Rainy Days and Mondays...

No big news on the immigration front. P did send an email to the prof she needs to talk to about taking classes "abroad" next fall. And, we're in intermittent communication with the realtor. And, I continue to try to give things away. Other than that, it's just the same ol' busy stuff. It's been raining all day and is, I think, expected to continue throughout the evening.

The big news of the day is that we went and picked up 6YO's violin. He decided, completely on his own, last year that he wanted to learn to play the violin. It happens to be one of the few instruments that he can do at school, as part of the school day. So, on Wednesday he will begin weekly violin lessons. For a kid who is an officer in the "It's-too-hard" Club - i.e., tying his shoes, reading, writing, zipping, buttoning, soccer, catching..." - he is thrilled with the violin. He wanted to hold it on his lap in the car. He is watching PBS Kids and "playing" the violin. I guess I'll have to break it to him that he can't sleep with it. We'll see what happens when he has actual lessons to practice. I'm just glad I purchased the insurance, too.

Well, not much else going on around these parts. Just thought I'd say "hello." Hope all is well with everyone.

USD

In case you're interested in details, more on the weak US dollar here.

Update: I've adopted a new perspective on the shrinking USD. Here's my logic. We'll be taking some money to Canada, but, given the housing market, it's safe to say that it won't be tons. But, over the next couple of decades the student loan debt we'll be paying off in USD will be significantly greater than the amount of our expected capital gain. And, we will need to travel to the US to visit family, for professional meetings, etc. Thus, in the long run we will be better off with dollars that are near parity than the old days when one USD got you CAD1.25 or even 1.50. So, that's my conclusion. While there's an initial "ugh" when we think of converting whatever we manage to make off the house, in the long run a stronger loonie will be to our advantage.

Courage

From Joan Walsh, salon.com:
"This is the way necessary social change happens. It starts out unthinkable, and then one day it's inevitable.

I'm not going to spend much time describing San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders' statement about why he changed his mind and supports gay marriage. Watch the video, below. (Don't watch it if you can't afford to have a good cry this afternoon.) Sanders, a Republican, explains that he planned to veto a City Council resolution supporting efforts to overturn California's ban on gay marriage, but he changed his mind when the resolution reached his desk."

Go here for the rest of her comments and the video and, please, do watch the video!

Ripley's Believe It or Not

As you may recall, on Friday, 17 August, my father, who had turned 81 that Tuesday, and my mother were in a car accident. My mother was treated and released, but my father spent the first week at the University Medical Center in Tucson. He was transferred to the VA on Friday, 24 August. His only "direct" injuries were three rib fractures which have long ago healed. But, due to morphine induced delirium he is frequently confused, cannot write legibly, requires speech therapy and physical therapy, etc. He has various pain, pre-dating the accident, that has been exacerbated by the lengthy hospital stay. On Monday of this week the PT thought something seemed wrong because he was complaining of much more severe pain. They did x-rays. Nothing. He's been in agony all week. They did more x-rays. Well, to quote my sister who called to bring me up to date, the doctor practically genuflected when he came to tell my mother that they had discovered that he has a broken hip. I am not making this up. I'm fuzzy on the details, but it turns out that apparently one of the nurses said she was told he had fallen about a week ago, but thus far nobody has found it noted on his chart. He has to come off the blood thinner he takes before surgery, but he will have surgery sometime soon to have a pin put in the hip. My mother said that it will either be general anesthesia or a spinal. That's the part that makes me the most nervous. Take someone who's 81 and already a mess and give him general anesthesia. Wonderful.

It gets better. As I said, my sister called to tell me about this. Then she told me that she had left work yesterday and treated herself to a facial at a place she has gone for years. At first application of the cream - or whatever - her face burned. Long story short - her face looks like she's been scalded or some such. She got in to her dermatologist today and although there is no such contraindication for the medicine she uses, that's likely what caused the reaction. But, wait, yesterday when she got home my nephew asked her why the carpet was wet. Turns out they have a slab leak. A pipe in the slab - no longer a "to code" design - has leaked so the house is now in chaos while they replace, as I understand it, part of the slab and the pipes.

And, did I tell you that one of my good friends here - do you remember the Hup Holland photo? - was hit last Friday and her car was totalled? She's fine. Fortunately the guy who hit her, an attorney, jumped out and immediately acknowledged his fault.

I called my mother and she made me promise that nothing will happen here. We live and hope.

Ugh!

About a minute ago the USD was worth less than the CAD. The site keeps refreshing so it went to 1.00050 a second later and then to 1.00044 and then to 1.00035... Great for those of you already over the border, but, oy, how depressing for those of us with our "money" still here and not yet liquid.

Do Not Enter

I just received the latest issue of Academe, the "Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors." It included a section titled, "Scholars Excluded from the United States."

Here are a few excerpts -
"John Clarke, a Canadian anti-poverty worker, was stopped at the U.S. border in February 2002 on his way to a speaking engagement at Michigan State University. He was questioned by officials, who asked if he was opposed to the “ideology of the United States” and accused him of knowing where Osama Bin Laden was hiding, according to Clarke. He was then denied entry to the United States."

"In 2004, Canadian citizen Karim Meziane, a physicist at the University of New Brunswick, was turned away at the U.S. border en route to a research conference to which he had been invited by the University of New Hampshire. The Department of Homeland Security gave Meziane written reasons for his exclusion, which he demonstrated to be false using official Canadian government documents; the department, however, refused to reconsider and the U.S. ambassador refused, without explanation, a request from the Canadian Association of University Teachers to discuss the case."

Not a Canadian, but on our campus we were to host Dr. Shirin Ebadi, but her visa was denied.

"Dr. Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian human rights activist. In 2003 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women and children rights. She is the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize. A lawyer by training, Ebadi lectures at the University of Tehran. She has represented several dissidents and intellectuals, made significant contributions to family law. She has also established two non-governmental organizations in Iran, the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child (SPRC) and the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC). She also drafted the original text of a law against physical abuse of children, which was passed by the Iranian parliament in 2002. In addition to the Nobel prize she has been awarded the International Democracy Award in 2004, the Legion of Honor award in 2006 and the Rafto Prize, Human Rights Prize in Norway in 2001. She has received 11 honorary doctorates from universities in the Middle East, North America, Europe and Australia."

Not the same as "brain drain," but arguably with the same long-term effect...

Welcome, Toma!

Friends, please welcome another member of our cyberfamily, Inside These Borders by Toma. Toma, like others here, is in a binational relationship and has been going through the nightmare of the discriminatory US immigration system. Welcome, Toma!

In other news, I have given away more stuff via The Free Market. I just love that site! And, some of the students were collecting things for those who were hit by the floods in Southeast Minnesota so we gave away our wheelbarrow and Shop-Vac. Woo-hoo. Each thing that goes makes me feel one step closer to "real" packing. Although I don't have a formula, I'm using an off the top of my head "calculation" of "weight + mass + replacement cost" to determine if something is worth hauling to the Maritimes.

I'll soon be proposing a study abroad course for May 2010, "Sustainability and Social Justice: Maritime Canada." If all goes well, 10 students will spend three weeks with me, and a staff member, in Nova Scotia, PEI, and New Brunswick. We'll visit sites like an organic farm, co-housing site, restorative justice organization, etc. I am going to have so much fun planning it!

I guess that's about it. I have to work on my proposal for my visiting professorship, grade papers, etc. But, the fall is pretty much my favorite time of year. We also get to go to the apple orchard/pumpkin patch, see the fall raptor release, and, this year, attend the commitment ceremony of two of our very best friends. Today we met them for breakfast at Maria's Cafe and then we went for a short hike to a place called the "Quaking Bog." 6YO had hoped to see more bugs, but I think had fun anyway.

Hope this finds you well! And, again, welcome Toma!

Voices of War - Silenced

Not that long ago, here, I posted the Times' editorial written by seven soldiers in Iraq. Just minutes ago I heard that two of them, Yance Gray and Omar Mora, died when their truck overturned in Baghdad.

From ABC News: "Gray, who grew up in Montana, is survived by his wife, Jessica, and infant daughter, Ava. Mora, who is survived by his wife, Christa, and 5-year-old daughter, Jordan, was expected to come home to Texas City, Texas, in November, his brother, Roger Mora, said."

Some will note of interest that "Mora's mother wants the Army to explain his death to her. 'I want to know all the details of how he died. I want to know the truth,' Olga Capetillo told The Associated Press. 'I don't understand how so many people could die in that accident. How could it be so bad?'"

Shades of Pat Tillman or just an accident? Regardless, it's sad. Just really, really sad.

Canada - or Atlantic Canada - Question

Last spring, and upon a personal recommendation, I contacted a realtor (R1) in F'ton. It took him about a week to respond to my email, during which time I rec'd no auto-response. Eventually, I decided to chat with someone else (R2), also recommended, because R1 and I just didn't seem like a good fit. When I originally emailed R2 in July, it took about a week for her to respond and only after a second message. She had been understandably delayed because of some family issues. But, I also hadn't received any kind of auto-response indicating that she was out of the office, etc. I emailed her on 29 August and haven't yet received a reply. I sent the same message again the other day. Still no response.

What I'm trying to balance is this - I don't want to be a pain in the ass "American" who is used to rapid turnaround with what I would call business requests and just needs to chill. But, I also need to know that someone is going to be responsive. How can I figure out if this (emerging) pattern is just how business is done in this smaller, slower environment as opposed to it just being my dumb luck to have encountered a couple of less responsive folks?

Any thoughts?

Greetings from Tucson

I flew down yesterday for a quick 48 hours to see the folks. My father is still in the hospital and, after talking to my mother last weekend, I decided I should come down, if only for a quick visit. I think her spirits were really sagging. Friday was three weeks since the accident and, while my father is improving, he still has a long way to go. His ribs are healed but morphine induced delirium has created a host of problems. E.g., During dinner last night he asked how my sister was, thinking she had been in the accident. She flew over two days after the accident and was here for that first week. After dinner we went back to his room and got him settled. He then thought we were getting him ready to go to breakfast. He has physical therapy and speech therapy and isn't yet able to stand up on his own. Good thing my mother, at 76, is in great shape - though I could hardly believe the photo my sister took of her bruises. Airbags and seat belts, no doubt, made all the difference, but they do their own damage for sure.

I've not been posting because I've been swamped with getting ready for the semester, etc. But, I am checking in on everyone. Things have been very quiet in the blogosphere as of late, eh? Well, I just thought that since I had a couple of minutes, I'd post a quick hello. Take care and I'll try to catch up some time this coming week.

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!

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!

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!

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

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.

The Corporal's Boots

I came across this while preparing some things for class...

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.

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.

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...

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