An Important Safety Video

And you thought all firefighters did was wash trucks, lift weights, and play a little pool around the firehouse. Nah, they also teach about safety by making things explode in flames. Namely, turkeys.

I Was A Chaplain Here; That Was Our Motto On Pay Day

Letters Lost, Meaning Found

Bet He Didn't Even Know They Were Missing

Galileo’s 2 fingers and a tooth found

Now This Is Really Neat

Digital map reveals Israeli archaeology

An Easy Way To Contribute

Remember that, by clicking on the icon below to access your Amazon.com page, any purchase made from Amazon.com or their many third-party vendors results in the donation to Christ Church of 4% of the purchase price.

Pentecost Last: Christ The King

This week we hear David's final words, learn from John of Patmos what we may find at the beginning and the end of creation, and see Jesus bring a new form of debate to someone with a very Greek education. All this plus what Harry Pedicord said on that fateful first day of class.

The lections may be found here.

Stop Meeping!

I spent twelve years of my professional life as high school teacher, teacher/chaplain, and teacher/chaplain/administrator. One of the most important things to learn when working with teenagers is what to take seriously and what not to. One should come to realize that the jocular enthusiasms of the student body tend to be transient and silly, rather than harmful. They generally don't last very long, certainly not past a school vacation. There is no point in letting adolescent absurdity turn one into a humorless, scolding martinet.

It appears that the administrators at a high school in Massachusetts are still processing this understanding. The tale, sad is it seems, is told here:

Mass. high school principal bans students from saying 'Meep!'

I'm trying to imagine what it must have been like to be a parent, coming home at the end of the long, busy day, to listen to a "robo-call" informing you that your child and his/her classmates may not issue the sound "Meep" without receiving a substantial, official punishment. If it were me, I'd check the wall calendar to see it were April.

The story gets better when an attorney, seeing this for what it is, decided to send the administrators a one-word e-mail. That tale may be found here. [It includes law enforcement!.]

Something All Too Familiar

When Lutherans split

Friday Photo: Huntington Beach

One Of "Those" Stories

Every once in awhile I read a newspaper story that causes my Christian serenity to be shaken. Mrs. Rector usually suggests that I mention it on The New Coracle rather than yell at the newspaper or television set.

This is one of those stories:

Union troubled by Eagle Scout project in Allentown

Here's the quote that got me: "'We'll be looking into the Cub Scout or Boy Scout who did the trails,' Balzano told the council."

If this kid needs a contribution to his defense fund, put me down for a pledge.

Hey, I Bought Some Guitar Wood From These Guys...

...wait...no, I didn't. Must be the shoulder pain medicine that confused me. Is the FBI reading this?

Gibson Guitar plant in Nashville raided by feds

Actually Eating One Would Have Been A Class A Felony

Cops: Woman Hit With Cheesesteak

Maybe I Could Replace The Skateboard With One Of These

Amazing footage of kite surfers flying over Worthing Pier

Looks like everyone is getting involved with it:

The Angolan Kitesurfing Association has been founded

Quote Of The Week

From NYC papers' circulation offices raided

"Calls to the newspapers seeking information on whether the news operations were involved were not returned."

In other words, newspapers refused to return the calls of newspapers about this story. That would really be news if a newspaper said "no comment" to itself. Samuel Beckett would have loved this.

Feast Day Of St. Hilda Of Whitby

Hilda was, for all intents and purposes, the spiritual head of the Celtic Church in the days before our tradition was consumed by the Church of Rome [only to be liberated 900 years later]. Ironically, she also played a large role in the synod that determined that our tradition would be a part of Rome; something that is debated with much passion to this day.

More of her may be read here.

Ce que l'enfer est en place avec les Français?

French hamster hotel lets guests live like rodents

Glad I Usually Take The Garden State Expressway

Turkey on NJ Turnpike causes havoc, evades capture

When I Was A Clevelander, I Found It Best To Live In Cleveland

Survey: Israel best country for Israelis