RANT RAV!NGS 2013 - Righting societal atrocities...since 1981.

The Passion of Dino Rizzo

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." -- Romans 8:1

One year ago this past week, Dino Rizzo suddenly stepped down from his post as Senior Pastor of Healing Place Church amid a sea of controversy and rumors.

Immediate shockwaves were felt throughout 19202 Highland Road, shaking the very DNA of the church body and the surrounding community to the core.

Over the weeks and months that followed, a dejected congregation made its best effort to press on, seemingly without a step lost.

But beneath the surface, there was still an air of sorrow and grieving. Not audibly, but silently, seen in the eyes of smiling members who walked through the halls of the very building their former Pastors tirelessly championed, who were represented by wall murals still hanging hauntingly in the connect foyer.

BREAKING NEWS: McCollister's to California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


BATON ROUGE, March 27 /Rant Rav!ngs-Newswire/ - Brian McCollister officially announced today his imminent relocation to the recession-plagued state of California. 

Uprooting his new wife Chipley, the couple will move to the Burbank area beginning April 6th. 

Since at first the move was kept on the "down-low," this seemingly spontaneous, fly-by night action has triggered mixed reactions from both family and friends alike.

"This was kinda sudden to just spring this on us," said one friend. "I mean, California is a lot further than that Orlando thing he did awhile ago. I'm seriously bummed!"

But to others closer to the couple, the move was more than expected. 

EXCLUSIVE: "I'm With Fred"

On July 18th, I volunteered to work at a fundraising reception (hosted by the Louisiana Friends of Fred Thompson) at the Hilton Capitol Center in downtown Baton Rouge. And as pictured above, I was even able to rub elbows with (potentially) the next President of the United States.

While Thompson was still reluctant to announce a date for when he will "officially" join the 2008 Presidential race (he's still trying to get his campaign staff in order), he did mention that the traditional time for announcements like that aren't usually until September or October of the year before election:

"Most people say I'm late. But it's the others who are just early."

Here's a gallery of pictures from the evening, including scenes from the mini-speech Thompson made to his supporters.

MetroCenter Arby's Strikes Back

A RANT RAVINGS WORLD EXCLUSIVE:
Arby's owner Bruce Evans breaks his silence
the other side of the story...

As promised, over the weekend I had the opportunity to personally speak with Bruce Evans, Arby's owner and recent target of a controversial boycott fueled by allegations that Evans violently assaulted a homeless man outside his restaurant a few weeks ago. The uncorroborated story has spread like wildfire through the local Jackson community and around the internet to web forums like Snopes.com and social communities such as My Space and Facebook.