Transfiguration

Today's the last Sunday of the Epiphany and Jesus appears in the Gospel, transfigured and standing between Moses and Elijah, as the fulfillment of prophecy and the law. I preached on that, emphasizing the spiritual ascent of the faithful up Mt. Tabor, culminating in our own transfiguration.

Easier said than done, of course, as we fall back down the mountain from time to time. "The Devil made me do it the first time," I told the congregation, "the second time I done it all on my own." 

Some say that a sermon's only half a sermon if it doesn't include at least one line from Waylon Jennings.

Enjoy the game,

LSP

Shoot The Turkey

It's a sad fact of life that in this vale of tears we have enemies. My enemy is an ancient steel turkey and I took some time off from visiting the sick to take care of unfinished business.

We faced off at 100 yards, just me, the metal bird and a Ruger American .22. To be honest, I had an ulterior motive. Viz. To improve the recent abysmal standard of my off-hand shooting. So I shot away and while my marksmanship was nothing to write home about, it wasn't too bad either. Take that, turkey.

After a string of satisfying plinks as the .22 rounds hit the bird, I shifted to clays at 50, 75 and 100 yards. A bit more of a challenge than the turk and it's neat to see them shatter when you hit them. A couple of aggressive tin cans found themselves in trouble too. Breath, squeeze the trigger and watch the can fly up in the air. Neat.

Shoot over, I headed back to the Compound and the prospect of large steaks for dinner. There's nothing quite like doing your best to break personal stereotypes, I always think.

Your Old Pal,

LSP

This One's For LL, Rebel Son

What can we say? Rebel Son.

All for the Cause,

LSP

So Who is Marco Rubio?

The American public and the world wants to know, who is presidential hopeful, Marco Rubio?

Is he a shill for the New World Order and the GOP establishment?

Maybe he's just an enthusiastic boy.

Or a bat-eared alien, masquerading as a normal man.

You, the reader, be the judge.

LSP

Killer No. 1

It seems those mischievous Russians are at it again! This time they've taken to beaming videos of President Obama onto buildings in downtown Moscow, portraying him as a devil eating up nations as though they were souls.

A Typical Russian Art Gallery

President Obama is frequently ridiculed by Russian pranksters, who see him as a figure of scorn and derision. By contrast, former KGB strongman, Vladimir Putin, is seen by many as a New Constantine.

According to recent polls, 18% of all Americans believe Obama is a Muslim, 43% of Republicans believe the same.

Make of that what you will.

LSP

And So It Begins, A New Dark Age

The Iraqis are building a wall around Baghdad to stop Jihad barbarians from driving into the city and blowing it and its people up.

If anyone thinks this is reminiscent of the later Roman Empire and the Dark Ages, they'd be right. The wall will be three meters high, made of concrete and backed up by a trench, or "moat."

Constantinople's walls were considerably larger and held back the barbarians until the 15th century. We'll see how long Baghdad's new wall lasts and have to ask how many other cities will follow suit. 

Some Americans believe that a wall should be built around Detroit, but that would be to keep the barbarians in.

Cheers,

LSP

Obama, You Are A Mosque Dhimmwit

Barack Hussein Obama made his first presidential visit to a US mosque today and praised Islam for its compassionate mercy and charity.

“Like so many faiths, Islam is rooted in a commitment to compassion and mercy and justice and charity," stated Obama, "Whoever wants to enter paradise, the prophet Mohammad taught, let him treat people the way he would love to be treated.”

Poltroon

So what part of plundering a city like Khaybar and taking its women as sex slave wives counts as charity? But maybe beheading 700 Jews at Medina is the way Mohammed wanted to be treated, as in eye for an eye. I think that's in the Koran somewhere, and the Prophet took it from the Old Testament while ignoring the New.

Mountebank

Here's the thing; Muslims are supposed to emulate Mohammed and they often fail. Christians are supposed to emulate Christ, and like their Muslim counterparts they don't do a desperately good job of it. Now, one of these religious leaders was a warlord who took captured women as sex slaves, the other wasn't and didn't. 

Clown

Let's not pretend, by some magical, rainbow hued, frolicking unicorn sleight of hand that both religions share the same values, as though Mohammed was just another way of spelling Jesus. They're very different, as are the implications of following either.

Dhimmwit

Or to put it another way, Obama, you are a Dhimmwit.

From the House of War,

LSP

Clay Golem Self-Censors!

Notorious Clay Golem, Lena Dunham, is self-censoring herself from the popular social media platform, Twitter. 

According to Breitbart, the celebrity Clay Golem felt threatened and bullied by hostile tweets, so it won't return to Twitter unless safeguards are put in place.

Clay Golems can be deactivated by removing the shem from their mouths. 

LSP

Get A New Roof, Go Fishing

It's building season here at the Missions, and part of that means new roofs on churches. So I tore myself away from the cut and thrust of US Presidential Race 2016 to see how the work was getting on. It was getting on just fine, in fact the crew were finishing up.

"Good work!" I told the Boss of the roofers and he told me it was all done bar the clean-up. We talked about the job for a little while and the helpful weather. Far better to be roofing in the mild springlike Texan winters than in, say, August. No fun to be up on a roof in 100++ degree temperatures. 

Someone's photo of Calgary from Scotchman's Hill

"Oh, we'd be here in August too," he assured me, and I'm sure they would. I told him about the Calgary roofers I know, up on the tall buildings in sub, subzero temperatures. "Cold!" the reverse of Texas but maybe harder. I respect that job.

Then we shook hands and he thanked me for the business and I headed for home, detouring by the lake for a bit of bank fishing. I cast away with a white shad crankbait and didn't catch anything, but it was fun trying. 

It was also fun to look at the limestone banks of the lake, with its fossilized wood, shells and vegetation frozen in stone, as though they'd been churned together in a great cataclysm. I reflected on that and the several "extinction events" that have overtaken life on earth. How was it possible, in the face of global die-offs, for life to reassert itself so abundantly? 

Metaphors for civilization and US democracy notwithstanding, I headed for home and meetings with yet more roofers, house painters and "tree service."

Mind how you go,

LSP

Texas Country

In a bold attempt to escape the intense political drama that is daily life in modern America, I drove out to visit the flock. That took me to a ranch, with trees. Those of you who understand the reality of Texas' bucolic Mesquite groves will know how pleasant that is.

I shot at a pig there once, from a moving Gator, and missed.

Heart of Oak,

LSP

Megyn Kelly Wins Iowa Caucus!

In a shocking head-to-head breakneck race, TV superstar body celebrity, Megyn Kelly, has won the Iowa caucus by a few slim percentage points.

Kelly won 28% of the vote as opposed to also-ran, Trump, who got a losing 25%. Trump told the world that he's "honored" to come in as the Loser, in second place to Megyn.

America waits with bated breath as the GOP candidates psych up for New Hampshire. Will Megyn "The Body" Kelly win, or will someone else? 

Let the ballots decide!

LSP

Less Government? Yes Please.

According to recent polls, a sturdy 25% of Federal employees will leave if Trump becomes President. But where will they go, Sweden?

Yes please.

LSP