Billy Ockham

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'.

Fantastic Book News

2012-04-25T17:36:00.000-04:00

Tor books and Tor books UK are abandoning DRM. That means I will be buying more of their books in the future. It's about time another book publisher followed Baen's lead.

KIndle: Slayer of...

2012-04-13T14:01:00.003-04:00

J K Rowling will have a new book in September. I saw the pre-order tab on Amazon and then it struck me. The reason I pre-order a book is to be certain I get it as soon as possible. That being said, I very rarely pre-order a book.

The Kindle removes any need to pre-order. I pre-order out of a mixture of impatience and concern about availability.

An ebook is effectively available in infinite quantities and is available immediately upon release.

That means the only reason to ever pre-order an ebook is to lock in a good price.

The Best Candidate

2012-04-11T11:56:00.002-04:00

Irrespective of policy views (and I mostly respect his policy views) the clear best candidate is not in the Presidential race. Being President takes a certain toll on the office holder.

Which is why Chris Christie is the man most constitutionally suited for the job.

Laws of the Internet

2012-02-17T13:14:00.003-05:00

I think I need to propose a variant of the utterly NSFW and infamous Rule 34. The variant is as follows: If there's a holiday for it, then there is a liturgy for it as well (link is SFW).

And for the record, I'd pay good money to hear that 'Gloria' sung.

Expert Opinion

2011-12-13T23:31:00.001-05:00

Mitt Romney has said that Newt Gingrich is an "extremely unreliable leader in the conservative world".

I think we have to take his word on that. No one knows more about being an extremely unreliable conservative leader than Mitt Romney.

Sometimes it's best to defer to the experts.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

2011-11-26T08:20:00.002-05:00

For my one reader who cares about gaming stuff, I've been playing in the public beta of SW:TOR. It's very pretty. I have a few player related problems (I've been playing solo games lately so keep trying to 'pause' with the space bar). For the rest of it, SWTOR plays much like every other MMORPG.

My major complaint has nothing to do with server unavailability (never an issue for an early bird such as myself). It's that the buttons don't work/are greyed out. I have a life. Sometimes I have to quit the wonderful game. A fair amount of in game functionality isn't working because I can not mash the buttons. It may seem picky, but this is something that should work and doesn't at this stage of the game.

My minor complaint is the lack of customization. Both City of Heroes and Champions got that right. As a result I'm a spoiled MMORPG player. It may be that more options will be added in later, so it's a minor complaint.