I read the final report to the UUA Board of Trustees on the Pathways situation, (PDF format) and I was plainly disgusted by the sheer avoidable wastefulness of it all. (Thanks to Steve Caldwell for the first mention of the links.) The tone of the report is “we learned some lessons — and it is […]
Well, I didn’t blog last night because I was watching episodes three to six of the six-part 2004 BBC production Viva Blackpool on DVD. (UK title: Blackpool) Best TV I’ve seen in ages.
A “naturalistic” musical using pop tunes. Sorta. Twin Peaks meets Britain’s answer to Atlantic City. Sorta. A bit of a romance/murder-who-dun-it. Definately, but […]
I’m thinking about my taxes, which explains this erratic and perhaps erroneous line of thinking. PeaceBang’s adds fodder to my thoughts.
First, churches are tax-advantaged in two ways: their property and income are usually not subject to tax, and their members get a tax deducation for funding them.
OK, I get the first as a state […]
Nobody wants to be a burden on their survivors and so the funeral insurance business prospers under the euphemism, “final expense protection.” Hubby and I are particularly drawn to the TV ad with an elderly woman dropping quarters into an expired parking meter. Time’s up! You know there has to be a terrible catch and expense, […]
Anyone, especially any Christian, who pastors churches or thinks they might be responsible for participating in a funeral would do well to bookmark or download (or both) the following two resources.
The first is generally useful: a booklet from Co-operative Funeralcare (UK) called “Well Chosen Words.” This is a sensitive, well-written and brief guide to writing […]
Environmentally speaking, PVC is not a good product, but nevertheless each year at General Assembly hundreds of banner carriers process in the opening ceremony carrying banner poles made of PVC pipe. Since they’re cheap and easy to make (but quite bulky) I have to think that relatively few make it home for reuse. And it […]
In a couple of weeks I’ll be in Georgia for my grandmother’s memorial service. I expect it will be dignified but not formal, and filled with emotion but not maudlin. Both extremes would constitute a fuss, which she would have none of. As I mentioned before, she planned for her death and made this transition […]
This is for you, PeaceBang.
I use the typefaces released under a liberal license by Bitstream, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, almost every day. These include the Bitstream Vera family (look past the Mono series for church pubs) and Bitstream Charter. All are robust enough to stand up to laser printer and photocopying, which would shatter the […]
I was looking quickly for a picture of a minister in gown and tartan scarf — I’ve seen this before — to prove my point to PeaceBang, but after five minutes gave up (all the task was worth) and will have to appeal to your sense of imagination.
But in the process found this nifty resource […]
After a refreshing walk yesterday around the Tidal Basin to see the first of the famous Washington Japanese cherry blossoms, Hubby and I made it the art cinema downtown (Landmark, at 11th and E Streets, NW, for locals) to see Sophie Scholl — Die letzte Tage (Sophie Scholl — The Final Days).
Scholl was — there’s […]
