Anglican Quality Control Procedures!

For those of you that aren't familiar with this site, I commend it to you enthusiastically! It's not JUST Episcopal/Anglican related.

As a matter of fact my parish was "Mystery Worshipped" on Ash Wednesday.
http://www.ship-of-fools.com/Mystery/2006/1194.html

Although I don't agree with everything here, I think it's safe to say that the White Tennis Shod Acolyte could very well be considered as a stunt double for Jesus should Mel Gibson decide to make a gorier version of his "Passion"

Can't believe that they gave the Dean such a low sermon ranking. He's always at least an 11 or 12 on a scale of 1-10. He's always got the right mixture of folksy story telling (and humour) and thoughful suggestion. See here: http://www.ghtc-kc.org/sermons/2006/lent4.shtml

Oh, and kudos to the Canon Musician for his exquisite organ playing!

I keep expecting this to show up in my mailbox...

...but instead I actually received my official invite, matriculation form, and award letter from Yale. Until this point I've been expecting to get a note that says, "I'm sorry, we made a mistake and need to give your slot to someone else."

Doesn't look like it's going to though! I'm wildly amazed.

So even though my departure from KC is a ways off I've got a list of my top 10 things I'll miss (soon to be 11, then 12, then 13, etc. )


10. My Job. Yeah, I bitch about it a lot, but there is something kind of vouyeristic about what I do and its really nice to be in on what eveyone else is doing.

9. My town. Liberty is changing. I don't know if it's for the better or the worse, but it is changing. Suffice it to say that is will very quickly not be the place I've known and loved for so long.

8. The Flea Market. Had their burgers? They're the best! And the Beer is cheap and good!

7. Gary Lezak. Although it's already been the subject of a prior posting, I really will miss that irritating techno theme when they get ready to do the forecast.

6. Religious Nuts. What the midwest lacks in development it makes up in religious fruitcakes. From the 'fag-hating' baptists in Topeka to the megachurch that has a narthex that looks like an airport terminal and a Christmas pageant featuring Jesus with a flaming sword (Tribulation Christmas) I've come to know the local religious loonies pretty well. I'm worried that being away from these modern day Pharisees will cause my appreciation for, and devotion to Liberal Christianity a little less zealous than it is now.


5. Lidia's. Although there are a lot of Bastianich restaurants in NYC (an hour or so from New Haven by train), I'll miss this one a lot and the great times Hammer and I have had there.

4. Franklin Elementary (and LPS). My child has received so much careful attention and care while there. I'm so thrilled that she's had such a good grounding in fundamental skills.

3. KC musicians. Midwesterners make for awesome musicians. Well trained, hard working, sincere people. Although the occasional backstabber is out there, as a general rule we've got the corner on the market.

2. My religious home. I've basically found who I am there. Thank God for those hellbound Episcopals, their wine-tastings, and their Choir Rehearsals (followed by cocktails, of course)

1. My mentor. This is obviously too profound to talk about here. Look for a posting of memorable "Epley-isms" to come in the future.

There we go......look for the other TOP 10 down the road.

Can you guess the logo?

OH MY GOD! I got the un-official official word a day or so ago. I have been invited to take a slot at one of the nation's prestigious institutions as a graduate student. All expenses paid, etc.

Of course now we have to sort out how to move to New England, etc.

Anyhoo, I'm wildly thrilled and it's just beginning to set in.

So, guess the logo and you'll be entered in a drawing to see to win an all expense paid trip to the Carter apartment. You'll get to sleep on our luxurious floor in our 1000.00 per month tiny apartment.

Nome de plume

Sooo.

I recently appeared on the inagural concert of a church's fine arts series. It is a wonderful place devoted to great music, traditional worship, and the arts.

For this concert they had spared no expense, culminating in a series of large posters. Really REALLY NICE posters.

However they inadvertently gave me a different name "Jay Smith" which I'm considering using or modifying into a permanent alter ego.

Jameson Smith (the Irish Whiskey version)

Jay Smithson (a slightly more pretentious version)

Jameson Cartersmith ( I don't know what a Cartersmith smithies, but I suspect that its pretty darn cool)

Gene Simmons Cartersmith (the slightly edgy version where I wear lots of black and white makeup)

Ok.....any other suggestions?