Why I Am a Facebook Luddite.

I had lunch with a friend of mine yesterday and he was talking about Facebook. Bah.

Facebook stinks.

The truth is, I have no real reason to be anti-Facebook. I have been a computer nerd from way back. Email, AIM, IRC; I was chatting on a BSS on dial-up 300 baud modems for crying out Pete. Why am I such a Facebook hater?

"But I have gotten in touch with so many people I went to (elementary/high school/college) with!"

If they are so great, why did you lose touch with them in the first place?

People used to call their friends or write letters. Then we got email. Email was awesome. Now, these people check Facebook to see if someone sent them a message. They can set it send an email to them when they have a message from someone. That's like having the post office send you a postcard to come pick up a letter that somebody sent you.

I will probably end up doing it. I realize this. This is probably one of the other reasons I am so opposed to it, because I know I will give in, just like I did with the mobile phone.

Bah.

No Votes For You

I have learned via instructions from the Southeastern District that congregations that share a pastor constitute a "parish" (quotes original) and thus only get 1 shared lay delegate.

This is ridiculous in many and various ways.

Congregations who are vacant get a lay delegate.

Congregations who, during their vacancy (including what are essentially permanent vacancies) are served by the pastor of another congregation, get a lay delegate.

For the last district convention, Nazareth and Christ both got a lay delegate, although only Christ had a called pastor. Now that Nazareth has a called pastor (whom they happen to share with Christ), they are essentially being disenfranchised.

So, because they chose to to call a pastor (which is what a group of Christians should do), because they chose not simply to let the interim pastor hold their hands while the congregation died, a member-congregation of The LCMS is denied a vote in the district convention.

When I complained, both the district secretary and the synodical secretary pointed out that this is, indeed, synodical understanding. It has been since at least the 1960's. I would like to know when they decided that a "parish" meant multiple congregations sharing a jointly called pastor. It certainly isn't how the word parish is in use in The Synod. I guess I am the only "parish" pastor I know (personally - I know they exist).

Note that this will particularly disenfranchise two groups in The Synod - the rural congregations and, increasily, urban congregations like the ones I serve.

The fairness or reasonability of this aside, it also does not reflect our polity or supposed understanding of the Church as centered in the local congregation. Basically, it makes me as the pastor what defines a congregation (sorry, "parish"), not the fact that these are two separate congregations, both members of The Synod for over a century now, with separate constitutions, etc.

I understand not giving me two pastoral votes because I have two congregations. Duh. I do not understand giving congregations that share a pastor a partial vote. It's like the 3/5ths compromise all over again.

I wish I had time to argue about this, but I am sure it won't do any good. In the current climate in The Synod, especially with the Great Synodical Restructuring Thing, they are actively seeking to disenfranchise small congregations anyway, so I doubt if I'd get much sympathy.

College Football Stinks.

Texas and Oklahoma have identical records. Texas beat Oklahoma. Oklahoma is playing in the Big 12 Championship game against Missouri, a team with a worse record whom Texas also beat.

For crying out loud, the BCS is horrible.

No election in 2012.

They shouldn't even have a presidential election in 2012. Unless something goes horribly wrong, there's no way Barack will lose.

Whichever arrogant fool wants to self-delude into becoming the Republican Walter Mondale is welcome to, I guess, but we could all save a lot of time, money, and mental energy if the GOP just figured out by about July 2011 if they have any realistic shot at all or not. My guess is they won't.

Spare us.

The NFL stinks

The end of the Steelers-Chargers game just tells you what a bunch of humorless, incompetent jerkfaces the NFL is.

The game was, for the most part, dreadful. They had a nice, fun ending that would have left fans with a positive view of what was otherwise a horrible ordeal. Instead,

1) they ruin it with an instant replay and

2) then they mess up the call.

And don't get me started on holding.

Avoiding offending people at all costs.

From an article about getting rid of Latin phrases in local governments in England:

Linguistic controversies are nothing new in Britain, cradle of the English language, where people have strong opinions on what constitutes proper usage. In recent years officials have moved to avoid language that gives offense to ethnic minorities, disabled people and other groups.
Predictably, some feel the drive has gone too far. Many were bemused earlier this year when it was reported that a town council had banned the word "brainstorm" because it might offend people with epilepsy, a condition that involves periodic electrical storms inside the brain. Tunbridge Wells council advised using "thought showers" instead.

"Thought showers."

Sweet mother of pearl.

Speaking Spanish

Sometimes, I think I really stink, and then I run into somebody at a taco stand or in the grocery and have a long, difficult conversation.

Sometimes, I am feeling really smart and I try to order food and the guy has no clue what I am saying.

Rhyme + Reason = 0