I have been thinking that Judge Sonia Sotomayor before too long is going to wonder why she ever wanted to be on the Supreme Court. It doesn’t seem to matter who you are or what you believe, the other party is going to turn you into a caricature of what they want people to believe about you. People who choose to be in public service, no matter which party, get skewered by those who oppose them and the news media that delights in reporting every lurid thing. I am finding that I no longer have the stomach to watch any of this.
I wish I had a sense of what to do with North Korea. I do believe that they are a real threat and I am not sure that there is much we can do about it right now. An air strike on them would mean an invasion of South Korea and I am not sure we have the resources to stop that let alone the political will.
Adam Lambert looks, to me, like Eddie Munster all grown up.
Wow. I watched Jon and Kate Plus 8 last night. It’s my oldest daughter’s fault. Had it not been for her I would have never known about them. I am trying to determine if they are having real problems or if this is to increase ratings. Of course, living your life on television, having your home life revealed to the world isn’t necessarily healthy for a marriage.
I do have to say that I find Kate’s anger at the paparazzi to be a little ‘out there.’ I mean, she chose to be a public figure and chose to air her life out there and she hasn’t exactly avoided interviews. What did she expect from all of this public exposure? Privacy?
Strict Roman Catholic Mel Gibson, who thinks that Roman Catholics should ignore Vatican II got his girlfriend pregnant. I guess he did follow teachings about contraception, but decided there was one rule he could overlook...
I am wondering how California can ban gay marriage but still recognize the marriages performed there as legal. Here’s an interesting question. We have several states that recognize gay marriage whereas the vast majority do not. What happens when people move or laws change in their own state, ie, California? Can a state not recognize something as legal from another state? If not, can states refuse to recognize driver’s licenses or license plates on out of state cars?
Rush Limbaugh thinks that Colin Powell should leave the Republican Party.
Let’s see. Colin Powell is a highly decorated retired General, retired Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is highly respected at home and abroad, a former Secretary of State who knows world leaders in numerous countries and has good relationships with them and is one of the finest military minds in the nation.
Rush Limbaugh is a thrice married, thrice divorced, recovering drug addict whose out of country junkets include Viagra when visiting nations with large numbers of prostitutes.
Let’s see, who would I trust?
I think that the debate is based upon ideological purity. I tend to find that leaders who have integrity are better all the way around than people who are ideologically pure. Of course, I don’t consider myself to be an ideologue all that much. Frankly, I don’t trust ideology a whole lot. I tend to put my trust in good people.
Finally Terrell Owens is bad mouth his old teammates and coaches in Dallas. He did this in Philadelphia and in San Francisco. If the coach and players on the Buffalo Bills believe that he won’t do so there as well, there is this bridge in Brooklyn that might be of interest to you...
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Little Chef----Closed?
The Little Chef in New Albany has a sign on the door, "Closed until further notice."
This might be big news. New Albany without the Little Chef is like pancakes without syrup; hot dogs without mustard; burgers without ketchup. It's unthinkable: Like the Cubs winning the World Series or Sarah Palin having a thought!
This might be big news. New Albany without the Little Chef is like pancakes without syrup; hot dogs without mustard; burgers without ketchup. It's unthinkable: Like the Cubs winning the World Series or Sarah Palin having a thought!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Random Musings
Random Musings
It was a very interesting ‘war of speeches’ yesterday between President Obama and former Vice President Cheney. Whatever one’s opinion is on the subject, they both made very coherent arguments for their positions. I don’t know how appropriate or inappropriate it is for a former Vice President to be so ‘in the face’ especially so soon, after leaving office, but Cheney has definitely been a unique type of Vice President from the start. My greatest regret on this is that I wish this debate had taken place before the fact as opposed to after the fact. The debate itself is great, however.
Let’s see. Newt Gingrich had an affair with this second wife while his first wife was battling cancer. He dumped wife number one for wife number two. Then he had another affair (during the Bill Clinton sexual escapades) with wife number three for whom he dumped wife number two. I remember when Gingrich was assailing Clinton on character issues back then and my daughter asked me if Gingrich would succeed. I told her that to assault another person’s character one must actually have character—--an attribute Newt lacked and lacks. I question Nancy Pelosi a great deal, but Newt Gingrich is not a person I’d want speaking for him. His honesty and integrity can be ascertained by interviewing either of his ex-wives.
I never watched the television show ‘24' before this year and I really like it. I can’t imagine why I haven’t seen it before this year.
Michael Vick has been moved to home incarceration. Thus goes my fantasy of Vick hooking up with Burress in the Penal League.
Regretfully, Keith Olbermann is turning into a left winged Rush Limbaugh. His show is becoming increasingly about personal attacks and is increasingly offensive. His new WTF moment as the last segment of the show is, frankly, tasteless. Offensive is offensive, from the left or the right and my TV tuner is not heading to MSNBC at 8pm for a while.
A big headline today was that summer is here and people are being told not to pee in the pool. I
On that note, I have nothing else to add.
It was a very interesting ‘war of speeches’ yesterday between President Obama and former Vice President Cheney. Whatever one’s opinion is on the subject, they both made very coherent arguments for their positions. I don’t know how appropriate or inappropriate it is for a former Vice President to be so ‘in the face’ especially so soon, after leaving office, but Cheney has definitely been a unique type of Vice President from the start. My greatest regret on this is that I wish this debate had taken place before the fact as opposed to after the fact. The debate itself is great, however.
Let’s see. Newt Gingrich had an affair with this second wife while his first wife was battling cancer. He dumped wife number one for wife number two. Then he had another affair (during the Bill Clinton sexual escapades) with wife number three for whom he dumped wife number two. I remember when Gingrich was assailing Clinton on character issues back then and my daughter asked me if Gingrich would succeed. I told her that to assault another person’s character one must actually have character—--an attribute Newt lacked and lacks. I question Nancy Pelosi a great deal, but Newt Gingrich is not a person I’d want speaking for him. His honesty and integrity can be ascertained by interviewing either of his ex-wives.
I never watched the television show ‘24' before this year and I really like it. I can’t imagine why I haven’t seen it before this year.
Michael Vick has been moved to home incarceration. Thus goes my fantasy of Vick hooking up with Burress in the Penal League.
Regretfully, Keith Olbermann is turning into a left winged Rush Limbaugh. His show is becoming increasingly about personal attacks and is increasingly offensive. His new WTF moment as the last segment of the show is, frankly, tasteless. Offensive is offensive, from the left or the right and my TV tuner is not heading to MSNBC at 8pm for a while.
A big headline today was that summer is here and people are being told not to pee in the pool. I
On that note, I have nothing else to add.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Michael Steele's Large Victory
RNC Chairman Michael Steele managed some successful party leadership when he convinced his fellow Republicans that it was a poor idea to try and rename the Democratic Party the Democrat Socialist Party. It was an idea that most people who had an IQ over that of a kangaroo knew was a bad idea, but one never knows these days. Instead they will condemn a Democratic march towards Socialism.
What made this effort so incredibly foolish becomes evident on several levels.
The philosopher/theologian Dallas Willard has a classic and wise statement. "The system we have now is perfectly designed to produce the results we are now getting." His statement, in its totality, is very simple. If you want different results, you must change the system. Most failures are systemic as are most successes. But when a successful system fails, it fails and it must be changed.
The move to change the name of the Democratic Party failed to pass and would have been an embarrassing effort for these reasons.
The first is systemic. The system the party has been using, of late, is a tried and proven failure. It is the relentless use of cheap labels in an attempt to define others. Rush does it all the time. The McCain campaign did it. The RNC does it. Congressional elections did it and the result has been a huge failure. When people are paying high prices at the gas pumps, are worried about their jobs, their houses have fallen in value (or they have lost them), and their 401 K's are now 201 K's, labels mean nothing. Nothing. Steele, I think, actually sees this and he's trying to move a party that has placed its faith in labels, into having faith in ideas.
The second reason is definitional. The word 'Socialist' has little meaning for younger generations. For people who grew up during the Cold War, the word Socialist has clearly defined meaning. A generation of young adults has little regard or little concern for this word. The phrase' Socialized Medicine' is thrown around like it's this monster, but the reality is that people who have no health insurance do not care what anyone calls something that will get them health care is named. The term Socialism is not a word that the average American can really define any longer. It is difficult to get lathered up over a label you cannot define.
The third reason is personal. People do not vote for ideologies, they vote for people. Here is the news flash. Many people did not vote for Barack Obama because of his ideology. They voted for HIM. They liked him and had confidence in HIM. And, the same was true for Ronald Reagan. Most people who voted for Reagan didn't vote for his ideology, they voted for HIM. They had confidence in HIM. There are political junkies who vote for positions and ideology, but a significant number of people vote the person they like better. Voting is personal.
Michael Steele gets mocked a great deal and even vilified. He saved his party from a group of people who had IQ's lower than kangaroos. This was a large victory for Michael Steele.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Random Thoughts
I am beginning to be more and more convinced that the epicenter of international problems is and will be Pakistan. They built nuclear weapons because they perceived a threat from India----and it does not appear that India is a threat as much as it will come from terrorists.
Much of the world crisis that is perceived comes from radical Islam. This is better stated as Fundamentalist Islam. It is even better said as Fundamentalism. Fundamentalism, no matter what its form or what religion it espouses, is dangerous. It is a literal declaration of rules----rules that are right under all circumstances. It is not about faith, it is about certainty. People who claim certainty about the ways of God are, whether they are willing to admit it or not, claiming equality with God. They are intrinsically dangerous to the hearts and minds of people.
The interesting thing about the ‘persecuted’ Miss California is that I don’t even know who won Miss USA. She has a right to say what she thinks and believes and whether I agree or disagree with her is of no consequence. Persecution is being fed to the lions, burned at the stake, or imprisoned. Persecution is not coming in second place.
John Demjanjuk was deported from Cleveland back to Germany. He was a suspected Nazi guard at a death camp and is at least perceived as a war criminal. There is a part of me that feels badly that an 89 year old man, now sick, is being deported for this. But then I recently watched a portion of Schindler’s List again and the crimes of the Nazis can never be forgotten or overlooked...
Jon and Kate Gosselin of “Jon and Kate Plus Eight,” a television program about their lives with eight small children, are both accused of having affairs. Jon was seen out with a young woman with whom he says is merely a friend, and Kate is suspected of having an affair with a bodyguard. I am not much of a reality show watcher but I have found their show to be rather fascinating. Jon and Kate legitimately and honestly struggle with being the parents of eight small children and very much struggle with each other. I hope that the affairs are merely rumors. I really do. I also think that despite the fact that they have been well payed for being on exhibit (by their choice) to the whole world, they might want to consider their future as a television family. At some point, privacy, and a dignified privacy, is priceless.
All the predictions are that the New York Giants won’t make the playoffs this year. Last year it was predicted that they wouldn’t make the playoffs. The previous year all the ‘experts’ said that they would be, at best, 6-10. They went 10-6 and are well remembered for giving the Patriots the number ‘1' after ‘18' instead of ‘0' after ‘19.’
Allow me to smile for a moment and bask in the memories of this.
Okay, I’m back. Maybe they won’t make the playoffs but I’m always amazed that no one ever comes them a chance or the time of day as a good time.
Speaking of football, my daughter and I were wondering of Jessica Simpson forced John Madden into retirement because Madden always spoke so lovingly about Tony Romo. He would speak of Romo so often that we were convinced he was madly in love with Romo. I’m thinking that Jessica put a stop to this and Madden, heart-broken, chose to retire...
There will be a major plague of bugs this summer. Microsoft is planning to release a new version of Windows that I am sure will have more bugs than we can possibly imagine. My laptop (which I am not on at the moment) has Vista and it is not really bad, but does remind me of the ‘good old days’ of Windows when programs did crash on a fairly regular basis.
All the controversy that is coming out concerning the movie, “Angels and Demons” reminds me of the controversies surround “The DaVinci Code.” Both were Dan Brown novels and both were FICTION.
I have been watching Nancy Pelosi. The Bush Administration demonstrated, over the years, an incredible ease with lying even about big things. I might be naive, but I have a difficult time believing that the CIA would have been as completely dishonest to Speaker Pelosi as she is suggesting. She is the Speaker of the House and they would be held accountable to Congress for actions and for money. In short, her story, at least to me, does not make sense. It looks like she tried to make political hay on torture and she’s been caught. The old line that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is, sadly, ringing true.
Much of the world crisis that is perceived comes from radical Islam. This is better stated as Fundamentalist Islam. It is even better said as Fundamentalism. Fundamentalism, no matter what its form or what religion it espouses, is dangerous. It is a literal declaration of rules----rules that are right under all circumstances. It is not about faith, it is about certainty. People who claim certainty about the ways of God are, whether they are willing to admit it or not, claiming equality with God. They are intrinsically dangerous to the hearts and minds of people.
The interesting thing about the ‘persecuted’ Miss California is that I don’t even know who won Miss USA. She has a right to say what she thinks and believes and whether I agree or disagree with her is of no consequence. Persecution is being fed to the lions, burned at the stake, or imprisoned. Persecution is not coming in second place.
John Demjanjuk was deported from Cleveland back to Germany. He was a suspected Nazi guard at a death camp and is at least perceived as a war criminal. There is a part of me that feels badly that an 89 year old man, now sick, is being deported for this. But then I recently watched a portion of Schindler’s List again and the crimes of the Nazis can never be forgotten or overlooked...
Jon and Kate Gosselin of “Jon and Kate Plus Eight,” a television program about their lives with eight small children, are both accused of having affairs. Jon was seen out with a young woman with whom he says is merely a friend, and Kate is suspected of having an affair with a bodyguard. I am not much of a reality show watcher but I have found their show to be rather fascinating. Jon and Kate legitimately and honestly struggle with being the parents of eight small children and very much struggle with each other. I hope that the affairs are merely rumors. I really do. I also think that despite the fact that they have been well payed for being on exhibit (by their choice) to the whole world, they might want to consider their future as a television family. At some point, privacy, and a dignified privacy, is priceless.
All the predictions are that the New York Giants won’t make the playoffs this year. Last year it was predicted that they wouldn’t make the playoffs. The previous year all the ‘experts’ said that they would be, at best, 6-10. They went 10-6 and are well remembered for giving the Patriots the number ‘1' after ‘18' instead of ‘0' after ‘19.’
Allow me to smile for a moment and bask in the memories of this.
Okay, I’m back. Maybe they won’t make the playoffs but I’m always amazed that no one ever comes them a chance or the time of day as a good time.
Speaking of football, my daughter and I were wondering of Jessica Simpson forced John Madden into retirement because Madden always spoke so lovingly about Tony Romo. He would speak of Romo so often that we were convinced he was madly in love with Romo. I’m thinking that Jessica put a stop to this and Madden, heart-broken, chose to retire...
There will be a major plague of bugs this summer. Microsoft is planning to release a new version of Windows that I am sure will have more bugs than we can possibly imagine. My laptop (which I am not on at the moment) has Vista and it is not really bad, but does remind me of the ‘good old days’ of Windows when programs did crash on a fairly regular basis.
All the controversy that is coming out concerning the movie, “Angels and Demons” reminds me of the controversies surround “The DaVinci Code.” Both were Dan Brown novels and both were FICTION.
I have been watching Nancy Pelosi. The Bush Administration demonstrated, over the years, an incredible ease with lying even about big things. I might be naive, but I have a difficult time believing that the CIA would have been as completely dishonest to Speaker Pelosi as she is suggesting. She is the Speaker of the House and they would be held accountable to Congress for actions and for money. In short, her story, at least to me, does not make sense. It looks like she tried to make political hay on torture and she’s been caught. The old line that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is, sadly, ringing true.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Beauty and Love
I am not always a big fan of paraphrasing The Bible but every so often I read passages from “The Message” which is a paraphrase, that strike my fancy.
Take how the 23rd Psalm is rendered just before it ends.
Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
This is most often rendered like this:
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
I certainly love the words ‘goodness’ and ‘mercy’ and they are meaningful. As I look at the words ‘your beauty and your love,’ I am struck in different ways.
We don’t often use the word ‘beautiful’ in reference to God. There is a famous and beloved hymn entitled, “Beautiful Savior,” but we rarely refer to God as beautiful. We talk about beautiful people and the beauty of creation, but rarely do we speak of a beautiful God.
Every year “People” has a survey of the most beautiful people of the year. They are making reference to people who are incredibly attractive, very good looking, etc. One thing we never learn, however, is what the hearts of these people are like. They are very attractive, but do they have beautiful hearts-----hearts that are open to loving others and being loved by others.
Outward beauty is great but it doesn’t always tell us what is happening inside a person.
I often think that real beauty can be seen in a person’s eyes. It is said that the eyes are the pathway to the soul and often you can look into a person’s eyes and be captured by immense beauty that captures one’s soul.
I somehow think God is like this. There are times I look into the eyes of people and come face to face with the heart of God and there is such beauty. It is the beauty of great kindness and tenderness.
And then there is love. God’s love is beyond our ability to even comprehend. One need only read and embrace the story of Christ and one begins to comprehend, even in a small way, God’s love.
And God’s beauty and love CHASE us. Imagine that. This, for me, is something to truly ponder.
Take how the 23rd Psalm is rendered just before it ends.
Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
This is most often rendered like this:
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
I certainly love the words ‘goodness’ and ‘mercy’ and they are meaningful. As I look at the words ‘your beauty and your love,’ I am struck in different ways.
We don’t often use the word ‘beautiful’ in reference to God. There is a famous and beloved hymn entitled, “Beautiful Savior,” but we rarely refer to God as beautiful. We talk about beautiful people and the beauty of creation, but rarely do we speak of a beautiful God.
Every year “People” has a survey of the most beautiful people of the year. They are making reference to people who are incredibly attractive, very good looking, etc. One thing we never learn, however, is what the hearts of these people are like. They are very attractive, but do they have beautiful hearts-----hearts that are open to loving others and being loved by others.
Outward beauty is great but it doesn’t always tell us what is happening inside a person.
I often think that real beauty can be seen in a person’s eyes. It is said that the eyes are the pathway to the soul and often you can look into a person’s eyes and be captured by immense beauty that captures one’s soul.
I somehow think God is like this. There are times I look into the eyes of people and come face to face with the heart of God and there is such beauty. It is the beauty of great kindness and tenderness.
And then there is love. God’s love is beyond our ability to even comprehend. One need only read and embrace the story of Christ and one begins to comprehend, even in a small way, God’s love.
And God’s beauty and love CHASE us. Imagine that. This, for me, is something to truly ponder.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wanda Sykes Comments
At the corespondents dinner the other night Wanda Sykes took on Rush Limbaugh in her comedy routine. She said, facing President Obama, “You know, you might want to look into this, [President Obama], because I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker, but he was just so strung out on OxyContin he missed his flight. ...”
The President gave a polite smile and did not laugh. Half the room laughed and half the room groaned. It was a low, cheap joke and people knew it. Rush will rant about it today because he’s pretty thin skinned about people making fun of him.
Anyone who knows me, even in the least, knows that I do not like Rush Limbaugh. I find him petty, mean, and dishonest. Much of what he shares as ‘fact’ is very much opinion and he has found that if you repeat a lie over and over again, people believe it. His level of cruelty towards others is often limitless and the kind of joke Wanda Sykes leveled at him is one he is very capable of leveling at someone else.
This, to me, is the very reason her joke was offensive.
His hope that Barack Obama fails is well documented. For a person to publically pronounce that they hope that the President of the United States fails when the nation is in such a difficult climate is repulsive. He said that many people hoped that George W. Bush would fail in Iraq. My sense was that many people believed that he would fail (which is different from hoping) but I never really heard someone say that they hoped he would fail. I can’t imagine people wanting to see our soldiers killed to see a President fail. Limbaugh’s comments, stand by themselves, and they were repulsive.
The biggest problem with Rush Limbaugh is not anything specific he has said. The list of offensive things he has said towards people who differ from him is rather extensive. These specifics are specifically offensive to lots of people, but in their accumulation they speak to something greater. He has helped lower the level of discourse in this nation.
Instead of people having civil discourse in discussing differences of opinion, they now have found it right to just verbally abuse each other. Rush Limbaugh has the highest rated radio show and he does it. If he does it and has made millions doing it, than everyone should do it.
Frankly, I’ve done it towards Rush Limbaugh. I figure if he can dish it out, people can dish it right back. Sarcasm is, to me, often funny and when there is a target like Limbaugh, my sarcasm tend to run wild. I'm finding something wrong in how I have approached this, however. I have become that which I do not admire.
When I first read what Wanda Sykes said, I laughed. The more I have thought about it, however, the more troubled I am by it. We have allowed ourselves to be pulled into the mud pit as a society. Difference is a dish best served with cruelty and derision. Or so it would seem. Rush has taught us this and has made a great deal of money doing so. Others are now following his lead.
But the more I reflect on this, the more I am coming to the conclusion that we, as a society, need to extract ourselves from the mud pit and learn civility.
Wanda Sykes is a funny person but I think she went to far. It’s not that Rush, personally, didn’t deserve it, but as a society we need to deserve better, we need to expect better. We cannot allow ourselves to continue to wallow in the mud of cruelty and derision. We need to learn that difference is a dish best served with dignity and respect.
The President gave a polite smile and did not laugh. Half the room laughed and half the room groaned. It was a low, cheap joke and people knew it. Rush will rant about it today because he’s pretty thin skinned about people making fun of him.
Anyone who knows me, even in the least, knows that I do not like Rush Limbaugh. I find him petty, mean, and dishonest. Much of what he shares as ‘fact’ is very much opinion and he has found that if you repeat a lie over and over again, people believe it. His level of cruelty towards others is often limitless and the kind of joke Wanda Sykes leveled at him is one he is very capable of leveling at someone else.
This, to me, is the very reason her joke was offensive.
His hope that Barack Obama fails is well documented. For a person to publically pronounce that they hope that the President of the United States fails when the nation is in such a difficult climate is repulsive. He said that many people hoped that George W. Bush would fail in Iraq. My sense was that many people believed that he would fail (which is different from hoping) but I never really heard someone say that they hoped he would fail. I can’t imagine people wanting to see our soldiers killed to see a President fail. Limbaugh’s comments, stand by themselves, and they were repulsive.
The biggest problem with Rush Limbaugh is not anything specific he has said. The list of offensive things he has said towards people who differ from him is rather extensive. These specifics are specifically offensive to lots of people, but in their accumulation they speak to something greater. He has helped lower the level of discourse in this nation.
Instead of people having civil discourse in discussing differences of opinion, they now have found it right to just verbally abuse each other. Rush Limbaugh has the highest rated radio show and he does it. If he does it and has made millions doing it, than everyone should do it.
Frankly, I’ve done it towards Rush Limbaugh. I figure if he can dish it out, people can dish it right back. Sarcasm is, to me, often funny and when there is a target like Limbaugh, my sarcasm tend to run wild. I'm finding something wrong in how I have approached this, however. I have become that which I do not admire.
When I first read what Wanda Sykes said, I laughed. The more I have thought about it, however, the more troubled I am by it. We have allowed ourselves to be pulled into the mud pit as a society. Difference is a dish best served with cruelty and derision. Or so it would seem. Rush has taught us this and has made a great deal of money doing so. Others are now following his lead.
But the more I reflect on this, the more I am coming to the conclusion that we, as a society, need to extract ourselves from the mud pit and learn civility.
Wanda Sykes is a funny person but I think she went to far. It’s not that Rush, personally, didn’t deserve it, but as a society we need to deserve better, we need to expect better. We cannot allow ourselves to continue to wallow in the mud of cruelty and derision. We need to learn that difference is a dish best served with dignity and respect.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Random Thoughts
The hopes of Chrysler seem to all rest on Fiat. I’ve known people who have owned Fiats over the years. I have owned cars made by the Chrysler corporation and have sworn, never again because of their incredible lack of reliability. People who have owned Fiats generally swore at their Fiats because they did EARN the nickname, “Fix It All the Time.” Sounds like a match made in Heaven...
I’m still trying to figure out the tea bag day. They were protesting taxation and my taxes went down. So, this was a protest that their taxes went down? I’m still mystified by the whole thing. One Englishman said that he was highly insulted as King George was a much better oppressor than Barack Obama. The original tea party was about taxation without representation; this one was about lower taxes and our people lost the election. I'm still trying to figure this one out.
There is rampant speculation as to the love life and virginity of Miley Cyrus. I mean, this is a news story? This ranks even lower than tea bag rallies.
The two New York baseball teams play a massive amount of money to a bunch of players who are great at losing. The high priced players don’t always produce great teams. Speaking of New York teams, the New York Jets who last one a big game was in 1969 have gotten most of the New York news media these days. We Giants fans like it this way.
Prediction: Brett Favre will sign with the Vikings.
Prediction #2: The Vikings will sell a lot of tickets and regret this. He is 40 years old with a sore arm...
Elizabeth Edwards is breaking her silence and pretty much telling us what we already knew. She is married to a skunk. I used to like John Edwards a great deal. I have long since gotten over it. For her part, she's dealing with a terminal illness and children and she comes to realize that she's married to a guy who not only cheated by has the significant chance to be the father of another child.
I do appreciate that Arlen Specter was at least honest that he became a Democrat for selfish reasons. Actually, he started out as a Democrat and became a Republican for selfish reasons. The ideological purists in the Republican Party were happy to see him go and have invited others to leave as well. This kind of strategic thinking served Custer well too.
I somehow wish that judges were not Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative. The concept of the blind justice holding the scales and political ideology, at least to me, to be mutually exclusive. I understand that I am being naive about this but this bothers me a great deal.
Stephen Baldwin has been repeatedly saying, "I believe that my not being able to express my traditional Christian values and views regarding marriage is a hate crime against me.” He decries this as religious persecution. He’s been on virtually every television channel decreeing the fact that he’s being silenced and persecuted for his beliefs and expressing his views on traditional Christian marriage, which, of course, is a husband owns his wife and has complete control over every thought and action she does. In Biblical times, the time he wants us to go back to, marriage was a legal contract of a man owning a woman. She had no rights. He could abuse her, beat her up, and even kill her with no legal ramifications. Of course, he’s been on television repeatedly telling us about his traditional Christian values and such, so I’m wondering where the hate crime stuff is. I wonder what his view of tea bag day was.
It’s funny that after Barack Obama’s first 100 days people who like him thought he was the greatest thing since slice bread and the people who don’t like him thought he was the worst thing since someone determined that brussels sprouts were edible. The fact of life, however, is that 100 days into a Presidency gives us very little to base judgments, good or bad.
Ann Coulter was speaking the other day about Bristol Palin and her baby, etc. Bristol Palin's baby is not Ann Coulter's business nor anyone else's.
I'm thinking that betting on the penal league team that has Vick throwing to Burress may be a good bet.
I'm realizing that I am aging. When I was a child I saw a football game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills led by their start quarterback, Jack Kemp. Kemp, of course, went into politics and eventually ran as Bob Dole's running mate. Jack Kemp was one of those guys who was in the mold of Hubert Humphrey, a happy warrior. Kemp was a person who you might have disagreed with politically, I certainly did, but he was also a person who cared for those less fortunate than he was. He truly did seek to help others. Whether one agreed or disagreed with, Kemp was truly a fine person.
I’m still trying to figure out the tea bag day. They were protesting taxation and my taxes went down. So, this was a protest that their taxes went down? I’m still mystified by the whole thing. One Englishman said that he was highly insulted as King George was a much better oppressor than Barack Obama. The original tea party was about taxation without representation; this one was about lower taxes and our people lost the election. I'm still trying to figure this one out.
There is rampant speculation as to the love life and virginity of Miley Cyrus. I mean, this is a news story? This ranks even lower than tea bag rallies.
The two New York baseball teams play a massive amount of money to a bunch of players who are great at losing. The high priced players don’t always produce great teams. Speaking of New York teams, the New York Jets who last one a big game was in 1969 have gotten most of the New York news media these days. We Giants fans like it this way.
Prediction: Brett Favre will sign with the Vikings.
Prediction #2: The Vikings will sell a lot of tickets and regret this. He is 40 years old with a sore arm...
Elizabeth Edwards is breaking her silence and pretty much telling us what we already knew. She is married to a skunk. I used to like John Edwards a great deal. I have long since gotten over it. For her part, she's dealing with a terminal illness and children and she comes to realize that she's married to a guy who not only cheated by has the significant chance to be the father of another child.
I do appreciate that Arlen Specter was at least honest that he became a Democrat for selfish reasons. Actually, he started out as a Democrat and became a Republican for selfish reasons. The ideological purists in the Republican Party were happy to see him go and have invited others to leave as well. This kind of strategic thinking served Custer well too.
I somehow wish that judges were not Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative. The concept of the blind justice holding the scales and political ideology, at least to me, to be mutually exclusive. I understand that I am being naive about this but this bothers me a great deal.
Stephen Baldwin has been repeatedly saying, "I believe that my not being able to express my traditional Christian values and views regarding marriage is a hate crime against me.” He decries this as religious persecution. He’s been on virtually every television channel decreeing the fact that he’s being silenced and persecuted for his beliefs and expressing his views on traditional Christian marriage, which, of course, is a husband owns his wife and has complete control over every thought and action she does. In Biblical times, the time he wants us to go back to, marriage was a legal contract of a man owning a woman. She had no rights. He could abuse her, beat her up, and even kill her with no legal ramifications. Of course, he’s been on television repeatedly telling us about his traditional Christian values and such, so I’m wondering where the hate crime stuff is. I wonder what his view of tea bag day was.
It’s funny that after Barack Obama’s first 100 days people who like him thought he was the greatest thing since slice bread and the people who don’t like him thought he was the worst thing since someone determined that brussels sprouts were edible. The fact of life, however, is that 100 days into a Presidency gives us very little to base judgments, good or bad.
Ann Coulter was speaking the other day about Bristol Palin and her baby, etc. Bristol Palin's baby is not Ann Coulter's business nor anyone else's.
I'm thinking that betting on the penal league team that has Vick throwing to Burress may be a good bet.
I'm realizing that I am aging. When I was a child I saw a football game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills led by their start quarterback, Jack Kemp. Kemp, of course, went into politics and eventually ran as Bob Dole's running mate. Jack Kemp was one of those guys who was in the mold of Hubert Humphrey, a happy warrior. Kemp was a person who you might have disagreed with politically, I certainly did, but he was also a person who cared for those less fortunate than he was. He truly did seek to help others. Whether one agreed or disagreed with, Kemp was truly a fine person.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Trying Kindness
In the 1970's when I was in the seminary in New Jersey a New York news anchor spoke at our seminary. News anchors from New York City reported it all. Actually, to be honest, New York City in the 1970's was not a very nice place to be. The city has been cleaned up a great deal since that time; the ‘70's were a real low point.
In a question and answer session after his talk (that I do not remember) people asked a variety of questions. One student asked a fairly mundane question: “What do you see as the biggest problem people face now?” Most of us figured this was mundane and boring, and the speaker would give some standard answer. His answer, however, was unforgettable. He said simply, “People don’t love each other enough.”
I have often remembered those words. “People don’t love each other enough.”
We live in a culture plagued by a lack of kindness.
I have come to loathe election years. Watching television commercials from so many candidates is often painful. Many of the ads are cruel and often not even remotely accurate.
I simply do not turn on the radio. Talk radio has become a breeding place for hatred.
Most of the evening cable news shows are pretty much the same. Sadly, I often watch these shows and delight in seeing people I do not like very much skewered. It really is not right and I find myself wondering if watching these shows is actually wrong. When I find myself delighting in unkindness directed at people with whom I do not agree or who I feel are unkind, I lower myself into the muck.
Most people who know me would say that I am a pretty nice person. People who know me well know, however, that I have a ragingly sarcastic sense of humor. I sometimes direct my sarcasm at myself, but I also aim sarcasm at others. It is not me at my best. I may be funny when I do this, but unkindness probably ought not be laughed at.
Every so often, however, I run into people who are incredibly kind and good and I greatly appreciate their goodness. I think I’m going to work on having that kindness rub off on me.
At least a little.
In a question and answer session after his talk (that I do not remember) people asked a variety of questions. One student asked a fairly mundane question: “What do you see as the biggest problem people face now?” Most of us figured this was mundane and boring, and the speaker would give some standard answer. His answer, however, was unforgettable. He said simply, “People don’t love each other enough.”
I have often remembered those words. “People don’t love each other enough.”
We live in a culture plagued by a lack of kindness.
I have come to loathe election years. Watching television commercials from so many candidates is often painful. Many of the ads are cruel and often not even remotely accurate.
I simply do not turn on the radio. Talk radio has become a breeding place for hatred.
Most of the evening cable news shows are pretty much the same. Sadly, I often watch these shows and delight in seeing people I do not like very much skewered. It really is not right and I find myself wondering if watching these shows is actually wrong. When I find myself delighting in unkindness directed at people with whom I do not agree or who I feel are unkind, I lower myself into the muck.
Most people who know me would say that I am a pretty nice person. People who know me well know, however, that I have a ragingly sarcastic sense of humor. I sometimes direct my sarcasm at myself, but I also aim sarcasm at others. It is not me at my best. I may be funny when I do this, but unkindness probably ought not be laughed at.
Every so often, however, I run into people who are incredibly kind and good and I greatly appreciate their goodness. I think I’m going to work on having that kindness rub off on me.
At least a little.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Learning to Apologize
I was struck yesterday by Virginia Foxx's lack of apology, apology. Her words were to the effect of, "I apologize IF."
There are two words that never belong in apology.
The first word is 'if.'
When we hurt another person, we hurt the person. A proper apology is this: "I apologize that I hurt you." When you say like this, "I apologize IF I hurt you," now the emphasis is on the response of the person who was hurt. It is their responsibility now to take ownership of the issue. If a person is hurt, they are hurt. Just say "I am sorry," and be done with it. I think it's often helpful to add that 'it wasn't my intention to hurt you' because most often when we hurt others, we really don't intend to do so. Often we say or do things in the heat of the moment or in the heat of a response that gets carried away. What made Virginia Foxx's comments so incredibly awful was that they were prepared remarks and untrue. It makes you wonder if her parents taught her manners. Her words sounded like she was raised by Tarzan and seven of his apes.
The other lethal word in an apology is the word 'but.' And it is usually a very big but in the middle of a sentence. (Pun intended!)
When we say, "I am sorry, but....," this is no longer an apology but a justification pretending to be an apology. "I am sorry for wrecking your car when I was driving drunk, BUT you did ask me to drive your car home from downtown."
"I am sorry for punching you in the mouth, BUT it was your mouth in the way of my flying fist."
"I am sorry I humiliated you BUT I am a Christian and it's all God's fault." (This one shows up in a lot of various forms----misbehaving and blaming our cruel remarks on God.) "God told my heart to tell you that you are a terrible human being. Don't blame me. God told me to tell you that!!!" Grr.
Virginia Foxx is not the first person in need of apologizing properly and will not be the last. As a society, however, we need lessons in learning to apologize and in learning to say, "I am sorry," and ending the sentence before we mess it up.
There are two words that never belong in apology.
The first word is 'if.'
When we hurt another person, we hurt the person. A proper apology is this: "I apologize that I hurt you." When you say like this, "I apologize IF I hurt you," now the emphasis is on the response of the person who was hurt. It is their responsibility now to take ownership of the issue. If a person is hurt, they are hurt. Just say "I am sorry," and be done with it. I think it's often helpful to add that 'it wasn't my intention to hurt you' because most often when we hurt others, we really don't intend to do so. Often we say or do things in the heat of the moment or in the heat of a response that gets carried away. What made Virginia Foxx's comments so incredibly awful was that they were prepared remarks and untrue. It makes you wonder if her parents taught her manners. Her words sounded like she was raised by Tarzan and seven of his apes.
The other lethal word in an apology is the word 'but.' And it is usually a very big but in the middle of a sentence. (Pun intended!)
When we say, "I am sorry, but....," this is no longer an apology but a justification pretending to be an apology. "I am sorry for wrecking your car when I was driving drunk, BUT you did ask me to drive your car home from downtown."
"I am sorry for punching you in the mouth, BUT it was your mouth in the way of my flying fist."
"I am sorry I humiliated you BUT I am a Christian and it's all God's fault." (This one shows up in a lot of various forms----misbehaving and blaming our cruel remarks on God.) "God told my heart to tell you that you are a terrible human being. Don't blame me. God told me to tell you that!!!" Grr.
Virginia Foxx is not the first person in need of apologizing properly and will not be the last. As a society, however, we need lessons in learning to apologize and in learning to say, "I am sorry," and ending the sentence before we mess it up.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Amazing...
This video clip is amazing. Whatever one's thoughts on the subject, Virginia Foxx has her facts WAY wrong. Ignorance and cruelty are a dreadful mixture, as she demonstrates:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLxbQmlOT1I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLxbQmlOT1I
Churchgoers more likely to back torture, survey finds...
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new analysis.
More than half of people who attend services at least once a week — 54 percent — said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified. Only 42 percent of people who “seldom or never” go to services agreed, according the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified — more than 6 in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only 4 in 10 of them did.
The analysis is based on a Pew Research Center survey of 742 American adults conducted April 14-21. It did not include analysis of groups other than white evangelicals, white non-Hispanic Catholics, white mainline Protestants, and the religiously unaffiliated, because the sample size was too small.
I hope and pray this is untrue. I cannot fathom how a person who believes in Jesus Christ can justify torture. There is an argument that the ‘end justifies the means.
First, it is very much unproven as to whether, in this instance, the end justified the means. Torture has historically been unreliable.
An interesting side note to President Obama’s speech the other night and his reference to Winston Churchill was this. The British, during World War II, were the absolute masters of intelligence and deception. They had broken “Ultra” the German code and were intercepting and translating German correspondence through much of the war. In a series of clever moves, the British were able to keep updating as the Germans changed codes-----codes the Germans believed to be unbreakable. The British did not torture.
Neither did the United States. Our intelligence services broke the Japanese codes early in the war. This information greatly assisted in the victory at Midway and led to the shooting down of Admiral Yamamoto’s plane----we knew where he was going and the route he was using. We didn’t torture.
The Japanese did and learned nothing.
The Germans did extensively and were constantly being deceived. Torture does not have a good track record as to reliability.
It is difficult to make any sort of argument about the end justifying the means when the means is notoriously unreliable.
There is something greater at stake, however. There are times when the end does not justify the means. Torture, at least from a faith perspective, is one of those things. This, to me, is not a political issue, but very much a core ethical issue.
Torture is about dehumanizing another person. It is stripping the humanity from another human being, layer by layer. It dehumanizes both the tortured AND the torturer. In the war crimes trials after World War II most of the torturers were found to be completely dehumanized themselves. They had lost all sensitivity towards other human beings. Their indifference to suffering was incredible. One cannot even say they were sadistic. They had lost all feeling, both good and bad.
I find it tragic that, as a nation, we even ventured down this path. The United States has been and is the greatest country in the world. I greatly believe that. It is, however, easy to lose greatness; greatness is contingent on first being a good people. When we lose that sense of being a good people, we will cease being a great nation.
I fear our use of torture, and our repeated use of torture on some of these people was not about getting information. The repeated water boarding of the same people, over and over again, day after day, cannot have been about getting information. Increasingly it sounds like it had become torture for the sake of torture. Perhaps it was torture that sought retribution or revenge. It is obvious, however, that it had long passed the point of seeking information.
I am mortified that people of faith felt, in any way, that any of this was morally justified. If any document in the history of humanity speaks of loving neighbor and caring for one another, it is the Bible. If any document in the history of humanity speaks against dehumanizing other human beings, it is the Bible. How people can read the Bible, pray, attend Worship, and listen to sermons about God’s love, and come to the conclusion that torture is ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ justified, eludes me.
Recently polling data has been demonstrating that faith is having less and less an impact in people’s lives and in determining ethics. If people of faith are at the forefront of justifying torture this is, sadly, understandable. It demonstrates, at least to me, that people’s political beliefs are impacting their faith more than their faith is impacting their political beliefs. I do have hope, however, that we will see our way out of this and be the good people we always hope to be.
More than half of people who attend services at least once a week — 54 percent — said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified. Only 42 percent of people who “seldom or never” go to services agreed, according the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified — more than 6 in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only 4 in 10 of them did.
The analysis is based on a Pew Research Center survey of 742 American adults conducted April 14-21. It did not include analysis of groups other than white evangelicals, white non-Hispanic Catholics, white mainline Protestants, and the religiously unaffiliated, because the sample size was too small.
I hope and pray this is untrue. I cannot fathom how a person who believes in Jesus Christ can justify torture. There is an argument that the ‘end justifies the means.
First, it is very much unproven as to whether, in this instance, the end justified the means. Torture has historically been unreliable.
An interesting side note to President Obama’s speech the other night and his reference to Winston Churchill was this. The British, during World War II, were the absolute masters of intelligence and deception. They had broken “Ultra” the German code and were intercepting and translating German correspondence through much of the war. In a series of clever moves, the British were able to keep updating as the Germans changed codes-----codes the Germans believed to be unbreakable. The British did not torture.
Neither did the United States. Our intelligence services broke the Japanese codes early in the war. This information greatly assisted in the victory at Midway and led to the shooting down of Admiral Yamamoto’s plane----we knew where he was going and the route he was using. We didn’t torture.
The Japanese did and learned nothing.
The Germans did extensively and were constantly being deceived. Torture does not have a good track record as to reliability.
It is difficult to make any sort of argument about the end justifying the means when the means is notoriously unreliable.
There is something greater at stake, however. There are times when the end does not justify the means. Torture, at least from a faith perspective, is one of those things. This, to me, is not a political issue, but very much a core ethical issue.
Torture is about dehumanizing another person. It is stripping the humanity from another human being, layer by layer. It dehumanizes both the tortured AND the torturer. In the war crimes trials after World War II most of the torturers were found to be completely dehumanized themselves. They had lost all sensitivity towards other human beings. Their indifference to suffering was incredible. One cannot even say they were sadistic. They had lost all feeling, both good and bad.
I find it tragic that, as a nation, we even ventured down this path. The United States has been and is the greatest country in the world. I greatly believe that. It is, however, easy to lose greatness; greatness is contingent on first being a good people. When we lose that sense of being a good people, we will cease being a great nation.
I fear our use of torture, and our repeated use of torture on some of these people was not about getting information. The repeated water boarding of the same people, over and over again, day after day, cannot have been about getting information. Increasingly it sounds like it had become torture for the sake of torture. Perhaps it was torture that sought retribution or revenge. It is obvious, however, that it had long passed the point of seeking information.
I am mortified that people of faith felt, in any way, that any of this was morally justified. If any document in the history of humanity speaks of loving neighbor and caring for one another, it is the Bible. If any document in the history of humanity speaks against dehumanizing other human beings, it is the Bible. How people can read the Bible, pray, attend Worship, and listen to sermons about God’s love, and come to the conclusion that torture is ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ justified, eludes me.
Recently polling data has been demonstrating that faith is having less and less an impact in people’s lives and in determining ethics. If people of faith are at the forefront of justifying torture this is, sadly, understandable. It demonstrates, at least to me, that people’s political beliefs are impacting their faith more than their faith is impacting their political beliefs. I do have hope, however, that we will see our way out of this and be the good people we always hope to be.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
God in People
Facebook seems to have started for college students but it has evolved into something much more than that. We now had students beginning in high school all the way through adults on Facebook. I never thought I’d like it----it was for kids.
It is great to be wrong on occasion.
I have reconnected with some people from high school.
I have reconnected with people I went to college with. Like my college friends, we have all gotten a bit older. I graduated from college 32 years ago and so I guess this has to be taken into account.
What has been great is that I have reconnected with people I taught in high school in the early 1980's. I was a young adult and they were kids and we are all middle aged now. (No offense to them!!!!) I am struck my how accomplished they are and what incredibly fine human beings they are. They were great kids and even greater adults.
I have reconnected with people, mostly who were kids in my other churches and who are mostly grown and adults. My previous church to here and a church I served in Pennsylvania. Amazing people.
I also have lot of friends, church members, youth, college students, and colleagues on my Facebook ‘Friends’ Page.’
And, of course, my wife and daughters.
I realize, in a very profound way, that I have been a person truly blessed with wonderful people in my life.
One thing has become apparent to me. I studied theology for a lot of years and have read a lot of books about God. I am, what most would consider, theologically literate and, on occasion, astute. But I also know that I have learned more about the presence and goodness of God in life less from books and more in the people I have known. It makes me realize just how fortunate a person I am to have been so blessed.
It is great to be wrong on occasion.
I have reconnected with some people from high school.
I have reconnected with people I went to college with. Like my college friends, we have all gotten a bit older. I graduated from college 32 years ago and so I guess this has to be taken into account.
What has been great is that I have reconnected with people I taught in high school in the early 1980's. I was a young adult and they were kids and we are all middle aged now. (No offense to them!!!!) I am struck my how accomplished they are and what incredibly fine human beings they are. They were great kids and even greater adults.
I have reconnected with people, mostly who were kids in my other churches and who are mostly grown and adults. My previous church to here and a church I served in Pennsylvania. Amazing people.
I also have lot of friends, church members, youth, college students, and colleagues on my Facebook ‘Friends’ Page.’
And, of course, my wife and daughters.
I realize, in a very profound way, that I have been a person truly blessed with wonderful people in my life.
One thing has become apparent to me. I studied theology for a lot of years and have read a lot of books about God. I am, what most would consider, theologically literate and, on occasion, astute. But I also know that I have learned more about the presence and goodness of God in life less from books and more in the people I have known. It makes me realize just how fortunate a person I am to have been so blessed.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Can You Blame the Guy?
Arlen Specter as at least honest with why he was bailing out of the Republican Party. He had no chance of winning the Republican Primary in Pennsylvania. By joining the Democrats he'll most probably easily win the general election. Specter has always been a centrist and his party is one that seems to be demanding ideological purity with an allegiance to the Christian Right that this centrist Jewish Senator could no long abide with.
Of course, this ideological purity can be found in such people as Rep. Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota. She had a brilliant insight into the swine flu epidemic:
"I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence."
Of course this took place in 1976 when Gerald Ford was the President. Carter was elected in November of 1976 and became President in 1977.
Oops.
The good part about Michelle Bachmann is that she maintains the ideological purity that the party now seeks.
Arlen Specter sees the Michelle Bachmann's as the leading lights of his party and decides that it might be a good time for a change of scenery. Why can blame the guy?
Of course, this ideological purity can be found in such people as Rep. Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota. She had a brilliant insight into the swine flu epidemic:
"I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence."
Of course this took place in 1976 when Gerald Ford was the President. Carter was elected in November of 1976 and became President in 1977.
Oops.
The good part about Michelle Bachmann is that she maintains the ideological purity that the party now seeks.
Arlen Specter sees the Michelle Bachmann's as the leading lights of his party and decides that it might be a good time for a change of scenery. Why can blame the guy?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Editing Can Change Things
Editing can change things.
Ponder a movie review.
"This movie is an extraordinarily incredible film if you're idea of a good time is to be trapped in a hot, crowded room with a pile of rotten cabbage. I stinks that bad."
The next day the movie advertises that the critic said :
"This movie is an extraordinarily incredible film." Did the critic say those words? Yes. Did the advertisement take the critic's words out of context? Yes. Big time.
Shame on Fox News. Or Faux News. In a recent report Faux reporter Wendell Goler showed a video of President Obama stating support for a European health care system. The clip comes from a town hall meeting. This video clip from Faux News shows this.
http://www.dailykostv.com/w/001231/
Unfortunately, it was edited. Obama is actually reading a question when he says the words of support for a European system. He is not saying he supports this particular system, but the clip makes him appear to be doing so. They edited his remarks in order to attack his position----a position he actually doesn't even have.
If we are going to have serious debates in this country on health care, we need to demand our news media at least be honest and allow us to see what our leaders actually ARE saying. Grr.
Ponder a movie review.
"This movie is an extraordinarily incredible film if you're idea of a good time is to be trapped in a hot, crowded room with a pile of rotten cabbage. I stinks that bad."
The next day the movie advertises that the critic said :
"This movie is an extraordinarily incredible film." Did the critic say those words? Yes. Did the advertisement take the critic's words out of context? Yes. Big time.
Shame on Fox News. Or Faux News. In a recent report Faux reporter Wendell Goler showed a video of President Obama stating support for a European health care system. The clip comes from a town hall meeting. This video clip from Faux News shows this.
http://www.dailykostv.com/w/001231/
Unfortunately, it was edited. Obama is actually reading a question when he says the words of support for a European system. He is not saying he supports this particular system, but the clip makes him appear to be doing so. They edited his remarks in order to attack his position----a position he actually doesn't even have.
If we are going to have serious debates in this country on health care, we need to demand our news media at least be honest and allow us to see what our leaders actually ARE saying. Grr.
Monday, April 20, 2009
She Made Something of Herself
Susan Boyle was an unemployed 47 year old woman from a small town on Scotland. She had cared for her parents until their deaths and lived a very quiet life. She is the youngest of nine children whose life in the world was difficult as she progressed through school. She was somewhat eccentric, didn’t do much for glamour, and seemed to be having an ongoing bad hair day. Her mother wanted Susan to do something with her life. After her mom died, Susan mourned for two years and then entered into a contest. She won a spot on an English talent show.
She shuffled out onto the stage in front of an amused audience. One of the judges for the event was the infamous Simon Cowell who is either mean to bluntly honest. Your choice.
People were amused. Susan Boyle was not the attractive young thing one would often expect to see. Her hair....well, she was having a bad hair day. She was clean, and wore clean clothing, and dressed the way she always dressed, very plainly. She was honest. She had never been on a date and had never been kissed.
This very shy woman lived a quiet life, attended Worship on a regular basis, and sang in her church choir. I suspect that while the audience was giggling at Susan Boyle’s appearance, the people in her choir had a smile. They knew something no one else did. They knew about Susan Boyle’s ability to sing.
When Susan Boyle began to sing, so did the world. People sat back in shock----and awe. She sang the song, “I Dreamed a Dreamed,” and brought the world to tears.
Her video on You Tube is the most watched video these days. Everyone is talking about this woman and are in awe of her talent.
Simon Cowell, for his part, loved her. His facial expression during the song was gentle, kind, and incredibly happy.
Her promise to her mother was very much fulfilled. She had made something of herself.
She shuffled out onto the stage in front of an amused audience. One of the judges for the event was the infamous Simon Cowell who is either mean to bluntly honest. Your choice.
People were amused. Susan Boyle was not the attractive young thing one would often expect to see. Her hair....well, she was having a bad hair day. She was clean, and wore clean clothing, and dressed the way she always dressed, very plainly. She was honest. She had never been on a date and had never been kissed.
This very shy woman lived a quiet life, attended Worship on a regular basis, and sang in her church choir. I suspect that while the audience was giggling at Susan Boyle’s appearance, the people in her choir had a smile. They knew something no one else did. They knew about Susan Boyle’s ability to sing.
When Susan Boyle began to sing, so did the world. People sat back in shock----and awe. She sang the song, “I Dreamed a Dreamed,” and brought the world to tears.
Her video on You Tube is the most watched video these days. Everyone is talking about this woman and are in awe of her talent.
Simon Cowell, for his part, loved her. His facial expression during the song was gentle, kind, and incredibly happy.
Her promise to her mother was very much fulfilled. She had made something of herself.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Next Time We Whine About Our Lives....
The next time we are inclined to whine about our lives, we ought to watch this video again.
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a-la-Carte
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a-la-Carte
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Musings
As I write this the news reports are coming in that the French have nailed a pirate ‘mother ship’ and have detained eleven pirates. Good. I’m hoping more navies of the world continue to get involved.
Maybe this is a foolish idea, but have nations thought about using the World War II strategy if doing some traveling by convoys with naval ships of various nations providing an escort service to them? It would take coordination and cooperation, but it might destroy the pirate trade.
I am officially tired of ‘the dog.’ That’s is all I’m going to say and the way this story is going, I’ve already said too much.
Somewhere along the line Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, and Fox News seem to have dreamed up this tea time day to protest taxes. I guess that this is to protest that I now have more take home pay than I did a month ago...
Rush Limbaugh is criticizing conservative commentators who said that Obama did the right thing in authorizing the rescue of the captain. It’s not that Limbaugh is opposed to this tact, it’s just that....Oh, wait, this is Rush Limbaugh and I’m trying to find a coherent thought. Ugh.
I wonder if Rush knows about the dog yet...
It is looking like Al Franken has won the election for Minnesota’s Senate seat. Coleman seems to be running out of options other than to delay Franken’s seating.
Mel Gibson and his wife will probably end up splitting close to $1,000,000,000.00. We can only hope that they can survive on this pittance. Maybe one of them can purchase GM.
Chrysler is pinning its hopes on Fiat. Fiat engineers are seeking to do something that I thought was impossible. They are seeking to make Chrysler products even less reliable than they are now. I thought this was impossible but Fiat just might be able to do it.
Sarah Palin is going to speak at some Right to Life Gathering in Evansville, Indiana. Her own party is angry with her because she will be in Indiana during a critical legislative session in Alaska where they have had a major economic downturn that is leading to problems. It’s difficult to imagine that a right to life gathering thinks having a person who is so incredibly pro-death penalty gives them any credibility on life issues. Than again, most of these groups are merely anti-abortion but not really pro-life. They just like to pretend that they are.
I think that “Morning Joe,” on early on MSNBC is one of the best news commentary shows on television. They have very fair and balanced discussions on issues and they do so very respectfully and carefully listen. Joe Scarborough, a former Republican Congressman from Florida is the host of the show and he keeps a very even disposition through things. Just for the record, he’s tired of the dog stories as well.
I finally, the Giants cut Plaxico Burress. To his complete chagrin and surprise, no one else has signed him as of yet. Considering that he’s probably going to spend some time in jail, a fact that seems to be eluding him, might be part of this.
Speaking of football players in jail, I can’t help but wondering what Michael Vick thinks about ‘the dog.’
Maybe this is a foolish idea, but have nations thought about using the World War II strategy if doing some traveling by convoys with naval ships of various nations providing an escort service to them? It would take coordination and cooperation, but it might destroy the pirate trade.
I am officially tired of ‘the dog.’ That’s is all I’m going to say and the way this story is going, I’ve already said too much.
Somewhere along the line Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, and Fox News seem to have dreamed up this tea time day to protest taxes. I guess that this is to protest that I now have more take home pay than I did a month ago...
Rush Limbaugh is criticizing conservative commentators who said that Obama did the right thing in authorizing the rescue of the captain. It’s not that Limbaugh is opposed to this tact, it’s just that....Oh, wait, this is Rush Limbaugh and I’m trying to find a coherent thought. Ugh.
I wonder if Rush knows about the dog yet...
It is looking like Al Franken has won the election for Minnesota’s Senate seat. Coleman seems to be running out of options other than to delay Franken’s seating.
Mel Gibson and his wife will probably end up splitting close to $1,000,000,000.00. We can only hope that they can survive on this pittance. Maybe one of them can purchase GM.
Chrysler is pinning its hopes on Fiat. Fiat engineers are seeking to do something that I thought was impossible. They are seeking to make Chrysler products even less reliable than they are now. I thought this was impossible but Fiat just might be able to do it.
Sarah Palin is going to speak at some Right to Life Gathering in Evansville, Indiana. Her own party is angry with her because she will be in Indiana during a critical legislative session in Alaska where they have had a major economic downturn that is leading to problems. It’s difficult to imagine that a right to life gathering thinks having a person who is so incredibly pro-death penalty gives them any credibility on life issues. Than again, most of these groups are merely anti-abortion but not really pro-life. They just like to pretend that they are.
I think that “Morning Joe,” on early on MSNBC is one of the best news commentary shows on television. They have very fair and balanced discussions on issues and they do so very respectfully and carefully listen. Joe Scarborough, a former Republican Congressman from Florida is the host of the show and he keeps a very even disposition through things. Just for the record, he’s tired of the dog stories as well.
I finally, the Giants cut Plaxico Burress. To his complete chagrin and surprise, no one else has signed him as of yet. Considering that he’s probably going to spend some time in jail, a fact that seems to be eluding him, might be part of this.
Speaking of football players in jail, I can’t help but wondering what Michael Vick thinks about ‘the dog.’
Monday, April 13, 2009
Being Nude with Others
Okay, that was a dirty trick. I just used that title to get your attention. I really wanted to write about hope. I guess you can hope about nudity and being nude with others, but that’s not the point of what I’m writing today.
Easter season is a time of hope. The story of Easter is the story of Jesus being raised from the dead, and in the process of the resurrection, brings hope to the world.
People hope for lots of things. Whenever there is an election people all hope that their candidate gets elected. After the election people who ‘won’ hope that their candidate does well and the people who ‘lost’ hope that the candidate they did not vote for does not mess things up as badly as they think that person will. People will debate, to varying degrees, on how well each person does. But this isn’t a source of what would be ‘great’ hope.
Some people hope that the world will be a better place. Often people find hope in that some people do not get what they want. Gun control advocates hope that people can’t purchase certain types of weapons. They have a sense that people don’t need AK-47's with armor piercing bullets to go duck hunting. Gun rights people hope that the gun control people don’t get their way. People find hope in hoping that some folks don’t get what they want.
William Willimon, a United Methodist Bishop and prolific author and great preacher used to be the Dean of the Chapel at Duke University. Willimon suggested that he didn’t believe that preachers always preach what people want to hear or that they should give people everything they want as, he generally was preaching to young people who he hoped DIDN’T get what they always wanted.
Hope comes in all sorts of varieties, but great hope has to come from something else, something more. Hope comes in the miracle of Easter.
Often when people are facing the end of their lives they search for hope, and search for a miracle.
On occasion there are ‘healing’ miracles where a person gets cured of their disease. But there are also ‘healing’ miracles that take place when people come to peace with the end of their lives and find their hope and miracle in life after death.
When we have faith there is always that hope for that miracle. The really great miracle comes because Jesus came forth from the tomb teaching us that truly was life after death.
And in that there truly is great hope.
Clothed or not.
Easter season is a time of hope. The story of Easter is the story of Jesus being raised from the dead, and in the process of the resurrection, brings hope to the world.
People hope for lots of things. Whenever there is an election people all hope that their candidate gets elected. After the election people who ‘won’ hope that their candidate does well and the people who ‘lost’ hope that the candidate they did not vote for does not mess things up as badly as they think that person will. People will debate, to varying degrees, on how well each person does. But this isn’t a source of what would be ‘great’ hope.
Some people hope that the world will be a better place. Often people find hope in that some people do not get what they want. Gun control advocates hope that people can’t purchase certain types of weapons. They have a sense that people don’t need AK-47's with armor piercing bullets to go duck hunting. Gun rights people hope that the gun control people don’t get their way. People find hope in hoping that some folks don’t get what they want.
William Willimon, a United Methodist Bishop and prolific author and great preacher used to be the Dean of the Chapel at Duke University. Willimon suggested that he didn’t believe that preachers always preach what people want to hear or that they should give people everything they want as, he generally was preaching to young people who he hoped DIDN’T get what they always wanted.
Hope comes in all sorts of varieties, but great hope has to come from something else, something more. Hope comes in the miracle of Easter.
Often when people are facing the end of their lives they search for hope, and search for a miracle.
On occasion there are ‘healing’ miracles where a person gets cured of their disease. But there are also ‘healing’ miracles that take place when people come to peace with the end of their lives and find their hope and miracle in life after death.
When we have faith there is always that hope for that miracle. The really great miracle comes because Jesus came forth from the tomb teaching us that truly was life after death.
And in that there truly is great hope.
Clothed or not.
The Senseless Crime of being a Pirate
Pirates.
We sometimes get the image of Captain Jack Sparrow and the great ‘Pirate Code’ and how the pirates were opposing the evil British. Pirates have always held a special place in the imagination of people----in fiction.
In real life, pirates rank near the bottom of the criminal charts. They will hijack ships, hold people hostage for long periods of time, murder at will, and do so with little regard for others.
The recent hijacking of an American ship was a ship carrying food and medical supplies to famine stricken areas. These pirates were willing to hijack food and supplies headed to needy people for money. Nothing more than money. The Maersk Alabama was attacked by a group of four Somali pirates for little more than cash.
What happened is something I hope begins to happen to more of these pirates.
Most crews pretty passively have not put up a fight. The crew of the Maersk Alabama was not interested in being captured. The pirates never really got control of the ship. All they ended up with was the captain and a lifeboat. The crew and the pirates negotiated a prisoner exchange; one pirate for the captain. The three pirates got their partner back, but the pirates reneged on the deal. So much for the ‘Pirate Code.’
President Obama gave an order to take them out and three Navy Seals each fired one shot and killed the three pirates on the lifeboat and thus having a chance to rescue the captain.
Needless to say, things will be more tense now. Other nations have been warned that the hostages will be treated as the nation treats the pirates. American crews, one would imagine, can expect not to survive. Sadly, the only language (beside money) that these pirates understand is force. There will be, I am sorry to say, a lot of death that takes place in the Indian Ocean in the coming months. I suspect that the United States Navy is going to be on full alert. A team of French commandos recently rescued a family killing the pirates and with the loss of the owner of the boat. The blood of both the innocent and the guilty will, sadly, be shed.
The family of the crew of the Maersk Alabama is rightfully rejoicing and we, as a nation, are glad because the bravery of the crew and their captain, and the great work of the United States Navy was in evidence. There are families, however, in Somalia grieving the deaths of three young men and a fourth pirate will probably spend the rest of his life in an American prison. I keep thinking that a Somali mom, someplace, is weeping today, and many more will join her in the coming months until this piracy ceases. As it happened many years ago, the navies of the world will band together and destroy these pirates.
And more mothers around the world will weep the loss of their children until this senseless criminal behavior and the violence which ensues, will come to an end.
We sometimes get the image of Captain Jack Sparrow and the great ‘Pirate Code’ and how the pirates were opposing the evil British. Pirates have always held a special place in the imagination of people----in fiction.
In real life, pirates rank near the bottom of the criminal charts. They will hijack ships, hold people hostage for long periods of time, murder at will, and do so with little regard for others.
The recent hijacking of an American ship was a ship carrying food and medical supplies to famine stricken areas. These pirates were willing to hijack food and supplies headed to needy people for money. Nothing more than money. The Maersk Alabama was attacked by a group of four Somali pirates for little more than cash.
What happened is something I hope begins to happen to more of these pirates.
Most crews pretty passively have not put up a fight. The crew of the Maersk Alabama was not interested in being captured. The pirates never really got control of the ship. All they ended up with was the captain and a lifeboat. The crew and the pirates negotiated a prisoner exchange; one pirate for the captain. The three pirates got their partner back, but the pirates reneged on the deal. So much for the ‘Pirate Code.’
President Obama gave an order to take them out and three Navy Seals each fired one shot and killed the three pirates on the lifeboat and thus having a chance to rescue the captain.
Needless to say, things will be more tense now. Other nations have been warned that the hostages will be treated as the nation treats the pirates. American crews, one would imagine, can expect not to survive. Sadly, the only language (beside money) that these pirates understand is force. There will be, I am sorry to say, a lot of death that takes place in the Indian Ocean in the coming months. I suspect that the United States Navy is going to be on full alert. A team of French commandos recently rescued a family killing the pirates and with the loss of the owner of the boat. The blood of both the innocent and the guilty will, sadly, be shed.
The family of the crew of the Maersk Alabama is rightfully rejoicing and we, as a nation, are glad because the bravery of the crew and their captain, and the great work of the United States Navy was in evidence. There are families, however, in Somalia grieving the deaths of three young men and a fourth pirate will probably spend the rest of his life in an American prison. I keep thinking that a Somali mom, someplace, is weeping today, and many more will join her in the coming months until this piracy ceases. As it happened many years ago, the navies of the world will band together and destroy these pirates.
And more mothers around the world will weep the loss of their children until this senseless criminal behavior and the violence which ensues, will come to an end.
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