Now That The Election Is Over...The Single Best Decision

I have decided to reprint a post that I wrote earlier this year. It still says what I think about this election season. This is from Feb. 21.


As you all may remember, I have said that I have done the only political post I plan on writing. I'm sticking to that. Just barely. I've been reading some articles the last few days talking about about the different campaigns; how organized or disorganized they are, strengths and weaknesses, etc. I've found them quite interesting, but I've also noticed one thing that hasn't been mentioned.
So dear readers, here's my take on why one campaign is still in this race and not watching it from the sidelines.The single smartest decision made so far in the 2008 campaign: Barack Obama's campaign is run from Chicago and not Washington.

Are Minorities Really To Blame?

Ok dear readers, I have a question.

Are minorities really to blame for the financial mess?

Now I know that some of this is because of sub-prime, but can a whole financial system break down because minorities were given bad loans? C'mon now, I have a hard time believing that.

I am asking this because I don't like the spin that's being placed on this as being something that's caused by the "other". In fact, I'm sickened by it.

Dow Down 778, Do You Have Any Money Left?

What a day dear readers, what a day.

Mondays are my light days, so I can work from home if I so choose. I did. And decided to go back and forth between CNBC and MSNBC to see what was going on as far as the bailout was concerned. Well....the answer came a little after 2:00 EDT. 228 nay, 205 yea.

Where do we go from here ladies and gentlemen? Here are some questions:

-Does the market really need $700 billion dollars?
-What protections should there be for the public and taxpayers?
-Is there any situation in which judicial review is a bad thing?
-What should happen in bankruptcy court in regards to mortgages?

Like I said, a few questions for consideration.

Those who know me in my non-anonymous life know that governance issues play a large role in my life. I also spend a bit of time trying to help those who make decisions understand how those decisions might play in the public eye. And my professional persona is cringing at how this is going to play tomorrow morning. It's not going to be pretty dear readers, not pretty at all. I'll probably write something about that later in the week.

Anyway, I hope you all are not panicking. Panicking is not good for anybody.

Hopefully Charlie Rose will talk about this tonight. My guess is he will.

The Long Goodbye, Paul Newman 1925-2008

Well it just came over the wire that Paul Newman has died at age 83.

Since my favorite line in all of movie-dom comes from "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof", I am sad at the news. But Newman lived a good life and even though he was taken away by cancer, he lived his life the way he wanted.

So dear readers, take a little time out to watch a movie that stars Paul Newman and celebrate a life well lived.

Is It Really A Bailout?

Hello dear readers.

I haven't written since the AIG mess, mainly because I've been watching CNBC most of the time when I'm not either working or in my class.

I can't answer the question as to is this really a bailout, but I'm upset at how this is being framed; as if everybody whose home has been foreclosed on was greedy and stupid and should have never gotten a home in the first place. If I remember this right, when the housing crisis started, the issue was not really the people who were working two jobs to keep their home, but "flippers" who thought they could make some quick money in the housing market and took out very risky loans to begin with. Am I remembering this right?

Well.....back to financial news....CNBC or Bloomberg.

It's 10:45.....Do You Know Where Your Money Is?

Well, the market goes down 446 points. What to make of that?

I must say I'm surprised that there isn't more postings on the financial situation, but I'm not really all that surprised. Bread-and-butter and money issues have never been big issues to talk about in many UU circles.

Anyway......should the government have bailed-out AIG?

Things Are Heating Up

Hello dear readers.

Seems like things are heating up in the UU-blogosphere over cultural misappropriation. I'll have a post about that soon.

Right now, though, I'm watching CNBC and all the talk about the financial markets. Very interesting stuff if I do say so myself.

What should/is going to happen to AIG?
Was the government wrong in not helping Lehman?
What the hell is Bank of America thinking buying Merrill Lynch?
Is this the beginning/middle/end of the financial crisis?

oh well, back to CNBC. And maybe Charlie Rose will talk about this tonight.

On This Day

Since today marks 40 years since the death of Martin Luther King Jr. I thought I would republish an old post that is about him. I'm cutting out some parts, but I think the questions are still valid.

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According to your sermon, you believe that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have been for marriage equality. I couldn't disagree with you more. From everything that I've read and heard about him, Dr. King was a typical black preacher of his time. He would have had a hard time with the women's movement (just look at how he interacted with the women in his life). And if you look at his complex relationship with Bayard Rustin, you can see that Dr. King had more ambivalent feelings about homosexuality than most black preachers. (I know part of the complexity with Rustin was due to Rustin's association with communism, but that's another subject)

So I guess my question is this: is your belief that Dr. King would have been for marriage equality a matter of faith(using Paul's definition of it as being the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen)? Or is there something out there about Dr. King that I haven't seen?

My concern is that we liberal religious folk are trying to co-opt people that we admire and use them for causes that we are involved in even though those we admire may not or wouldn't have been.

"Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner"

Hello all.

Mademoiselle Peacebang sends a note of thanks to Patrick Swayze on both of her blogs. Take a look at them if you're a Swayze fan.

While the focus of Peacebang's posts are Swayze's role in Too Wong Foo, I would just like to put in a word for Dirty Dancing.

I remember the first time I saw Dirty Dancing. The music. The dancing. The setting. Everything combined to make the perfect movie in my teenaged eyes. And then there is my favorite scene, when Baby and Johnny are dancing on the log to "Hey Baby". Ahhhhh.....the height of romance to me. And in many ways is still my standard for romance.

I have truly "had the time of my life" watching Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing. And I know that many wish Patrick a good recovery and many days of dancing ahead.

Looking For Humor

Hello dear readers.

I'm working on a sermon that is going to be about humor and religion and want suggestions as to who to quote from.

I do have some people picked out...a lot of the usual suspects; Twain, Swift, Colbert and Stewart. Now I'm looking for more on the religion side. Know of any good religious humorists? Or places to look for stuff on religion and humor?

There Should Be No Daylight Savings Time

Hello dear readers.
I needed to know what day Daylight Savings Time starts this year and since it's not in any of the calendars I bought I had to look for it online.

Daylight Savings Time starts on March 9th. March 9th. And it doesn't end until November 1. Eight months (almost)

Does anybody else remember when DST started in April? Mid- to Late April at that? And why do we need it anyway? It doesn't save the energy that they say it does. Why is it in the summer instead of the winter, when you really do need to save sunlight? Why 8 months instead of 6 like it used to be?

As you can see, dear readers, I have no use for DST.

The Single Smartest Decision Made in the 2008 Campaign

Hello dear readers.

As you all may remember, I have said that I have done the only political post I plan on writing. I'm sticking to that. Just barely.

I've been reading some articles the last few days talking about about the different campaigns; how organized or disorganized they are, strengths and weaknesses, etc. I've found them quite interesting, but I've also noticed one thing that hasn't been mentioned.

So dear readers, here's my take on why one campaign is still in this race and not watching it from the sidelines.

The single smartest decision made so far in the 2008 campaign: Barack Obama's campaign is run from Chicago and not Washington.

Maybe there's something about the air out here.

Dewey Defeats Truman

Hello dear readers.

To be honest with you, I didn't watch anything about the "Super Tuesday" vote (I was much more inerested in watching House), so I didn't know anything about the results until about an hour ago.

The only thing I can think of is: Dewey Defeats Truman

It has been reported that HRC sent out a press release saying that it was a big night for her in Missouri (after the AP called it for her)only to have the vote go the other way. While I do blame the media for calling states too early, everyone should learn from 1948 and never say anything before all the votes are in.

But then.....how would cable news fill 23 hours of the day??????

Why UUs Need Lent

Hello dear readers. No rant today.

Everyday Unitarian on their blog asks whether or not UUs need Lent and comes down on the side of no we don't, but it's good nonetheless. Well dear readers, I come down on the other side.

UUs NEED Lent.

There are not many times during a year that UUs are asked to SACRIFICE anything, if they're asked to at all. Lent is all about sacrifice and what that sacrifice means. And I think that's a lost virtue and one that UUs need to recover.

In the 20th century U/U/UU thing of running away from anything that remotely smacked of Christianity, too many of the old virtues got thrown away. Sacrifice, service, duty, honor, commitment.....in the 19th century Unitarian and Universalist world all these words had meaning. They were considered good things. It is my hope that they will return.

Have You Used OpenOffice????

Hello dear readers.

This is a techie question. Have any of you used OpenOffice? The school is trying to move more to it and I would like people's impressions of it.

Assassination Of A Leader

I've been watching the news most of the day to get as much information about the death of Benazir Bhutto as I can.

Those of us who have studied the Near East and the subcontinent for any length of time know just how important Benazir Bhutto was. It is a truly sad day.

Ms. Kitty has written more fully on being scared for leaders. I recommend her post to you.

Assassination is not a new trick in hoodlum's bags. The real shame is that one will never be able to stop extremists bent on making a point.

Be Good To Yourself, or Don't Have New Year's Resolution Guilt

Hello dear readers.

My mother's birthday is in early January so I was looking online for something else to give her along with what I've already planned. As she is a crafter, I decided to go to one of the crafting websites that we both like and came across this:

New Year's Resolutions
by AW

Okay, this year will be different. I am not going to vow to lose 20 pounds or get my house completely organized (although heaven knows I really should do both!). This year I am going to make some resolutions that will be fun to keep. Maybe then I will have a better chance at success.

And since a large part of my world revolves around (blank), I think it only fair that some of these fun-filled resolutions should help me develop my skills and knowledge as a (blank). Alright then, this year, I, AW, resolve to:

1. Learn at least one new (blank) technique.
2. Teach at least one person to (blank).
3. Make at least 6 items to give away to people who need and would appreciate them.

I must say that I like this person's attitude. Why should New Year's Resolutions be a kind of punishment? Why not have fun with them?

So dear readers, what good New Year's Resolutions do you have? Not the lose 20 pounds one; I mean the learn ballroom dancing/speak another language one?

What do you want to learn? What can you teach somebody? What can you make and give away?

In Praise of the Girdle

Hello dear readers. This post is going to sound more like it belongs on PeaceBang's "Beauty Tips For Ministers", but since Ms. Bang is taking a well-deserved hiatus, I feel the need to write this.

I was flippin' through channels earlier today and for a couple of minutes ended up on a "What Not To Wear" wannabe. Now I'm not a fan of makeover shows (I think they say much more about the people around the person getting the makeover than the person getting the makeover), but I can occasionally stomach it to watch them trying on clothes.

As I was saying, I ended up on the WNTW wannabe. And the woman who was getting the makeover came out in a skirt and top outfit that would have been really cute on her if you didn't see her belly pooch.

While all the makeover shows talk about the need for women to have really good foundation wear (bras mostly), they have neglected one of the most valuable foundation garments: the girdle.

I don't really care how many shapers one has, they don't have the power that a really good girdle has. It holds you in in a way that the shapers cannot. Also the really good ones don't bind or constrict. And when you want to deal with more than one area, a one-piece (or full) girdle provides more coverage than two or more shapers.

So all my dear lady readers celebrate one of the best things to happen in foundation garments. The girdle is great and it's not the same one that your mother used 40 years ago.

How Do We Choose????

Since I'm waiting to see the reaction to my post about steroids and baseball, I must say that I didn't expect the response to my "Free Michael Vick" posts that I have gotten. I must say that I'm grateful for it. I thought I was going to get more vitriol from the PETA types.

I'm appreciative of Chalicechick's postings. I am especially interested in hearing that somebody might get 2 years for cockfighting. While I don't think that's likely to happen (going by my research into previous cases), it is interesting to find out.

I think this brings in a whole different issue: How much culture influences moral decisions and law.

Cockfighting happens in many places around the country with little notice and when most people hear about it they might cringe a bit but there's little outrage. If these same people hear about a dogfight, it seems as if the person involved is a different level of "slime". Yet, if we were in India where cows are sacred, they would have the same reaction to dogfighting that most Americans have to cockfighting.

So, how do we make the distinctions?

There Are No Children Here, or There Is No Such Person As A Baseball Purist

So.....Former Sen. Mitchell spends 20 months on a report that has less power than the paper it's written on. Bully for him.

As someone who has never liked baseball (football and basketball are my sports), I'm still trying to figure out what the big deal is.

There are no children playing professional sports friends. If any of those who Sen. Mitchell names in his report as having taken steroids did it, they were grown when they did steroids (which are not illegal; if it weren't for steroids half of my family would be dead because of asthma); they knew the risks and chose to take them.

But what upsets me more than the fact that valuable news time was taken up by this, is the feigned outrage of so-called baseball purists.

As many of you dear readers will remember, I live near St. Louis. Everybody in the St. Louis area knew that Mark McGuire was taking something (anybody else remember when the Andro was discovered in his locker????), yet the Cardinals were breaking all sorts of attendance records. Why? Because people wanted to see Mark McGuire hit those home runs. They didn't care that he might have been taking something. The same goes for Roger Clemens or Barry Bonds or Miguel Tejeda or Sammy Sosa. People like power baseball. They go to the ballpark to see those home runs being hit and those fast balls go by batters.

There are no children here. Let's stop acting like there were.