musingsbyron

A manifesto from Bishop John Shelby Spong concerning homosexuality

2010-10-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2009

Friends of Walking With Integrity,

Perhaps many of you are already subscribed to "A New Christianity For A New World: Bishop John Shelby Spong on the News and Christian Faith." If so you received this note a few days ago, and perhaps shared it far and wide already. We hope that if you haven't, maybe now you will. As you may know, Bishop Spong is one of the most vocal and passionate advocates of LGBT people everywhere. So when this article came across our inbox well, we knew we had to share it. We do so by permission of Waterfront Media, Brooklyn, NY, Website www.johnshelbyspong.com.

Thursday October 15, 2009
A Manifesto! The Time Has Come!

I have made a decision. I will no longer debate the issue of homosexuality in the church with anyone. I will no longer engage the biblical ignorance that emanates from so many right-wing Christians about how the Bible condemns homosexuality, as if that point of view still has any credibility. I will no longer discuss with them or listen to them tell me how homosexuality is "an abomination to God," about how homosexuality is a "chosen lifestyle," or about how through prayer and "spiritual counseling" homosexual persons can be "cured." Those arguments are no longer worthy of my time or energy. I will no longer dignify by listening to the thoughts of those who advocate "reparative therapy," as if homosexual persons are somehow broken and need to be repaired. I will no longer talk to those who believe that the unity of the church can or should be achieved by rejecting the presence of, or at least at the expense of, gay and lesbian people. I will no longer take the time to refute the unlearned and undocumentable claims of certain world religious leaders who call homosexuality "deviant." I will no longer listen to that pious sentimentality that certain Christian leaders continue to employ, which suggests some version of that strange and overtly dishonest phrase that "we love the sinner but hate the sin." That statement is, I have concluded, nothing more than a self-serving lie designed to cover the fact that these people hate homosexual persons and fear homosexuality itself, but somehow know that hatred is incompatible with the Christ they claim to profess, so they adopt this face-saving and absolutely false statement. I will no longer temper my understanding of truth in order to pretend that I have even a tiny smidgen of respect for the appalling negativity that continues to emanate from religious circles where the church has for centuries conveniently perfumed its ongoing prejudices against blacks, Jews, women and homosexual persons with what it assumes is "high-sounding, pious rhetoric." The day for that mentality has quite simply come to an end for me. I will personally neither tolerate it nor listen to it any longer. The world has moved on, leaving these elements of the Christian Church that cannot adjust to new knowledge or a new consciousness lost in a sea of their own irrelevance. They no longer talk to anyone but themselves. I will no longer seek to slow down the witness to inclusiveness by pretending that there is some middle ground between prejudice and oppression. There isn't. Justice postponed is justice denied. That can be a resting place no longer for anyone. An old civil rights song proclaimed that the only choice awaiting those who cannot adjust to a new understanding was to "Roll on over or we'll roll on over you!" Time waits for no one.

I will particularly ignore those members of my own Episcopal Church who seek to break away from this body to form a "new church," claiming that this new and bigoted instrument alone now represents the Anglican Communion. Such a new ecclesiastical body is designed to allow these pathetic human beings, who are so deeply locked into a world that no longer exists, to form a community in which they can continue to hate gay people, distort gay people with their hopeless rhetoric and to be part of a religious fellowship in which they can continue to feel justified in their homophobic prejudices for the rest of their tortured lives. Church unity can never be a virtue that is preserved by allowing injustice, oppression and psychological tyranny to go unchallenged.

In my personal life, I will no longer listen to televised debates conducted by "fair-minded" channels that seek to give "both sides" of this issue "equal time." I am aware that these stations no longer give equal time to the advocates of treating women as if they are the property of men or to the advocates of reinstating either segregation or slavery, despite the fact that when these evil institutions were coming to an end the Bible was still being quoted frequently on each of these subjects. It is time for the media to announce that there are no longer two sides to the issue of full humanity for gay and lesbian people. There is no way that justice for homosexual people can be compromised any longer.

I will no longer act as if the Papal office is to be respected if the present occupant of that office is either not willing or not able to inform and educate himself on public issues on which he dares to speak with embarrassing ineptitude. I will no longer be respectful of the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who seems to believe that rude behavior, intolerance and even killing prejudice is somehow acceptable, so long as it comes from third-world religious leaders, who more than anything else reveal in themselves the price that colonial oppression has required of the minds and hearts of so many of our world's population. I see no way that ignorance and truth can be placed side by side, nor do I believe that evil is somehow less evil if the Bible is quoted to justify it. I will dismiss as unworthy of any more of my attention the wild, false and uninformed opinions of such would-be religious leaders as Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, Albert Mohler, and Robert Duncan. My country and my church have both already spent too much time, energy and money trying to accommodate these backward points of view when they are no longer even tolerable.

I make these statements because it is time to move on. The battle is over. The victory has been won. There is no reasonable doubt as to what the final outcome of this struggle will be. Homosexual people will be accepted as equal, full human beings, who have a legitimate claim on every right that both church and society have to offer any of us. Homosexual marriages will become legal, recognized by the state and pronounced holy by the church. "Don't ask, don't tell" will be dismantled as the policy of our armed forces. We will and we must learn that equality of citizenship is not something that should ever be submitted to a referendum. Equality under and before the law is a solemn promise conveyed to all our citizens in the Constitution itself. Can any of us imagine having a public referendum on whether slavery should continue, whether segregation should be dismantled, whether voting privileges should be offered to women? The time has come for politicians to stop hiding behind unjust laws that they themselves helped to enact, and to abandon that convenient shield of demanding a vote on the rights of full citizenship because they do not understand the difference between a constitutional democracy, which this nation has, and a "mobocracy," which this nation rejected when it adopted its constitution. We do not put the civil rights of a minority to the vote of a plebiscite.

I will also no longer act as if I need a majority vote of some ecclesiastical body in order to bless, ordain, recognize and celebrate the lives and gifts of gay and lesbian people in the life of the church. No one should ever again be forced to submit the privilege of citizenship in this nation or membership in the Christian Church to the will of a majority vote.

The battle in both our culture and our church to rid our souls of this dying prejudice is finished. A new consciousness has arisen. A decision has quite clearly been made. Inequality for gay and lesbian people is no longer a debatable issue in either church or state. Therefore, I will from this moment on refuse to dignify the continued public expression of ignorant prejudice by engaging it. I do not tolerate racism or sexism any longer. From this moment on, I will no longer tolerate our culture's various forms of homophobia. I do not care who it is who articulates these attitudes or who tries to make them sound holy with religious jargon.

I have been part of this debate for years, but things do get settled and this issue is now settled for me. I do not debate any longer with members of the "Flat Earth Society" either. I do not debate with people who think we should treat epilepsy by casting demons out of the epileptic person; I do not waste time engaging those medical opinions that suggest that bleeding the patient might release the infection. I do not converse with people who think that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans as punishment for the sin of being the birthplace of Ellen DeGeneres or that the terrorists hit the United Sates on 9/11 because we tolerated homosexual people, abortions, feminism or the American Civil Liberties Union. I am tired of being embarrassed by so much of my church's participation in causes that are quite unworthy of the Christ I serve or the God whose mystery and wonder I appreciate more each day. Indeed I feel the Christian Church should not only apologize, but do public penance for the way we have treated people of color, women, adherents of other religions and those we designated heretics, as well as gay and lesbian people.

Life moves on. As the poet James Russell Lowell once put it more than a century ago: "New occasions teach new duties, Time makes ancient good uncouth." I am ready now to claim the victory. I will from now on assume it and live into it. I am unwilling to argue about it or to discuss it as if there are two equally valid, competing positions any longer. The day for that mentality has simply gone forever.

This is my manifesto and my creed. I proclaim it today. I invite others to join me in this public declaration. I believe that such a public outpouring will help cleanse both the church and this nation of its own distorting past. It will restore integrity and honor to both church and state. It will signal that a new day has dawned and we are ready not just to embrace it, but also to rejoice in it and to celebrate it.

– John Shelby Spong

Dangers of quoting from the Bible

2010-07-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

Allegedly In her radio show , Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on Face Book. It's sad, funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan,

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia

(It would be a damn shame if we couldn't own a Canadian :)

Little-Known Fourth of July Facts (Yahoo news)

2010-07-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

Most Americans know the Fourth of July celebrates some aspect of American Independence. But do you know exactly what the day commemorates? (Answer below*) Meanwhile, other facts surrounding the day widely known for BBQ and outdoor fun, and the patriotism that stemmed from it:
THE REVOLT: The Declaration of Independence , signed in 1776, was meant to justify a revolt against the British, with a list of charges against the British king.
THE WRITER: As Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration, Britain's army was on its way toward to New York Harbor. It began:
"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
THE WAR: The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men representing the 13 colonies. The moment marked the beginning of all-out war against the British. The American Revolutionary War is said to have started in 1775, however. The Declaration was signed more than two years after Boston officials refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, fueling colonists to dump the tea into the harbor in what became the infamous Boston Tea Party.
KNOCK-ON EFFECTS: Several countries used the Declaration of Independence as a beacon in their own struggles for freedom. Among them, France. Then later, Greece, Poland, Russia and many countries in South America. [How Other Countries Celebrate Independence]
SING PROUD: "Yankee Doodle," one of many patriotic songs in the United States, was originally sung prior to the Revolution by British military officers who mocked the unorganized and buckskin-wearing 'Yankees' with whom they fought during the French and Indian War.
SING PROUDER: The "Star Spangled Banner" wasn't written until Francis Scott Key wrote a poem stemming from observations in 1814, when the British relentlessly attacked Baltimore's Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. It was later put to music and not decreed the official National Anthem of the United States until 1931.
DEATH ON THE FOURTH OF JULY: Three U.S. presidents actually died on July 4. Two of them passed away within hours of each other on July 4, 1826: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The two had been political rivals and then friends later in life. The other to share the distinction was James Monroe, who died July 4, 1831.
*Answer: The Fourth of July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It was initially adopted by Congress on July 2, 1776, but then it was revised and the final version was adopted two days later.

Benefits of Failure

2010-05-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

And here’s an excerpt from JK Rowlings graduation address at Harvard:

I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.

Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun. That period of my life was a dark one, and I had no idea that there was going to be what the press has since represented as a kind of fairy tale resolution. I had no idea then how far the tunnel extended, and for a long time, any light at the end of it was a hope rather than a reality.

So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.

You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.

Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had suspected; I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above the price of rubies.

The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned.

A Teachable Moment or "No Constitutional Right to be Offended" by Leonard Pitts

2010-05-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Kids say the darnedest things.
That's how you know they're kids. Their fondness for rash overstatement is part and parcel of a stage of life characterized by impulsiveness and an unshakable faith in one's own righteousness.

The challenge for schools is to balance kids' impetuousness against their right of free speech.

That question brings us to Morgan Hill, Calif., where several boys recently decided to wear American flag T-shirts to Live Oak High School. It may sound innocuous, but it wasn't. See, the boys, some of whom are Mexican-American, did this on May 5 — Cinco de Mayo, as their classmates (nearly 40 percent of whom are reported to be Latino) were celebrating that Mexican observance, some even wearing the red, white and green of the Mexican flag. Moreover, they did it in the context of a national debate over illegal immigration from Mexico.

In that context, on that date and in that place, the decision to wear those shirts was not innocent, but, rather, a calculated provocation. Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez, calling the shirts “incendiary” and fearing a fight, asked the students to either take the shirts off or turn them inside out. When several of the boys refused, he sent them home.

Ironically, it is the decision itself that has proven incendiary. The school district disavows it and conservative critics have lambasted it as un-American. They're right.

At least, I think they are; the Supreme Court has been less than definitive in setting the boundaries of free speech for students. In 1969, it sided with three kids suspended from school for wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War, ruling that they could not be prohibited from expressing their opinions if they did not interfere with the operation of the school or the rights of others.

Subsequent courts have edged away from that affirmation of relatively unfettered rights, allowing schools to ban sexually explicit student speech in one ruling, and speech that seems to promote illegal drug use.

Still, it is hard to see this latest incident as anything but an abridgement of those students' First Amendment rights — not to mention an act of glaring hypocrisy. By what reasoning does Rodriguez ban red, white and blue while permitting red, white and green? All that said, though, neither of those complaints addresses what seems to me the most regrettable aspect of this affair. The educator missed a teachable moment.

Imagine if Rodriguez had corralled the most articulate of the T-shirt boys and the Cinco de Mayo celebrators and required them to research and represent their points of view in a schoolwide debate. The T-shirt kid could have challenged his classmate to explain why he felt the need, if he is an American, to celebrate a foreign holiday. The classmate could have pressed the T-shirt kid on why he felt threatened by a simple acknowledgment of heritage and cultural origin.

Maybe they reach an understanding, maybe they don't. But in any event they learn a valuable lesson: that reasonable people reason their way through disagreements. And that the First Amendment confers not just a right to speak your piece, but an obligation to allow the other guy to do the same.

Instead, Rodriguez taught the opposite lesson: that it is OK to ban the unpopular or provocative opinion. Few things could be less reflective of U.S. ideals.

See, there is no constitutional right to never be offended. Someone should explain that to the students of Live Oak High.

lpitts@miamiherald.com

74 percent of all jobs created in America will be high-paying jobs for high-skilled workers by 2020.

2010-05-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

What Jobs Won't Return by Ira S. Wolfe
Our Misplaced, Displaced, and Replaced Work
By Ira S Wolfe, Success Performance Solutions

Download a pdf version of "What Jobs Won't Return."

Two storms blasted across our labor markets. The first, driven by a gale of creative destruction, was kicked strong a decade back by outsourcing, offshoring, and cybertechnologies that began scrambling whole industries. And the second came last year when bursting financial bubbles magnified the longer term furies with the severe recession. We asked Ira Wolfe to peer through the receding clouds at the employment landscape that’s coming into view again to search for those jobs that were blown away like the buggy whip makers of long ago. And we invited a panel of distinguished educators to review Ira’s discoveries through the lenses of their best strategic information. Here are their views of the emerging job horizon. — Ted Byrne, editor

“The picture of the U.S. economy that emerges is of abundance and poverty,” says Edward Gordon. “Abundance of labor, poverty of talent.” In other words, despite high unemployment rates, the U.S. as it stands does not have enough people to fill the jobs that should be created and an oversupply of people to fill jobs that are or should be obsolete.

The economy now sits in a hole more than 10 million jobs deep. How and when we can climb out of that humongous pit seems to be the linchpin for a full-blown economic recovery. According to Gordon, author of Winning the Global Talent Showdown, the United States is headed for this major talent meltdown with 12 to 24 million vacant jobs between 2010 and 2020, mostly high-paying, high-skilled jobs.

The canary has been singing in the labor mine for several decades warning of our growing lack of talent as we enter a transitional labor-market era. Partially due to ignoring the warning and partially the result of the most recent economic crisis, businesses and government are now confronting a day of reckoning: prolonged joblessness for the unskilled, low-skilled, and under-skilled. “We’ve been hearing alarms about the skills gap for years,” according to Gordon, president of Imperial Consulting. “But if ever there was a time to get serious about helping workers acquire the right skills, this is it.”

Thomas Friedman, of The World is Flat fame, suggests that a critical reason for the recent Great Recession is “an education breakdown on Main Street” that has undermined the ability of the average American worker to compete in the global arena.

The September 2009 Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations Report from the staffing firms Robert Half International and Career Builder also reported that human resource managers judged 47% of their applicants unqualified. Many of these vacant positions were STEM jobs or those that are in science, technology, engineering, or mathematically-related areas.

Unfortunately change in the way we train and educate workers and prepare students for the future is not what you’re hearing in the news. What we’re getting is the same old theme of denial. To re-boot the economy and sustain growth, we can’t just reframe existing jobs. We need to stop creating jobs that employ the current talent pool of low-skill workers. Instead we need to stimulate middle and high skill job growth and start creating talent. Gone forever are the days of semi-skilled, well-paying blue-collar factory jobs that can provide a 19-year-old dropout or high school graduate with a living wage. Today counting on a low-skill manufacturing or service job to keep you in the middle class is as sensible as buying a BETA tape for a Blue Ray DVD player.

Ten million is the conservative number required to get the unemployment rate back to 5 percent. And because the population is still growing and many unemployed return to the job market, we need to produce 1.5 million new jobs a year just to keep pace. That assumes we can create jobs that the country needs and can match idle workers with the right skills to do those jobs.

According to Gordon’s research, “between today and 2020, it is expected that 74 percent of all jobs created in America will be high-paying jobs for high-skilled workers. While there will be a need for 123 million of those talented people, only 50 million Americans will qualify. By contrast, low-paying, low-skill jobs will shrink to just 26 percent of the total jobs in the U.S. Worst of all, just 44 million people will be needed for those jobs, but 150 million or more candidates will be seeking those jobs.”

Click here to read about job extinction - jobs that are gone for good.

In Pennsylvania, the skills gap is hitting middle skills jobs the hardest. According to the 2007 National Skills Coalition report, about 53% of Pennsylvania’s jobs were in middle-skill occupations. But only 42% of the state’s workers likely have the appropriate training for these jobs. That’s significant because 51 percent of all jobs in Pennsylvania are middle skills, with another 30 percent of jobs in the high skilled segment. If you’re doing the math, less than 19 percent of all jobs will be low-skilled. Pennsylvania’s excess labor capacity for these low-skill jobs is over 42 percent and you just can’t move low-skilled workers into middle- and high-skilled jobs without considerable education and training investment. The report concluded that Pennsylvania would require 4.6 times more annual investment in workforce development and education than was currently funded…and that was before the budget cutbacks of 2010.

Even more compelling is Gordon’s prediction that reducing joblessness might be realistic if a lot of the jobs that were lost were coming back. But that just isn’t going to happen – not now and not in the future. “That’s the hard truth that a lot of people don’t want to face,” says Joe Watson, author of “Where the Jobs Are Now.”
What will happen to those 100 million-plus low-skilled American workers? Unless something changes quickly and dramatically, they will either be unemployed or employed by a manager who believes that a poorly skilled employee is better than no employee at all. That might work short-term for an economic boost but it’s a prescription for disaster for business.

For almost two decade beginning with War for Talent paper released by consulting firm McKinsey and Company , a shortage of skilled workers has been forecast. This crisis is by no means unexpected. Beginning in 2001 and accelerated by the Great Recession, job creation models were shattered. Out-sourcing and automation became a fact-of-life for many organizations. Many businesses resisted change, hanging onto processes and people that were inefficient, unproductive, and costly.
Many people ignored the warnings. Others challenged the logic. They argued that the Baby Boomers would retire, tech-savvy Millennials would replace them, and improvements in education and training would turn any shortage of skilled workers from a disruptive gap into a productive bond.

Well, the Boomers aren’t retiring just yet. The Millennials are unemployed . Gen X aren’t advancing up the career ladder. Education is desperately attempting to play catch up with fewer and fewer resources and dollars. And workforce training is just plain under-funded, under-utilized, and just too bureaucratic to re-tool and re-equip over 100 million workers with the skills they need quickly … and desperately.

The recession changed all that. It’s like the recession justified a business cleansing – wholesale lay-offs, plant closings, and outsourcing for the sake of avoiding bankruptcy or closing a business entirely. “Many businesses took the recession as an opportunity to clean house and raise quality,” says Mustafa Kapadia, an outsourcing advisor with EchoPoint Consulting. “The political and moral sting and backlash from replacing five people with one piece of software or equipment and outsourcing entire departments abated, at least temporarily, under the veil of business survival. Employees weren’t sacrificed for the sake of a few extra bucks on the bottom line but for survival and sustainability.” What happened in 2008-2009 should have happened voluntarily in many businesses years ago. The recession just provided the excuse.

Watson agrees. Up until now there has been a “gradual shift in the United States from an industrial based job market to an information-based one. The recession however precipitated a sudden, radical shift in the market toward information and service jobs, pulling the rug out from under what was left of an industrial-agrarian economy.”
The residual effect of this accelerated shift ultimately left at least 15 million workers out in the cold and potentially another 10 million underemployed looking for jobs. And those numbers don’t even take into account all the under-skilled workers hanging on by a thread. How soon will it be until another wave of workers receive pink slips because their jobs aren’t needed anymore or automation and/or outsourcing can replace them? Finding jobs for all those people is simply not going to happen - at least not quickly – even if re-hiring and new job creation rebounds.

Many out-of-work workers, particularly in construction and manufacturing – simply don’t have the skills to pick up where they left off when the economic train leaves the station. “In a sense, says Gary Burtless, a labor economist with the Brookings Institute, “every time someone’s laid off now, they need to start over.”

“What is happening now,” says jobs and growth expert Tom Gimbel, “is no different than 100 years ago when workers who forged horseshoes had to learn to make tires.” Gimbel, who is also CEO of Chicago-based staffing and recruiting firm Lasalle Network, sees the elimination of many jobs due to automation and efficiencies. He recalls that 20 years ago every attorney in a law firm had a personal assistant. The requirements to be a legal assistant consisted of the ability to take shorthand, type 80 words per minute, and make coffee. Today 4 partners share one assistant and associates are expected to do their own word processing.

Another factor making it harder than ever to fix the joblessness mess is that a significant number of workers laid off during the latest recession were men. And men, for the past several decades, simply haven’t kept up with changing minimum education requirements. Women outnumber men in college and make up over half of graduating classes in many, post-secondary, professional, graduate, and business schools. Many of the men will need to retrain and find new careers. That is easier said than done since re-tooling an assembly line worker or carpenter to become a nurse requires more than just a few years of schooling.

But blue-collar workers aren’t the only casualties of technology and a recession. Many professional jobs in finance, media, and even law and accounting will never be the same. The out-sourcing of white-collar work has become possible. “While the number of law school graduates is up,” says Gimbel, “many of these new attorneys never end up practicing law.” Likewise, medicine has been outsourcing the interpretation of x-rays to India and Australia for years. Accounting firms are outsourcing the preparation of tax returns for a fraction of the cost of hiring young college graduates. Businesses are outsourcing payroll and sometimes even the entire human resource function to online and outsourced firms. And law firms now outsource their research overseas instead of hiring new grads since access to nearly all the documents is available online. And it’s not only about saving dollars – the labor with the skills to do these virtual jobs is abundant and most times equally if not more qualified.

An information-driven company used to require hundreds of data entry workers, according to Kapadia. One of his clients started with 400 employees before they analyzed what the employees were doing and the cost of employing them. His company showed management that by scanning forms, the technology could read the data with 95 percent accuracy. “To deal with the five percent error rate, Kapadia shared, “we hired off-shore workers to review the data – to ensure our human quality check. The U.S. counterparts, mostly data entry workers, in the past now become analysts.” The client is creating jobs, Mustafa reports, but the jobs are fewer in number and the skills required are more advanced. All in all, hundreds of data entry jobs were lost but the quality of the company’s work went up. One new job effectively replaced 4 to 5 others.

While professional jobs will surely be created, the type and complexity of work that the newly hired will be expected to perform will require different and more advanced skills sets. New jobs being created require the ability to work remotely, coordinate different systems and teams, and collaborate beyond company walls and even time zones. The successful project manager of the past worked within one company, experiencing more control over the players and resources. “Today,” says Kapadia, “managing a project is extremely hard to do. You have to manage different mindsets. A project manager today is really” a governance manager, a collaboration manager, an outsource manager. A CIO friend of mine who heads up IT for a 2000-employee semiconductor business runs his entire IT department with only three employees. Their function – coordinate, coordinate, coordinate.”

Employers, workers, and politicians need to come to grip with reality. The theme of denial about joblessness is no longer effective. In fact, it’s destructive. Creating new jobs that match the skills levels of the unemployed is politically sound short term but economic cacophony in the long run. Sustainable long term growth requires the creation of new jobs that will grow and inherently stimulate our economy. Reframing existing jobs is simply subsidizing many obsolete workers and postponing the inevitable.

Read what the presidents of several schools and colleges had to say about education and skilled workers.

The definition of work and consequently, the definition of a job is changing. The evolution from agrarian and industrial age jobs to service and knowledge work is nearing its completion, thanks to the help of the latest recession. The ability to use your “head” as well as your hands, not one or the other, is a requirement today. And yet, we have graduation rates hovering around 70 percent for many high schools and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (S.T.E.M.) scores falling well behind dozens of nations. Today knowledge is power and too many workers simply don’t have the mojo.

Employees in new jobs don’t “go to work” … and if they do, they don’t work in permanent full-time positions. They work in part-time jobs, often working for several employers at the same time. But unlike the past when working part-time was a stepping stone to full-time employment or a means to propping up personal finances, part-time work in the future will be by design. Skilled workers will work remotely, simultaneously interacting with different teams in different places and even collaborating on different projects. People with the right skill sets can do that. The contingent worker, or “just-in-time” worker, will become the norm, especially in lower skill jobs. The less versatile the employee, the more expendable he or she becomes.

People also have long complained that they have been swamped by too much information. In 1917 a manager of a Connecticut manufacturing plant complained about the effects of the telephone: “Time is lost, confusion results, and money is spent.” Despite his objections, technologies like the telephone supported economies build around mass production. Today technology and globalization has created a seismic shift from quantitative change to qualitative differences. Economies, once driven by whoever owned the machinery and raw materials, is now being outflanked by the new raw material of business –data. Joe Hellerstein at the University of California at Berkeley, calls it the “industrial revolution of data.” The Economist called it the “data deluge.” Keeping up with all the new information being created is difficult enough. Analyzing it and extracting useful information is harder still. Ignoring it is economic suicide.

This revolution requires a new skill worker – one who has the ability to process large volumes of uninterrupted data and extract valuable information from it. Gordon in a recent issue of The Futurist called for a “[a] new age [that] will require the reinvention of the education-to-employment system.”

In the meantime, employers seeking qualified workers will face unprecedented challenges to recruit and retain them. And our communities will wrestling with the societal, personal, and economic impact of prolonged joblessness.

Can you hear me now?

"Are you on the sidelines or in the fight?" Baccalaureate Speaker asks Class of 2010

2010-05-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

May 7, 2010

Rev. Dr. Brian Blount, the President of Union Theological Seminary and the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, delivered the 2010 baccalaureate address in Belk Auditorium on Friday, May 7.

Blount asked the Class of 2010 where they stood in today’s world full of political upheaval, social problems, and people in need.

“Are you on the sidelines or in the fight?” Blount asked.

“When you walk off this campus, are you heading straight for the sidelines or straight into the fights that need fighting?

“In this moment, in precious future moments, with your decision, with your witness to a life lived with, for, and in support of the people who cannot fight for themselves, you will have your chances to stand on the sidelines and watch or get into the fights and dirty your clothes in the dazzling work of the Lamb who was slain.

“What do you want? Do you want to be safe and clean on the sidelines of life? Or do you want to dazzle?”

A Book of Revelation scholar, Blount related the “mad compendium filled with dragons, multi-headed beasts, apocalyptic wars, a city dropping down out of the heavens, cherubim, archangels, a slaughtered Lamb, and seven churches crowded with first-century crazy Christians” to PC’s graduating class.

While some have said he is obsessed with the book, Blount said he is intrigued by the book’s author, John of Patmos, instead.

“I am intrigued because John is a man condemned to the religious and political sidelines by the greatest power on earth, and he refused to stay there,” Blount said. “Even though he was sentenced to be a bystander to the rest of history, he kept writing about the divine dreams that had gotten him exiled in the first place.

“The man sentenced to prison for his writing had the nerve to keep writing even while he was in prison. That kind of courage, determination, stubbornness, and resolve, I must admit, mesmerizes me. I wonder what it was in him that made him so courageous. And I wonder if that something special is in me.”

Further, Blount spoke about John’s Christians in the Book of Revelation.

“He wanted them to step off the sidelines where they were trying to protect themselves by hiding their faith,” Blount said, “and fight the faith fight that John and others were waging on behalf of the Lamb.

“Those who refused to (witness for the Lamb’s way) stood out because their clothes were bleached with fear, Chloroxed with cowardice, soiled by their refusal to live the faith that had formed them.

“He is redefining the concepts of dirt and dir-ti-ness. Being dirty and being soiled are two very different things for John. John actually wants his people to get dirty.”

Blount went on to tell the story of playing junior varsity football. He said that, although he always sat on the bench, he felt proud to wear his football jersey on game days.

“Over each ensuing week, though, the sparkling clean of my jersey became somewhat of an embarrassment. The lack of dirt embedded stubbornly in the fabric was a clear sign to all who saw me that I never got off the sidelines and into the game.

“I was as much a bystander as any spectator. And that dubious distinction was immediately apparent because of my clean, white jersey. I wanted a dirty jersey. I wanted a jersey that demonstrated that I had been caught up in the muck and the mire of playing the game.”

Blount said that people too often do nothing because of a social phenomenon called the Bystander Effect: “the larger the number of people involved in a situation, the less that will get done.”

Blount said John wants fighters, not people who will stand around doing nothing. John’s Christians in the Book of Revelation, says Blount, are ones whose “clothing was not soiled by inactivity, soiled by fear, soiled by cowardice, or soiled by the refusal to live the faith they professed.”

“Their clothing was instead,” Blount said, “dirtied up in the messy blood of the Lamb’s great witness. In John’s crazy clothing configuration, such bloodied, dirtied, messed up clothing dazzles.”

A simple parable with a great message

2010-03-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

Author unknown. Printed in the March 25th University of Richmond's Collegian Newsletter .
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. “What food might this contain?” the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said: “Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him: “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”
The pig sympathized, but said, “I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow and said: “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”
The cow said: “Wow, Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin off my nose.”
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap … alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house – like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient.
But his wife’s sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer’s wife did not get well; she died.
So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
When one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. If we are to make a better world, we must work to create a space where all are treated with dignity and worth.

A wonderful and inspiring success story

2010-02-24T07:51:00.000-08:00

Published on February 24, 2010 in unsung heroes. 0 Comments
By Scott Allison and George Goethals

Born with fibular hemimelia — missing fibula bones — Aimee Mullins remembers hating her physical therapy sessions as a child. She had to do innumerable repetitive exercises that involved using her legs to bend thick elastic bands to build up her muscles. She hated them and tried to bargain with her doctor to avoid doing them.

Her doctor told her, “Aimee, you are such a strong and powerful little girl, I think you’re going to break one of these bands. When you do break it, I’m going to give you $100.”

With these words, her doctor forever changed her worldview. “What he effectively did for me was re-shape an awful daily occurrence into a new and promising experience for me. I have to wonder to what extent his vision and his declaration of me as a strong and powerful little girl shaped my own view of myself as an inherently strong, powerful, and athletic person well into the future.”

By any measure, Mullins’ life has been a remarkable success story. Mullins competed in the Paralympics in 1996 in Atlanta, where she ran the 100-meter dash in 17.01 seconds and jumped 3.14 meters in the long-jump. She is a college graduate, actress, fashion model, and motivational speaker. Mullins works with numerous non-profit organizations and is President of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

“People have continually wanted to talk about overcoming adversity,” she says. “This phrase never sat right with me. Implicit in this phrase is the idea that success or happiness is about emerging on the other side of a challenging experience unscathed or unmarked by the experience. But in fact, we are changed. We are marked, of course, by a challenge, whether physically or emotionally, or both.

“I’m going to suggest that this is a good thing. Adversity isn’t an obstacle that we need to get around in order to resume living our life. It’s part of our life.

“I’m not trying to diminish the impact, the weight of a person’s struggle. There is adversity and challenge in life, and it’s all very real.

“The question isn’t whether you’re going to meet adversity. It’s how you’re going to meet it. And so our responsibility isn’t to shield those we care for from adversity, but to prepare them to meet it well. We do a disservice to our kids when we make them feel they aren’t equipped to adapt to adversity.

“Find those opportunities wrapped in adversity. Maybe the idea is not so much overcoming adversity. It’s opening ourselves up to it. It’s embracing it. Grappling with it. Maybe even dancing with it.

“Perhaps if we see adversity as natural, consistent, and useful, we’re less burdened by it. Darwin illustrated a truth about the human character. It’s not the strongest to survive, nor is it the most intelligent to survive. It is the one who is most adaptable to change. The human ability to survive and flourish is driven by the struggle of the human spirit. Transformation, adaptation is our greatest human skill. Perhaps until we are tested, we don’t know what we’re made of. Maybe that’s what adversity gives us: a sense of self, a sense of our own power.

“We can give ourselves a gift. We can re-imagine adversity as more than just tough times. Adversity is just change that we haven’t adapted ourselves to yet.”

Aimee Mullins’ entire motivational speech can be seen and heard at http://tinyurl.com/yacel74.

It's time to look inward for 2010

2009-12-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

It's time to look inward
As we head into 2010, the lessons of faith can guide individuals to change their ways. Only then can the nation as a whole better itself. Three New Year’s resolutions can put you on the right path

By Oliver Thomas
Peer into 2010, and you can't help feeling a little queasy. The planet is getting hotter, drier and more crowded. It's also getting angrier. Terrorism shows no signs of letting up, and the global economic crisis has left millions unemployed. Throw Pakistani, Iranian and North Korean nukes in the mix, and I find myself wanting to crawl under the bed rather than out of it in the morning.

And while many Americans would like to change the world, few of us see the need to change ourselves. Take our national leaders, for example. As I watch members of Congress thrash around over various policy issues, I'm convinced that the struggle our country faces extends beyond health care, war and the deficit. It's an inner struggle. The rancorous incivility and obdurate partisanship are not the necessary byproducts of healthy political debate. They are the childish symptoms of a populace that is losing its capacity for empathy and compromise — characteristics of any successful society.

But the problem extends beyond our elected leaders. Behind the housing bubble and resulting economic meltdown lies an inner problem: greed. Young couples wanted more house than they could afford; banks wanted to make easy money on loans they never should have made. And behind the gargantuan federal debt lies yet another inner problem: indiscipline. We want more government than we're willing to pay for. Our unwillingness either to pay more or spend less is literally bankrupting the country.

Here's where our religions might be able to help. It's a fundamental tenet of most faiths that the journey inward precedes the journey outward. As Gandhi famously put it, we must embody the change we wish to see in the world. If the world is to be less violent, then I — not you — must be slower to anger and kinder in my speech. Is everyone who drives slower than I really an idiot? Are the ones who drive faster really maniacs? And what am I teaching my kids when I talk like this? If there is too much sex and violence on TV, then I must turn it off — not just complain to my wife that the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

This unwillingness to accept personal responsibility for one's own share of a collective problem sometimes surfaces in marriage counseling. Here's what I used to say to the individual who kept blaming his or her spouse: "Well, how much would you say is your fault? Ten percent?" "Oh, sure," the person would reply. "I'm good for at least 10%." "Great," I would say. "Let's talk about that 10%."

It's time to steal a play from members of the World War II generation. Those people took individual responsibility seriously. They were restrained in their speech and frugal with their money. And, they were determined to put more back in the world than they took out — especially when it came to their children. They understood that the greatest self-actualization (my generation's obsession) came not through titillating their nerve endings but through service to others, whether on the battlefield or in their communities. Neither America's problems nor the world's are insurmountable if we can follow their example.

Of course, it won't be easy. Becoming a better person never is. That's why we work like hell to avoid it. But until we are willing to improve ourselves individually, we will never become a better nation collectively.

So here's my best advice on how to improve us. Starting with me.

New Year's resolution No. 1: Become more empathetic

This is where it all starts. If I can't see the world through others' eyes, I will never be a good citizen, much less able to love my neighbor as myself. Until we understand each other, we will never make common cause.

So how does one become more empathetic? By engaging with people different from ourselves and listening. So take a gay work colleague to lunch. Visit a mosque, synagogue or African-American church. Invite a friend from a different political party over for a beer. Then, ask questions. And listen.

New Year's resolution No. 2: Practice compassion

The Dalai Lama says if you want to make other people happy, practice compassion. If you want to make yourself happy, practice compassion. The quickest way to become more compassionate? Volunteer. I do it once a week at a local children's home, but there are a thousand other choices. Call your local United Way for a list of good options.

Here's another way. Do as the bumper sticker says and start engaging in random acts of kindness. Don't just walk by the homeless person. Take her to lunch. Give your coat to the man standing on the windy street corner in a threadbare jacket. You've probably got more at home. Throw a twenty in the Salvation Army's pot when you're shopping. Just start doing kind things for others. Compassion must be practiced, and here's the thing: Behavior begets habit. Habit begets character. Next thing you know, you've become a compassionate person.

New Year's resolution No. 3: Hold your tongue

James, the brother of Jesus, had this to say about the human tongue: "How great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ... For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil and full of deadly poison."

Rarely have I gotten into trouble for things I didn't say. More often, I'm hoisted with my own petard.

Accordingly, I'll start with this simple goal: Speak no harm. When I'm tempted to do otherwise, I'll try to follow my mother's sage advice and count to 20 before I speak. This one will be the hardest for me.

We have much to be thankful for. But while some are being called on to die for our country, perhaps the rest of us are being called on to live for it. Whether we can become the people we must be in order to be the nation the world needs us to be is entirely up to us.

Oliver Thomas is a member of USA TODAY's board of contributors and author of 10 Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't Because He Needs the Job).

College degree: Not a must for most?

2009-11-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

Americans Considering Alternatives To Four-Year Colleges

By CityTownInfo.com Staff
November 10, 2009

With four-year college costs surging, Americans are increasingly considering different educational pathways towards successful careers.

While experts agree that virtually everyone should have access to some sort of post-secondary education, not all concur that obtaining a bachelor's degree is the optimal choice. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently tackled the issue by posing a question to a panel of education officials: Are too many students going to college?

"It has been empirically demonstrated that doing well (B average or better) in a traditional college major in the arts and sciences requires levels of linguistic and logical/mathematical ability that only 10 to 15 percent of the nation's youth possess," pointed out Charles Murray, political scientist and scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who was quoted in the Chronicle. "That doesn't mean that only 10 to 15 percent should get more than a high school education. It does mean that the four-year residential program leading to a B.A. is the wrong model for a large majority of young people."

Richard K. Vedder, director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity and professor of economics at Ohio University, agreed. "A large subset of our population should not go to college, or at least not at public expense," he told the Chronicle. "The number of new jobs requiring a college degree is now less than the number of young adults graduating from universities, so more and more graduates are filling jobs for which they are academically overqualified."

Many Americans appear to be of the same opinion. A recent survey by the Career College Association and conducted by Harris Interactive found that 86 percent support alternative approaches to postsecondary education. In addition, 84 percent said that sometimes this education should focus on careers rather than more academic pursuits.

"Traditional higher education is extremely important in shaping the national character and nothing in this survey diminishes its critical role in society," said CCA President and CEO Harris N. Miller in a press release. "It's not coincidence, however, that private not-for-profit colleges and universities are seeing the higher education landscape shifting quickly. Americans view college as less of a privilege and more of a basic economic necessity. The bottom line: People are more than willing to consider alternative approaches to traditional colleges and universities."

As might be expected, others disagree. As reported in USA Today in an article last summer, the College Board estimates that the lifetime "earnings premium" for a college graduate is $450,000 in today's dollars. Sandy Baum, senior policy analyst for the College Board, noted that a college education is particularly valuable during a recession.

Why Does College Cost So Much? (in the Motley Fool)

2009-11-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

Why Does College Cost So Much?
By Rich Smith
October 29, 2009 | Comments (55)

Two William & Mary professors tackle the "hot-button issue" of the skyrocketing cost of higher education in a new book to be published by Oxford University Press next year. Here, Fool contributor Rich Smith shares the answers he got from his former economics professor David Feldman, co-author of the book with colleague Robert Archibald.

Why does college cost so much? If you have kids in college -- or kids, period -- in America today, the question's more than academic. It can mean having to make a choice between getting your child a college degree or planning a comfortable retirement for yourself.

As college tuition costs soar, a lot of us wonder why. What's wrong with these people that they keep raising prices that are already unaffordable? And what can we do about it? I sat down with Professor Feldman to talk over these issues, and more.

Rich Smith: So, Professor, let's tackle the question head-on -- does college cost too much?

David Feldman: Not "too" much. "So" much. What we've tried to do in this book is go back over the history of the last 60 years and examine college from an aerial view that is rooted in broader U.S. economic history, comparing cost trends in the higher education "industry" to those of other similar industries. We take each of the common arguments against college costs -- that colleges are dysfunctional, that they engage in arms races with their peers, and that give "Country Club U." amenities to their students -- and examine whether they hold water, whether college costs really are rising faster than they should, and if so, why?

Smith: And ...?

Feldman: And what we've found may surprise you: College costs are rising faster than the inflation rate. But that isn't because they're "country clubs" -- it's more because they're "prep schools."

To prepare an undergraduate these days requires a lot more expensive stuff, like high-intensity lasers and big computing resources, than it did in the past. It costs money, sure, but our students demand it because their potential future employers demand it.

Nor is higher education alone in seeing higher costs. Lots of other industries show trends in cost appreciation that mirror those found in higher education, and there are two key reasons for this -- neither of which supports the "country club" critics. If you look at the trends in education costs at not-for-profit four-year colleges, at two-year community colleges, and at for-profit educational institutions like Apollo Group (Nasdaq: APOL), they're virtually identical, up across the board. Yet you don't have the same "gold-plating" at a two-year community college or for-profit institution as critics suggest afflicts four-year, on-campus universities. So clearly, there's something else driving costs upwards.

To understand what's happening, you need to understand that college is a service. As opposed to manufacturing, where labor is just one input in pricing and improvements in productivity generally lead to lower costs, labor is the primary input in service industries like higher education. This makes college especially vulnerable to cost disease ...

Smith: Hold up a sec. "Cost disease?"

Feldman: Right. That's the real culprit behind the rising cost of college. You see, in a labor market, when one worker's wages rise, so do wages for other workers -- because employers compete to attract them. How does this work in higher education? Improvements in productivity can lead to higher wages at firms like Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ). But they also raise wages at colleges that must compete for a limited supply of labor.

The problem lies in the fact that when HP raises wages, it can offset higher labor cost with improvements on its other input costs -- more energy-efficient machinery, better manufacturing processes. As a result, PC prices actually get cheaper every year. Colleges are different because their primary input cost -- labor -- is terribly resistant to productivity improvements.

Example: In 1960, students paid roughly the same for tuition and fees as they did for room and board. Today, you see tuition and fees together exceeding room and board by perhaps two to four times. So tuition has been growing much faster.

Why is this? You can make the teaching process more "efficient" by using Blackboard (Nasdaq: BBBB) software and the like. But generally speaking, every move you make to decrease the amount of time a professor spends with students is viewed not as "improved productivity" but as less personal service.

And so costs rise faster than inflation in any service-intensive industry -- higher education, law, or medicine. This is exacerbated by the fact that ever since the 1980s, workers with college degrees and even higher levels of education have become much more expensive than workers without such degrees. This accelerates the rise in the cost of any industry that uses a lot of this well-educated labor, and directly leads to increased costs for service-oriented industries like higher education.

Smith: So what's your take on last week's news that the government is slashing compensation for executives at AIG (NYSE: AIG), Citigroup (NYSE: C), and the other bailout recipients? Would you expect this to depress wages for university professors, for example, and lower college costs?

Feldman: Actually, no. Remember our aerial view! Compensation in finance has soared relative to compensation in many other industries that use similarly educated people. Ask engineering grads. They'll tell you. What happens in one industry, like finance, is not likely to have a big impact on higher-education wages unless it is part of a much larger market movement toward lower compensation for highly educated workers. I don't see that at present.

Smith: So what is the solution?

Feldman: There really isn't any -- this is a solution in search of a problem. You see, the fact is that the same productivity growth that's pushing education costs up by driving wages higher ... drives wages higher. This provides the income needed to pay the higher costs of higher education.

Our research shows that despite the rapid increase in education's cost, over the long haul, higher wages mean families wind up with more money in real dollar terms after paying the tuition bills.

Smith: Good to know. But let's see if we can help our readers keep even more money. From your vantage point at the college, can you see any "bargains" in higher education? How can parents of soon-to-be-college students best spend their dollars wisely?

Feldman: You can get a fine education at many of the nation's flagship public universities, where tuition remains quite low compared to elite private universities. But remember, list price tuition is paid by a small fraction of students at private universities. Between federal financial aid and discounted tuition that most universities offer on a "need" or "merit" basis, very few students pay the list price.

Smith: Professor, before we close, I'd like to ask if you see the high price of higher education shutting out qualified students. Will the 21st century see U.S.-based companies like Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) starved of talent?

Feldman: It could happen. While our research shows that a rise in the cost of higher education is not a problem on the whole, it is a problem in certain instances -- namely in how it discourages poorer students from seeking a higher education.

Over the past 30 years, income in the U.S. has become increasingly polarized. More people are becoming very rich -- and more very poor. The hollowing of the middle class is an even bigger affordability issue than cost disease. But we believe that a few common-sense changes to how we distribute financial aid could make real progress towards making college more accessible to those who need it most.

Start with the FAFSA application for federal student aid, which all students seeking Pell Grants much fill out. Currently, students must fill out and submit a FAFSA indicating their income and assets, then apply to colleges, and then find out how much financial aid they qualify for. It's absurd to require students to apply to colleges before they know which colleges they can afford.

Second, the government can improve access to higher education and reduce the price of it (not the cost, mind you, but the price students pay directly) by increasing financial aid. We realize that increased government spending is not a popular subject these days, but if legislators were to offer a universal, standard stipend -- and make this the standard student financial aid package -- this could gain broad support and improve access to higher education across society.

Such financial aid, by the way, would be only an incremental increase over the substantial, but extremely disorganized, system of federal programs that currently exists. As such, it would not cost much more than we are already spending on financial aid. In fact, Prof. Archibald and I have developed new evidence suggesting that increases in federal financial aid lower the list price tuition. It could be that extra federal aid reduces each school's need to discount tuition for its own needy students, and this allows the school to cut the list price tuition faced by everyone else.

The changes we suggest in the federal financial aid system would not cost much more than the current system -- really, they would just make it more straightforward, easier to understand, and more reliable for the students.

What do you think about the cost of college, and how are you handling it?

Sometimes, Putting on a Happy Face Does a Disservice to Reality

2009-11-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

This is a very powerful piece on poverty and society with a very different twist.

November 2, 2009 by Teresa Basich from her her blog , Overcommunicated
Breaking through the noise.

Update: After receiving some feedback about this post coming off as whiny and entitled, I want to clarify a few things. I didn’t bring up my inability to buy an iPhone or expensive body wash to shine a light on “Poor Little T”–I made those points to show that I *feel* the quality of my life has diminished; things that I used to be able to afford without question now qualify as investments I have to mull over. Seeing and feeling the quality of your life diminish is a bad and scary thing, no matter who you are. I think a heightened sense of awareness to change in quality of life is common in those of us who’ve lost our jobs, and it bears recognizing. Honestly, I bet we all are a little more aware right now. And I’m sure it’s especially obvious, and infinitely scarier, to job seekers taking care of children and spouses, and I know they have a harder road to walk down than I do. I get that.

The face of poverty and financial hardship isn’t just the face of a starving child in Africa. Am I discounting the validity of supporting children in Africa? Not at all! We all deserve fair and good treatment. But, fair and good treatment is becoming less and less prevalent in the US, and if we don’t recognize where we’re heading we won’t be able to stop our momentum before it’s too late. THAT is my point.

I in no way meant to display any sense of entitlement here other than the entitlement we as humans have to a life we each subjectively define as good, fair and abundant.

—-

No snark. No wit. Just numbers. And anger.

The 2009 poverty line, stated to be an individual’s or family’s pre-tax annual income, for a single person living in one of the 48 contiguous US states is $10,830.

California awarded me unemployment benefits of approximately $11,500 for a year. My weekly award is the maximum a jobless individual can receive from the state.

But, I’m not receiving regular unemployment right now. Because of the inadequacy of my state’s employment department, because it finds you guilty before proven innocent, I’ve received $470 this year from the state. Even though I paid into this system. Even though this system was created to protect me from severe financial hardship.

Read this. Then come back so we can talk about it, because we’ve been sweeping the implications of rising unemployment under the rug for too long and I’ve had it with the bullshit cover-ups.

You know what stuck out to me in this piece? The inadequacy of our current means of poverty measurement and the potential alternative forms of measurement we could be using to better gauge what poverty really means—specifically, the alternative that measures not only material hardship but “…to what extent that hardship blocks full participation in society.”

Financial hardship blocks full participation in society.

How many of your friends and family are struggling with financial hardship right now due to unemployment, furloughs or reduced pay? Are you struggling?

Have you thought about what that financial hardship has done to their or your ability to engage with society?

And, related, have you taken the time to consider the completely outlandish distribution of money in this country?

Does all this make you angry? Does it make you want to FIX things?

It should.

But the funny thing is here we are, still trying to follow the same business strategies that got us into this mess, still acting from a greedy and self-absorbed place, still being narrow-minded and decidedly ignorant about what the future holds if we keep going down this road.

What the hell is it going to take to get us to change?!

In my current situation I can’t really participate in society. I haven’t been able to for about 6 months. When I do, now, it’s because some gracious individual stepped in to make it possible. And it’s SO invigorating that when I go back to non-participation, to living in limbo, it’s like I had the breath knocked out of me…and I can’t seem to get enough breath to bring me back to good.

My luxury item is coffee twice a week. That iPhone I wanted? Yeah, that was a joke. I used to buy this fantastic body wash from Lush—haven’t purchased it in a year. Those slacks my mom helped me buy for MPDM? I didn’t wear ‘em, so they’re going back to the store this week. I need that money to help pay my car insurance.

And I consider myself lucky. I have a family willing to help me.

Do you guys GET this? Do you understand what all this means? This problem of non-participation and real, increasing levels of poverty that keep us from CONSUMING will perpetuate for as long as we ignore what’s caused it—working and living from a place of greed and covering up the truths of what that’s done to people.

Don’t ask me to cheer up or make the best of my situation. I do that often enough. Don’t tell me it’ll all be okay. Let me cry for a bit and show people what the frustration of financial hardship and a year of job searching really look like. Constantly covering up these issues doesn’t motivate us to work to fix them; it just lets us ignore their existence. And the more we continue to ignore, the worse life and business and this world will get

Think about what you’ve sacrificed this year and let yourself be mad about it. You don’t have to cover up all the time what’s happened to your life this past year.

Masks are made to be temporary, and we, as a nation, have worn the “Everything is Okay, This is Just a Phase” mask for way too long. Only when we recognize how far we’ve fallen and where we’ve landed can we plot an effective course back to the top.

About one in eight girls at Robeson High School are pregnant. Officials say a variety of factors are to blame.

2009-10-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

We obviously are letting our kids down. What are the answers?
------------------------------------------------------

Why Did 1 Of 8 Girls Get Pregnant At Robeson High?
Officials Say A Mix Of Factors Are To Blame, As They Try To Help The Young Women

CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports.

All those young ladies are moms or moms-to-be at Paul Robeson High School. It's not a school for young mothers, it's a neighborhood school. And all of the pregnancies have happened, despite prevention talk.

If you want to know why, the people closest to the situation say there's no simple explanation.

Chicago Public Schools says it does not track the overall number of teen moms in the district. But Robeson Principal Gerald Morrow knows the count at his school in Englewood: 115 young ladies who are either expecting or already have had children.

To put it in perspective, their school pictures would fill roughly six pages of their high school year book.

Why is it happening at Robeson?

"It can be a lot of things that are happening in the home or not happening in the home, if you will," Morrow said. Absentee fathers are another factor, he said.

LaDonna Denson and two other Robeson students say parents not talking to teens and, in some cases, the pursuit of public assistance also factor into the pregnancies. None of them thought they'd be moms at such a young age.

They said they have support at home. But not all girls do, they said. In fact, some girls get thrown out of the home.

Not on Morrow's turf. "We're not looking at them like 'Ooh you made a mistake,'" he said. "We're looking at how we can get them to the next phase, how can we still get them thinking about graduation?"

So there's help in a teen parent program. And coming soon, right across from Robeson, developers are turning a one-time crack house into a day care for student use. "We have to provide some type of environment for them and some form of support for them," Van Vincent, CEO of VLV Development, said.

It's all made an impression.

"Just cause you have a baby, that doesn't mean your life is over," one student said.

One thing they might not know about their principal: His mom had him when she was 15. That's why accepting the problem -- and working through it -- is so important to him.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Nixon's plan of 71 and Obama's plan of today-similar?

2009-10-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

Article written by Jim Toedtman, editor of the AARP Bulletin in October issue.

“A sweeping new program,” President Richard M. Nixon called it when he introduced his bold national health plan in 1971. “One that builds on the strengths of the present system, and one that does not destroy these strengths. One based on partnership, not paternalism.”

Nixon’s plan required employers to provide health care insurance for their employees. It provided federal subsidies for the poor and created rural health clinics and a network of state committees to set industry standards, guarantee basic coverage and coordinate insurance for the self-employed. In the process, it would have extended health care coverage to almost all Americans.

The late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, author of his own national plan, led the critics. “It’s really a partnership between the administration and insurance companies,” he raged. “It’s not a partnership between patients and doctors of this nation.”

That was then. On reflection, Kennedy came to view the Nixon proposal as a missed opportunity. “We should have jumped on that,” he told the Boston Globe earlier this year. In the years since Democrats rejected Nixon’s “sweeping new program,” battle lines have hardened and the partisan breach has widened. And costs have soared. When Nixon proposed his plan, health care spending accounted for less than $100 billion, 7 percent of the $1.4 trillion U.S. economy. Today, it accounts for $2.3 trillion, approximately 17 percent of the economy. And the number of uninsured has nearly doubled—to 46.7 million last year.

Republicans have championed the free market as the key to reform. They stymied the last major overhaul effort 16 years ago. With the help of the drug industry and AARP, they expanded Medicare with a prescription drug plan. They created tax-free health savings accounts (and named them after Republican chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee). As recently as April, House Republicans voted overwhelmingly to convert Medicare into a system of vouchers that future retirees could use to purchase private insurance. And they seem to have set their sights on scuttling President Obama’s health care initiative.

Democrats, just as stridently, have pursued successive iterations of Kennedy’s original, federally funded and regulated plan. The Clinton administration’s public and private plan, hatched in private and in suffocating detail, collapsed.

Today, with control of Congress and the White House, Democrats are advancing Obama’s plan, a combination of private, employer-provided and individual-based coverage and care. It’s striking how closely that resembles the plan outlined by Nixon four decades ago.

There’s a lesson here, and an important one that Kennedy learned four decades too late: Don’t allow partisanship and ideology to blind you to opportunity. But who in the nation’s all but dysfunctional capital has learned Kennedy’s lesson? Who has the common sense and the willingness to listen? Who will set aside the partisanship that has paralyzed the health care debate? Who will step forward and seize the opportunity before them?

Barack Obama, College Administrator by Victor Hanson

2009-10-01T09:21:00.001-07:00

Our commander-in-chief seems to think he’s president of the University of America.

If you are confused by the first nine months of the Obama administration, take solace that there is at least a pattern. The president, you see, thinks America is a university and that he is our campus president. Keep that in mind, and almost everything else makes sense.

Obama went to Occidental, Columbia, and Harvard without much of a break, taught at the University of Chicago, and then surrounded himself with academics, first in his stint at community organizing and then when he went into politics. It shows. In his limited experience, those who went to Yale or Harvard are special people, and the Ivy League environment has been replicated in the culture of the White House.

Note how baffled the administration is by sinking polls, tea parties, town halls, and, in general, “them” — the vast middle class, which, as we learned during the campaign, clings to guns and Bibles, and which has now been written off as blinkered, racist, and xenophobic. The earlier characterization of rural Pennsylvania has been expanded to include all of Middle America.

For many in the academic community who have not worked with their hands, run businesses, or ventured far off campus, Middle America is an exotic place inhabited by aborigines who bowl, don’t eat arugula, and need to be reminded to inflate their tires. They are an emotional lot, of some value on campus for their ability to “fix” broken things like pipes and windows, but otherwise wisely ignored. Professor Chu, Obama’s energy secretary, summed up the sense of academic disdain that permeates this administration with his recent sniffing about the childish polloi: “The American people . . . just like your teenage kids, aren’t acting in a way that they should act.” Earlier, remember, Dr. Chu had scoffed from his perch that California farms were environmentally unsound and would soon disappear altogether, “We’re looking at a scenario where there’s no more agriculture in California.”

It is the role of the university, from a proper distance, to help them, by making sophisticated, selfless decisions on health care and the environment that the unwashed cannot grasp are really in their own interest — deluded as they are by Wal-Mart consumerism, Elmer Gantry evangelicalism, and Sarah Palin momism. The tragic burden of an academic is to help the oppressed, but blind, majority.

In the world of the university, a Van Jones — fake name, fake accent, fake underclass pedigree, fake almost everything — is a dime a dozen. Ward Churchill fabricated everything from his degree to his ancestry, and was given tenure, high pay, and awards for his beads, buckskin, and Native American–like locks. The “authentic” outbursts of Van Jones about white polluters and white mass-murderers are standard campus fare. In universities, such over-the-top rhetoric and pseudo-Marxist histrionics are simply career moves, used to scare timid academics and win release time, faculty-adjudicated grants, or exemption from normal tenure scrutiny. Skip Gates’s fussy little theatrical fit at a Middle American was not his first and will not be his last.

Obama did not vet Jones before hiring him because he saw nothing unusual (much less offensive) about him, in the way that Bill Ayers likewise was typical, not an aberration, on a campus. Just as there are few conservatives, so too there are felt to be few who should be considered radicals in universities. Instead everyone is considered properly left, and even fringe expressions are considered normal calibrations within a shared spectrum. The proper question is not “Why are there so many extremists in the administration?” but rather “What’s so extreme?”

Some people are surprised that the administration is hardly transparent and, in fact, downright intolerant of dissent. Critics are slurred as racists and Nazis — usually without the fingerprints of those who orchestrated the smear campaign from higher up. The NEA seems to want to dish out federal money to “artists” on the basis of liberal obsequiousness. The president tells the nation that his wonderful programs are met with distortion and right-wing lies, and that the time for talking is over — no more partisan, divisive bickering in endless debate.

That reluctance to engage in truly diverse argumentation again reveals the influence of the academic world on Team Obama. We can have an Eric Holder–type “conversation” (a good campusese word), but only if held on the basis of the attorney general’s one-way notion of racial redress.

On most campuses, referenda in the academic senate (“votes of conscience”) on gay marriage or the war in Iraq are as lopsided as Saddam’s old plebiscites. Speech codes curb free expression. Groupthink is the norm. Dissent on tenure decisions, questioning of diversity, or skepticism about the devolution in the definition of sexual harassment — all that can be met with defamation. The wolf cry of “racist” is a standard careerist gambit. Given the exalted liberal ends, why quibble over the means?

Some wonder where Obama got the idea that constant exposure results in persuasion. But that too comes from the talk-is-everything mindset of a university president. Faculties are swamped with memos from deans, provosts, and presidents, reiterating their own “commitment to diversity,” reminding how they would not “tolerate hate speech,” and in general blathering about the “campus community.” University administrators instruct faculty on everything from getting a flu shot, to covering up when coughing, to how to make a syllabus and avoid incorrect words.

Usually the frequency of such communiqués spikes when administrators are looking for a jobelsewhere and want to establish a fresh paper trail so that their potential new employers can be reminded of their ongoing progressive credentials.

Obama has simply emulated the worldview and style of a college administrator. So he thinks that reframing the same old empty banalities with new rhetorical flourishes and signs of fresh commitment and empathy will automatically result in new faculty converts. There is no there there in health-care reform, but opponents can be either bullied, shamed, or mesmerized into thinking there is.

Czars are a university favorite. Among the frequent topics of the daily university executive communiqués are the formulaic “My team now includes . . . ,” “I have just appointed . . . ,” “Under my direction . . . ” (that first-person overload is, of course, another Obama characteristic), followed by announcement of a new “special” appointment: “special assistant to the president for diversity,” “acting assistant provost for community affairs and external relations,” “associate dean for curriculum enhancement and development.”

Most of these tasks are either unnecessary or amply covered by existing faculty, department chairs, and deans. Czars, however, proliferated on campuses for fairly obvious reasons. First, they are spotlights illuminating the university administration’s commitment to a particular fashionable cause by the showy creation of a high-profile, highly remunerative new job. When loud protests meet the university’s inability to create a new department or fund a trendy but costly special program, administrators often take their loudest critics and make them czars — satisfying the “base” without substantial policy changes.

Second, czars are a way to circumvent the usual workings of the university, especially faculty committees in which there is an outside chance of some marginalized conservative voting against putting “Race, Class, and Gender in the Latina Cinema” into the general-education curriculum.

Special assistants for and associates of something or other are not vetted. Czars create an alternative university administration that can create special billets, hire adjuncts (with de facto security), and obtain budgeting without faculty oversight. The special assistant or associate rarely is hired through a normal search process open to the campus community, but rather is simply selected and promoted by administrative fiat.

One of the most disturbing characteristics of the new administration is a particular sort of whining or petulance. Dissatisfaction arises over even favorable press coverage — as we saw last weekend, when Obama serially trashed the obsequious media that he had hogged all day.

Feelings of being underappreciated by the public for all one’s self-sacrificial efforts are common university traits. We’ve seen in the past a certain love/hate relationship of Professor Obama with wealthy people — at first a Tony Rezko, but now refined and evolved much higher to those on Wall Street that the administration in schizophrenic fashion both damns and worships.

Michelle Obama during the campaign summed up best her husband’s wounded-fawn sense of sacrifice when she said, “Barack is one of the smartest people you will ever encounter who will deign to enter this messy thing called politics.”

Academic culture also promotes this idea that highly educated professionals deigned to give up their best years for arduous academic work and chose to be above the messy rat race. Although supposedly far better educated, smarter (or rather the “smartest”), and more morally sound than lawyers, CEOs, and doctors, academics gripe that they, unfairly, are far worse paid. And they lack the status that should accrue to those who teach the nation’s youth, correct their papers, and labor over lesson plans. Obama reminded us ad nauseam of all the lucre he passed up on Wall Street in order to return to the noble pursuit of organizing and teaching in Chicago.

In short, campus people have had the bar raised on themselves at every avenue. Suggest to an academic that university pay is not bad for ninth months’ work, often consisting of an actual six to nine hours a week in class, and you will be considered guilty of heresy if not defamation.

University administrators worship private money, and then among themselves scoff at the capitalism that created it. Campus elites, looking at a benefactor, are fascinated how someone — no brighter than they are — made so much money, even as they are repelled by a system that allows those other than themselves to have pulled it off. No wonder that Obama seems enchanted by a Warren Buffett, even as he trashes the very landscape that created Berkshire Hathaway’s riches. No president has raised more money from Wall Street or has given it more protection from accountability — while at the same time demagoguing it as selfish and greedy.

Many of the former Professor Obama’s problems so far hinge on his administration’s inability to judge public opinion, its own self-righteous sense of self, its non-stop sermonizing, and its suspicion of sincere dissent. In other words, the United States is now a campus, we are the students, and Obama is our university president.

-- NRO contributor Victor Davis Hanson is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

Miranda Warning for the Pledge-What's your reaction

2009-09-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

By Allison Pataki in Fox News

Students recite the Pledge of Allegiance in class.

It's a new school year, but an old fight is brewing in American classrooms. Teachers and administrators around the country are scratching their heads once again over the Pledge of Allegiance.

The courts have consistently ruled that students have the right not to recite the pledge in public schools. But now some First Amendmentadvocates are taking it one step further, arguing that the law compels educators to inform kids at the beginning of school that the decision is entirely up to them.

They're advocating a "Miranda warning" for the Pledge -- an administrative notice to students that they have the right to remain silent.

“The Pledge of Allegiance creates a constitutional problem. You have to tell students they can opt out,” the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told FOX News.

New Mexico dealt with this question last month when its education secretary upheld that students are permitted to opt out of the Pledge, but rejected an ACLU-backed amendment that would require schools to inform parents and students that they have the option.

In Florida, schools have tried to resolve uncertainty by announcing a new policy — students don't have to participate, as long as they have a letter from Mom and Dad.

These are just the latest in a litany of challenges to the Pledge and its place in the classroom.

Americans have recited the tribute to the stars and stripes since the oath was written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, in 1892. But Bellamy's pledge did not include the words "under God," which were added by Congress in 1954 during the McCarthy era, when Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union — an atheist nation — were high in the United States.

Thirty-six states now have laws requiring that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited daily in public schools. But the oath as it's written does not sit well with some Americans.

“The Pledge doesn’t even state the truth. We are not one nation under God," Lynn said. "I don’t think we should lie to students, and there’s no way we can require them to say it.”

But supporters of the Pledge insist that the words are both constitutional and an important part of our national heritage.

“There has been a recurring effort by the ACLU and others to try to stop the Pledge of Allegiance from being said. The fact of the matter is that the American people like the Pledge of Allegiance, they like it the way it is,” Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the Eagle Forum, told FOXNews.com.

“The teachers are government employees, their paychecks are paid by the taxpayers, and the American people support the Pledge. I’m with the American people,” Schlafly said.

The majority of Americans do, in fact, overwhelmingly support the Pledge of Allegiance in its current form. A FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll from November of 2005 showed that 90 percent of Americans approve of the oath. Only 7 percent of people polled said they would change the language of the Pledge, while three percent of Americans were undecided.

The Pledge's popularity aside, the Supreme Court ruled in 1943 that mandating a student to participate in the oath was an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment right to free speech.

Now the ACLU and other critics of the Pledge are taking the dispute a step further — arguing that students, whether they do or don't support the oath, should be told up front that they are not required to recite the words.

They lost the first round in New Mexico last month, when state Education Secretary Veronica Garcia ruled not to change state policy — which requires that the Pledge be recited daily — to inform students of their right to opt out.

"The department believes that the existing rule and practice in schools respects the rights of all students," Garcia said a statement. "Any issues related to rights of students will be handled at the local school district level," the statement read.

New Mexico ACLU Director Peter Simonson protested the ruling, telling the Associated Press, "I think it's a cop-out not to affirmatively state that students have a First Amendment right not to participate in the Pledge." Simonson declined to elaborate when contacted by FOXNews.com.

In Florida, ACLU attorney Randall Marshall successfully argued a case before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in defense of high school student, Cameron Frazier, who abstained from reciting the Pledge because of “personal political beliefs” and, according to the lawsuit, was “singled out and humiliated” by his teacher.

“We made the case that students must be informed that they are not required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance,” Marshall told FOXNews.com.

"It’s not a challenge to the content of the Pledge. Only that students be informed that they are not required to recite it."

The Children of 9/11 Grow Up by Peggy Noonan

2009-09-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

OPINION: DECLARATIONSSEPTEMBER 11, 2009
The Children of 9/11 Grow Up
College students talk about how the attack shaped their lives.
By PEGGY NOONAN

It is eight years since 9/11, and here is an unexpected stage of grief: fear that the ache will go away. I don't suppose it ever will, but grieving has gradations, and "horror" becomes "absorbed sadness." Life moves on, and wants to move on, which is painful for those who will not forget and cannot be comforted. Part of the spookiness of life, part of its power to disorient us, is not only that people die, that they slip below the waves, but that the waves close above them so quickly, the sea so quickly looks the same.

I've been thinking about those who were children on 9/11, not little ones who were shielded but those who were 10 and 12, old enough to understand that something dreadful had happened but young enough still to be in childhood. A young man who was 14 the day of the attacks told me recently that there's an unspoken taboo among the young people of New York: They don't talk about it, ever. They don't want to say, "Oh boo hoo, it was awful." They don't want to dwell. They shrug it off when it comes up. They change the subject.

This week, in a conversation with college students at an eastern university, I brought it up. Seven students politely shared some of their memories. I invited them to tell me more the next morning, and was surprised when six of the seven showed up. This is what I learned:

They've been marked by 9/11 more than they know. It was their first moment of historical consciousness. Before that day, they didn't know what history was; after that day, they knew they were in it.

It was a life-splitting event. Before it they were carefree, after they were careful. A 20-year-old junior told me that after 9/11, "a backpack on a subway was no longer a backpack," and a crowded theater was "a source for concern." Every one of them used the word "bubble": the protected bubble of their childhood "popped." And all of them said they spent 9/11 and the days after glued to the television, watching over and over again the footage—the north tower being hit by the plane, the fireball. The video of 9/11 has firmly and ineradicably entered their brains. Which is to say their first visual memory of America, or their first media memory, was of its towers falling down.

I'd never fully realized this: 9/11 was for America's kids exactly what Nov. 22, 1963, was for their parents and uncles and aunts. They were at school. Suddenly there were rumors in the hall and teachers speaking in hushed tones. You passed an open classroom and saw a teacher sobbing. Then the principal came on the public-address system and said something very bad had happened. Shocked parents began to pick kids up. Everyone went home and watched TV all day, and the next.

***
Simon, a 20-year-old college junior, was a 12-year-old seventh-grader at a public school in Baltimore. He said: "It's first-period science, and the teacher next door, who was known to play jokes on other teachers, comes in completely stone-faced and says a plane has hit the World Trade Center, and no one believes him." Simon didn't know what to believe but remembered reading that in 1945 a plane had struck the Empire State Building, and "the building stayed up," so he didn't worry too much.

"At lunch time the vice principal comes up and he explains that two planes had hit the World Trade Center and one had hit the Pentagon and the World Trade Center was gone, and I never—when you have your mouth agape it's never for anything important, but I remember having my mouth agape for a minute or two in complete and utter shock. I went to my art period and I remember my art teacher sitting there with her hands on her face just bawling, she was so frightened. My mom picked me up, and I remember walking with her, and I'm saying 'This is Pearl Harbor.'"

Nine-eleven, he felt, changed everything for his generation. "It completely destroyed our sense of invincibility—maybe that's not the right word. I would say it made everything real to a 12-year-old. It showed the world could be a dangerous place when for my generation that was never the case. My generation had no Soviet Union, no war against fascism, we never had any threats. I was born when the Berlin Wall came down. It destroyed the sense of carefree innocence that we had."

***
Juliette, also 20 and a junior, was in eighth grade in Great Falls, Va. "I think the kids were shocked," she said. "The major question was how could this happen, who would do that—like, how does something so crazy happen? What I had is a sense that it was going to be one of those days of which 30 years down the road, people would ask me, What were you doing on that day, where were you on 9/11?—that my children would ask me. And so I set myself to remembering the details."

I told her that it is interesting to me that no great art has yet come from 9/11. The reason may be that adults absorbed what had happened, and because we had absorbed it, we did not have to transmute it into art. Maybe when you are still absorbing, or cannot absorb, that's when art happens. Maybe your generation will do it, I said.

She considered this. "There's always the odds that something much more horrible will happen that will really shake us out of our torpor, that will wake us up," she said.

***
The attack was not only an American event. Robbie, an 18-year-old freshman, was 10 and in primary school in England. "We were near the end of school. There were murmurs from teachers about something happening. I remember going back home, and my mum had both televisions on with different news channels. I remember the tower and the pillar of smoke. The big pillar of smoke was very vivid to me, and my mother trying to explain the seriousness of it. I think 9/11 brought us bang slap into the 21st century. I remember when the millennium came people said 'new time, new world,' but 9/11 was the 'new time, new world.' I understood it was something big, something that changed the world."

Then he told me that after we had talked the previous evening, he'd had a dream. "I was back in my old school in England, and in front of me I could see the city of Bristol, nothing distinct, but big towers, big buildings. And I could see them crumbling and falling. There was a collective fear, not just from myself but amongst everyone in the dream. I remember calling in the dream my mum, and saying 'Are you safe, are you safe?' I think this perhaps shows that after 9/11 . . . as a small child you felt safe, but after 9/11, I don't think I personally will ever feel 100% safe. . . . I think the dream demonstrates—I think the dream contained my hidden feelings, my consciousness."

He remembered after 9/11 those who rose up to fight terrorism. Even as a child he was moved by them. There are always in history so many such people, he said. It is always the great reason for hope.

Obama's closing remarks about Ted Kennedy

2009-08-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

We carry on.

Ted Kennedy has gone home now, guided by his faith and by the light of those that he has loved and lost. At last he is with them once more, leaving those of us who grieve his passing with the memories he gave, the good that he did, the dream he kept alive, and a single, enduring image -- the image of a man on a boat, white mane tousled, smiling broadly as he sails into the wind, ready for whatever storms may come, carrying on toward some new and wondrous place just beyond the horizon. May God bless Ted Kennedy, and may he rest in eternal peace.

"Have you seen British Teeth?"

2009-08-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

A disturbing look at socialized medicine
By Cal Thomas | Columnist
Published: 8/19/2009 12:01 AM
PORTADOWN, NORTHERN IRELAND - For the past month I have watched British media report and comment on the American health care uproar. American cable networks are also available here. The back-and-forth reporting and commentary resembles a replay of the War of 1812, this time with verbal salvos. Conservative American politicians and commentators fire at the British NHS system and the British fire back, sometimes on the same program, repeating the Democrats' mantra of how 47 million Americans are "uninsured" and how medical treatment in the United States depends on how much patients, or their insurance companies, will pay. Here, they say, health care is "free," thanks to taxpayers, a minority of which (i.e. the successful) bears ever-greater amounts of the burden.

A conservative British politician trashes the NHS on Fox News and the BBC carries an excerpt, along with a defense of the NHS by other British politicians, including Tory leader - and prime minister in waiting - David Cameron. In an apparent effort to outflank the critically ill Labour Party, Cameron promises to strengthen the NHS.

The British media are conflicted. They patriotically defend the NHS, while simultaneously acknowledging its serious shortcomings. One example: A recent Daily Mail editorial praised the NHS for its free care and universal availability, but then added, "Our survival rates for breast, prostate, ovarian and lung cancers are among the worst in Europe, despite huge additional expenditures." Free is nice, but best is better.

Beyond the headlines are some disturbing trends within the NHS that ought to serve as a warning to Americans, should they wish to abandon, rather than improve, our current system for treating the sick.

Last week, a London Times story began: "Hospitals Creaking Under the Strain as NHS Vacancies Are Left Unfilled."

The story reported that socialized medicine has created a shortage of doctors, nurses and other clinical staff. As of March 31, a survey found a 5.2 percent vacancy rate in these critical fields, compared to a 3.6 percent vacancy rate a year earlier. A poll conducted by the Royal College of Nurses found that among 8,600 young people, aged 7 to 17, "only 1 in 20 considered nursing to be an attractive career."

Anthony Halperin, a Trustee of the Patients Association, said: "Nursing staff see that there are higher rewards in the private sector while doctors and dentists no longer see medicine as a career for life, or are having their hours cut back by European legislation. All of this has negative outcomes for patients." A man attending a town meeting in America and who opposes the Democrats' reform plan said on Fox News, (and replayed on BBC): "Have you seen British teeth?"

Anyone wishing to revise America's medical system and model it after Britain and Canada ought to thoroughly examine how these health care systems function before plunging into the same pool. A reasonable conclusion is that these systems require long waits and treatments (if you can get them) that are inferior to the U.S., based on government "guidelines" that frequently approve care only if the patient is deemed "worthy of the investment."

As a symbol, Adolf Hitler has been overused, but the philosophy behind the horrors he unleashed can be found in the beliefs of some of those who would use the power of the state to determine who gets help and who doesn't.

The 1933 Sterilization Law was one of Hitler's first acts after taking power. Called "The Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring," it required compulsory sterilizations for those deemed by the state to be "racially unsound," including people with disabilities.

As with a journey, so it is with inhumanity: both begin with a single step.

© 2009, Tribune Media Services Inc.

Health Care: the 'right' solution

2009-08-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

This is a letter published in the University of Richmond's student newspaper , the Collegian. It was written by one of UR's students. It is great when our young people begin taking positions on critical issues such as this.

I post it for thought and dialogue.

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Letter: Health care: the ‘right’ solution
Published: August 9, 2009, 9:34 pm ET

BY DANIEL COLOSIMO
Richmond College '11

In recent weeks, the debate over health care has grown fierce, but, unfortunately, extremely petty. Whether it is the claim that old people will be euthanized if it is too expensive to keep them alive or that a public option will prevent people from receiving life-saving medical procedures, the lies and smears spread by the pharmaceutical and health insurance companies have muddled the facts about health care reform. Even more unfortunate is the obvious truth that the politics of fear is again finding traction among many conservatives. So let’s look at the facts.
One popular argument against health care reform is the idea that it will decrease medical quality and efficiency, and the “world’s best health care system” will become nothing better than that of a Third World country.
Fact: America’s health care system is already worse than those of some third world countries. According to the World Health Organization, the United States’ health care system ranks 37th in the world, right behind health care systems in Saudi Arabia, Colombia and Costa Rica. So let’s get this straight: the average American family pays more than $400 a month for health insurance. Fifteen percent of the national GDP is spent on health care, but yet as a country, we rank 45th overall in life expectancy and 50 million Americans don’t even have insurance. This is the system Republicans want to maintain? Even more, even if you are insured, insurance companies still only pay about 80 percent of a patient’s costs after premiums and deductibles. Often, “pre-existing conditions” are not covered at all by insurance!
Let’s face it: health insurance companies are blood-sucking vampires that prey on human suffering. Health care and profit simply don’t mix.
With this said, however, the health care reform currently floating around on Capitol Hill really isn’t all that revolutionary. It still allows insurance companies and pharmaceuticals to turn extraordinary profits, it allows every American to choose his or her own doctor and medical options and it does not require any American to purchase insurance from the government or from the private sector against his or her will. The goal of the plan, simply, is to make insurance accessible for those who can’t afford it: small business owners, blue collar workers and the shrinking middle class.
The second popular argument against health care is that it will wreck the U.S. economy and churn up massive deficits.
Fact: if the health care system is not changed, the country will go bankrupt. The current health care system, if left alone, will rise to more than 20 percent of the GDP by the year 2017. The only option is reform, unless, of course, we want deductibles and premiums to continue rising while millions of Americans die from avoidable illnesses. The plan in Congress, albeit expensive, would prevent health care from ever reaching this percentage of GDP, and don’t forget, Americans would actually have health insurance.
Republicans like to turn the health care debate into an draconian dilemma between some people not being insured and the end of capitalism and the American way as we know it. But not all the blame should go to the Republicans; Democrats, elected to an super-majority in the House and the Senate, are folding like a house of cards. And let’s be honest, their opponents on the right are pathetic. If the Democrats can’t cut through the Republican blockage now, when the only counter to reform Republicans have is labeling it as socialism, then I’m afraid true reform will not be right around the corner.
Daniel Colosimo
University of Richmond, 2011

Gates/Crowley scenario--racial profiling or power moves

2009-07-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

The scenario between the black professor from Harvard and white police officer from Cambridge might well be racial profiling.

More than that, I think it had to do with power. Both the police officer (Crowley) and the professor in their daily duties are use to being around people who respect them and look up to them. Both are significant others in their environments. Both are powerful individuals

Two good people decided that they couldn't show weakness and had to act. The white officer acted with an unnecessary arrest. The professor with accusations of racial profiling.

Both are fine folks. Both have provided us with an educational opportunity for discussion, thought and growth. Let's use this regrettable situation and have more than a few beers together.

We have come along way as a country and hopefully as individuals in valuing diversity. We have further to go though. Lets do more than having a cold one.........

Obama on Health Care

2009-07-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

I am not posting this for or against, just wanted you all to have his recent memo on the subject.
___________________________________________
Dear Friend,

If you’re like most Americans, there’s nothing more important to you about health care than peace of mind.

Given the status quo, that’s understandable. The current system often denies insurance due to pre-existing conditions, charges steep out-of-pocket fees – and sometimes isn’t there at all if you become seriously ill.

It’s time to fix our unsustainable insurance system and create a new foundation for health care security. That means guaranteeing your health care security and stability with eight basic consumer protections:
No discrimination for pre-existing conditions
No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays
No cost-sharing for preventive care
No dropping of coverage if you become seriously ill
No gender discrimination
No annual or lifetime caps on coverage
Extended coverage for young adults
Guaranteed insurance renewal so long as premiums are paid
Learn more about these consumer protections at Whitehouse.gov.

Over the next month there is going to be an avalanche of misinformation and scare tactics from those seeking to perpetuate the status quo. But we know the cost of doing nothing is too high. Health care costs will double over the next decade, millions more will become uninsured, and state and local governments will go bankrupt.

It’s time to act and reform health insurance, drive down costs and guarantee the health care security and stability of every American family. You can help by putting these core principles of reform in the hands of your friends, your family, and the rest of your social network.

Thank you,
Barack Obama

OBamas e-mail supporting Sotomayor for the Supreme Court

2009-07-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

What's your thoughts on this nomination?
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Good Morning,

Yesterday, Judge Sonia Sotomayor made her opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee and moved another step closer to taking a seat on the United States Supreme Court. In case you missed it, watch the video of her opening statement here:

As President, there are few responsibilities more serious or consequential than the naming of a Supreme Court Justice, so I want to take this opportunity to tell you about the qualifications and character that informed my decision to nominate Judge Sotomayor.

Judge Sotomayor's brilliant legal mind is complemented by the practical lessons that can only be learned by applying the law to real world situations.

In the coming days, the hearings will cover an incredible body of work from a judge who has more experience on the federal bench than any incoming Supreme Court Justice in the last 100 years. Judge Sotomayor's professional background spans our judicial system — from her time as a big-city prosecutor and a corporate litigator, to her work as a federal trial judge on the U.S. District Court, and an appellate judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

And then there is Judge Sotomayor's incredible personal story. She grew up in a housing project in the South Bronx — her parents coming to New York from Puerto Rico during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she lost her father, and her mother worked six days a week just to put food on the table. It takes a certain resilience and determination to rise up out of such circumstances, focus, work hard and achieve the American dream.

This character shined through in yesterday's opening statement: Watch the video.

In Judge Sotomayor, our nation will have a Justice who will never forget her humble beginnings, will always apply the rule of law, and will be a protector of the Constitution that made her American dream and the dreams of millions of others possible. As she said so clearly yesterday, Judge Sotomayor's decisions on the bench "have been made not to serve the interests of any one litigant, but always to serve the larger interest of impartial justice."

In anticipation of today's first round of questioning, I hope you'll share this email widely, because Judge Sotomayor's confirmation is something that affects every American. It's important for these hearings to be about Judge Sotomayor's own record and her capacity for the job — not any political back and forth that some in Washington may use to distract you. What members of the Judiciary Committee, and the American people, will see today is a sharp and fearless jurist who does not let powerful interests bully her into breaking from the rule of law.

Thank you,
Barack Obama

N.C. States football team spends time with Marines

2009-06-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Athletes make the news when they win, get injured or break the law. How about this news maker! This kind of inspiring news goes on so often with athletic teams in my experience on three different campuses but we rarely hear about it.

BY J.P. GIGLIO - STAFF WRITER for the News Observer
Published: Fri, Jun. 12, 2009 09:45AM Modified Fri, Jun. 12, 2009 09:46AM

JACKSONVILLE -- You couldn't wipe the smile off Cpl. Bobby Joseph's face with a beach towel and bottle of 409.
The visit by members of N.C. State's football team to Camp Lejeune had that effect on Joseph and the other Marines in the Wounded Warrior Battalion on Thursday.
"I was actually going to go home and sleep," Joseph said. "This was worth it."

For Wolfpack coach Tom O'Brien, who served nine years in the Marine Corps, the second annual trip to visit the Wounded Warrior Barracks, where injured and ill Marines convalesce, is a way of thanking the war veterans and adding a sobering dose of reality to his own players. A group of a dozen Marines, most age 19 to 22, spent an hour and a half talking with the Wolfpack contingent.
"Our guys think they are special," O'Brien said. "I think it's important that they are around a bunch of people that are really special, that have done so much to keep us free and protect us."
It was Joseph, 27, who took center stage in the barracks' recreation room, entertaining the gathered Wolfpack crowd of about 20 players and coaches with his, well, war stories. Armed with his laptop and a megawatt smile, Joseph showed the players pictures from his combat duty in Iraq, an ad hoc slideshow that included everything from his machine gun to his wounds.
A roadside bomb in Anah, Iraq, left Joseph with 200 pieces of shrapnel in his body and a hole the size of a whiffle ball in his left calf. He entered the Wounded Warrior Battalion in January 2007. In another two months, his rehabilitation will end, and he'll head back to his home in Florida.
Visits like the one by the Wolfpack on Thursday help keep Joseph motivated and focused on his recovery.
"This place can be depressing," he said. "It's not what happens here, but we're all afraid of what's going to happen next."
Joseph wasn't the only Marine with visual evidence of combat. Cpl. Karl Golian showed a group of players a video on his iPod of a Cobra helicopter airstrike in Iraq.
Golian's video hit N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon.
"That was mind-blowing," Glennon said. "That just goes to show how fortunate we are."
That's the impression O'Brien was hoping his players would get.
"Maybe they'll remember when they're a little tired or a little sore, the sacrifices these men have made," O'Brien said.
Not all of O'Brien's intentions with the visit were altruistic. He said he's trying to convert fans.
"It gives them somebody to root for," O'Brien said, joking.
It's working. A white "Let's Go Pack" banner, adorned with the autographs of the N.C. State players who visited in 2007 and on Thursday, hangs between the two televisions in the rec room.

Michael Jackson from Lisa Marie Presley's blog (http://bit.ly/5wR7p)

2009-06-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 26, 2009

He Knew.
Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general.
I can't recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Fathers Death.
At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, "I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did."
I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.
14 years later I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the Cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears.
A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn't predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened.
The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroners office for his Autopsy.
All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted.
I am going to say now what I have never said before because I want the truth out there for once.
Our relationship was not "a sham" as is being reported in the press. It was an unusual relationship yes, where two unusual people who did not live or know a "Normal life" found a connection, perhaps with some suspect timing on his part. Nonetheless, I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much.
I wanted to "save him" I wanted to save him from the inevitable which is what has just happened.
His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn't know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome then.
At that time, In trying to save him, I almost lost myself.
He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated.
When he used it for something good, It was the best and when he used it for something bad, It was really, REALLY bad.
Mediocrity was not a concept that would even for a second enter Michael Jackson's being or actions.
I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him.
I was in over my head while trying.
I had my children to care for, I had to make a decision.
The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow.
After the Divorce, I spent a few years obsessing about him and what I could have done different, in regret.
Then I spent some angry years at the whole situation.
At some point, I truly became Indifferent, until now.
As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play The exact Scenario I saw happen on August 16th, 1977 happening again right now with Michael (A sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted.
Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him.
He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together.
I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now.
He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be.
I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is.
The World is in shock but somehow he knew exactly how his fate would be played out some day more than anyone else knew, and he was right.

I really needed to say this right now, thanks for listening.

~LMP

A message from Michelle Obama about Fathers DAy

2009-06-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day,

I’m writing to share a special video of Barack talking about fatherhood, but first I want to share some thoughts of my own.

My father, Frasier Robinson, was the rock of our family. Although he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his early thirties, he was our provider, our champion and our hero.

He worked tirelessly through good days and bad to make sure my brother and I had every opportunity he didn't -- to go to college and pursue our dreams. His example continues to guide me every day.

Barack didn't have my good fortune -- his father left when he was just two years old. But he has always been determined to give our daughters what he never had, and he values being a good father more than any other accomplishment in his life.

On Friday, Barack brought some men (and a bunch of kids!) to the White House to talk about fatherhood. Check out a video of the event:

We all know the remarkable impact fathers can have in our children's lives. So today, on this 100th anniversary of Father's Day, take a moment to celebrate responsible fatherhood and the men who've had the courage to step up, be there for our families, and provide our children with the guidance, love and support they need to fulfill their dreams.

Thanks,
Michelle

How Can God Still Bless America ? by Betty Gray/Williamsburg

2009-06-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

I share a letter to the editor printed in the Richmond Times Dispatch on 6/11/9 titled "How Can God Still Bless America?" While I can't say that I agree with it in its entirety, it is thought provoking and very well written. I would hope that this might generate some thoughts, discussion and/or comments.

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World War II General Omar Bradley said that by the end of the 20th century, we would be a nation of "technological giants and moral midgets."

Did he know that we would be putting men in outer space, but that back home we would be killing babies buy the thousands, while quibbling over waterboarding terrorists?

Did he know that we would deny our children the right to pray or read the Ten Commandments, but give them cell phones to "sex text" at will and allow them to absorb violence and smut 24 hours a day via TV?

Did he know that we would refuse to allow our schools to teach our teens abstinence and responsibility, but instead we would teach them about homosexuality and how to have safe sex---and if they do accidentally get pregnant, they're free to have abortions without notifying their parents?

Do you think he knew we would encourage children to read the fantasy Harry Potter series but discourage them from reading Bible stories because they're only fairy tales?

In our culture, truth has become whatever we want it to be and right and wrong are whatever we judge them to be---although we're not really judging because we have no basis with to judge.

And least one think I am pointing a finger at those outside the church---immorality and confusion are as rampant within our church as they are without. How can God possibly bless America?
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Reaction anyone?

from the book "Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves but Can't Read Write or Add." by Charles J. Sykes.

2009-06-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

Often times this appears, apparently in error, as a graduation speech from Bill GAtes.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it.

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping - they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Twitter is spiritual--it really is :-)

2009-05-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

After six weeks of writing tweets, Frederic Brussat says it is for him. To see how he is practicing his spirituality through Twitter, read his feed here or visitwww.Twitter.com/FredericBrussat. Here are 25 reasons why Twitter is a spiritual.

1.) Twitter challenges us to pay attention to what we are doing, to stay awake and totally alert.

2.) Twitter prompts us to focus on the present moment and in doing so we realize all we need is right here, right now.

3.) Twitter provides opportunities to connect with others around the world so we can sense how self and world are linked in ever-expanding circles.

4.) Twitter inspires us to practice hospitality in a time when too often strangers are feared and the "other" is shunned.

5.) Twitter enables us to share our deepest dreams and to encourage others not to lose hope.

6.) Twitter prods us to find the divine energy of joy in our daily lives and to share it with others.

7.) Twitter invites us to be receptive and to hold an open house in our hearts for new people, ideas, and organizations.

8.) Twitter draws out our playfulness and celebrates, in a variety of ways, the holiness of savoring pleasure and the lightness of being.

9.) Twitter promotes the art of listening in which we lean toward others in love, realizing that everyone wants to be heard.

10.) Twitter allows us to probe on a daily basis the significance of what we are feeling and thinking: it makes meaning makers of us all.

11.) Twitter encourages us to see spiritual teachers all around us, however unlikely or unlike us they may be.

12.) Twitter facilitates our exploration of the wider world of other cultures and wisdom traditions.

13.) Twitter reminds us to share the stories of our lives with other companions on the journey.

14.) Twitter illustrates how often when we are looking for one thing we come upon another in a moment of grace.

15.) Twitter proves that although we think we are living in a universe, it's really a pluriverse of voices.

16.) Twitter shows us why we need to cherish all parts of creation from ants to wolves to the Grand Canyon.

17.) Twitter encourages us to spell out all our days with a grammar of gratitude.

18.) Twitter elicits our wonder as we see the world moving toward us with a deluge of epiphanies.

19.) Twitter taps into the enthusiasm that lights up our lives and spreads it around.

20.) Twitter helps us banish boredom when we realize that there is always something new to be seen, felt, or made known.

21.) Twitter gives us opportunities to bless others through our affirmations of who they are and what they do.

22.) Twitter challenges us to be mindful of every word we write and to honor others as best we can.

23.) Twitter provides another space where we can be deeply moved by reverence or a radical respect for all life.

24.) Twitter, like koans, mantras, and flash prayers, teaches us that brevity can be a path of rich communication.

25.) Twitter helps us to relearn the arts of generosity wherein we give to others that which means the most to us.

10 trends we might see in restaurants in the near future

2009-05-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

By Kate Leahy, Senior Associate Editor -- in Restaurants and Institutions, 5/21/2009 9:18:00 AM

Green technology. Equipment with smaller footprints. More than one seminar dedicated to environmental concerns. This was one side of this year's NRA Show. The other side was, simply, survival.

But the economic slump may be a good thing for the show, as exhibitors stripped back their wares to showcase innovations. This hasn't always been the case. In 2007, Peter Backman, owner of London-based foodservice consultancy Horizons, found the show's exhibits to be less about what was new and more about what was comfortable:

"I sense that the new ideas, the real innovation, have gone out of the U.S. market and there has been a flight to the center," he told R&I. Click here for the video.

Old habits die hard. But unprecedented challenges in the marketplace make today the ultimate time to shake things up. Even Backman acknowledges that this year's show demonstrated the many ways in which U.S restaurateurs are approaching their businesses with a fresh pair of eyes. Here, 10 comments and ideas collected from the show’s exhibits, seminars and keynote speakers:

On Food

Kimchi quesadillas 1. Korean/Mexican fusion, the next big thing.
Already popular among street-food savvy eaters in Southern California, the kimchi quesadillas served by the team from Kogi, a mobile Korean barbecue concept in Los Angeles, demonstrated how well Korean and Mexican flavors meld together.

2. Fresh Iberico pork, now available.
It wasn’t until last year that USDA allowed Spain's prized Jamon Iberico into the country. Now chefs in Chicago are experimenting with a few fresh cuts from the acorn-fed pata negra pigs. At Latin-focused Carnivale, Chef Mark Mendez is braising the pork collar in duck fat for a rich confit. Because it's a pricy product (the collar wholesales for about $12 per pound, the loin even more) he is planning on running the meat as part of an appetizer special.

3. Made-to-order ice cream.
It might be the next incarnation of cold-surface blending scoop shops such as Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Cold Stone Creamery: ice cream frozen to order on a icy metal slab. The advantage of this style of preparation is more about customization than flavor and texture. For example, because each serving frozen to order, customers can opt for their ice cream to be made with low-fat or lactose-free milk.

On Green

4. A restaurant that runs on French fries.
Well, not exactly, but close. Instead of paying for a service to haul away used fryer oil, a generator on display at the Green Restaurant Pavilion converts used fryer oil into electricity that can keep the lights and the water hot.

5. Telling customers "no."

Chef Charlie Ayers Chefs acknowledge that one necessary evil of year-round food purchasing is buying out of season produce, such as tomatoes, in order to meet customer expectations.Chef Charlie Ayers of Calafia in Palo Alto, Calif., doesn’t think it has to be this way. He tells customers "no" whenever they request out-of-season produce. But in order to do so gently, he trains staff to explain why he avoids serving the items. (Ayers sources food within a 150-mile radius of his restaurant.)

6. Power in numbers.
Nearly 500 NRA attendees, from operators to suppliers, pledged to reduce waste, energy use and water use as part of the NRA’s Conserve initiative. For a place to start, here’s the initiative’s Top 10 restaurant greening tips.

On Business

7. Discounting dangers.
In an aggressive effort to retain customers counts, upscale eateries are offering low-priced, prix fixe menus. But the revenue generated from the promotions isn’t aways enough to cover operating expenses, reminds Joe Bastianich, partner in New York City-based B&B Hospitality Group. “That kind of slash-and-burn discounting is overall a negative trend,” he says, because it puts the pressure on nearby restaurants to lower prices to unsustainable levels.

8. The importance of being specific.

CEO Sally Smith CEO Sally Smith of Minneapolis-based Buffalo Wild Wings recommended that operators look beyond check averages when encouraging servers to boost sales. “We break it down by sales per hour. To help your servers understand what you need from them, get specific. Don’t tell them: ‘We need to increase sales by $300 this hour.’ Tell them: ‘We have to sell 30 more hamburgers this hour.’”

On Service

9. Store-level leadership.
With customers acutely sensitive to how much they spend on food, bad service can hurt opportunities for repeat business. To encourage strong leadership at the store level, Denver-based Chipotle recognizes general managers who have a track record of training staff and grooming future managers through its “restaurateur” program, which includes a bonus for participants.

10. Embracing social media.
According to Damian Mogavero, CEO of New York City-based restaurant consultancy Avero, everyone will be using social media in the future. The differentiation factor will be found in how well-integrated it is into the company’s culture. The time to start experimenting with the technology? Now.

Ellen DeGeneres -- Graduation Speech at Tulane

2009-05-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

This was a wonderful graduation speech full of humor, wisdom, self analysis and of course dance. Check it out.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPTMyaySoc0

For Twitter users--Seven Habits of Highly Effective Twitterers by Wayne Sutton

2009-05-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

“Think of me as the social media lead car on the Autobahn of the Internet.”
Wayne Sutton (@waynesutton) is a Social Media Strategist, Consultant, and a prolific twitterer who’s passionate about using new media and technology to connect businesses and consumers. You can catch his tech reviews and insights on SocialWayne.com.

1. Filters and searches

Using Twitter Search and filters for your searches save you a ton of time when you’re looking for information via Twitter. Mashable has previously compared 6 great Twitter search services and Mr. Tweet’s Blog Editor, Corvida Raven, has recently posted about great ways to use filters combined with Twitter’s saved search feature to help you harness some of the benefits of Twitter Search.

The value in utilizing the filters is they help you to fine tune the results of your searches. For example if your looking for content on Twitter that fall within the niches like SEO or Social Media, you could do a simple search. But this opens up to a bunch of noise. What if you only want tweets with links? “social media filter:links” would return better results because all of these twitter messages contain a link in them along with the keywords “social media”. Louis Gray has done a nice summary of the importance of filters.

2. There are no rules, but establish your “twitter goals”

What do you want to get out of Twitter?
What topics would you like to continuously discuss?
What do you want to give to your followers?
Would you rather keep your conversations private or open to the public?
Are you going to have them between small groups of friends, or are you open to networking?
Do you want to broadcast? To how many people?

3. Understand prime tweet hours for conversations and traffic

Recommended Prime Tweet Hours: Twitter has replaced the morning email time for some. Between 7:30 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. EST Mon. - Fri. most twitter users are at work, reading tweets, tweeting, checking rss feeds and sharing information. However, this can vary when it comes to your followers and followings.

4. Setup your workflow and apps

I’m a big fan of Tweetgrid but for some, Seesmic Desktop or Tweetdeck works. I also recommend using, use Twitter web apps like Hootsuit, Cotweet and Tweetbeep. Dig into these apps and understand how they can better help you. Read the tips about how to better utlize their features. Why are you doing all of this? You want to make them work for you.

5. “Always a tweet away”

Meaning, be it your iPhone or Blackberry, you can send a tweet from anywhere, anytime. You want to appear to be always thinking about your followers or the entire twitter community. You might see something important such as breaking news, or it could be a thought; be able to tweet on the spot.

6. Sharing information and being helpful

This probably is the #1 reason I have as many followers as I have now. Before the celebrities, nba players, and music artist, I was finding and sharing a lot of helpful information or information I thought others could benefit from. Be consistent with your sharing habits and try not to make too much noise.

7. Understand what Twitter really is

For me, Twitter is a means of communication. It generates and enhances relationships through social networking. I find value in not only my connections, but also by giving back to the community (see Habit 6 for more). What is Twitter for you?

Bonus: Attend tweetups or understand how to use twitter offline as much online for your personal life or busines
[ Authors Note] We recommend checking out Wayne Sutton’s excellent post on great Twitter Conferences to attend.

Share your Twitter habits in the comments!

*Note: This is the second part of our Highly Effective Twitterers (#het) series to highlight Twitterers who have achieved significant professional and personal success via Twitter. They share their unique approach towards building great networks here!

Being the "smart, intelligent and bright" student that I was...

2009-05-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

We should be able to laugh at ourselves. Here goes my chuckle for the day as I think back to my past.
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While attending Evanston Township High School (ETHS) a number of us were working on the summer ground crew. It was raining so a few of us were assigned to clean up an old attic some where in the ETHS building. While cleaning, we ran across what looked to be a grenade. Being the "smart, intelligent and bright" student that I was, I pulled the pin just knowing that it couldn't be a real grenade.

Several hours later, after the entire school had been vacated and closed down for the day due to smoky class rooms and terrible odors by the fire department, we realized that it was a live smoke grenade used by the ROTC program and obviously misplaced.

Needless to say, all of us were a bit embarrassed. The Evanston Review featured us on the cover of the next weeks magazine in all of our sheepish glory. Then there is my golf story that happened recently but that is another story for another time

About Moms and for all Moms on Mothers Day By Reginald Holmes

2009-05-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

There is a sweet angelic look
on every mother's eyes
That makes us stop and wonder
If they're angels in disguise:

For they are always standing by
When someone needs a friend.
No one has as much compassion,
None are quicker to defend.

There is a little bit of God
In every mother's heart.
He molded them of finer clay
That sets them well apart.

They are an earthly blessing
That heaven itself supplies:
And so we can't help believing
They are angels in disguise.

Concordia Commencement Speech by Margo Melnicove

2009-05-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Roxana Saberi was scheduled to give the commencement speech this year at her undergraduate alma mater, Concordia College. Her former mentor, Margo Melnicove, a lecturer in the journalism program at Brandeis University, delivered the speech in her stead. In it she addresses Roxana directly and imparts lessons drawn from Roxana’s own personal and professional experiences

“Lessons Learned from a Concordia Grad”

Thank you, President Jolicoeur, Chairman Offutt, and Dean Krejci. And to the graduates, congratulations!

Dear Roxana.

I’m looking out at the bright, beaming faces of the class of 2009. They’re surrounded by their proud families and friends, and Concordia’s faculty and staff.

How we wish that our prayers and love reach you in your cell in Tehran, and that they give you hope and strength.

How we wish you were here.

I’ve been thinking about how we met.

It was 2001. I had selected you to participate in National Public Radio’s Diversity Initiative. I was so impressed by your application. In fact, it was an editor’s dream-come-true. There was not a single typo, misspelled word, or grammatical error.

Now Roxana, I’m trying to channel you so I can figure out what you’d say to the graduates if you were here. And I think I’ve already hit upon your first piece of advice: Don’t count on Spell Checker to catch all errors! Proofread whatever you write very, very carefully. (This may sound trivial, but these really are words to live by.)

But, Roxana, it wasn’t just the style of your application that got me. I was also impressed by the substance. At the time, you were working as a cub reporter at KVLY-TV in Fargo, and enjoying your first real job in broadcast journalism. But you were itching to see the world, and cover international news. You were also eager to learn the public radio way of storytelling, because you wanted to dig deeper into the issues of the day.

The Diversity Initiative kicked off with a week-long seminar at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. It started on September 10, 2001. We all know what happened on September 11th. You were pressed into duty by your station back home, and spent much of the rest of the week filing breaking news stories. You did live shots from the Pentagon and the halls of Congress. You interviewed senators and generals and ordinary, grief-stricken Americans. I remember you were nervous, and afraid you weren’t up to the task. But you forged ahead and did it anyway, and very well, I might add.

I can hear you now, giving the graduates this advice: Don’t be afraid to try something you’ve never done before. You can do it. You have what it takes!

As part of the Diversity Initiative, I had the pleasure of serving as your mentor for several months after the seminar ended. Remember those long talks we had about what you wanted to do with the rest of your life? I hope you don’t mind if I share this with everyone…it’s from something you wrote back then, which I happened to save. I had asked you to spell out your goals as a broadcast journalist, and you wrote:

“Think less about my image, and more about the value of my story. Read more, especially with different perspectives. Discuss issues with a variety of people. Try to empathize. Tell myself to be less self-involved!”

No wonder you were determined to become a foreign correspondent. What you have been all about…since well before I met you…is this drive to deepen your knowledge of other people, other countries, other cultures. Not just for your own benefit. No, you want to share this knowledge with a broad audience. Because your ultimate goal is to enable cross-cultural understanding and mutual respect among all kinds of people.

Now, I have a confession. I never told you this, but before we met, I felt a little intimidated. I mean, I had never known a beauty queen before, and my head was full of stereotypes about such people. I expected you to be stuck up, full of yourself, terribly vain…and a bit-of-a-bimbo.

Boy, was I wrong. Not only are you smart, I mean really smart, but you are unpretentious, modest about your considerable gifts and accomplishments, and so grounded.

There you were, a former Miss North Dakota, a top-ten finalist in the Miss America pageant, and I believe well on your way to becoming a network news star. Fame and fortune were well within your reach.

But neither was important to you. You craved something more meaningful. You had your sights set on broad horizons. You were also looking deep within. You wanted to understand and experience your heritage…the Japanese part from your mom, and the Iranian part from your dad. Eventually Iran won out, because of its prominence in the news. You started to learn Farsi, and applied for an Iranian passport, though you had no idea how you’d support yourself if you went there.

I introduced you to Simon Marks, the head of Feature Story News. That same day, he offered you a job. In February 2003, at the ripe old age of 25, you arrived in the Iranian capital and quickly established a one-woman news bureau there. This is not easy to do. The logistics alone are a nightmare. And doing this in a country where women don’t usually do such things….

But there you were, fully accredited by the Iranian government, and equipped with a small video camera and laptop computer. You started sending a stream of broadcast news reports that were supplied to networks in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Africa.

Talk about being resourceful! Talk about following your dream!

The thing is, Roxana, I know if you were here, you’d tell the graduates that yes, it was scary and difficult and very lonely at times, but with determination and hard, hard work, they can overcome obstacles and do great things, just as you have done.

We’re colleagues now, Roxana, and friends thanks to you and your genuine interest in people. Even when I was your mentor, you were as interested in me as I was in you.

A few years ago when your press card was revoked without explanation, I asked if you would be coming home. You said no, you loved Iran, and you wanted to finish your book and your studies at the university.

“I’m going to stay,” you said. “I still have so much to learn.”

I could go on and on about what I’ve learned from you, Roxana, and how you continue to inspire me. But like any good journalist…and I know you’ll appreciate this…I interviewed several people to get their take on you.

Let’s begin right here, at Concordia. I’m sure you remember Kristi Rendahl, like you a piano scholar and a member of the class of 1997.

Kristi reminded me that Roxana, when you were a student at Concordia, you played soccer, reported on the campus radio station, and excelled academically. I’ll say. You had a GPA of 3.97, majored in communication studies and French, completed your degree in three years, and graduated summa cum laude and with Credo Honors.

Kristi says that you embody what a liberal arts education is all about, and you embody the mission of the college.

(OK, let’s have it…”The purpose of Concordia College is to influence the affairs of the world by sending into society thoughtful and informed men and women dedicated to the Christian life.”)

Roxana, did you hear that? I’d been told that a surprisingly high number of students know the mission by heart, and they really do.

Here’s something else. Your piano professor, Jay Hershberger (Jay, where are you?) sums up what he has learned from you in one word… “tenacity.”

He says if he gave you something really challenging, you would see it through to the end.

Rachmaninoff’s G-Minor Prelude is a case in point. Word on the street is that when you got to the really tough spots, you tended to stiffen up. But you worked and worked and sweated through it until you mastered the piece. And by all accounts, you played it beautifully when you competed for Miss North Dakota and then for Miss America.

(Speaking of over-achievers and Miss North Dakotas, communications professor Stephanie Ahlfeldt was Miss North Dakota the year before Roxana. In fact, she put the crown on Roxana’s head in 1997. Stephanie, where are you?)

Now Roxana, Stephanie, your friend and Miss North Dakota predecessor, says you’ll probably laugh at this one. But when she thinks of you, she thinks of poise and grace…even though it took her hours to teach you how to walk right in high heels.

I also interviewed Jack Doppelt, a professor at Northwestern’s Medill Graduate School of Journalism where you got your first of two master’s degrees. He says that by example, you teach the importance of giving back. Like how you jump at the chance to share your experiences with journalism students and others who are just starting out. Jack says now it’s time to give back to you.

He urges everyone to go to freeroxana-dot-net. I bet you don’t know this, Roxana, but at freeroxana-dot-net, anyone can sign up to fast for a day, so you can quit your fast and regain your strength. The Free Roxana Hunger Strike begins today, World Press Freedom Day, and will continue for 12 days.

This brings me to lessons that professor Catherine McMullen has been teaching to her journalism students here at Concordia. (Catherine, where are you?)

Catherine taught you well, Roxana, when you took her news reporting class back in ‘96. And now you’re teaching her current students an invaluable lesson: Do not take our free speech, free press and other First Amendment freedoms for granted.

Catherine helped organize yesterday’s vigil on the bridge between Fargo and Moorhead. About 200 of your supporters were there, Roxana, plus the governor, your congressman, and Fargo’s mayor-who-fought-the-river…all saying, “Let Roxana and her parents come home to Fargo.”

One of Catherine’s students, Marissa Paulson, has posted photos of the vigil on her Facebook page. (I think Marissa helped marshal in the faculty today, which someone said is a bit like herding cats. Marissa, where are you?) Marissa was among many journalism students who staffed a Free Roxana information booth in the atrium of the Student Center the other day. And members of the Student Government Association have been busy tying yellow ribbons around trees and lamp-posts all over campus. I heard that your parents’ neighbors started the yellow ribbon tribute, and now they’re cropping up everywhere.

How about if everyone who has done something to support Roxana gives a wave, so she can see you.

Roxana, there’s one more person who wants to thank you for the lessons you’ve taught him…your big brother, Jasper.

(Don’t panic, he didn’t say anything bad about you…well, he did mention that you’re stubborn, but I don’t think he meant it in a bad way.)

Jasper says he’s grateful for your ability to listen well, and to be able to speak soul to soul. (I love that.) He also says you had faith in him when he lost faith in himself, that when he was weak you were strong and kind. Here’s how he put it: “Sister…you helped me to believe in myself.”

I think I’m over my time limit, Roxana, so I better wrap this up. But before I go, I want to do a quick review, because there will be a quiz at the end. (Just kidding.)

Here you go…lessons learned from a Concordia grad by the name of Roxana Saberi:

Live fully. Make the most of your gifts and talents.

Pursue excellence. Practice may never make you perfect, but if you work hard at something, you can come close.

Listen to others with an open mind, heart and soul.

Honor your teachers and seek out their friendship.

Be true to yourself.

Be generous.

Keep learning.

Have courage.

Do it all with poise and grace, but don’t take yourself too seriously. You can be confident, yet humble. You can learn to walk in high heels, though you’re still a klutz.

Roxana, I know you join me in wishing the class of 2009 good luck, good health, and a great future.

So relevant --even today!

2009-05-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

The Scout Law was something I memorized and tried to live by as a scout. It dawned on me yesterday as the words began to come back that those words are guide posts for all of us in business, family relationships, sporting events, neighborhood activities and relationships in general. As I look at those words, I realize how far I have strayed from many of those mandates.

A scout is "Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, friendly, Courtious, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful,Kind, Obedient,Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.

Thanks scouts for the mandate.

Easter, simple isn't it? By Bruce Reyes-Chow (Presbyterian Minister USA)

2009-04-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

Jesus, Bunnies and other thoughts on Easter

Okay, okay . . . I suppose that I am slightly obligated to post something on Easter. I can just hear it now from pretty much anyone that wants to bust my pastor chops, "Dude, you are the one that is here to poke and prod at the spiritual proclivities of the SF Gate community and you didn't post anything on Easter, DURING Easter? Nice going you big slacker!"

So fine . . . let me informationally muse about the season and event that the Christian church calls Easter - And this year coincides with the Jewish Passover - but just don't get used to me tackling such obvious topics in the future ;-)

First let try to preempt some of the "flames" that might come my way regarding this whole Easter thing. I do this simply to challenge folks to stay away from the too easy and inflammatory jabs and towards some helpful and informed discourse. If you want to disagree with me - which I very much welcome and expect - I want to at least help folks be more informed about my own perspectives as One of THOSE Christians.

So here is what I'll stipulate to and hope folks will see as a wide wide wide - Did I mention wide? - spectrum of beliefs when it comes to Easter and the Christian faith.

EASTER itself is not original. We all know that there have been contextual traditions and rituals that Christianity has incorporated into its life: Pagan, Gnostic, Jewish, Hallmark ;-) etc. While there have certainly been instances where Christianity has hijacked culture, in most cases, I think the incorporation of culture is a positive way to be relevant in the context of doing ministry and being church. I for one am under no delusions that Christianity is a "pure" religion, in fact I embrace the grace-filled messiness where my faith formed and guided by my heart and mind.
RESURRECTION of the body is an aspect of the faith that creates great tension for many in the church. Some do not feel the need to affirm the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ in order to claim a Christian faith while others believe bodily resurrection is a non-negotiable. I am one that believes in the bodily resurrection, but feel like God is big enough to handle broad interpretations of the event of the resurrection story.
FAITH is ultimately a choice so there really is no purely logical and systematic way to prove or disprove the relative truth of one's belief system over another. This place of secure mystery is where I beleive most people of faith live, a place where heart and mind converge and one is compelled to beleive in something beyond rational explanation. This manifests itself in many ways, often creating conflict between and within faith traditions. In the case of the Christian tradition, faith choice is centered on a belief in a fully divine, fully human manifestation of God on earth, Jesus Christ.
Okay, but even with all of this, "Why Easter?"

Simply put, Easter, for Christians of my ilk, is a promise from God that tells us that even out of the depths of despair, suffering and even death - through our own actions or the actions of others - forgiveness, liberation and new life are possible. We have chosen to believe that this generous reality has been given to each of us as individuals and communities; and because of God's ongoing forgiveness for the ways that humanity has turned away from God, we live a life fueled by gratitude. As Christians, we understand this convergence between humanity and the divine to take place in person of Jesus Christ.

Basically, Easter is about HOPE and the belief that despite the PAIN, OPPRESSION and HATE that we see around us, God is a God of NEW LIFE, FREEDOM and LOVE.

See, simple isn't it? ;-)

An early look at Obama's remarks for TV Presentation 3/24/9

2009-03-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

From the BNO Newsroom.

Washington, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The following are prepared remarks for President Obama´s opening remarks during tonight´s national news conference at 8.01 p.m. EDT, his second since becoming president.

[W]e’ve put in place a comprehensive strategy designed to attack this crisis on all fronts. It’s a strategy to create jobs, to help responsible homeowners, to re-start lending, and to grow our economy over the long-term. And we are beginning to see signs of progress.

...

The budget I submitted to Congress will build our economic recovery on a stronger foundation, so that we do not face another crisis like this ten or twenty years from now. We invest in the renewable sources of energy that will lead to new jobs, new businesses, and less dependence on foreign oil. We invest in our schools and our teachers so that our children have the skills they need to compete with any workers in the world. We invest in reform that will bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and our government. And in this budget, we have made the tough choices necessary to cut our deficit in half by the end of my first term – even under the most pessimistic estimates.

At the end of the day, the best way to bring our deficit down in the long run is not with a budget that continues the very same policies that have led to a narrow prosperity and massive debt. It’s with a budget that leads to broad economic growth by moving from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest.

That’s what clean energy jobs and businesses will do. That’s what a highly-skilled workforce will do. That’s what an efficient health care system that controls costs and entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid will do. That’s why this budget is inseparable from this recovery – because it is what lays the foundation for a secure and lasting prosperity.

...

We will recover from this recession. But it will take time, it will take patience, and it will take an understanding that when we all work together; when each of us looks beyond our own short-term interests to the wider set of obligations we have to each other – that’s when we succeed. That’s when we prosper. And that’s what is needed right now. So let us look toward the future with a renewed sense of common purpose, a renewed determination, and most importantly, a renewed confidence that a better day will come.

Stay with bnonews.com and "BreakingNewsOn" on Twitter for the latest up-to-the-minute news updates.

Prayer and ice cream

2009-03-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

Even if you are not a believer in prayer, read this. It will make your day.

> Last week, I took my children to a restaurant.
>
> My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.
>
> As we bowed our heads he said, 'God is good, God is great.
Thank you for
> the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice
cream for
> dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!'
>
> Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I
heard a woman
> remark, 'That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today
don't even
> know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!'
>
> Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, 'Did I do
it wrong?
> Is God mad at me?'
>
> As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job,
and God
> was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached
the table.
>
> He winked at my son and said, 'I happen to know that God
thought that was
> a great prayer.'
>
> 'Really?' my son asked.
>
> 'Cross my heart,' the man replied.
>
> Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman
whose
> remark had started this whole thing), 'Too bad she never asks
God for ice
> cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.'
> Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal.
My son
> stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will
remember the
> rest of my life.
>
> He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and
placed it in
> front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, 'Here, this
is for you.
> Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good
already.'
>

Economy got you down--60 ideas to save money

2009-03-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

By Mike Silliman

1) Goodbye cable or satellite. Hello digital converter box with antenna.
2) Cancel magazine subscriptions.
3) Cancel Netflix & use Redbox.
4) Cancel your land-line phone. Nobody calls it except telemarketers anyway
5) Reduce your mobile minutes plan.
6) Take away your kids mobile phone, unless they have a job to pay for it.
7) Increase your deductible on your car insurance to lower your premium.
8 ) Reduce your tort options from “full” to “limited” on your car insurance.
9) Order water at the restaurant.
10) Lower the thermostat in your house by 2 degrees.
11) 4 degrees will save you even more.
12) Use the Library instead of buying books.
13) Look for low cost family activities. We joined the Philadelphia zoo club for under $100 for a family of six. We’ve been to the zoo 3 times since then. We pack our lunch and make a day of it.
14) Carpooling to work.
15) Arrange with friends to watch each other’s kids instead of paying for a babysitter.
16) Pack your lunch instead of buying.
17) Buy soda or bottled water by the case and always have some in your car. Don’t buy soda from a vending machine.
18) Do-it-yourself haircuts. Hello flowbee…don’t worry, hair grows back.
19) Never pay full price. Ask for a discount.
20) Shop at the second hand store.
21) Ask for a raise. Long shot, but you never know.
22) Use coupons.
23) Buy generic.
24) Buy bulk on certain items.
25) Exchange bulk items with friends.
26) Seal your driveway yourself.
27) Wash your car at home.
28) Unplug small appliances when you are not using them. Appliances still draw electricity when they are plugged in, even when they are not turned on.
29) Switch your light bulbs to flourescent bulbs.
30) Limit your dining out.
31) Make your Christmas gifts instead of buying them.
32) Exchange names for Christmas with extended family instead of buying gifts for everyone.
33) Go to the park instead of Chuck-e-cheese.
34) Cancel the fitness membership, and workout at home.
35) Shop around for cheaper home heating prices.
36) Consider a less expensive vacation this year.
37) Buy a used car instead of a new one.
38) Fix your car instead of trading it in.
39) Change the oil in your car yourself.
40) Buy a Tall instead of a Grande.
41) Buy a Grande instead of a Venti.
42) Buy a coffee instead of a Latte.
43) Make coffee at home instead of buying it.
44) Use your AAA card for discounts.
45) Order one less kid’s meal. They don’t ever eat it all anyway.
46) Stop using ATM’s that charge you a fee.
47) It’s ok to say no to the 50 kids that come to your door selling fundraiser stuff.
48) Buy one box of girlscout cookies instead of two.
49) Use your bath towel one more day before washing it.
50) Repair the washer one more time.
51) Eat leftovers.
52) Ask your home lender to drop your PMI (private mortgage insurance) if you have enough equity in your home.
53) Always look at the bill closely to make sure you aren’t being overcharged.
54) Stop feeling obligated to go to every home show and buy stuff.
55) DON’T buy the extended warranty.
56) DO buy the extended warranty on your computer.
57) Exchange “trades” with your friends. You can paint, your friend is an electrician.
58) Turn off and drain the hot tub, if you’re not using it.
59) Take shorter showers.
60) Lose weight. Did you know that it cost $1.50/year to sustain each pound that you are overweight.
What are other ways to save money?
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Each day is a gift

2009-03-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed
each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and
shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing
home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move
necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the
nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he
maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description
of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his
window. I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old
having just been presented with a new puppy. Mr. Jones, you haven't seen
the room; just wait.' 'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he
replied. Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I
like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ...
it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a
decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can
spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of
my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the
ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll
focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just
for this time in my life

Secret of Life

2009-03-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

Take time to Think.
It is the source of Power.

Take time to Play.
It is the secret of perpetual Youth.

Take time to be Friendly.
It is the road to Happiness.

Take time to Work.
It is the price of Success.

Take time to Pray.
Its the greatest power on Earth.

Take time to Love and be Loved.
Its is the way of God.

Words from an orphan child

2009-03-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

How sad-read on.

Shine on Man-in-the-Moon
for your light will shine and never cease.
Your world is lonely, cold and barren,
yet you have learned to cope.
You get to watch over us people here on Earth
without being a part of us,
and not having the feelings of being alive.
Help me, please, Mr. Man-in-the-Moon.
Help me to be like you are,
to just see, but not know nor feel what is happening.

Down in the dumps--think like an oyster.

2009-02-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

Think Like An Oyster--By: David Clegg

Someone recently e-mailed me a poem about an oyster, I know it sounds crazy. But the poem made me think.
You may or may know it, but oysters have problems, too. Those poor little guys have to live on the bottom of the ocean. And they often get all sorts of trash in their shell.
Sometimes, they get a grain of sand stuck inside their shell in a place that they can’t reach to get it out. This sand scratches them and irritates them. So God, when he designed oysters, gave them a way of dealing with these irritations. The oyster secretes a milky white solution that surrounds the sand, so that it won’t scratch as much. As long as this sand is in it’s shell, the oyster continues to cover it. And, as I am sure you know, that grain of sand eventually becomes a beautiful pearl.
What does this have to do with you? Like the oyster, you are going to be faced with many little irritants. Some that you can’t seem to do anything about and they never seem to go away.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)
When those irritations come, begin to think like an oyster. Instead of complaining about the irritations, look for what God can do for you, in you and through you.
Start looking for the pearl, instead of the sand.

I'm not a hero ---USAir Pilot Captain Sullenberger

2009-02-22T16:37:00.000-08:00

This will be appearing in Newsweek next week (FEB 23,2009)

Fellow Pilots,

"All I Wanted Was to Talk to My Family, and Get Some Dry Socks"

“The night of the accident, after we'd safely accounted for all 155 people on the airplane, left the hospital, finally reached the hotel—the pilots' union and the NYPD whisking us away—I remember thinking that my needs were very simple. I'd lost all my belongings; I'd had the most harrowing three minutes of my life. All I really wanted was to talk to my family, and get some dry socks.

It's been a month since the airplane I piloted, US Airways Flight 1549, made an emergency landing in the Hudson River.

Since then, the attention given to me and my crew—I'm trying to resist, somewhat unsuccessfully, everyone's attempt to make this about fewer than five people—has obviously been immense. But I still don't think of myself as a celebrity. It's been a difficult adjustment, initially because of the "hero" mantle that was pushed in my direction. I felt for a long time that that wasn't an appropriate word. As my wife, Lorrie, pointed out on 60 Minutes, a hero is someone who decides to run into a burning building. This was different—this was a situation that was thrust upon us. I didn't choose to do what I did. That was why initially I decided that if someone offered me the gift of their thankfulness, I should accept it gratefully—but then not take it on as my own.

As time went by, though, I was better able to put everything in perspective and realize how this event had touched people's lives, how ready they were for good news, how much they wanted to feel hopeful again. Partly it's because this occurred as the U.S. presidency was changing hands. We've had a worldwide economic downturn, and people were confused, fearful and just so ready for good news. They wanted to feel reassured, I think, that all the things we value, all our ideals, still exist—that they're still there, even if they're not always evident.”

As Leaders, we need to be aware of and respond to the need that Sully is talking about. All of the people in our organizations are experiencing what he is describing and his anecdote is right on:

Leaders need to touch people’s lives personally
People need some good news People need to feel hopeful
In times of significant change and turbulence, people need to know that the values we believe in and the ideals we hold to still exist
“When I was very young, my father impressed upon me that a commander is responsible for the welfare of everyone in his care. Any commander who got someone hurt because of lack of foresight or poor judgment had committed an unforgivable sin. My father was a dentist in the Navy, serving in Hawaii and San Diego from 1941 to 1945. He never saw combat, but he knew many who did. In the military, you get drilled into you the idea that you are responsible for every aspect of everyone's welfare.

During every minute of the flight, I was confident I could solve the next problem. My first officer, Jeff Skiles, and I did what airline pilots do: we followed our training, and our philosophy of life. We valued every life on that airplane and knew it was our responsibility to try to save each one, in spite of the sudden and complete failure of our aircraft. We never gave up. Having a plan enabled us to keep our hope alive. Perhaps in a similar fashion, people who are in their own personal crises—a pink slip, a foreclosure—can be reminded that no matter how dire the circumstance, or how little time you have to deal with it, further action is always possible. There's always a way out of even the tightest spot. You can survive.

Even though we had a successful outcome, it's human nature to wonder about the what-ifs. The second-guessing was much more frequent, and intense, in the first few days at night, when I couldn't sleep. It was hard to shut my brain off and get back to sleep. Sometimes I didn't, I couldn't. It was part of the post-traumatic stress that we have all felt, that each of the crew members has reported to each other.

It's funny—for the first two weeks after the accident, Jeff kept telling me, "I just want my old life back." But the other day he finally said for the first time, "You know, this is OK. I'm learning to like this. This is good." I think he's coming to terms with what's happened. He realizes that he's entitled to the attention. That he can still be true to himself; that accepting it isn't selling out.

Besides the outpouring of support from the passengers, the most touching sentiments I have received have been from other pilots. They tell me that because of the years of economic difficulties faced by the airline industry and its employees and the decreased respect for the profession, they have not felt proud to go to work—some of them for decades. Now, they tell me, they do. And they thank me for that. They thank us, the crew, because we've reminded people what all of us do every day, what's really at stake. They feel like they've regained some of the respect they'd lost.

What's next? I will return to flying for my airline—when I'm ready. I'm not sure when that will be; probably a few months. I still haven't had many nights at home. My family and I are trying hard to remain true to ourselves and not let this change us, but there's a steep learning curve. The trajectory of our lives has changed forever. And we're determined to make good come out of this in every way that we can.”

Capt. Sullenberger and his crew saved all 155 lives aboard US Airways Flight 1549.

Enlightened Perspective from Andy Rooney

2009-02-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

ENLIGHTENED PERSPECTIVE

I've learned... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned..... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as
an adult.

I've learned..... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I 've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned..... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost, someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're
climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

The Clergy Letter - from American Christian clergy

2009-02-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

Below is a letter signed by thousands of clergy who " ......believe that the timeless truths of the Bible and the discoveries of modern science may comfortably coexist." I say Amen to that.
_________________________________________________________________

Within the community of Christian believers there are areas of dispute and disagreement, including the proper way to interpret Holy Scripture. While virtually all Christians take the Bible seriously and hold it to be authoritative in matters of faith and practice, the overwhelming majority do not read the Bible literally, as they would a science textbook. Many of the beloved stories found in the Bible – the Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah and the ark – convey timeless truths about God, human beings, and the proper relationship between Creator and creation expressed in the only form capable of transmitting these truths from generation to generation. Religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth. Its purpose is not to convey scientific information but to transform hearts.

We the undersigned, Christian clergy from many different traditions, believe that the timeless truths of the Bible and the discoveries of modern science may comfortably coexist. We believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth, one that has stood up to rigorous scrutiny and upon which much of human knowledge and achievement rests. To reject this truth or to treat it as “one theory among others” is to deliberately embrace scientific ignorance and transmit such ignorance to our children. We believe that among God’s good gifts are human minds capable of critical thought and that the failure to fully employ this gift is a rejection of the will of our Creator. To argue that God’s loving plan of salvation for humanity precludes the full employment of the God-given faculty of reason is to attempt to limit God, an act of hubris. We urge school board members to preserve the integrity of the science curriculum by affirming the teaching of the theory of evolution as a core component of human knowledge. We ask that science remain science and that religion remain religion, two very different, but complementary, forms of truth.

Blaze your own trail (from the PositiveTakeOn Blog)

2009-02-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

You may or may not have heard of Jennifer Figge, but when she felt the warmth of the Caribbean sand on February 5th 2009, she became the first woman to swim across the Atlantic ocean.

This is a truly amazing feat in itself; the 56 year old left the Cape Verde islands just off the west coast of Africa, she then battled her way across 2000 miles of ocean, through strong winds and 30ft waves, swimming for 8 hours a day, in a cage to protect her from sharks.

Sound impossible?

Jennifer didn't think so. She knew what she wanted to achieve and she went for it. She trained for months in icy water in Aspen, Colorado to prepare for the challenge.

Some things sound impossible until somebody has the guts to do it, then once one person has done it, suddenly it becomes a lot more achievable.

Climb Everest, jump out of an aeroplane strapped to a giant plastic sheet, walk across hot coals.

All these tasks would have seemed impossible (and probably a little ridiculous) when they were suggested initially but the people that achieved these things first, clearly had the determination to prove everyone wrong. They opened the gates to the realm of possibility. You can do the same. You can do anything you set your mind to.

Think of the most challenging, most outlandish thing you can...Then go an do it.
See how many people will follow your footsteps in the future.

Well done Jennifer Figge

Wal-Mart (more than you wanted to know)

2009-02-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

Since my wife practically lives in Wal-Mart, thought it appropriate to show what her contributions have done for that retail giant.

1 . At Wal-Mart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day.

2 . This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!

3 . Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March
17th) than Target sells all year.

4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco
+ K-Mart combined.

5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people and is the largest private
employer. And most can't speak English

6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the World.

7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger & Safeway combined, and keep
in mind they did this in only 15 years.

8. During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy
(including Winn-Dixie).

9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.

10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are
SuperCenters; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.

11. This year, 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur
at a Wal-Mart store. (Earth's population is pproximately
6.5 bil lion.)

12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart

13. Let Wal Mart bail out Wall Street

Eat locally-help your local community

2009-02-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

This was an article that appeared in Style Weekly, a newspaper published for the Richmond, Va. community. Having worked in the hospitality business for years, this hit home so I share it now. Times are tough. Lets keep revenue flowing at home as well as regionally and nationally.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

An Open Letter (Please Eat With Us)
We tend to long for the things we have lost, but never seem to blame ourselves for not supporting them while they’re here.
by Carey M. Friedman

I have nothing against national chain restaurants. My family and I dine at chain restaurants and I understand their allure, the comfort of knowing what you will get, whether in Richmond, Chicago or Omaha, Neb.

I’m asking that when you make your dining decisions, please remember the locally owned restaurants. Full disclosure: I own a family-run restaurant. Since the economy bottomed out last fall, business has dropped off — just like every retail sector in our economy. It’s hit our industry especially hard, however, particularly during the recent holiday season.

People are still eating out. I make it a regular habit to drive around to see how other places are doing on a given night. It’s been very frustrating when I drive by a dozen or so local restaurants and the parking lots are empty, but when I go by the chains, there are people waiting in line to get in. I’ve lived in a lot of cities up and down the East Coast. I’ve been in Richmond since the early 1990s, and I’ve never seen a city so taken by chain restaurants. If you look at the various “Best of” surveys that come out in local publications, chain restaurants are always on the list.

This is not to say that the national restaurants have no place in our local food chain. There are advantages, however, to eating local that I would like you to think about. The money you spend at local restaurants stays in Richmond. We buy our products from local distributors, support local farmers, local meat producers and other local suppliers. Our profits are not being sent back to some national headquarters. We also employ local staff. Many of the chains bring in staff and management from other locations.

Chain restaurants also have no ties to the community. Richmond offers a wonderful array of local flavors, regional specialties and the like. When I travel to any city, I always find out where the locals eat. I want to taste what the area has to offer, to see how they do things differently than we do. Culture is most often expressed through the tradition of food. If you want to get to know the people, eat with them. There’s a reason why politicians on the campaign trail often head first to the local diner. This is where you connect with a community, with its people and its traditions.

You will often find the basis for local food goes back many generations.

Take barbecue. Every small area of the country has its own style. This is because the ingredients readily available to the poorer classes were made into their type of barbecue. Pork was affordable in the South, while in Texas and the Midwest, beef was plentiful. Sauces are the same way. In colonial days, the tomato was thought to be poisonous in the eastern half of North Carolina, so their sauces are only made from vinegar and spices. Western Carolinians held no such view, so their sauce has tomato.

Local flavor defines our culture and bridges the gap between generations. I look upon the Richmond restaurant landscape and am fearful that we are not going to keep our local traditions alive. As more people dine at the chains, the local owners are closing up shop. A recent article in Style Weekly read like an obituary of local restaurants during 2008. Some were new places, but there were some old classics that just couldn’t make it.

This reminds me of the story of the downtown Miller & Rhoads department store. When I first moved to Richmond, I worked downtown. Everyone lamented the loss of the downtown shopping during lunch at Miller & Rhoads. By the time I got here, the buildings were long boarded up. When I began asking people how often they bought items there, I found that it wasn’t very frequently. We tend to long for the things we have lost, but never seem to blame ourselves for not supporting them while they’re here. The 6th Street Marketplace comes to mind. There are countless other examples.

As economic times have gotten to all of us, it’s even more important to support local retail and restaurants. The large chains have the capital to withstand the ups and downs of the market. Local owners do not. All of my friends in the restaurant industry are suffering. For us, a 10 to 20 percent loss of sales is a crushing blow. Many have experienced worse. The big guys are going to survive. Are we?

When deciding to eat out, the question you have to ask yourself is, “What do I want the Richmond restaurant landscape to look like when we come out of this recession?” It may be more convenient to grab a bite at one of the chains at the mall, but your local owners cannot afford the rent. Look at all the new construction in your area. The only ones who can afford to open a restaurant there are chains.

I’m asking you to go a block or two out of the way. Get off of Broad Street or Midlothian Turnpike and support your local restaurant. You’ll be surprised at the diversity of flavors and choices available. Our prices are competitive, our food is outstanding and many of us provide extra value to help ease your pocketbook during this recession. We each have our vision of what we want to provide Richmond. Without your help, our vision, and the local traditions, may soon disappear. S

Carey M. Friedman is a local restaurant owner. To avoid the appearance of impropriety, Friedman requested that Style withhold the name of his establishment.

Opinions expressed on the Back Page are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Style Weekly.

Software update :-) (posted on and copied from EONS)

2009-01-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Tech Support:

Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6
I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please help!

Thanks,
A Troubled User

Farewell, President (Martin Marty)

2009-01-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

These remarks are taken from the end of a paper Martin Marty just released on the eve of a new President taking over. What struck me is the suggestion or even the mandate that the success of a Presidency depends in some part on you and me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

What kind of people do we want to be with a new president who has such lofty ideas about what he wants to be? A sermon: We might do better if we aspire to be good rather than claim to be good; if we become a self-claimed godly people who serve God more than we boast about our goodness; if we spend less time fighting over who prays when and where and how, and let the intrinsic value of praying speak for itself.    

What kind of people do we want to be? It would be good to see us as a people weary of "culture wars" in which God gets used, and ready for armistice and truces so we can fight the political battles that must be fought in pursuit of justice; a self-claimed godly people that stops legitimating torture of humans; a less litigious people who concerns itself with building trust; a people that will turn down the shouting on talk-radio, cable television, and the internet, so that we can hear each other.   

What kind of people do we want to be? A people not paralyzed by fear and insecurity in the face of fearful threats; a people more dedicated than before to the education of all and health care for all; a people concerned with the environment given - many of us say - by a generous Creator; a people concerned for the rights of others. In four or eight years we hope to bid our now-new president farewell upon his retirement: "Farewell. Your and our record is mixed, but there is good in it. And you and we and the people we affect can live with that."

2009-01-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

What would Martin Luther King want from us today? by Thad Williamson

2009-01-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

FACING SOUTH - Online Magazine of the Institute for Southern StudiesSubscribe to RSS
VOICES: What would King want from us today?

The following is based on a speech given by Prof. Thad Williamson of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, for a teach-in on Martin Luther King, Jr. on the school's campus this week.

By Thad Williamson

What would Martin Luther King want from us today?

You might be expecting to hear one of a couple different answers to that question. The first kind of answer would be one rooted in equivocation, stressing that we can't know how King would assess the many changes that have taken place in American society since 1968 and that we should not put words in his mouth.

The second of answer, perhaps more familiar, would consist of the following litany: King would stress how far we have to go as a society, and remind us of the importance of values such as equality and justice. He would call for us to be more engaged, and less selfish. But he would also take pride in the progress we have made and, especially with the election of Barack Obama, say it's okay for us to pat ourselves on the back and reflect on how far we've come as a society and how morally superior we are to previous generations.

Both those answers, I think, are wrong. If we look historically at what King had to say about American society in the final year of his life, a society that in many crucial respects was not so different than the one we inhabit today, I think it become quite clear what King would demand of us today. The real question is whether we are prepared to truly hear and heed those demands.

Most fundamentally, what King would demand of us, here and now, is a complete re-thinking of our own lives as individuals and our own way of life as a nation. In particular, he would demand that Americans fundamentally reexamine and alter the way we, the most militarily powerful country, related with the rest of the world.

In a series of sermons and speeches in 1967 or 1968, as well as his final book Chaos or Community: Where Do We Go From Here? , King called for a "radical revolution of values," which would entail a "shift from a `thing-oriented' society to a 'person-oriented' society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered."

I want to focus here in particular on King's critique of militarism, since this is the aspect of King's though that is so often brushed aside or forgotten. But let me first add a note on King's philosophy of nonviolence, which underpinned his entire mode of thought, and second a note on historical context, before getting to the specifics of what he had to say in 1967 and 1968 and how it relates to today.

The Gandhian philosophy of nonviolence upon which King drew is based on a simple insight: none of us have a monopoly on truth and justice. This may seem like a simple point, but for Gandhi it carried the following implications: since none of us can be sure that our partial truths are the whole truth, none of us have the right to impose our conception of truth on others by violence. Instead we must seek to convince others first by reason. But because reason often fails, particularly in the case of an oppressed group trying to persuade their oppressors of the justice of their demands, sometimes further action is required. This action should take the form of nonviolent disobedience, in which those disobeying authority attempt to convince both their antagonists and "neutral" observers of the truth of their view by demonstrating their willingness to endure suffering on behalf of that truth. While we do not have the right to inflict suffering on others to advance our views, we do have the right to endure suffering ourselves in witness of our truth and on behalf of our cause.

Now subscribing to this philosophy did not necessarily make King (or for that matter Gandhi) a pacifist in all situations. But King was certainly convinced of the futility of war in changing human hearts. He argued that it was a fallacy to believe to talk of peace as an objective that could be achieved by war--after all he noted, even history's most noted aggressors, people like Napoleon and even Hitler, claimed they were acting in the name of a future peace. Instead, peace must be seen both as a means and an end. Using war as a means to peace is a contradiction in terms, for war induces a never-ending cycle of resentment and violence.

Now to the historical context. By 1967 King had become absolutely convinced that the American course of action in Vietnam was not just a "mistake" but a positive evil, reflecting and spreading a sickness in the American soul. So he began to speak out in vociferous terms against the war, recounting in detail the long history of American involvement in Vietnam, our support for a corrupt military regime, our use of Napalm, our destruction of villages and families. He called on Americans to view our own actions as they were seen by ordinary Vietnamese. Vietnamese peasants, he said, "watch as we poison their water, as we kill a million acres of their crops. They must weep as they bulldozers roar through their areas preparing to destroy the precious trees. They must wander into the hospitals, with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Vietcong-inflicted injury. So far we may have a killed a million of them--mostly children. They wander into town and see thousands of the children, homeless, without clothes, running in packs on the streets like animals. They see the children degraded by our soldiers as they beg for food. They see children selling their sisters to our soldiers, soliciting for their mothers."

With words like these, King broke three big taboos. First he criticized a president of the United States--Lyndon Johnson--widely believed to be a friend to African-Americans, the man who signed the Civil Rights Act, who declared a War on Poverty, who unequivocally sided with the civil rights movement and moved King to tears by stating in a presidential address "we shall overcome." Second, he criticized the American military as an institution. And thirdly, he questioned the justice of American actions.

But this was not all. King juxtaposed the American course of action in Vietnam both with unmet human needs at home and the reality of a world in which the majority of humanity still has not overcome the battle against poverty. He called for "affirmative action to remove those conditions of poverty, insecurity and injustice," and decried the fact that so often the United States sided not with the world's masses, and had in fact opposed (by force) social change. Instead, he claimed, "our only hope today lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal opposition to poverty, racism, and militarism."

Let us fast forward forty years. Although Soviet-style communism has collapsed and the world has experienced many other changes, I do not think King's basic framework of analysis would be much different than the views he expressed in 1967 and 1968. A major theme of these speeches, for instance, was his stress on the interconnection of the world's peoples by commerce and communication, and his conviction that the fate of the world's peoples are inextricably intertwined. The subsequent development of telecommunications as well as the reality of global warming only reinforce the truth of those propositions.

More specifically, just as U.S. foreign policy in the 1960s was aimed at combating communism, today the unifying framework is fighting terrorism. I think there can be no doubt whatsoever that King would have insisted on the futility of military intimidation as a way to prevent the long-term threat of terrorism. He would point out that we are now spending over $500 billion a year on the military, over three times as much as the estimated annual cost of a comprehensive plan to eradicate global poverty, in addition to passing nearly a trillion dollar bailout for powerful corporations, and say that our priorities are seriously out of order--more seriously than any of our politicians (including the just elected President) care to admit.

And while there is no doubt he would have been extremely critical of our military enterprise in Iraq, he would have gone far beyond the usual parameters of discussion. Today it is socially acceptable to favor withdrawal in Iraq because of the American lives have been lost, the financial cost of the war, because all that can be accomplished has been accomplished, or because the war in Iraq represents a strategic mistake. It is less socially acceptable, however, to talk about our practice of torture during interrogations or the abominations at Abu Ghraib. And very rarely at all do we hear attention paid to the fact that, by some estimates, some 1.3 million Iraqis--overwhelmingly civilians--have died as a consequence of our invasion in 2003, or serious media attention the many attempts to document alleged war crimes committed by American troops in Iraq such as the targeting of civilians and use of illegal weapons.

In short, despite all that has happened, we remain disinclined to scrutinize seriously the justice of our own actions and our own motivations, and to make a serious attempt to view ourselves as the rest of the world sees us. But that act of moral imagination is precisely that King's revolution of values requires. And King thought that when we become aware of the fact that our country, great as it is, is but a small slice of humanity, amidst a world in which thousands of children die everyday from malnutrition and billions of people live on just $2 day, we would find ourselves moved by the conviction that we in America can not "stand by idly and not be concerned."

Yet while King insisted that we open our eyes to the overwhelming disparities in the world around us, he steadfastly refused to let realism become an excuse for cynicism or a descent into bitter anger. King believed that the moral arc of the universe bent towards justice, a belief rooted in his theological convictions and his particular conception of human dignity. Put another way, stripping ourselves of the happy myths we tell ourselves about our country does not mean stripping ourselves of hope and determination to act on behalf of justice and on behalf of our highest aspirations.

There is still one final wrinkle that needs to be added. In answering the question what would Dr. King want from us, we need to think very specifically about who "us" is--that is us here and now at the University of Richmond. In 1967 King wrote that "One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great period of social change. Every society has its protectors of the status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolution."

Historically it is probably not unfair to state that the University of Richmond more often than not has been one of the protectors of the status quo, housing "fraternities of the indifferent." But King certainly believed we are not and cannot be bound by our history. So I think he would want to know, who here in this institution of privilege, who here whose adult life stretches ahead of them, who here is willing to devote themselves and their life energies to pursuing justice, not just as an internship or something one does on the side, but as a principal calling, and as an organizing principle for one's life. King would ask that question of each one of us, not only because the vineyard of justice always needs more workers but because academic training and the opportunity to become both intellectually and personally disciplined, while not sufficient in themselves in the absence of practical experience, have a crucial contribution to make in the formation of leaders.

So he would want to know who amongst us is ready to take advantage of the opportunities this place affords to begin to mold one's self into a lifelong worker and fighter for justice?

In King's view then, and I am quite certain now, the future depended on the answer. For as he rightly insisted, "Our hope for creative living in this world house that we have inherited lies in our ability to reestablish the moral ends of our lives in personal character and social justice. Without this spiritual and moral awakening we shall destroy ourselves in the misuse of our own instruments."

Golf anyone? (author unknown)

2009-01-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

In My Hand I Hold A Ball,
White And Dimpled, Rather Small.
Oh, How Bland It Does Appear,
This Harmless Looking Little Sphere.

By It's Size I Could Not Guess,
The Awesome Strength It Does Possess.
But Since I Fell Beneath Its Spell,
I've Wandered Through The Fires Of Hell.

My Life Has Not Been Quite The Same,
Since I Chose To Play This Stupid Game.
It Rules My Mind For Hours On End,
A Fortune It Has Made Me Spend.

It Has Made Me Yell, Curse And Cry,
I Hate Myself And Want To Die.
It Promises A Thing Called Par,
If I Can Hit It Straight And Far.

To Master Such A Tiny Ball,
Should Not Be Very Hard At All.
But My Desires The Ball Refuses,
And Does Exactly As It Chooses.

It Hooks And Slices, Dribbles And Dies,
And Even Disappears Before My E yes.
Often It Will Have A Whim,
To Hit A Tree Or ! Take A Swim.

With Miles Of Grass On Which To Land,
It Finds A Tiny Patch Of Sand.
Then Has Me Offering Up My Soul,
If Only It Would Find The Hole.

It's Made Me Whimper Like A Pup,
And Swear That I Will Give It Up.
And Take To Drink To Ease My Sorrow,
But The Ball Knows ... I'll Be Back Tomorrow.

Hillary Clinton speaks out about violence against women

2009-01-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

While not a Hilary champion to date, I found this piece by Nicholas Kristof encouragiing to say the least. Read on:

By NICHOLAS KRISTOF

During Hillary Clinton’s confirmation hearings this morning, she was asked by Barbara Boxer about violence against women. Senator Boxer referred to my column on acid attacks in Pakistan and the column about the Cambodian teenager whose eye was gouged out by a brothel owner, and then declared: “No woman or girl should ever have to live in fear or face persecution for being born female, and Senator, I know how deeply you feel about this. So I wanted you to take a little more time to talk about your commitment to this particular issue. And obviously I would be so pleased if you would commit to help us work on legislation to fight this immorality.” Senator Clinton responded:

"I want to pledge to you that as Secretary of State, I view these issues as central to our foreign policy. Not as adjunct or auxiliary, or in any way lesser than all of the other issues we have to confront…And it will be my hope to persuade more governments…that we cannot have a free, prosperous, peaceful, progressive world, if women are treated in such a discriminatory and violent way. I’ve also read closely Nick Kristof’s articles, in the last months and especially the last weeks, the young women that he has both rescued from prostitution, and met, who have been enslaved and abused, tortured in every way– physically, emotionally, morally– and I take very seriously the function of the State department to lead our government through the Office on Human Trafficking, to do all that we can to end this modern form of slavery. We have sex slavery, we have wage slavery, and it is primarily a slavery of girls and women. So I look also forward, Senator, to reviewing your legislation and working with you as a continuing partnership on behalf of these issues we care so much about.

So we’re going to have a very active office on trafficking, we’re going to be speaking out consistently and strongly against discrimination and oppression of women, and slavery in particular. Because I think that is not only in keeping with American values, as we all recognize, but American national security interests as well."

Senator Clinton has indeed been far-sighted on this issue, and I think she gets it. Rumor has it that she’s going to appoint a senior aide for these matters to sit on the seventh floor along with her. One of the problems in the State Department has been that the serious issues are perceived as those relating to nuclear warheads, trade or Middle East peace, and the rest is fluff. In fact, we’re seeing the rise of a new foreign policy agenda — side by side with the old one — consisting of issues like human trafficking, the environment, genocide. They are every bit as important as the traditional agenda, and I write about them a good deal partly because I want to help shape how they’re perceived and partly because I want to help legitimate them as “serious” matters.

If Mrs. Clinton as secretary of state embraces this new agenda (without, of course, dumping the old one), then I’ll take off my hat and cheer.

2009-01-10T03:14:00.000-08:00

History truly will be made this week.

Think of the incredible symbolism that will occur with Martin Luther Kings's birthday & Obama's Inaugural occurring 2 days a part. This truly is a historic moment and one I certainly will take pride in. We have come so far in embracing diversity. We have a long way to go but this is certainly a time for yelling hallelujah.

Generation Y is Taking Over by Sarah Perez (Read, Write and Web)

2009-01-08T07:34:00.000-08:00

Gen Y is taking over. The generation of young adults that's composed of the children of Boomers, Generation Jones, and even some Gen X'ers, is the biggest generation since the Baby Boomers and three times the size of Gen X. As the Boomers fade into retirement and Gen Y takes root in the workplace, we're going to see some big changes ahead, not just at work, but on the web as a whole.

There's some contention over where exactly Gen Y starts and stops - some say those born 1983-1997, others think 1982-1997. In this week's Entertainment Weekly, Gen Y is defined as "current 13 to 31 year-olds" and BusinessWeek says they can be as young as five. Regardless, we know who they are - they're the young kids of today, the most digitally active generation yet, having been born plugged in.

How They're Different
They're Plugged In: The term "digital native" applies to most Gen Y'ers. Those in Gen Y grew up around computers, the Internet, mobile phones, video games, and mp3 players. They are web savvy multitaskers, able watch TV, surf the web, listen to music, and talk or text on their phones, often performing several of these things at the same time.

TV Isn't King: Although you'll find some Gen Y'ers obsessing over the latest episode of "The Hills," and other shows, they aren't watching TV as much as other generations do. Instead, Gen Y'ers spend more time surfing the net and using other devices, like iPods and Xboxes, even when it cuts into TV viewing. For them, TV is often just "background noise."

They Don't Care About Your Ad, They Care What Their Friends Think: Because they are immersed in media, both online and off, Gen Y'ers are marketed to left and right. But when it comes to making decisions, Gen Y tends to rely on their network of friends and their recommendations, not traditional ads. "Ads that push a slogan, an image, and a feeling, the younger consumer is not going to go for,'' says James R. Palczynski, retail analyst for Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Instead, they respond to "humor, irony, and the unvarnished truth." They're also somewhat distrusting of ads, which is why grassroots efforts can also work. However, don't get too comfortable, Gen Y doesn't have brand loyalty - they're quick to move the next big thing.

Work Isn't Their Whole World: Sure, they're going to go to work, but it had better be fun. For Gen Y, work isn't their identity. It's just a place. Gen Y sees no reason why a company can't be more accommodating, offering benefits like the ability to work from anywhere, flex-time, a culture that supports team communication, and a "fun" work environment. They're also not going to blindly follow orders just because you're the boss. Sometimes dubbed "Generation Why?" they need to "buy in" as to why something is being done. Old school bosses may find their questioning insubordinate behavior, but they would be best to just change their management techniques and adapt. Gen Y hasn't known much unemployment and they're not going to put up with being treated poorly just for sake of a paycheck. (Bosses, your survival guide is here).

They're Socially Conscious: Gen Y cares about the world. They pay attention to politics, the economy, social causes, and environmental issues. They think they're a force to be reckoned with in elections and follow the candidates online on social networks. They read the news, but not in newspaper format, which is is going to hurt that industry even more as time goes by.

Gen Y & Technology
Since Gen Y grew up on the web, they're going to be the driving force behind the way the web of the future is shaped. What Gen Y wants from the web will be the web.

Internet TV: Although watching TV online is something that few Boomers do, Gen Y is perfectly comfortable with this. They time-shift content all the time, not only on the web but via portable devices and mp3 players, too. When it comes to TV on the web, a recent study showed Gen Y leading the way when it comes to internet TV viewing:

Generation Y (33%) and Generation X (27%) led early Baby Boomers (19%) in use of official TV program web sites.
Gen Y (62%) users are much more likely to have watched a full episode on the program site than Gen X (41%) or younger Boomers (32%).
Socializing Rules...But They Want to Control It: Gen Y thinks a truly "private" life is a crock. 54% have used MySpace, Facebook, or some other social network. Most of Gen Y had to learn the hard way about the perils of posting everything online. As they've aged, they realized blogging their every thought and posting those embarrassing pictures might have hurt their jobs prospects at times, so now some of them are interested in more privacy on their social networks. They're happy to continue over-sharing with friends, but also learning how to protect their updates and set their profiles to private. They're also wary of old folks, like their boss, trying to "friend" them in their social space, especially if they're tragically un-hip wannabes.

But that's not to say their over-sharing is going to stop - Gen Y is getting into lifestreaming too, streaming live video via services like Yahoo! Live. In their own world, they're celebrities. Says Jason Barg, a 2004 graduate of Penn State University and founder of an online real estate company, notoriety is more about standing out from the crowd. "A primary goal of people my age is not necessarily to become famous but to become distinctive," he says.

Marketing Has To Change: Because Gen Y is media savvy and conscious of being marketed to, brands that succeed in the future will be those that open a dialog with their customers, admit their mistakes, and essentially become more transparent (save one notable exception, apparently). Companies' web sites that want to attract GenY'ers will become more like today's Web 2.0 sites. Social networking will be just a feature. Blogs will be standard ways for companies to reach their customers. Customer service won't just be a phone call away, it will be available via non-traditional means, too. Today, savvy companies might be using Twitter, but that could change at any time if Gen Y moves on. Companies will have to keep up with Gen Y and not get too comfortable using any one format. (Oh, and you can stop calling everything "viral" - that's lame.)

Work Tools Need to Mirror Web Tools: Gen Y will drive adoption of "Enterprise 2.0" products and services. Gen Y in the workplace will not just want, but expect their company to provide them with tools that mirror those they use in their personal lives. If socializing on Facebook helps them get a sale, then they're not going to understand why they can't use it at work. For more buckled down companies, if workers aren't provided with the tools they want, they're going to be savvy enough to go around I.T.'s back and get their own.

Companies wondering how Gen Y wants to use these tools at work should take a look at this - Sacha Chua's Gen Y Guide to Web 2.0 at Work (made for IBM):

| View | Upload your own
Web Sites Will Need to Cater to Shorter Attention Spans: No more long boring text! Thanks to constant media input, Gen Y has shorter attention spans and their "grasshopper minds" leap quickly from topic to topic. (They also didn't read this whole article...too long!)

Mobile Web? Yes Please!: Gen Y will be happy to adopt the mobile web - they are practically glued to their phones. Currently, Gen Y is using the mobile web to socialize, not search. Steve Ives, Taptu CEO, in a company whitepaper, Making search social: Unleashing search for the mobile generation, concludes that "...Generation Y, who sees the mobile as a social device first and an information device second, is not using today's mobile search as much as expected. But Generation Y is using mobile phones to access social networks."

Conclusion
Ignoring the voices of Gen Y is something you should do at your own peril, especially if you're a business looking to hire, a company selling a product, or an advertising firm trying to reach the

Feeling old/young. Remember this:

2009-01-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

"A person is as young as their dreams and as old as their cynicism." Tony Campolo

Hope

2009-01-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

Hope is the thing with feathers---
That perches in the soul---
And sings the tunes without the words---
And never stops- at all. Emily Dickinson

New Years quotes

2009-01-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."
--T.S. Eliot,

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."
(Oprah Winfrey)

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." Ben Franklin

"Every New Year is the direct descendant, isn't it, of a long line of proven criminals?"
Ogden Nash

"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves."
Bill Vaughan

"The new year begins in a snow-storm of white vows."
George William Curtis

“A new year is unfolding – like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within."

A prayer for 2009

2008-12-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

FOR 2009 MAY GOD
BLESS you with what you PRAY for,
REWARD you with what you WORK for,
GRANT you with what you HOPE for, and
SURPRISE you with lots of MIRACLES in your life.

Dr. Salvador Ortiza,

A "special" Texas High School Football Game (ESPN story)

2008-12-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas.

It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down. For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through.

Did you hear that? The other team's fans?

They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.

"I WOULDN'T EXPECT ANOTHER PARENT TO TELL SOMEBODY TO HIT THEIR KIDS. BUT THEY WANTED US TO!"
It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.

"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah. "I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids. But they wanted us to!"

And even though Faith walloped them 33-14, the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath in history for an 0-9 coach.

But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting the 14 Gainesville players off the field and two and two started to make four. They lined the players up in groups of five—handcuffs ready in their back pockets—and marched them to the team bus. That's because Gainesville is a maximum-security correctional facility 75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.

This all started when Faith's head coach, Kris Hogan, wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville team. Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score. After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game, Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year. Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment and involved parents. Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery—many of whose families had disowned them—wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.

So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans—for one night only—cheered for the other team? He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that. "Here's the message I want you to send:" Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."

Some people were naturally confused. One Faith player walked into Hogan's office and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?"

And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you."

Next thing you know, the Gainesville Tornadoes were turning around on their bench to see something they never had before. Hundreds of fans. And actual cheerleaders!

"I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville lineman (only first names are released by the prison). "They started yelling 'DEE-fense!' when their team had the ball. I said, 'What? Why they cheerin' for us?'"

It was a strange experience for boys who most people cross the street to avoid. "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games," says Gerald, a lineman who will wind up doing more than three years. "You can see it in their eyes. They're lookin' at us like we're criminals. But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!"

Maybe it figures that Gainesville played better than it had all season, scoring the game's last two touchdowns. Of course, this might be because Hogan put his third-string nose guard at safety and his third-string cornerback at defensive end. Still.

After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."

And it was a good thing everybody's heads were bowed because they might've seen Hogan wiping away tears.

As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard, they each were handed a bag for the ride home—a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from a Faith player.

The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."

And as the bus pulled away, all the Gainesville players crammed to one side and pressed their hands to the window, staring at these people they'd never met before, watching their waves and smiles disappearing into the night.

Anyway, with the economy six feet under and Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer, it's nice to know that one of the best presents you can give is still absolutely free.

Hope.

The future (Written by 10 year Mattie Stepanek)

2008-12-27T22:26:00.000-08:00

Even though the future seems far away,

It is actually beginning right now.

And while we are living in the present

We must celebrate life everyday.

Knowing that we are becoming history

With every word, every action,every moment.

Because we, today,are the history of tomorrow.

Thanks kids

2008-12-25T15:23:00.000-08:00

We just finished opening Santa's presents with the grand children.

The gratitude & excitement from the younger set is always so refreshing. Whether the present is large or small, expensive or inexpensive, the receiving joy is there. In so many ways, children should be our role models. To often, however, we (I) forget to look, listen and emulate them and loose their message of joy, forgiveness and acceptance/

Thanks kids where ever you are. Oh, how much we can learn from you.

The Lord's Christmas letter to Christians (author unknown)

2008-12-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival although I do appreciate being remembered anytime. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Now having said that, let Me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen, and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that, there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can and may remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish. I actually spoke of that one in a teaching explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks is. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15:1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth, here is My wish list. Choose something from it.

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know. They tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms, and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past, and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile. It could make the difference. Also you might consider supporting the local Hot-Line. They talk with people like that every day.

7. Instead of nitpicking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas," that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day, they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name. You may already know someone like that.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them (and I suspect you don't), buy some food and a few gifts, and give them to the Marines, the Salvation Army, or some other charity that believes in Me. They will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of Mine.

P. S. Don't forget: I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me, and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above, and get to work. Time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember: I LOVE YOU.

Let the Light In

2008-12-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

Whatever we do, however we share, we mark the time,
the season, the feast as a place of light and love. And
in so doing, the gift of the Baby under the star has a
chance to transform our world into a bright oasis of
grace and mercy.

So as you gather today, whether with friends or even
by yourself, mark the time. Mark the day. Mark the
feast. And let the light of Christ come into the world.

Blessed are the cracked! Thats us. (author unknown)

2008-12-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it is the cracks and flaws we have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. Just take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

Remember, blessed are the cracked for it is they who let in the light.

Christmas is.....

2008-12-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not just a season,
Christmas is not just a day,
Christmas is more than a reason
For parties, presents and play.
Christmas is truly the essence
Of joy that the Saviour brings;
Christmas is surely the presence
Of Jesus, the King of Kings!

We're number 1

2008-12-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Last night the Richmond football team played Montana in the National Championships (Division 1AA) and won. I am so happy for our players who have worked so hard and so pleased for our coach. He is such a wonderful human being, family man, Christian and coach.

This is the first time in the Universities history that we have had a national championship. Happy holidays guys. This was a great gift to our Institution and to all of our constituents.

Go Spiders!

A Prayer from Billy Graham concerning the values of today

2008-12-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

>
>
> 'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to
> seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who
> call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our
> spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited
> the poor and called
> it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have
> killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists
> and called it
> justifiable. We ha ve neglected to discipline our children and called it
> building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have
> coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have
> polluted the air
> with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have
> ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it
> enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today;
> cleanse us from every sin
> and Set us free. Amen!'

An Advent Message (Dr.Gail Inlow)

2008-11-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

Shortly before my father died, he wrote the following Advent message which I have referred to often, particularly the last paragraphs beginning "The Advent expanded......

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Throughout Christian history, Christ's advent has precipitated almost never-ending thought and controversy. Just who was the Babe of Bethlehem? Why do we know so little about his childhood and young manhood? Just who and what was He, having reached maturity? The Son of God? (Mathew 3:17). The son of Man?(Mark 10;45). Or relatedly, the son of Mary?(Mathew 13:55). Or, as portrayed intermittently throughout the New Testament, was the the Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd, the cornerstone of all humanity, the high priest, the prophet, the Word made flesh? Or, all of these and more?
Or was he, as portrayed in Sabine Baring Gould's "Onward Christian Soldiers," a war like commander, leading his legion of
followers into combat against the forces of sin and evil? Obviously not, for Christ was a "man" of love, caring and peace.
Throughout Christian history, the Advent commemorates the Birth of Christ who ultimately was to
become the catalyst of and central figure in a way of life called Christianity. A way of life verbalized primarily in the "New Testament," which says, in effect,
to mankind: read and learn about Christ's birth and life, make the words part of you, and most important, confine them not exclusively to churches, cathedrals, and tabernacles, but apply them to the world of daily activity--to the home, to the community, to the marketplace.
The Advent, expanded, tells man to love his neighbor, to reach out to the have-nots of the world, to opt for peace over war, forgiveness over thoughtless punishment, and gentle tolerance over hasty opposition.
During the oncoming Christmas season, the Advent says to mankind: cut materialism down to size, share more generously with the needy, and never forget that Christianity at its best is a phenomenon of action as well as words and ideas. Its mandate is:
put the letter to work."

A Thanksgiving Message

2008-11-27T11:35:00.000-08:00

As an old english major with a keen interest in poetry, I share this "wonderful and timely work of literature" (author unknown--I wonder why?).

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!

New definitions for stock investment terms :-) :-(

2008-11-25T12:25:00.000-08:00

Because of today's rapidly changing stock market and the financial conditions in the industry, the following terms have had to be revised for investors in order to more clearly reflect today's economic market place---author (s) unknown.

My apologies to my corporate friends for this timely but "not so funny" humor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CEO -- chief embezzlement officer.

CFO -- corporate fraud officer.

BULL MARKET -- A random market movement causing an investor to mistake himself for a financial genius.

BEAR MARKET -- A 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no allowance the wife gets no jewelry, and the husband gets no sex.

VALUE INVESTING -- The art of buying low and selling lower.

P/E RATIO -- The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the
market keeps crashing.

BROKER -- What my broker has made me.

STANDARD & POOR -- Your life in a nutshell.

STOCK ANALYST -- Idiot who just downgraded your stock.

STOCK SPLIT -- When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between themselves.

FINANCIAL PLANNER -- A guy whose phone has been disconnected.

MARKET CORRECTION -- The day after you buy stocks.

CASH FLOW -- The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.

YAHOO -- What you yell after selling it to some poor sucker for $240 per share.

WINDOWS 2008 -- What you jump out of when you're the sucker who bought

Yahoo @ $240 per share.

INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR -- Past year investor who's now locked up in a nuthouse.

PROFIT -- an archaic word no longer in use

Great quotes on government all on one page

2008-11-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

>
> "If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed,if you do read
> the newspaper you are misinformed." -Mark Twain

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress....But then I repeat myself. -Mark Twain

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a
bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -Winston
Churchill.

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. -.George Bernard Shaw.

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what
to have for dinner. -James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor
people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to
teenage boys. -P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian.

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
-Will Rogers

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what
it costs when it's free! -P.J. O'Rourke

In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money
as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
-Voltaire (1764)

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean
politics won't take an interest in you! -Pericles
(430 B.C.)

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the
legislature is in session. -Mark Twain (1866)

Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it. -Unknown

The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy
appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. -Ronald
Reagan

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the
taxidermist leaves the skin. -Mark Twain

There is no distinctly Native American criminal class...save Congress. -Mark
Twain

What this country needs are more unemployed
politicians. -Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995)

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to
take everything you have. -Thomas Jefferson

A nation that sacrifices its principles to maintain its privileges is destined to lose both.
Dwight Eisenhower

AND TO THINK THESE ARE OLD QUOTES. SOMETHINGS NEVER CHANGE

A graduating college class of 2010

2008-11-19T22:09:00.000-08:00

According to Beloit College, their entering students of 2006...

*Never knew the Soviet Union existed and therefore found it is as scary as the student union
*Only knew two Presidents
*For most of their lives, grew up with major US airlines being bankrupt
*Knew that Manuel Noriega had always been in jail
*Have grown up getting lost in giant retail stores known as big boxes
*Have always know one Germany
*Have never heard anyone actually "ring it up" on the cash register.
*Are wireless but always connected.
*Know that a stained blue dress is as famous to their generation as a third rate burlsry was to their parents.
*Because of pervasive use of headphones in the back seat, have parents who have always been able to speak freely in the
front.
*Know that coffee has always taken longer to make than a milkshake.
*Have never been permitted to smoke on US Airlines.
*know that Faux Fur has always been a necessary element of style
*Know that the Moral Majority has never needed an organization.
*Have never had to distinguish between the St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football teams.
*Know that DNA fingerprinting has always been admissible in court.
*Grew up pushing their own minature shopping cars in the supermarket.
*Grew up up with and have outgrown faxing as a means of communication.
*have always thought of Google as a verb.
*Have always used text messaging as their e-mail.

A friend is like a rose.......

2008-11-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

A friend is like a flower,
a rose to be exact,

or maybe like a brand new gate
that never comes unlatched.

A friend is like an owl,
but beautiful and wise.

or perhaps a friend is like a ghost,
whose spirit never dies.

A friend is like those blades of grass
you can never mow,

standing straight, tall, and proud
in a perfect little row.

a friend is like a heart that goes
strong until the end.

Where would we be in this world
if we didn't have a friend?

~By Crystal Kirk Preece~

Want to become a stronger Christian.....?

2008-11-17T23:45:00.000-08:00

Leonard Sweet in his book Jesus Drives Me Crazy, suggests the following for becoming a stronger Christian.

Want to get the most—Go to where the least is.
Want to be free. Give complete control to God
Want to become great as a Christian, become least
Want to discover yourself. Forget yourself to God
Want honor. Honor yourself with humility
Want to get even with enemies Bless and Love them

Christians in conflict with society................

2008-11-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

In Leonard Sweet's book, Jesus Drives Me Crazy, he suggests that to be a successful Christian puts you into conflict with society’s yardsticks for success. For example:

The way up in Christianity is down
The way in is out
The way first is last.
The way of success is service
The way of attainment is relinquishment
The way of strength is weakness
The way of security is vulnerability
The way of protection is forgiveness (even seventy times seventy)
The way of life is the way of death.

What do you think? More Sweet tomorrow.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2008 when...

2008-11-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years..

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a
cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

A prayer for the World by Rabbi Kushner

2008-11-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

With all of the rain we have had here in Richmond and the challenges that are going on in the world now, I thought that this might be a an appropriate prayer to share.

------------------------------------------------------

Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations.

Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect.

Then let the sun come out and fill the
sky with rainbows. Let the warmth of
the sun heal us where ever we are
broken.

Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly. So that we can see beyond labels,beyond accents, gender or skin color.

Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness. So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors.

And let the light, nourished by rain,
bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty.

And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to the heavens.

Amen. In Parade Magazine 3/23/03

Kids say the "smartest things"

2008-11-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

Author-- Mattie Stepanek (10 years old)
-------------------------------

Even though the future seems far away,

It is actually beginning now.

And while we are living in the present

We must celebrate life everyday.

Knowing that we are becoming history

With every word, every action, every moment.

Because we, today, are the history of tomorrow.

________________________________________________

How will I be viewed? Don't ask my kids :-)

How to Get to Heaven / Some Sunday afternoon levity

2008-11-08T13:43:00.001-08:00

From a fellow friend in Williamsburg, comes this "funny" from a Sunday School experience that could happen in any of our churches:-)
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"If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into heaven?" I asked the children in my Sunday school class.

"NO!" the children all answered.

"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into heaven?"

Again the answer was, "NO!"

"Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my wife, would that get me into heaven?" I asked them again.

Once more they all answered, "NO!"

"Well, I continued, thinking they were a good bit more theologically sophisticated than I had given them credit for, "then how can I get into heaven?"

A five-year old boy shouted out, "YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!"

Crabby Old Man or young guy inside? (author unknown)

2008-11-08T05:28:00.000-08:00

I ran across this poem which has a powerful message I think to all care givers but is also a reminder to all of us that each and every person has an on going story to tell, a story worth remembering and a story that impacted and impacts family, friends and the world around them.
---------------------------------------------------------

What do you see nurses? What
do you see?
What are you thinking….when you're
looking at me?
A crabby old man…not very wise, Uncertain of habit…with faraway
eyes.
Who dribbles his food…and makes
no reply.
When you say in a loud voice…”I do
wish you'd try!”
Who seems not to notice…the things
that you do.
And forever is losing….a sock or a
shoe?
Who, resisting or not….lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding…
the long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?....Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse….you're not looking at me. I'll tell you who I
am….
As I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding…..as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of ten….with a father and mother,
Brothers and Sisters…who
love one another
A young boy of Sixteen……with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now…a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at twenty….my heart gives a leap. Remembering, the vows…..
That I promised to keep.
At twenty -five, now….I have young
of my own.
Who need me to guide….and a
secure happy home.
A man of Thirty….my young now
grown fast,
Bound to each other….with ties that
should last.
At forty, my young sons…have
grown and are gown,
But my woman beside me…to see I
don't mourn.
At fifty, once more,…..babies play
'round my knee,
Again we know children….my loved
one and me.
Dark days are upon me….my wife is now dead. I look at the future…..
I shudder with dread. For my young are all rearing….young of their own.
And I think of the years…and the love that I've known. I am an old man……
And nature is cruel. Tis jest to make old age….
Look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles ….grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone….where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass….a young guy still dwells,
And now and again….my battered heart swells.
I remember the joy the joys……I remember the pain. And I'm loving and living…..
Life over again.
I think of the years…all to few…gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact….that nothing can last.
So open your eyes people….open and see…Not a crabby old man.
Look closer….its ME.

The Good Old College Days

2008-11-07T19:17:00.000-08:00

I wrote this several years ago for the Alumni Magazine at Northern Illinois University after seeing a photo of my old work location while in college. Ah the good old days.
__________________________________________________

The picture of Williston Hall’s dining room in the 40’s in the last issue of Northern Today brought back many memories for my wife and I.

As a freshman in 1961, I worked for dining services as the Williston Hall maitre d during the dinner meal. My main responsibility consisted of ringing the dinner chimes signaling the residents to line up in the living room in a double row facing one another. Dr. Carol Troescher, the Hall Advisor would walk down the lines of students at which point I would open the dining room doors and escort her to her seat. Then and only then were the residents permitted to enter the dining room to enjoy dinner.

Weekday dress code called for dresses or skirts and sweaters—certainly not shorts, slacks or sweatshirts. I was attired in a shirt, tie and blue sport coat. The “Willy” women could not leave their tables until the hall advisor had finished her dinner and greeted each of the students around the room. To say the least, evening study and recreation time was cut short because of the formality of the evening. While Dr. Troescher relished this time together with her “kids”, those poor students that I served had quite a different view of weekday dinners.

I lasted the year in this rather interesting but menial job because I met my future wife at one of the Williston Hall dinners. We agonized together over the rigidity and inflexibility of the dinner hour but did enjoy the opportunity to get to know one another a little better. Along with marriage in 1964, the Williston job piqued my interest in the hospitality industry which I have worked in and around for the last 41 years.

As I look around me now and see my family specifically and society in general eating meals on the run and at all hours of the day and night, I miss those dinners at Willy when a good meal consisted not only of good food but fellowship and discussion. I am not sure I want to be a maitre d again but I have a whole new respect for Carol Troescher and her formal dinners. Ah, the good old days………………………

Intelligent Design

2008-11-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Having worked on a college campus for some 40 years, I obviously have been exposed to and a been a part of evolutionary/scientific thought. Having been a Christian my entire life and an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church for decades, I am also a believer. I bridge these two seemingly contradictions by a personal belief in Intelligent Design.

My thoughts then are as follows.

As an educated individual with some science background ( I am not a scientist), I am convinced that evolution is for real and that the world is millions of years old--not 2000 years old as our bible states.

Having said that, I can not believe that the complexity of evolution, the beauty of the world, the beauty and process of human birth happened as an accident. The science principles that the world functions within occurred because a supreme being made it all possible.

I choose to believe that the God we Christians believe in is that supreme being.

Sermon over. Have at me.

Some random thoughts about growing old:

2008-11-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

For those of us that are maturing nicely and can still laugh at ourselves, I share the following. Sorry kids, you had better skip this one!

-----------------------------------------------------------
(Author unknown)

This is the period of life that Disrael referred to as anecdotage

Nothing is more ridiculous than discounts for senior citizens, when people in their 60's have far more wealth than people in their thirties.

These are my declining years: I decline all sorts of invitations and opportunities.

People who talk about earlier and simpler times are usually too young to remember those times--and how complicated they were.

And old body is like an old automobile, where the brakes need repairing today, the steering wheel next month and the transmission after that.

Looking at old photographs makes it hard for me to believe I was ever that thin physically. And remebering some of the things I did in those days makes it hard to believe that I was ever that thin mentally.

You would think that young people, with decades of life ahead of them, would look further ahead and plan more for the future than older people. But it i just the opposite.The young tend to be oriented to right now, while old-timers think about the future of their children and grandchildren and worry about where the country is heading in years ahead.

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But maybe the old dog already knows about tricks that only seem new to the young--and doesn't think much of those tricks.

When I was young, age 40 seemed so ancient that I couldn't imagine what I would be like to be 40. Now I can barely remember what it was like to be forty.

Age gives you an excuse for not being very good at things that you were not very good at when you were young.
--------------------------------------------------------

And finally, let's not forget our ABC's. Need help remembering them. Try this. :-)

The ABC's of Aging Gracefully (author unknown)

A void collagen
B loom late
C elebrate
D ance at weddings
E at more chocolate
F all in love again
G o gray
H old hands
I nspire
J ettison grudges
K iss like you mean it
L augh
M end fences
N urture friendships
O pen doors
P erspire with aplomb
Q uit whining
R ekindle romance
S poil babies
T each someone to read
U pset convention
V olunteer

W ear Red

eX pect Joy
Y ield gracefully
Z ing

but above all be bold - WEAR RED!

America

2008-11-05T14:46:00.000-08:00

With the election now history and all the rhetoric, promises and slams now over with (at least for a while), lets not forget England 's former Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during an interview about America. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... And how many want out." Yesterdays election certainly opened the door for an even greater validation within the world that America truly is the land of opportunity.

Marian Wright Edelman, with the Children's Defense Fund, said in a letter to the funds supporters the following: "Yesterday's election is a reminder that the United States is still a place of bold ideas and a beacon of hope. It says to every child of color and every poor boy and girl that you belong too, and you do have a future. Throughout America's history, race has been a noose choking our capacity to soar. At a time when we face a great litany of problems, it is moving to see the American people's common sense and faith trump fear. It is truly a triumph that yesterday Americans voted for competence and a new vision, regardless of race.

How exciting!

Words of wisdom from Professor Randy Pausch

2008-11-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

Randy Pausch was a University Professor who died from pancreatic cancer. He was asked to give "His Last Lecture" which he did but said the following: "Under the ruse of giving an academic lecture, I was trying to put myself in a bottle that would one day wash up on the beach for my children." That "last lecture" is now a best selling book and has been featured, along with Randy, on Oprah's show. Exerpts from that lecture are printed below as outlined by today's USA Today (April 8th).

These are ideas and words I hope to benefit from. How about you?

____________________________________________
* Never underestimate the importance of having fun. I'm dying and I'm having fun. And I am going to keep having fun every day
because there is no other way to play it.

* Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

* No one is pure evil. Find the best in everybody. Wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you.

* Brick walls are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to stop people
who don't want it badly enough.

* It is not about achieving your dreams but living your life. If you lead your life the right way. the karma will take care of
itself. The dreams will come to you.

* We can't change the cards we were dealt, just how we play the hand. If I'm not as depressed as you you think I should be, I'm
sorry to disappoint you.

Read his book if you haven't done so. It's wonderful!

Grandchildren--What a blessing :-)

2008-11-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

Since I gave my grand children credit for shaming me into this blogging thing, I thought I better share a little information about each of them. I do this with some risk given my grand kids will read this blog and take me on for misrepresenting or embarrassing them. Oh well........

Alex Hale says "... Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children". I beg to differ. It is the grand children that spread joy, love and stardust over our lives. Thank God for their innocence and their unconditional love :-)

Where do I begin? I suppose the easiest way to start would be by family.

In Florida, I have five grandchildren. They range in age from 22 down to less than a year. Caitlynn, the youngest daughter in the Florida clan is loved (????) by her three brothers but teased at every opportunity. She is a dancer and does very well in school. She organizes the house for her Mom and takes good care of her newly arrived brother Evan. Lauren Reed is our 22 year old granddaughter who loves animals, works for a vet and is undertaking course work leading to a dental hygiene degree. Adam, is driving now (stay off the road everybody), works for a vet part time, is starting to look for college scholarships and joined the high school crew team this past year. He also carries a Blackberry so is always in touch with others. Brandon, 14 years of age, is a whiz at technology games of all kinds. I play him but have no chance of winning or even understanding the basic nuances of the game. He is very active in his church youth group and school activities, takes special care of the family's two dogs (and vice versa) and is busy learning more about his computer for school assignments and e-mailing his extended family. Evan, the youngest of all the grandkids, is starting to crawl (watch out folks) and according to Mom is well behaved and rarely cries (lucky you).

My Chicago clan is home to three boys. Ryan, the oldest, is a very good student, plays high school sports, lifts weights with his Dad and has found girls or have they found him? Colin is in Junior High, loves basketball, is on the middle school and high school feeder team, loves family time with all of his relatives and is teaching his little brother, Owen ( 4 years old), all of the ins and out of athletics. Owen must have been born with a ball in his hands and gym shoes on his feet. From early on, he became a sports fan and has been adopted by all of the parents and players on his brothers teams.

Our North Carolina family is home to Jordan Elizabeth who is soon to be 5 (going on fifteen) and ready to start school next year although she has to wait a year :-( She loves to dance, enjoys educational games, has a wonderful sense of humor, takes great care of her dolls ( a good little mommy) and is quite the actress-- all the while wrapping her Dad (Mommy too) around her little finger. She loves going to the other grandparents farm to play.

Each of our grand children have grandparents on both sides of their family. I know we feel blessed and I know the other grand parents feel the same way. I have such fond memories of my Mom's parents. I only knew my Dads father for a short time and never knew his mother. While I don't know that I recognized it then, I missed out on the fun, joy and security of having two PaPa's and Grandma's.

There is so much more to say about each of these special young family members. There will be a time and place for additional bragging. Stay tuned.......I'm not shy.

A Thanksgiving Poem?????/

2008-11-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

Being an old english major with an eye toward wonderful poetry, I share this timely piece of work (author unknown--I wonder why?)

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!

A Lords ministry for over 20 years

2008-11-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

After church today, I had both an interesting and kind of emotional meeting.

Some twenty years ago, my father, living in Evanston, Illinois seeded a fund for our Presbyterian Church (in Virginia) with the hope that the interest and dividends from the endowment would assist in his words ".... folks less fortunate than he". For twenty years, the fund has grown to over a quarter of a million dollars with the income assisting over 700 families and or individuals with medicine, heat, lights, food, shelter, funerals and burials. He asked that I act as trustee until my death or my transfer of church membership.

I have not passed away (phew) nor have I moved my membership. Given my age and retirement status, both those scenarios have to be considered.

So today, I met with a transition committee that will take over the fund some time in the not to distant future. It was interesting because of the readiness of these church members to undertake such a worthwhile and needed ministry yet expressing anxiety for the unknown and sometimes gut wrenching work ahead.

It was emotional because of the trust that Dad had in me to grow the fund and to use it appropriately. I lived the Lords ministry through my Dad almost daily. His wishes will be carried forth I am sure. The church has named the fund after Dad and his family. Hallelujah!

On his death bed in hospice, he wrote an Advent message which is to long to print in its entirety but shared in part here.

Christianity ".... is a way of life verbalized primarily in the New Testament which says, in effect, to mankind: read and learn about Christ's birth and life, make the the words part of you, and most important, confine them not exclusively to churches, cathedrals, and tabernacles, but apply them to the world of daily activity--to home, to the community, to the marketplace.

The Advent, expanded, tells man to love his neighbor, to reach out to the have-nots of the world, to opt for peace over war, forgiveness over thoughtless punishment, and gentle tolerance over hasty opposition.....The Advent says to mankind: cut materialism down to size, share more generally with those in need, and never forget that Christianity at its best is a phenomenon of action as well as words and ideas. Its mandate is: put the letter to work."

By the way, I made it to the church on time despite the time change. Its always easier "falling back" than "springing forward"

Till later....

A beautiful weekend and more on the election

2008-11-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful weekend. Unfortunately, my football team has a bye this Saturday so I am relegated to "honey do" projects around the house. Given the weather, staining part of our deck seems in order. I would rather be at the game tailgating and second guessing the coaches.

I went to my other office (McDonalds) this morning to discuss the problems of the world with my other cronies that camp out there each day. The election of course was the big topic with the "oldies" speaking up for McCain and the younger generation pitching Obama.

As has been the case to often however, the subject invariably turns to Palin. When that happens, the discussion usually goes down hill from there. It will be interesting to note how history portrays the "Gov" and her impact on this election. If the Republicans loose, the loss will be blamed in large part on her by fellow Republicans. If through some miracle, McCain wins, he will be given credit for the astute and daring choice of Sarah Palin, soccer mom, beauty queen and first amendment advocate. Without question, she has positioned herself for bigger and better things the next go around. Stay tuned for the Palin/Clinton match. If nothing else, Tina Fey has become a house hold name :-)

The deck calls, damn it. Oh well...............

The beginning

2008-10-31T21:05:00.000-07:00

My grandkids have challenged me to start blogging so here goes. I am clueless how to begin but I will struggle along and you all with me.

With the current election only three days a way, subject matter shouldn't be a problem.

I know the polls are indicating a landslide victory for O'Bama. I think it will be closer than that. Some voters who have stated in the polls and publicly that they are for the Democratic candidate will vote for McCain when they get in the booth. O'Bama will be victorious when all is said and done however and I am OK with that. We need change and as a charismatic leader, he maybe able to buck the status quo. I have not been for big government and gun control but McCain is tied into the current regime which has been a disaster. Lets hope for a brighter tomorrow with less war, a growing economy, better health care and a renewed pride in America. If he is elected, I can say hallelujah that we have matured as a nation and elected the best man for the job.

I hope my kids are not grading me on this first blogging attempt. Perhaps I'll keep the site hidden for awhile :-)