Coming Out to the Congregation

Conyers, GA megachurch pastor Jim Swilley came out to his congregation this week, saying he made the potentially career-ruining decision in light of recent gay teen suicides.

“As a father, thinking about your 16-, 17-year-old killing themselves, I thought somebody needed to say something,” Swilley said in an interview with Atlanta’s WSB-TV. “I know all the hateful stuff that’s being written about me online, whatever. To think about saving a teenager, yeah, I’ll risk my reputation for that.”

To be fair, Blasphemes never ran an article on this guy when the allegations came up a couple weeks ago, because, really, gay pastor - come on? Even we don't run those stories anymore they're so casually common now. Hiding or preaching anti-gay at the pulpit probably would have gotten a mention -- but we didn't hear or discover anyone saying that about him.

Coming out to save gay teens really is awesome and inspiring and all... but before I give him a free pass --

He felt that he needed to lie for 21 years with the mother of his children, and to have a wife to keep the lie to his congregation to give the impression of a good pastor? What kind of example is that? To anyone?

And is this his well crafted opportunity to come out, and come out in a bright shinny light, rather than in the internet fed scandal? I mean, he pulled this PR stunt off so well, he might even try to attract the gay community to worship with him - and tithe with his congregation? That's not gay, that's skill, showmanship and a stunt worthy of praise. And career boosting - not ending.

Sunday Comics: Week in Review

Ah, we've finally come to the end of the week.

There was an election. It wasn't definitive, so there's a power grab going on, afterward. And speaking of things going on in Europe...
Looks like the Greek bailout is going to put the entire idea of a European Union into jeopardy. The "I don't want to work" and "give me a check" riots have killed at least 3 people. Insanity and the Welfare State. But don't wag your finger of shame too hard at the E.U. The U.S. has Illinois, California and New York on the the bail out fences as well. California was even considering a complete 'do over' and just giving the state back to the Federal government. Maybe Greece will just be a new part of Germany? ...er, again?
Every time Mr. Obama yells at BP, I know that gas prices are going to go up. Funny that he doesn't understand this?
American-wanna-be-a-Taliban in New York Times Square, luckily, failed. How much involvement or training he actually got is anyone's guess. Again, and luckily, it wasn't much.
And the exposure of exactly how weak the Patriot Act, the NSA, the CIA, the FBI and all the other so-called leaders we have... apparently their best weapon is Luck. That's not good enough to stop the next one, but for now, it's all we got. Oh, and two heroes, one an Immigrant who LOVES his new home who called it in.
See you next week, folks.

Good Friday

Evil Pope doesn't see the humor in your jokes...

Abundant Hops Harvest is Bittersweet

Attention craft beer habitués:
The good news is, the Hops crisis is over.
Bad news is, that's not entirely good news.

An overabundant crop and poor economy causing beer drinkers to go on a budget have produced a bittersweet hop harvest.

Growers were optimistic heading into the late-August harvest. The crop looked healthy and vines were stacked with cones.

But as August turned into September, the demand for hops cooled. Once quotas were met and contracts were satisfied, no spot market existed for the remainder of the crop.

Hopes were left on the vine.

"It's just an interesting harvest," said Stacy Puterbaugh of Puterbaugh Farms in Mabton. "We had great expectations when we started out and halfway through you find out there's too many."

Puterbaugh wouldn't say how many acres of hops he left in the field, but said, "Anything is significant when you can't harvest it. That's just how it goes."

Early this summer, the Washington Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service expected more than 29,900 acres of hops to be harvested in Washington. The state produces about 75 percent of the nation's hops, primarily in Yakima and Benton counties.

The statistics service projected 102 million bushels would be harvested, up from 96.3 million bushels last year. An official with the statistics service said it's too early to tell if that projection was met.

Ann George, Washington Hop Commission administrator, attributes the hefty crop to an excessive amount of acres that were planted in response to the hop shortage in 2007. Thousands of additional acres were planted as brewers and dealers expected the hop-growing industry to continue expanding.

With contracts in place and additional hops in the field, the recession made itself known about a year ago. George said the economic downturn caused a dip in beer consumption, reducing the amount of hops brewers needed.

"They overshot the market and didn't need as many hops," she said.

Brenton Roy, president of Oasis Farms northeast of Prosser, said this year's crop was "100 percent contract," which meant any surplus hops would be left in the field. Roy estimated he left about 4 percent of his crop on the vine.

"For us it's not going to have a large impact, but I'm sure for some growers it will," he said.

Roy expects this year's overabundant crop to enlarge the hops surplus, which he said will lead to a decrease in contracts.

"(This) will oversupply the market, so acres that have expiring contracts will undoubtedly not be contracted" in the future, he said.

Puterbaugh disagreed. He attributed the overabundance to the recession causing a decrease in demand.

He said contracts likely will stay in place because once the recession passes, the demand for hops will grow again.

"It's all part of farming," he said.

Roy said he thinks Washington's hops acreage will have to decrease by about 5,000 acres for supply and demand to balance, which is why he expects to see unrenewed contracts.

"The market will control that," he said.

George also said contracts may not be renewed and some existing contracts may be bought out.

Hops harvest ended for many farmers in late September, but George said some will be pushing into the second week of October before calling it quits.

submitted by Drew Foster: 585-7207; dfoster@tricityherald.com

Balloon Jesus 2

Inflatable Balloon Jesus popped for your sins. He also had an amazing six pack.

The Joliet Samaritans

Finally some good news...

Carjack victims find friends, in Joliet

On Friday afternoon, Kenneth and Ruth Gutshall walked into the same Bob Evans restaurant in Joliet where they had sat depressed, defeated and weeping just three days before. But a lot had happened in those three days, so on this day, the Wyoming couple were in a much different mood.

A suspect had been charged with carjacking and robbing Kenneth Gutshall, 77, who was traveling with his wife on their way to Pennsylvania for a vacation when the crime happened. The couple told the restaurant staff that their car was recovered early Friday in Chicago and they were making plans to go back home. Mostly, they thanked them for all their help.

"You look at them now and they are completely different from how they were Tuesday," Tabitha Anderson, a manager at the restaurant, said as she choked back tears. "You can tell they appreciated us, and they were happy."

Strangers in and around Joliet had transformed the wrongs against the Gutshalls with an outpouring of kindness. It started with a waitress who told their heartbreaking story to others, setting in motion a chain reaction. After the story was picked up by local media, more residents rallied around the couple, determined to help.

"We never expected anything like that," said Ruth Gutshall, 81.

Sandy Kehoe, 46, a hostess who paid the couple's breakfast bill Tuesday, said she was glad to see them in good spirits.

"They hugged and thanked me," she said.

It was a far cry from Tuesday.

Kenneth Gutshall was loading the couple's belongings into their white 2005 Chrysler Sebring about 6:15 a.m. when he was approached by a man who asked for a ride, police said. Gutshall drove the man to a nearby Wal-Mart and then to a residential area. There, the stranger grabbed Gutshall's car keys from the ignition, forced him from his car and took his wallet.

The couple—with no transportation, no credit cards or identification and most of their clothes gone—walked to a Bob Evans restaurant near the motel and had breakfast.

When Anderson heard the couple's plight, she told them they didn't have to pay the bill. Then she gathered the staff and asked them to give as much cash as they could.

"It was in my heart to help them," Anderson, 27, said. "You don't want to believe someone would do something like that. This poor guy was trying to do a good deed, and this is how he was repaid."

As Anderson was delivering the $80 she collected, customers approached saying they wanted to help, including a woman offering to pay for the couple's hotel. The Red Cross was called for Kenneth Gutshall's cholesterol medication, and people tried to find the couple some clothes. Another manager of the restaurant drove them back to their motel.

When Pete Piazza, a Will County sheriff's deputy who works in the state's attorney's office, learned what had happened, he drove to their motel. He looked around and told them he wanted to move them to a nicer hotel, where they'd be closer to food outlets.


Piazza paid for the couple's first night at the Holiday Inn Express out of his pocket.

"That's just what you do, you help people," he said. "It was for someone a thousand miles from home, without a car, a charge card, money, clothes, in a foreign place. I don't want to pat myself on the back because this is what you are supposed to do."

Jenn Cain, director of crime prevention for the state's attorney's office, helped the couple cancel their stolen credit cards and reached out to other agencies to get them toiletries. Others called in favors and sought out help. Within hours, the couple had a new place to stay, clothes, cosmetics and access to food.

At the Holiday Inn Express on South Larkin, manager Rich Hatton gave the couple a free room for their additional nights.

"Maybe this will make Joliet look a little better," he said.

On Friday morning, police charged Toby Godfrey, 31, of the 500 block of South Joliet Avenue, with aggravated vehicular carjacking, robbery, aggravated battery and identity theft in connection with the crime.

When the Gutshalls went back to the Bob Evans to thank the people who got everything rolling, they were showered with more cash customers had donated.

Kenneth Gutshall said he forgave his attacker.

"I'd even give him a hug, and tell him I'd like to see him give his life to the Lord," he said.

That didn't surprise his wife. "That's his nature—that's the way he is."

Cain, of the state's attorney's office, thinks the Joliet area also showed some of its true colors.

"It was heartbreaking that someone could do this to them," she said. "But it was inspiring to see how many people rallied around this couple."

By Dennis Sullivan and Lolly Bowean CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Cap'n:  What's striking here is that while Joliet produced a carjacker, it also produced the community that was went out of their way to help these nice people.