We mock the thing we are to be

The megachurch pastor angered by his portrayal in Jesus Camp, as noted recently in this space, has a whole new set of problems.

Hmm. Check out this passage from the May 2005 Harper's (republished today!):

He was always on the lookout for spies. At the time, Colorado Springs was a small city split between the Air Force and the New Age, and the latter, Pastor Ted believed, worked for the devil. Pastor Ted soon began upsetting the devil's plans. He staked out gay bars, inviting men to come to his church; his whole congregation pitched itself into invisible battles with demonic forces, sometimes in front of public buildings.

Can the outing of Fred Phelps be far behind?


FMFM: Buddy Miles' Them Changes, an eight-song slice of soul-rock that's "one of the great lost treasures of soul inspired rock music" but is also apparently out of print in this country. It's a shame. Treats include the original title track, later popularized by Jimi Hendrix on the Band of Gypsys record (on which Miles was the drummer); the Hammond groove of "Paul B. Allen, Omaha, Nebraska"; and an unexpectedly tasty reworking of the Allmans' "Dreams." I'm not entirely taken with Miles' version of Neil Young's "Down By The River," but I reserve the right to change my mind on that one too.

[UPDATE: Check the bio of Andre Lewis, the organist on "Paul B. Allen": Before the advent of Star Wars or Battlestar Galactica, MANDRE, in both his albums and live performances personified the "mystery man from outer space"....]