Billy Ockham

Welcome

2015-04-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

I had my usual Tuesday dinner with my father. Over the meal he told me a story that blew me away.

Immediately after World War II my grandfather moved my grandmother and their two boys from Philadelphia to Greenville, SC. When they arrived in Greenville, they stayed in a hotel until they could find a permanent place. My grandfather had been an active churchman in his church in Philadelphia. Their second day in Greenville a group of boys from the Christ Church youth group showed up at the hotel and took my father and my uncle around town.

I had never heard this before. I have never heard of any Episcopal related group ever doing such a thing. Certainly, it's never happened to me. But I think, on reflection, that it is no accident that my father is a dedicated and lifelong Episcopalian. If that sort of thing happened back then, then it is no accident that the Episcopal Church at that time enjoyed explosive growth.

Another thing that has happened recently is a dust up in science fiction fandom. I'm old enough to know these things happen from time to time. This most recent one is unusual in that it mostly involves authors as opposed to the more typical fan squabble. If you want the gruesome details just google "sad puppies" and ignore everything from a major media outlet.

My takeaway from the squabble is a point an author made on a podcast. She said, and it is true, that the side in opposition to her side, represents the establishment yet claims to be the scrappy outsiders. They claim to value inclusivity and diversity yet they practice exclusivity and group think.

Does that not sound like the modern Episcopal Church?

It certainly reflects my experience. I have never belonged to a church that I did not receive a cool initial welcome. I have never belonged to a church where I did not have to work at being accepted. I have never been accepted into the inner circle of an Episcopal Church. I have never been made to feel I was other than a conditional member, subject to exclusion and ostracism if I ever strayed from the unstated norms.

I process things very slowly. I have always been the person who thinks of the clever rejoinder two hours after the fact. The more emotionally hurtful, the slower I process it.

The thing that convinced me I really didn't much care for the way things were was back when I belonged to the Cathedral of St Phillip here in Atlanta. The Cathedral was and is a very large church. At the time of this story I had been a member for at least four years. I have never been a pew potato and was quite active at the time. I volunteered. I did jobs no one else would do. I gave money and time. I participated in the singles group as well as the foyers. I was an usher, a reader and an acolyte when there were no youth.

The guest preacher one Sunday was the Right Reverend Reginald Hollis, archbishop of Montreal. I had been his acolyte when he was a parish priest and his wife and my mother were good friends. After the service, I went and sought him out. He recognized me and we caught up on the news. When Dean Sanders, head of the cathedral joined us, I had the privilege of being introduced, for the fourth time, to him. But this time by an archbishop.

How many others were ignored or unnoticed? When was the last time an Episcopal Church actually welcomed anyone? Ignoring the dodgy doctrinal foundations, when was the last time someone was actually welcomed to an Episcopal Church?

My gut says, it's pretty rare.

I'm not saying anyone owes me anything. But if I ever go to an Episcopal Church and get a warm welcome, it will be the first one of my life.

Polemic, but heartwarming

2013-09-23T12:26:00.001-04:00

On Modern Culture

2013-09-16T14:02:00.000-04:00

The economy isn't wonderful and politics are even more bleak than usual, but those are not my subjects today.

Art has never been better. We are living in the era of the greatest outpouring of creativity in the history of the human race. Everywhere the barriers to self expression have been lowered. Thanks to technology you can write a novel and publish it to the world. You can write, produce, and record a song for everyone to hear. You can design and make clothing, sculpture and drawings for little to no cost. Almost no area of the arts is untouched by this. Feel like drawing? If you have a computer and a connection you can download a very powerful free program (the GIMP) and manipulate images to your heart's delight. If you write, there are several text programs to help you.

Millions, possibly hundreds of millions, are doing so. And the potential audience is growing larger every day. You can potentially reach billions. In the old days, you had to get your vision through a battery of gatekeepers. In the visual arts, you had grant committees who heeded certain critics more than anyone else. For music and writing, you had publishing companies who selected works based upon a mixture of whim and marketability.

Those inbred cliques are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. There will always be winners and losers in the arts. A novel by a Stephen King or a James Patterson will always sell better than the latest work of Millicent Shrump or Stan Forbush. But E L James has literally made a fortune off of her fanfic. A book that never would have been published twenty years ago.

Today, record your song and either give it away through YouTube or sell via a plethora of for pay music channels. You can own the tools to do so for less than two hundred dollars. Produce a play and stream it for pay or give it away. Or do both.

Don't like how group X is over represented in comic books or how Group Y is constantly denigrated? Stop moaning and whining and do something about it. There are real live people like you and I who make money off web comics. Some even make enough to support themselves.

Here's the take away point: It will only get better.

He Really Is Bringing Us Together

2013-09-06T10:13:00.000-04:00

I know people from all across the political spectrum. And, I must confess, when my progressive friends touted Pres. Obama as being the one who would bring this country together, I was skeptical. I remained skeptical for what I thought were good reasons until very recently. But a spirit of unity is sweeping through the land and I would be foolish not to acknowledge it.

Absolutely no one I know is in favour of intervening in Syria. And I know some genuine troglodytes on the right and rabid progressives on the left. Not one of them is for it.

God bless you President Obama. It took you seven years but you have pulled us all together.

The Third Amendment

2013-07-05T16:28:00.001-04:00

A lawsuit has popped up in Nevada regarding homeowners who were ejected from their home during a siege of their neighbour's house by police.

As militarized as the police are getting, I don't think they are soldiers as described by the third amendment to the Constitution.

For reference here is the full text of the relevant article: "No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law."

That's fairly clear and somewhat self-explanatory. Depending upon the facts and circumstances, it's entirely possible that the court may find the police justified in their actions.

Good News For White Democrats

2013-06-25T10:33:00.002-04:00

The Supremes just held that section four of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. That doesn't mean that the practise of gerrymandered 'minority/majority' Congressional districts will cease forthwith, but it makes them look a tad more dubious.

Observation

2013-03-16T11:39:00.000-04:00

In 1959 the Episcopal Church had 3,444,265 members and 8,708 clergy. Clergy was .25% of membership.

In 2009 the Episcopal Church had 2,006,343 members and 15,404 clergy. Clergy was .76% of membership. Were the Episcopal church staffed at 1959 levels, the number of clergy would be 5,073.

A causal link between the increase in clergy and the decline in membership is not proven, but it is interesting. In the fifty years since 1959 (the high water mark for membership), membership has declined by 41% and the ranks of the clergy have increased by 77%.

Ignoring theology, the increase in clergy relative to membership has to be putting a strain on finances. It is a truism that a church in financial trouble is less attractive to a prospective new member than a church that is not.

Granted that there has been a boom in part-time and non-stipendiary clergy in the past few decades, how much better would the finances be if two thirds of the currently existing clergy were off the rolls?

Figures from here.

I would like to point out that trimming dioceses and bishops would be an even better bang for the buck than dropping priests. The Episcopal Church has a ludicrous amount of middle management compared to almost every other organization.

The Problem With Movies

2012-11-25T21:16:00.000-05:00

Here's a popular musical number from a remake (2003)

Here's the original:

The more modern version is racially integrated. It also has only pretty people.

There are plenty of pretty people in the 1962 version, but there are also what my wife calls 'faces'. That is to say non-pretty people with distinctive looks. In the modern version the mayor and his wife are youthful and very pretty. They are portrayed by Victor Garber and Molly Shannon, both of whom are quite good looking.

In the 1962 version, the mayor and his wife are played by Paul Ford and Hermione Gingold, neither of whom could be described as beautiful. What they did have were faces with character, distinctive voices (hearing Hermione Gingold say 'Balzac' is worth the price of admission) and serious comedic and acting chops.

Somewhere in the forty years between 1962 and 2003 Hollywood lost track of what character actors should bring to a movie and started casting pretty people exclusively.

A Reasonable Request

2012-11-15T23:06:00.000-05:00

All she wants is the Sudetenland. Once that simple, reasonable demand is met, then we will have peace.

If you know the process she wants the Bishop of South Carolina to undergo, then you know it's fundamentally flawed and likely to admit of an unfair and unjust result. It's as though it were designed that way.

And yes, I'm well aware that the Presiding Bishop is no Hitler. Hitler was a much better speaker and dresser, was better looking, possessed great personal charm and was a war hero to boot. The Presiding Bishop wears funny hats and is emblematic of the creeping progressive mediocrity that has consumed the Episcopal Church.

Outsourcing, Jersey Style

2012-11-01T08:57:00.002-04:00

NJ Senator Bob Menendez (Dem) apparently hired prostitutes when he visited the Dominican Republic. So much for 'Buy American'.

Pumpkin Carving IV

2012-10-22T21:06:00.001-04:00

An Example of Bigotry

2012-10-21T10:32:00.000-04:00

"I will vote for the Democrat, rather than the Republican, even if he or she is revealed at the last minute to be an ax murderer' - Lionel Deimel.

Next time a progressive blathers on about how open minded and accepting they are, remember Lionel. His opinion is pretty typical of the breed.

His blog is easy enough to find, if you must.

Obama and I

2012-07-16T20:41:00.000-04:00

The President and I have something in common it turns out. We both prefer the same Girl Scout cookie. My preference hasn't shifted since I was a tot. Doubtless the fact that it is the most popular brand has nothing to do with his choice.

And it's good to see Politico weighing in on the heavier issues.

As an FYI, if there is a Publix in your area the store brand mint chocolate cookies are an excellent stand in for the Girl Scout variety and much, much cheaper.

The Episcopal Church Stand Tall

2012-07-07T17:04:00.001-04:00

Against gun violence of course. For those unclear on how well gun free zones works, here's a helpful video. For those unsure about why such concerns need to be addressed here's another helpful video, by avowed atheists no less.

It's good to know that the Episcopal Church will be discussing such concerns. Because they care, deeply, about important issues that do not concern them in the least.

Values

2012-07-07T14:14:00.000-04:00

If ever you want to know what values an organization holds dear, look at what it takes for that organization to kick someone out..

One of the few fun things about Quakers (Society of Friends) is that belief in God or the lack thereof will not make you unwelcome. Joining the Army will.

Denying God in the Episcopal Church will not get you disciplined if you are a bishop. Expressing a legal opinion contrary to the property interests of the Presiding Bishop may very well.

It's important to have your priorities.

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

2012-07-06T10:30:00.002-04:00

President Obama's campaign is seeking smaller venues than last election for a more intimate voter experience.

This reminds of something, I just can't quite put my finger on it.

Best explanation of Middle Eastern politics ever

2012-06-19T13:02:00.001-04:00

Calvinball. No, really.

Anglican Quote of the Week

2012-06-06T16:31:00.001-04:00

"Now I enjoy beating the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, about the head and shoulders with a stick as much as the next man..."

George Conger

{He even manages to get in a "Yes, Prime Minister" plug!)

Serendipity

2012-06-06T15:53:00.002-04:00

Yet another Internet mash up

68 Years Ago Today

2012-06-06T12:01:00.001-04:00

Thank God for men such as these.

Nastiness

2012-05-25T10:20:00.000-04:00

Porno publisher Larry Flynt recently spewed out a nasty photoshop of pundit S E Cupp. It's a despicable act, but I couldn't figure out why a sociopath would do such a thing. She's a great writer, but she isn't especially prominent. Larry the F doesn't do things that he doesn't think will profit him in some way.

Then it hit me. Playboy has a been slowly sinking for a while. Penthouse is a mere shadow of its 'glory'. Hustler must be taking some hits finally and he's flailing.

Why the difference in declines? The college dorms were wired years ago. But high speed Internet is only now coming to America's trailer parks.

That's gotta hurt.

Running Scared

2012-05-18T21:34:00.000-04:00

The Arkansas Democrats have changed the rules for running in their primary. It's their right so to do. They aren't even required to have a primary.

What intrigues me is why. Apparently they were afraid that Pres. Obama might lose.

Since he pretty much has a lock on the nomination right now, why the desire for unanimity? I thought only North Koreans really cared about getting 100% of the vote.

The Avengers

2012-05-17T16:08:00.001-04:00

We both liked this movie very much. Unlike most action movies, it actually took a little time to introduce the characters. It was entertaining and kept us engaged for its entire length.

Well worth seeing, I think.

Zuckerberg: The Musical

2012-05-15T12:49:00.001-04:00

Zerg Rush

2012-04-28T17:27:00.003-04:00

Try googling the term 'zerg rush'.