towards some remedial target practice.

A natural gas pipeline is being put through the fields behind the range's berm and it felt strange to see a bit of country I'd enjoyed being torn up. Everything seemed smaller, somehow.

I clambered over the earthworks to speak with one of the pipeliners, who was sitting in a Ranger, and asked if it was OK to shoot. He said sure, as long as I shot away from the work. "Hell! I've already been shot once already!" he said, holding up his left hand, which was missing all its fingers except the thumb, and a bit of that was gone too. 

"Man!" I exclaimed, promising to shoot safely, and asked where the pipeline was going. "From Whitney to Teague," said my new friend, and I told him that was "quite a thing," which it is.

Conversation over, I blazed away at some improvised targets, going for speed with the .45 and accuracy with the carbine. I have to say, the more I shoot the Glock 21 the more I like it; that pistol's right on the money. The AR worked well too, a proper little blaster.

Shoot over, I drove into the golden void like a warrior, on the edge of time.

Gun rights,

LSP

Run Hide Tell. Excuse Me?

UK police have released active shooter/terror advice, instructing potential victims to Run, Hide and Tell. That way you can keep being a victim until the police arrive.

It's an interesting take on the accepted rule, which goes like this. Run, Hide, Fight. In Texas, for example, the run to cover might be quick, followed by an equally quick armed response. In England, where everyone's safer because they're not allowed to defend themselves, you'd have to improvise.

Here's some tactical tips from the DHS, that we have to assume "Jeh" Johnson hasn't got around to censoring:

Step three (Fight):

"If this person gets to you, fight with everything that you have."

"Use any and everything at your disposal.

"If you get into that position where you have to fight, if you can use a chair, your shoe, anything you can use to protect yourself, go ahead and use that.

"Know that police can take ten minutes to arrive, and there's so much you can do in that window. The life you save may not only be your own, but those of others."

I hope that's helpful. But in the meanwhile, formerly Great Britain, ISIS laughs. I'm off for a pistol shoot, like a free man.

Beat the Jihad,

LSP 

Should You Carry a Gun in Your Rig?

Short answer, yes, though in Texas a handgun has to be concealed. But I'll tell you a true story by way of illustration. 

Grandma LSP was driving with Great Grandma LSP, in Plainview, West Texas, during the '20s oil boom. They were wild times and an outlaw figured he could rob the two women. He thought differently when Great Grandma LSP produced a revolver from the glove box.

Plainview in the 1880s?

That was the '20s and this is now. Have we become more, or less lawful since then?  And if you're carjacked by Justin Welby, or some other bad actor, would you be more, or less safe if you're armed? The NWO libs insist that you'll be safer if you aren't and that the police will protect you.

That wouldn't have worked for those two women in Plainview in the '20s and guess what, it wouldn't work now. And I'll go further than that and say that one of the hallmarks of a free society is the ability of its citizens to defend themselves.

Go ahead and say otherwise, but know that not only are you on the side of Hillary Clinton, the NYT and "Huffpo," but also Hitler.

Gun rights.

LSP

Putin Finds Elixir of Life

A series of photos has emerged proving that Russian President, Vladimir Putin, hasn't aged since at least 1920. Many are speculating that the former KGB strongman is immortal, and some suggest that the animal-loving ruler of the Russian Federation may, in fact, be a vampire.

Vampires Don't Cross Themselves

We dispute that claim, here at the Compound, and for several reasons. Unlike a vampire, Putin is frequently seen in daylight and has a reflection. He also goes to church, venerates icons and receives Communion. Vampires do none of these things.

Vampires Don't Venerate Holy Icons

However, Putin has clearly found the key to extreme longevity if not "immortality." This suggests that he may have found the Elixir of Life, and possibly the Philosopher's Stone, which turns base metal into gold.

Gold

So we call the question. Is Vladimir Putin an Alchemist and if so, what does that make Barack Obama?

You, the reader, be the judge.

LSP

It's Bushcraft Wednesday!

The thing about bushcraft is it's all about living and surviving in the wild, in the "bush," and doing it yourself instead of relying on nanny state or the nearest supermarket to sort it out for you. That applies to Christmas, and Hickok45 has given us a helpful video to show how it's done.

Notice how everyone's favorite outdoorsman uses the right tool for the job.

LSP

Judgement Runs Out Into Mercy

Listen up, you lot. It's not Christmas yet, it's Advent, and you've probably forgotten this so I'm posting it again. Wisdom, from Austin Farrer:

Our journey sets out from God in our creation, and returns to God at the final judgement. As the bird rises from the earth to fly, and must some time return to the earth from which it rose; so God sends us forth to fly, and we must fall back into the hands of God at last. But God does not wait for the failure of our power and the expiry of our days to drop us back into his lap. He goes himself to meet us and everywhere confronts us. Where is the countenance which we must finally look in the eyes, and not be able to turn away our head? It smiles up at Mary from the cradle, it calls Peter from the nets, it looks on him with grief when he has denied his master. Our judge meets us at every step of our way, with forgiveness on his lips and succour in his hands. He offers us these things while there is yet time.Every day opportunity shortens, our scope for learning our Redeemer's love is narrowed by twenty-four hours, and we come nearer to the end of our journey, when we shall fall into the hands of the living God, and touch the heart of the devouring fire.

Advent brings Christmas, judgement runs out into mercy. For the God who saves us and the God who judges us is one God. We are not, even, condemned by his severity and redeemed by his compassion; what judges us is what redeems us, the love of God. What is it that will break our hearts on judgement day? Is it not the vision, suddenly unrolled, of how he has loved the friends we have neglected, of how he has loved us, and we have not loved him in return ; how, when we came (as now) before his altar, he gave us himself, and we gave him half-penitences, or resolutions too weak to commit our wills? But while love thus judges us by being what it is, the same love redeems us by effecting what it does. Love shares flesh and blood with us in this present world, that the eyes which look us through at last may find in us a better substance than our vanity.

I love that.

LSP 

Put Some Lights on The House

"So what do you do, when you go to the big city, so-called 'LSP'?" I hear you asking, with an edge in your voice. Good question, and I'll tell you.

These days, I mostly put up Christmas lights. That means clambering about on the porch roof to get the wreath in position.

Ground level is easier. Just put the lights on the hedge. Simple, and I think they look good. But that's just me.

Have fun getting your place ready for Christmas.

God bless,

LSP