December 19, 2008

Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

@#$%

I was featured in "Get to Know Me" on page 4D of yesterday's Rockford Register Star (12/18/08).

I made 100 copies of it for my mom.

Kathie has provided links via www.koppdisclosure.com so you can check out the preparations and what ended up in print; and don't forget to use those other links when you're buying books from www.amazon.com along with so many other opportunities to make the season bright for, uh, us (Check out what happens with 35% of all receipts!).

I took a copy to my cheerful friends at Starbucks; and they didn't offer a discount for my favorite blend (Venti!).

They did point out that the paper's obituaries began on page 5D.

It was a reality check.

@#$%

Yesterday's KD, which devoted a lot of space to music and those proverbial worship wars, was another reality check.

From Michigan: "While I'm a regular reader and subscriber, which means I must be interested, yesterday's edition on 'worship wars' was especially good and helpful to me even if some of your tastes in music suck."

From North Carolina (a woman who asked to be added to the mailing list before www.koppdisclosure.com hit cyberspace): "Please remove me from your mailing list."

Back to pops of Moonstruck: "I'ma so confused."

@#$%

Speaking of confusion, PBHO picked Rick Warren for the invocation at his inauguration on 1/20/09.

Though his ministry seems more like an industry these days, I've always kinda liked him; and God knows people like him a lot more than they like me as witnessed by his book sales alone! I think he's running about a zillion sales ahead of me. Reality check!

Be that as it is, I'm wondering how Jesse and Jeremiah are feeling about being left off the program.

Oh, I forgot!

PBHO doesn't really know them that well; or just about anybody else in Chicago which, uh, is really helpful about now.

Parenthetically, it seems Jesse's son did offer to buy PBHO's Senate seat from Blago; which proves the apple doesn't shakedown far from the tree.

Again, it's good to know none of those dots connecting all of those fruitcakes in Chicago include you know who!

Anyway, gays and a lot of straights are ticked by the inaugural intercessor.

Here's a sampling:

Joe Solmonese, a gay guy with the Human Rights Campaign:
"It's a genuine blow (sic) to LGBT Americans."

People for the American Way: "It's a grave disappointment.
He has said that the real difference between James
Dobson and himself is one of tone rather than
substance."

Stephen Walt, Harvard Professor: "The decision tells you
two things about PBHO. First, he has terrible taste
in preachers...Second, PBHO may claim to be
influenced by Niebuhr, but this step is more
worthy of Machiavelli."

Greg Dworkin, a Contributing Editor for the Daily Kos:
"The problem with Rick Warren is his anti-gay agenda.
That's simply unacceptable in modern society."

Julian Zelizer, Princeton Professor: "This is a bad
decision...Warren has made many statements
that are deeply offensive to women and
homosexuals."

Christine Pelosi, Attorney: "On a national day of unity,
I would have vastly preferred someone who respects
women's reproductive freedom and full equality for
LGBT people...This is tough to accept."

Joy Behar, The View: "I don't think it's appropriate.
It's like putting, you know, Cheney in charge of
gun control. It's wrong."

You gotta love Behar! She thinks Ralph Nader is "sexy" and talking about faith in public is "impinging on the Constitution"; which prompts me to say having Warren pray on PBHO's big day is like putting Joy in charge of Mensa.

Moretheless, PBHO's honeymoon seems be drawing to a surprisingly quick close; or as KD predicted on 12/3/08: "PBHO is gonna be a pleasant surprise to those who voted against him while an increasing frustration for those who voted for him with celestial expectations."

People who voted against him don't expect much while those who voted for him expect too much.

It's the difference between reality and fantasy; which is confusing to folks with meager discernments.

@#$%

The Yankees come to mind.

Everybody's bantering and moaning about the Yankees being up to their old tricks of buying the best players.

You gotta look at the bright side!

It means we're coming out of the depression already!

It also means PBHO's socialist buddies may not be able to kill free enterprise as soon as they'd hoped.

@#$%

Getting back to 1/20/09, a question from Missouri: "Do you think it is possible that the invitation of Rick Warren to do the invocation at the inauguration and the pseudo-outrage of the gay community over it more reflects a strategy of deflection on the part of PBHO from the enormous controversy festering over the 'Chicago Way' (I'm getting as good at run-on sentences as you are!)?"

I dunno.

I'm so confused.

Confessionally, your question wouldn't have made the final edit if I didn't discern some merit in it.

@#$%

Ann Curry of NBC's Dateline interviewed the pudgy pastor from Saddleback:

A: "Your position on gay marriage has raised the specter
that you are homophobic."

R: Laughs.

A: "You laugh, but that is why gay people are angry."

R: "Well, I could give you a hundred..."

A: "Are you homophobic?"

R: "I don't know any church in America that's done
more to help the gay community, particularly
with AIDS, than Saddleback. But the hate speech
against me is incendiary."

A: "If science finds that this is biological, that people
are born gay, would you change your position?"

R: "No, and the reason why is because we all have
biological predispositions. I'm naturally inclined
to have sex with every beautiful woman I see.
But that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do."

Whoa.

@#$%

There's an interesting "pool" going around Calvinistic circles: "What do you think? Will 'evangelical' Rick Warren offer his inaugural prayer in Christ's name; or will he succumb to the theology of accommodation?"

The OGD wrote, "America cannot celebrate its diversity by reducing all things to their lowest common denominator. Rather, the beauty of being multi-cultural comes from each being faithful to his own while respecting others. So the question is: 'Will Rick Warren be faithful to his?'"

An addendum: "It seems our new President is already having a unifying effect on the country: just about everybody, left and right, think this was a poor choice."

@#$%

Speaking of poor choices, I know some folks ain't gonna like what's reported in the first section of this KD.

One guy wrote already: "I didn't know you were a biker. You don't look the part."

O.K., they come in sheep's clothing...

I wrote to the editor: "Thanks so much for a great summary of what you asked me to provide for you! You're an accurate, caring, and competent journalist...Also, I'll keep sending editions of Kopp Disclosure to you because: (1) There are nights when all of us have a hard time falling asleep; (2) everyone needs a little salt in their diet; and (3) I keep praying someone will actually bite at the opportunities..."

Where's the address for that woman in North Carolina?

Maybe she'll reconsider...

@#$%

Recalling another biting experience, I had a very disheartening moment with the editor of a major newspaper about seven or eight years ago which seems almost apocalyptic juxtaposed to the media manipulations of our current sociopoliticoreligio culture.

I suggested it would be nice if the editor, a pewsitter in our franchise, reported on the Confessing Church Movement's growth and influence in the PCUSA.

Response: "I am against the CCM and I will do everything that I can to make sure it doesn't succeed."

Response to response: "I thought your job was to report the news and then maybe comment on it rather than decide what is to be reported with or without comment."

Come to think of it, that was our last conversation.

Now where's that book by Coleen Cook which explains all of this (viz., All That Glitters - A News-Person Explores the World of Television)?

@#$%

God only knows why a song just came to mind: http://youtube.com/watch?v=WaQ0JHq5s7A.

@#$%

Blessings and Love!