Povey Prattle

I find the pious words and faces of  so-called reporters (in truth they are  "celebrities") following the Charleston Massacre to be nauseating. You know what I mean: the visual and verbal "the shock, horror, disbelief" that such a thing could ever happen; The "tut-tutting"; the "our hearts go out to the people of Charleston"; the rush to analysis;  the failure to acknowledge that "yes, America is truly like this". These overpaid and under skilled actors get wide eyed with wonder that such an evil could take place within a Church of all places. These "Stepford Wives" performers  (of both sexes) have no historical knowledge, or apparent interest in our long history of violence against black people in black Churches. See: http://articles.latimes.com/1996-06-16/opinion/op-15599_1_separate-black-churches   (from 1966 ) and http://www.nbcnews.com/id/46052395/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/arsonists-jailed-tor...

I've had a contract with a local home air-conditioning business for about seven years. This company has checked my a/c unit semi-annually ( for money of course).  A couple of years ago this company persuaded me that I needed a new central a/c unit, which I bought, for about Five Grand. Their Sales Department is good. I am not so sure about their Service Department.  This is why: Following my return from England in June 2014  I called this Company to remind them that they had neglected the scheduled May 2014 inspection and service call. Their agent  told me that the Company had attempted to contact me by sending postcards, When I responded by saying that I had not received the cards the rep said "oh, that often happens, the cards don't get delivered".  ("Then why send postcards", say I, "why not use e-mail or the 'phone?") After this "run-around" my a/c unit was finally inspected in October. Came May of this year, and...

I have found a reliable and skilled handyman  for those little jobs about the house which do not need a contractor. His business card introduces him as a "Master-Tinkerer"  -  an apt description indeed. He did some good work for me in mid-May.    But there is a wee problem.  I cannot get him to send me a  bill!  I called him on June 5th and he promised to bill me during the "next few days". That's not happened.  I am sure that he will get around to it. What an unusual problem to have,   It's usually the other way round, with the client being tardy in paying the bill.

As I wandered into a Starbuck's this morning for a meeting with some of my Clerical friends  (by the way, I think Starbuck's Coffee is perfectly dreadful), a noticed a VW car with a British number plate on the front. (In Florida we have only rear number plates). It read  MUFCG18. As I entered the store I immediately identified the owner on account of a decal on his shirt. He told me that the G  is because his name is Gee, and the 18 'cause that was his age when he got his driver's licence. He ventured that I was one of the few who could interpret the MUFC. I told him that my youngest brother is an (at a distance) admirer of LUFC. Mr Gee said that he felt very sorry for my brother.

SILLINESS  FROM JMP  “I, even I only, am left " ( a verse from the bible: 1 Kings 18:22). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My retired colleague the Revd. Ted Copland, and Judy Copland are leaving SRQ and will spend two weeks in Manhattan. My retired colleague the Revd. Jack Chrisman, and Donna Chrisman are leaving SRQ to spend a week in the U.K. for the wedding of their grand-daughter. My retired colleague the Revd. Wes Wasdyke,  and Cindy Wasdyke are in France. My retired colleague the Revd. Fred Emrich,  and Diana Emrich are in Maine. My esteemed SRQ  colleague the Revd. Andi (Andrea) Taylor is in England as a part of her sabbatical leave. Good for them. BUT:  Who then will pray with me should I need surgery for an in-growing toe-nail? As the bible puts it:  “I, even I only, am left " ( 1 Kings 18:22). Semi-serious giggles from jmp,

“ Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can. ” John Wesley   (28 June 1703 – 2 March 1791)