Povey Prattle

Some 32 years ago I attended a four day christian education conference in St. Louis, MO.  There was a huge attendance with folks from all over the United States and Canada.  Just about every “mainstream” protestant church was represented.  If my memory is correct the conference was organised to launch a new ecumenical church school (sunday school) curriculum. It was a heady event for this fairly recently ordained priest. Came the closing eucharist, and in the prayers a man “dared” to pray “for our gay and lesbian sisters and brothers”. His prayer made me so angry.  “Why”, I asked myself,”does he have to bring this into our worship?” My anger arose from being deeply closeted and utterly hypocritical.  Truth to be told I had been flirting with a very beautiful Presbyterian man earlier that day.    But I had managed to live my life in compartments. One of the compartments allowed me to flirt with other men. Another compartment made me angry ...

1.      Four weeks ago I enabled my nephew (Sam aged 15) to break the rules.  I did so my allowing him to “drive” our rented Jet Ski/ Wave Runner. The rules state that that drivers should be aged at least 16, and/or have taken a course in boating safety. My heart/intuition told me that Sam is a very sensible and reliable young man; and that he needed a few minutes of freedom, adventure and bliss. 2. Our County, City, and Condo Association rules state that dogs must be leashed at all times when they are outside.  These are sensible rules: they are designed to enable the safety of the dogs, and the safety of humans. Notwithstanding the wisdom of the “dog leash laws” I occasionally take Penne off her leash, and then delight as she races and bounds around. I did so earlier this evening. It was I who enabled first a nephew, and then a pet, to live outside the rules. And it was I who was willing to take the responsibility if things went wrong. I believe t...

Today the newspapers have been filled with the story of the arrest of the reputed Boston Mobster, James “Whitey” Bulger in California.   He has been on the lam for sixteen years. Whitey Bulger was a legendary figure in South Boston (“Southie”). “Southie” used to be a predominately Irish community, with enormous rates of poverty.   “Whitey” was viewed there as a Robin Hood character – stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Even today (June 23 rd 2011) I heard one old Southie man say “he never let people go hungry”.   And a young Southie woman said “He’s 82 years old, they should have left him alone. I am sure that he has changed. I am sure ” But it is entirely clear that this semi-folk hero was capable of abominably vicious, cruel, and murderous behaviour. Today’s news surprised me.   I had thought that James Bulger was either dead, or that he was beyond the reach of the law in some remote or obscure place.   I give kudos to the FBI which, overcomi...

I am on the cusp of a rant, so I’ll keep this brief. In the United States our politicians are obsessed with “national security”, (‘tis probably true in other countries). So we have a huge “national security apparatus” including the military, the CIA, the FBI, the “Patriot Act”, and a myriad of other agencies. The focus is on supposed terrorist threats at home and abroad. The costs are enormous and beyond comprehension. I believe that there are far greater and more urgent threats to our security. I list them. 1.    Climate change 2.    The need for pure and potable water 3.    The depletion of the ocean’s stocks of edible fish 4.    The wholesale pollution of many of our planet’s oceans 5.    The unhealthy and dangerous foods which are hawked by agri-business 6.    Over population 7.    The international “house of cards” in banking, derivatives, and other dubious financial schemes Enough already, but I f...

One of the finest programmes on America’s NPR (National Public Radio) is the “Diane Rehm Show” out of WAMU and NPR. See http://thedianerehmshow.org/ Diane is a superb interviewer and interlocutor.   She is fantastically honest and balanced in the questions she asks of her guests.   She has a great skill in teasing out honest answers. It is wondrous that Diane Rehm (aged 73) still has a broadcasting career given her health history (see more about this on the website). Diane never comes across as an ideological feminist (not that such a position is wrong -   we need many more feminists in the public realm) . YET I am always delighted to hear the list of the producers of her show, viz: Sandra Pinkhart, Nancy Robertson, Susan Nabors, Denise Couture, Monique Nazareth, and Sarah Ashworth. What a delight it is to listen to a programme which is hosted by a woman, and produced by six other women! It’s a vital, necessary, and important counter balance to th...

Joyce is  a dear friend.  I admire and respect her greatly.  We’ve known each other for about 16 years.   Our friendship began when she and her late husband Michael moved to Pittsfield, MA and became involved at St. Stephen’s Parish in that City. Joyce and I last saw each other some three years ago when my Brasílian friend Gabriel and I flew out to Phoenix (where she now lives), and spent a few days enjoying the Arizona desert, and basking in Joyce’s hospitality. She’s in Miami, FL this week for a conference related to her work (with Hospice of the Valley, Phoenix AZ).   So she flew in a day early, and I drove from SRQ to MIA so that we could enjoy each other again. It was a brief enough visit, but I would not have missed it for the world! We hooked up at a La Quinta Inn near the Miami Airport, and scarcely stopped talking for 18 hours! (Well, we did each manage to get five hours of sleep!). Last evening (19th June) we drove into South Beach,...