Well, it was a 1997 Camry. Update: My father was moved to the VA and is doing much better. My mother sounded downright ecstatic on the phone!
1 year ago
26 August 2007
1997 Camry
Well, it was a 1997 Camry. Update: My father was moved to the VA and is doing much better. My mother sounded downright ecstatic on the phone!
24 August 2007
Importation of Vehicles
I was just perusing the information about exporting/importing vehicles. Both the Canadian and US sites mention providing documents to US Customs 72 hours prior to export. What do folks know about this? Did you fax things in advance? I know that Tom and Emilio mentioned this in their great "to do" list. Do we just contact the US people at the border where we'll be crossing? Any insight is most appreciated. Thanks!
22 August 2007
News of the Day
What an interesting morning. Let me first say that I do not like birds. I am afraid of birds. I would not welcome a free trip to Venice. I duck - no pun intended - when pigeons fly toward me. But, raptors are pretty cool. I've learned that from P and 6YO.
This morning, while on my walk, I saw a bird that seemed to be a raptor sitting in the street about three feet from the curb. It didn't move when cars flew by. It didn't move when I got closer and stamped by feet. I got home, got my phone and car and returned. This was about 15 minutes later. It was still in the exact same place! Clearly the bird was sick or injured. Then, a man walked by with his Rottweiler. The bird extended its wings, but hopped - to the middle of the street! Grrr - damn bird!
The Raptor Center at the UM wasn't open yet so I called M - the father of one of 6YO's best pals - who used to work there to find out what he would suggest. Did I say it was 7:12 am? I was on the phone, in the middle of the street, waving traffic around that bird. The guy with the dog was still trying to get the bird to move. Then, a woman pulled up behind my car and asked if we needed a blanket. I had a great box from our CSA in the trunk so that was helpful. She - now remember, I'm afraid of birds - put the blanket over it, as M had suggested, and placed it in the box. I then put it in the trunk and went home.
P had her first class - Immigration Law! - in 30 minutes and I had to take 6YO with me and then to camp. Off we went to the Small Animal Clinic at the UM, across the street from the Raptor Center and a few blocks from camp. They confirmed that it was, in fact, a raptor and put it in a quiet room. The Raptor Center would be open in about 25 minutes so we waited, both so that we could find out more and get the blanket and box.
At 8:00, a young man came walking toward the building with big, heavy red gloves. He had to be the raptor man, and he was. He went to the room and just a few minutes later came out carrying the raptor - a juvenile male Cooper's Hawk. 6YO - who, btw, is having his birthday/hatchday party at the Raptor Center this year, got to see it close up. The middle picture on the right side of this page is what it looked like. Off they went. Off we went.
I got a call about two hours later to let me know that they haven't yet identified what might be wrong and to ask if we'd seen any others in the neighborhood as they have another juvenile ready to be released. She said that it may have been slightly clipped by a car and be somewhat traumatized, but not actually injured. They'll keep it for observation and determine what's to be done. Ifi he can fly, he will likely be released back into the same area because they apparently stay close to their family.
Let me just to say to any experts out there - I don't know if it's even correct to call a raptor a bird or a duck a bird. If it can fly toward me - and isn't clearly an insect or some other thing -it's bird enough for me!
I don't know what excitement is next. BTW, my father is doing well. Much better since they reduced the morphine. He still has moments of confusion, but physical health-wise I think he's doing great. My sister is there until Saturday. She said I won't believe the photos of the car. Thank goodness for air bags.
There are a couple of other posts below. Busy morning!
This morning, while on my walk, I saw a bird that seemed to be a raptor sitting in the street about three feet from the curb. It didn't move when cars flew by. It didn't move when I got closer and stamped by feet. I got home, got my phone and car and returned. This was about 15 minutes later. It was still in the exact same place! Clearly the bird was sick or injured. Then, a man walked by with his Rottweiler. The bird extended its wings, but hopped - to the middle of the street! Grrr - damn bird!
The Raptor Center at the UM wasn't open yet so I called M - the father of one of 6YO's best pals - who used to work there to find out what he would suggest. Did I say it was 7:12 am? I was on the phone, in the middle of the street, waving traffic around that bird. The guy with the dog was still trying to get the bird to move. Then, a woman pulled up behind my car and asked if we needed a blanket. I had a great box from our CSA in the trunk so that was helpful. She - now remember, I'm afraid of birds - put the blanket over it, as M had suggested, and placed it in the box. I then put it in the trunk and went home.
P had her first class - Immigration Law! - in 30 minutes and I had to take 6YO with me and then to camp. Off we went to the Small Animal Clinic at the UM, across the street from the Raptor Center and a few blocks from camp. They confirmed that it was, in fact, a raptor and put it in a quiet room. The Raptor Center would be open in about 25 minutes so we waited, both so that we could find out more and get the blanket and box.
At 8:00, a young man came walking toward the building with big, heavy red gloves. He had to be the raptor man, and he was. He went to the room and just a few minutes later came out carrying the raptor - a juvenile male Cooper's Hawk. 6YO - who, btw, is having his birthday/hatchday party at the Raptor Center this year, got to see it close up. The middle picture on the right side of this page is what it looked like. Off they went. Off we went.
I got a call about two hours later to let me know that they haven't yet identified what might be wrong and to ask if we'd seen any others in the neighborhood as they have another juvenile ready to be released. She said that it may have been slightly clipped by a car and be somewhat traumatized, but not actually injured. They'll keep it for observation and determine what's to be done. Ifi he can fly, he will likely be released back into the same area because they apparently stay close to their family.
Let me just to say to any experts out there - I don't know if it's even correct to call a raptor a bird or a duck a bird. If it can fly toward me - and isn't clearly an insect or some other thing -it's bird enough for me!
I don't know what excitement is next. BTW, my father is doing well. Much better since they reduced the morphine. He still has moments of confusion, but physical health-wise I think he's doing great. My sister is there until Saturday. She said I won't believe the photos of the car. Thank goodness for air bags.
There are a couple of other posts below. Busy morning!
American?
A colleague sent this my way. I thought some of you might find it of interest.
http://insidehighered.com/views/2007/08/22/mclemee
http://insidehighered.com/views/2007/08/22/mclemee
The Prerequisite for World Peace?
Personal Happiness: The Prerequisite for World Peace?
People with Strong Sense of Well-Being Support Democracy, Equality, Nonviolence
A new study in the Journal of Social Issues states that individuals with a strong sense of personal well-being tend to have more confidence in the government, express more support for democracy and exhibit less racial intolerance. These individual level differences are moderated by nation-level societal factors such as violence, inequality and economic development.
"Global peace efforts often give strong emphasis to economic and democratic development within societies," say study co-authors Ed Diener and William Tov. “Our results provide support for these efforts in showing that the social, political and economic structures of a society are related to peace, as reflected in the attitudes of the people living in that society.” Diener cautions, however, that the correlation between happiness and peace is not simple, and that happy, satisfied people are well aware of their political and social surroundings.
Living in a wealthy democracy does not guarantee support for democracy—particularly if people are unhappy and dissatisfied. The findings of the study suggest that dissatisfied people who live in wealthy democracies may be even more critical and less supportive of democracy than dissatisfied people who live in poorer, less democratic nations. "Confidence in the government is enhanced in those countries where homicide rates are low, economic inequality is low, and people are happy and satisfied with their lives," says Diener.
"Although efforts to improve societal conditions are implicitly aimed at increasing happiness, we suggest that well- being itself be more explicitly stated in the ideals of a peaceful society," say the authors. "Well-being is not just a final goal, but a key factor in fostering and maintaining the conditions for peace."
This study, "Subjective Well-Being and Peace" by Ed Diener and William Tov, is published in: Vol. 63 Issue 2 of the Journal of Social Issues.
21 August 2007
Why am I not surprised?
I wasn't able to attend the annual meeting of my national professional organization, the American Sociological Association, this year, but I just came across this while reading their website to "catch up." I thought you might find it of interest.
Political Ideology May be the Cause of the U.S. Government’s Failure to Admit World-Renowned Scholar Adam Habib to Participate in the 2007 ASA Annual Meeting
New York, NY—The United States Government has declined to act on the visa application of world-renowned South African scholar Adam Habib, thereby preventing him from entering the United States to participate in the American Sociological Association’s (ASA) 102nd Annual Meeting in New York City. Dr. Habib was scheduled to speak on Saturday, August 11, on an invited presidential panel titled “Globalization and Resistance.”
Adam Habib is an American-trained PhD, renowned scholar, internationally sought-after analyst, and Executive Director of South Africa’s Human Science Research Council’s Program on Democracy and Governance. He is also a Muslim of Indian descent who has been a vocal critic of the U.S. war in Iraq and certain U.S. terrorism-related policies.
Months ago, Professor Habib accepted an invitation from the President of the ASA to participate in the ASA Annual Meeting. Although, Dr. Habib has been a frequent visitor to the United States and held a valid visa, he was turned away by U.S. officials last October after arriving at JFK International Airport. He was coming to the United States for a series of meetings with private research and academic organizations and U.S. government agencies including the National Institutes of Health.
Along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ASA has pressed the U.S. State Department on Dr. Habib’s behalf to gain permission for him to enter the United States to address the Association’s Annual Meeting which attracts over 6,000 national and international scholars. Because the U.S. government has previously excluded other intellectuals from entry into the United States apparently on ideological grounds, the ASA is concerned that the State Department’s denial of a visa by its failure to act in a timely manner may also be ideological exclusion. If so, this raises significant concerns for the Association’s leaders and its more than 14,000 members about the fate of academic freedom.
Academic freedom is absolutely fundamental to the mission of the ASA, which rests upon the ability of scholars from wide-ranging perspectives to engage in dialog that nurtures scientific development to the benefit of the larger society. Academic freedom is the hallmark of American democratic culture. It has allowed scientists, intellectuals, and their scholarly societies to flourish and create one of the world’s most dynamic educational systems and robust knowledge-based economies. ASA opposes the use of visa denials or de facto denials on ideological grounds, because such action suppresses free intellectual exchange. The United States has a long and enviable history as the world’s foremost host to scholars and supporter of intellectual exchange with its many social and economic benefits.
The ASA expresses its deepest disappointment and profound concern about the Department of State’s de facto denial of a visa, which has barred Professor Adam Habib from participating in the Association’s Annual Meeting. Such actions undermine the willingness of numerous scientists and academics from many nations to visit the United States and collaborate with their American colleagues. The ASA believes this limitation on scholarly exchange erodes our nation’s reputation as a defender of the free and open search for knowledge.
Political Ideology May be the Cause of the U.S. Government’s Failure to Admit World-Renowned Scholar Adam Habib to Participate in the 2007 ASA Annual Meeting
New York, NY—The United States Government has declined to act on the visa application of world-renowned South African scholar Adam Habib, thereby preventing him from entering the United States to participate in the American Sociological Association’s (ASA) 102nd Annual Meeting in New York City. Dr. Habib was scheduled to speak on Saturday, August 11, on an invited presidential panel titled “Globalization and Resistance.”
Adam Habib is an American-trained PhD, renowned scholar, internationally sought-after analyst, and Executive Director of South Africa’s Human Science Research Council’s Program on Democracy and Governance. He is also a Muslim of Indian descent who has been a vocal critic of the U.S. war in Iraq and certain U.S. terrorism-related policies.
Months ago, Professor Habib accepted an invitation from the President of the ASA to participate in the ASA Annual Meeting. Although, Dr. Habib has been a frequent visitor to the United States and held a valid visa, he was turned away by U.S. officials last October after arriving at JFK International Airport. He was coming to the United States for a series of meetings with private research and academic organizations and U.S. government agencies including the National Institutes of Health.
Along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ASA has pressed the U.S. State Department on Dr. Habib’s behalf to gain permission for him to enter the United States to address the Association’s Annual Meeting which attracts over 6,000 national and international scholars. Because the U.S. government has previously excluded other intellectuals from entry into the United States apparently on ideological grounds, the ASA is concerned that the State Department’s denial of a visa by its failure to act in a timely manner may also be ideological exclusion. If so, this raises significant concerns for the Association’s leaders and its more than 14,000 members about the fate of academic freedom.
Academic freedom is absolutely fundamental to the mission of the ASA, which rests upon the ability of scholars from wide-ranging perspectives to engage in dialog that nurtures scientific development to the benefit of the larger society. Academic freedom is the hallmark of American democratic culture. It has allowed scientists, intellectuals, and their scholarly societies to flourish and create one of the world’s most dynamic educational systems and robust knowledge-based economies. ASA opposes the use of visa denials or de facto denials on ideological grounds, because such action suppresses free intellectual exchange. The United States has a long and enviable history as the world’s foremost host to scholars and supporter of intellectual exchange with its many social and economic benefits.
The ASA expresses its deepest disappointment and profound concern about the Department of State’s de facto denial of a visa, which has barred Professor Adam Habib from participating in the Association’s Annual Meeting. Such actions undermine the willingness of numerous scientists and academics from many nations to visit the United States and collaborate with their American colleagues. The ASA believes this limitation on scholarly exchange erodes our nation’s reputation as a defender of the free and open search for knowledge.
19 August 2007
Voices of War
The New York Times
August 19, 2007
Op-Ed Contributors
The War as We Saw It
By Buddhika Jayamaha, Wesley D. Smith, Jeremy Roebuck, Omar Mora, Edward Sandmeier, Yance T. Gray, and Jeremy Murphy
Baghdad
Viewed from Iraq at the tail end of a 15-month deployment, the political debate in Washington is indeed surreal. Counterinsurgency is, by definition, a competition between insurgents and counterinsurgents for the control and support of a population. To believe that Americans, with an occupying force that long ago outlived its reluctant welcome, can win over a recalcitrant local population and win this counterinsurgency is far-fetched. As responsible infantrymen and noncommissioned officers with the 82nd Airborne Division soon heading back home, we are skeptical of recent press coverage portraying the conflict as increasingly manageable and feel it has neglected the mounting civil, political and social unrest we see every day. (Obviously, these are our personal views and should not be seen as official within our chain of command.)
The claim that we are increasingly in control of the battlefields in Iraq is an assessment arrived at through a flawed, American-centered framework. Yes, we are militarily superior, but our successes are offset by failures elsewhere. What soldiers call the “battle space” remains the same, with changes only at the margins. It is crowded with actors who do not fit neatly into boxes: Sunni extremists, Al Qaeda terrorists, Shiite militiamen, criminals and armed tribes. This situation is made more complex by the questionable loyalties and Janus-faced role of the Iraqi police and Iraqi Army, which have been trained and armed at United States taxpayers’ expense.
[snip]
In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are — an army of occupation — and force our withdrawal.
Until that happens, it would be prudent for us to increasingly let Iraqis take center stage in all matters, to come up with a nuanced policy in which we assist them from the margins but let them resolve their differences as they see fit. This suggestion is not meant to be defeatist, but rather to highlight our pursuit of incompatible policies to absurd ends without recognizing the incongruities.
We need not talk about our morale. As committed soldiers, we will see this mission through.
Buddhika Jayamaha is an Army specialist. Wesley D. Smith is a sergeant. Jeremy Roebuck is a sergeant. Omar Mora is a sergeant. Edward Sandmeier is a sergeant. Yance T. Gray is a staff sergeant. Jeremy A. Murphy is a staff sergeant.
For the entire article, go here.
August 19, 2007
Op-Ed Contributors
The War as We Saw It
By Buddhika Jayamaha, Wesley D. Smith, Jeremy Roebuck, Omar Mora, Edward Sandmeier, Yance T. Gray, and Jeremy Murphy
Baghdad
Viewed from Iraq at the tail end of a 15-month deployment, the political debate in Washington is indeed surreal. Counterinsurgency is, by definition, a competition between insurgents and counterinsurgents for the control and support of a population. To believe that Americans, with an occupying force that long ago outlived its reluctant welcome, can win over a recalcitrant local population and win this counterinsurgency is far-fetched. As responsible infantrymen and noncommissioned officers with the 82nd Airborne Division soon heading back home, we are skeptical of recent press coverage portraying the conflict as increasingly manageable and feel it has neglected the mounting civil, political and social unrest we see every day. (Obviously, these are our personal views and should not be seen as official within our chain of command.)
The claim that we are increasingly in control of the battlefields in Iraq is an assessment arrived at through a flawed, American-centered framework. Yes, we are militarily superior, but our successes are offset by failures elsewhere. What soldiers call the “battle space” remains the same, with changes only at the margins. It is crowded with actors who do not fit neatly into boxes: Sunni extremists, Al Qaeda terrorists, Shiite militiamen, criminals and armed tribes. This situation is made more complex by the questionable loyalties and Janus-faced role of the Iraqi police and Iraqi Army, which have been trained and armed at United States taxpayers’ expense.
In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are — an army of occupation — and force our withdrawal.
Until that happens, it would be prudent for us to increasingly let Iraqis take center stage in all matters, to come up with a nuanced policy in which we assist them from the margins but let them resolve their differences as they see fit. This suggestion is not meant to be defeatist, but rather to highlight our pursuit of incompatible policies to absurd ends without recognizing the incongruities.
We need not talk about our morale. As committed soldiers, we will see this mission through.
Buddhika Jayamaha is an Army specialist. Wesley D. Smith is a sergeant. Jeremy Roebuck is a sergeant. Omar Mora is a sergeant. Edward Sandmeier is a sergeant. Yance T. Gray is a staff sergeant. Jeremy A. Murphy is a staff sergeant.
For the entire article, go here.
17 August 2007
Hmmmm?
I don't know where to start. I last posted on Sunday the 12th when my brother and his wife were visiting, along with my parents and sister. They - the brother and his wife - arrived driving their Chevy truck that gets about 9 mpg, towing a cargo trailer containing two Harleys and a golf cart. With that load they get about 6 mpg. They had a generator in the back of the pick-up because, of course, you have to have lights and AC when camping. On Monday he was wearing his black polo shirt with the Harley Kuwait insignia. Hers was a black polo shirt from a Harley shop in Georgia. Talk about culture clash.
They left on Tuesday morning, my father's 81st birthday. Everyone else left on Wednesday. Yesterday - Thursday - was P's birthday so we went to lunch. That was after my appointment at hand therapy to get a splint for my arthritic thumb. Yes, it's true. Yesterday evening 6YO spent the night with friends and we had dinner and watched Dreamgirls. Today I had to finish grading and I did. After picking up 6YO at French Camp, we got home and I had a note from our painters-friends saying that my folks had been in a car accident.
My father is in the hospital with fractured ribs and something to his sternum - all from the air bag. Because of his meds and pacemaker they're keeping him overnight. My mother was released and, except for being really sore, has only a small fracture in a wrist bone. The car is, apparently, totalled. Other good news is that she was not at fault. The driver of something like a Suburban blew through the intersection and, even slamming on the breaks, my mother just couldn't stop in time and smashed their Mazda 626 right into the SUV.
Yeah, we like to keep a little excitement in our lives. Other good news is that the house painting is going well, looks fabulous. My colleague who had the cardiac arrest went home from the hospital today. He had a defibrillator implanted for his 37th birthday.
In other "regular" news, I sent two pieces of furniture off with my brother - he had a cargo trailer ya' know - and shipped another to my sister. I may have mentioned this before, but, having had the family heirlooms for 25 years I've decided to pass them on rather than haul them to Canada.
Okay, not really interesting, but I thought I'd post something.
Update: My sister just called. More good news - she's in San Diego - about 6 hours away from the folks in Tucson - and, if needed, can drive over to help. She's supposed to be back at school Monday, but can get coverage if need be. I'm glad one of us is fairly close by.
What does tomorrow have in store? 6YO has a play date and P and I plan to go see Death at a Funeral. More as it happens...
They left on Tuesday morning, my father's 81st birthday. Everyone else left on Wednesday. Yesterday - Thursday - was P's birthday so we went to lunch. That was after my appointment at hand therapy to get a splint for my arthritic thumb. Yes, it's true. Yesterday evening 6YO spent the night with friends and we had dinner and watched Dreamgirls. Today I had to finish grading and I did. After picking up 6YO at French Camp, we got home and I had a note from our painters-friends saying that my folks had been in a car accident.
My father is in the hospital with fractured ribs and something to his sternum - all from the air bag. Because of his meds and pacemaker they're keeping him overnight. My mother was released and, except for being really sore, has only a small fracture in a wrist bone. The car is, apparently, totalled. Other good news is that she was not at fault. The driver of something like a Suburban blew through the intersection and, even slamming on the breaks, my mother just couldn't stop in time and smashed their Mazda 626 right into the SUV.
Yeah, we like to keep a little excitement in our lives. Other good news is that the house painting is going well, looks fabulous. My colleague who had the cardiac arrest went home from the hospital today. He had a defibrillator implanted for his 37th birthday.
In other "regular" news, I sent two pieces of furniture off with my brother - he had a cargo trailer ya' know - and shipped another to my sister. I may have mentioned this before, but, having had the family heirlooms for 25 years I've decided to pass them on rather than haul them to Canada.
Okay, not really interesting, but I thought I'd post something.
Update: My sister just called. More good news - she's in San Diego - about 6 hours away from the folks in Tucson - and, if needed, can drive over to help. She's supposed to be back at school Monday, but can get coverage if need be. I'm glad one of us is fairly close by.
What does tomorrow have in store? 6YO has a play date and P and I plan to go see Death at a Funeral. More as it happens...
12 August 2007
Hatred
Church cancels gay vet's memorial
Texas congregation acted out of principle, not malice, pastor says
The Associated Press
Aug 11, 2007
ARLINGTON, Texas - A megachurch canceled a memorial service for a Navy veteran 24 hours before it was to start because the deceased was gay.
Officials at the nondenominational High Point Church knew that Cecil Howard Sinclair was gay when they offered to host his service, said his sister, Kathleen Wright. But after his obituary listed his life partner as one of his survivors, she said, it was called off.
“It’s a slap in the face. It’s like, ’Oh, we’re sorry he died, but he’s gay so we can’t help you,”’ she said Friday.
Wright said High Point offered to hold the service for Sinclair because their brother is a janitor there. Sinclair, who served in the first Gulf War, died Monday at age 46 from an infection after surgery to prepare him for a heart transplant.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Gary Simons, said no one knew Sinclair, who was not a church member, was gay until the day before the Thursday service, when staff members putting together his video tribute saw pictures of men “engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing.”
‘It’s not that we didn’t love the family’
Simons said the church believes homosexuality is a sin, and it would have appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the service had been held there.
“We did decline to host the service — not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle,” Simons told The Associated Press. “Had we known it on the day they first spoke about it — yes, we would have declined then. It’s not that we didn’t love the family.”
Simons said the decision had nothing to do with the obituary. He said the church offered to pay for another site for the service, made the video and provided food for more than 100 relatives and friends.
“Even though we could not condone that lifestyle, we went above and beyond for the family through many acts of love and kindness,” Simons said.
Wright called the church’s claim about the pictures “a bold-faced lie.” She said she provided numerous family pictures of Sinclair, including some with his partner, but said none showed men kissing or hugging.
The 5,000-member High Point Church was founded in 2000 by Simons and his wife, April, whose brother is Joel Osteen, well-known pastor of the 38,000-member Lakewood Church in Houston. Now High Point meets in a 432,000-square-foot facility in Arlington, near Dallas.
Wright said relatives declined the church’s offer to hold the service at a community center because they felt it was an inappropriate venue. It ultimately was held at a funeral home, but the cancellation still lingered in some minds, she said.
© 2007 The Associated Press.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20221295/?GT1=10252
Texas congregation acted out of principle, not malice, pastor says
The Associated Press
Aug 11, 2007
ARLINGTON, Texas - A megachurch canceled a memorial service for a Navy veteran 24 hours before it was to start because the deceased was gay.
Officials at the nondenominational High Point Church knew that Cecil Howard Sinclair was gay when they offered to host his service, said his sister, Kathleen Wright. But after his obituary listed his life partner as one of his survivors, she said, it was called off.
“It’s a slap in the face. It’s like, ’Oh, we’re sorry he died, but he’s gay so we can’t help you,”’ she said Friday.
Wright said High Point offered to hold the service for Sinclair because their brother is a janitor there. Sinclair, who served in the first Gulf War, died Monday at age 46 from an infection after surgery to prepare him for a heart transplant.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Gary Simons, said no one knew Sinclair, who was not a church member, was gay until the day before the Thursday service, when staff members putting together his video tribute saw pictures of men “engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing.”
‘It’s not that we didn’t love the family’
Simons said the church believes homosexuality is a sin, and it would have appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the service had been held there.
“We did decline to host the service — not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle,” Simons told The Associated Press. “Had we known it on the day they first spoke about it — yes, we would have declined then. It’s not that we didn’t love the family.”
Simons said the decision had nothing to do with the obituary. He said the church offered to pay for another site for the service, made the video and provided food for more than 100 relatives and friends.
“Even though we could not condone that lifestyle, we went above and beyond for the family through many acts of love and kindness,” Simons said.
Wright called the church’s claim about the pictures “a bold-faced lie.” She said she provided numerous family pictures of Sinclair, including some with his partner, but said none showed men kissing or hugging.
The 5,000-member High Point Church was founded in 2000 by Simons and his wife, April, whose brother is Joel Osteen, well-known pastor of the 38,000-member Lakewood Church in Houston. Now High Point meets in a 432,000-square-foot facility in Arlington, near Dallas.
Wright said relatives declined the church’s offer to hold the service at a community center because they felt it was an inappropriate venue. It ultimately was held at a funeral home, but the cancellation still lingered in some minds, she said.
© 2007 The Associated Press.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20221295/?GT1=10252
Chaos, of a sort
A couple of days after the bridge collapse my best friend from graduate school called to say that her sister, who was studying to become a Unitarian Universalist minister, had committed suicide. Although she left a twelve year old son, fortunately he has a very good relationship with his father and stepmother. As I sit here in the living room, a ball cap that reads "Pizza Hut Iraq" is on the table across from me. Not a chance that it's mine. My brother and sister-in-law arrived yesterday, bringing that gift for my father. They're visiting on their way back from the bike rally in Sturgis, SD. My parents arrived from Arizona on Wednesday. My sister arrived from California last Sunday. This week a colleague of mine, who is 35 or 36, had a severe heart attack. Again, the "fortunately statement" is that he appears to be recovering quite well. Our painters started power washing the house on Friday. Paint chips are everywhere. 6YO has been behaving exceptionally well considering the upheaval. E.g., his trundle bed is in our room so that someone can sleep in his bed. Our very good friends, G & D, are having us all over to their (bigger) place for a BBQ this evening. Mostly, I think, because they want to see my brother. Insert smirk. I've had a variety of things about which I've wanted to post, but, needless to say, I've been a little busy. I had to finish taping and painting in the basement, cleaning, etc. But, I've been keeping up with my blogreading. Everyone will be gone by Wednesday afternoon and, as soon as I'm done grading, perhaps I'll find a few moments to catch up! Hope all is well with you.
01 August 2007
Minneapolis/Saint Paul
Just a quick post for anyone who might remember where we live. We were not on the bridge, we're fine. We've been getting calls from various friends and family around the country and it occurred to me that someone among our cyberfriends may wonder if we happened to be there. We drive on that bridge frequently, but fortunately not today. More soon.
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