Let There Be Peace on Earth and Let It Begin With Me!

"Faith and love are apt to be spasmodic in the best minds. Men live on the brink of mysteries and harmonies into which they never enter, and with their hands on the door-latch they die outside." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Barack Obama continues his amazing efforts at bringing unity to America by making Rick Warren one of his choices to speak at his inauguration. Sure, many don't look at it that way, but it's quintessential Obama to choose a diverse cast, nay-sayers be damned!

And plenty of nay-sayers there are. Conservatives on the right:

“In my view, the new president is trying to exploit Warren,” Gary L. Bauer, the Christian conservative organizer and former Republican presidential candidate, wrote on Friday in an e-mail newsletter. He urged supporters not to take Mr. Warren’s role as an endorsement, calling attention to Mr. Obama’s distance from the pastor on social issues..." ~ NYTimes.com

...and liberals on the left:

"Picking Rick Warren to give THE invocation," wrote John Aravosis on AmericaBlog, "is abominable." ~ Huffington Post

"Let me get right to the point," Joe Solomnese, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a harsh letter to the president-elect, "Your invitation to Reverend Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at your inauguration is a genuine blow to LGBT Americans." ~ Huffington Post

Lee Stranahan of the Huffington Post said it well:

"There's something bigger at play here and you can't say Obama didn't warn you. He talked about reaching out, about expanding our politics and that crazy bastard actually meant it. Nobody on the left or right quite knows what to make of it. We want to cram Obama into our old, divisive, two toned ideological and political frame and if he doesn't fit, we'll attack him too."

And attacked he has been. But Obama is nobody's puppet. He'll make his own decisions throughout his presidency, not based on any interest group or political party.

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of extreme, divisive, right-winged Christians. What I like about Rick Warren is that he's looking for common ground. I LOVE that he spoke Saturday night to about 800 members of the Muslim Public Affairs Council at its convention in Long Beach. He pronounced his love for everyone - Muslims, Democrats and Gay and Lesbian folks included. Is that not the CORE of Jesus' teaching? And it may surprise Christians, but Obama is a Democrat AND a Christian!! Unbelievable!! I'm telling you, sometimes I'm hugely embarassed by some very vocal and very visible members of my global Christian family, and now is no exception. I heard that some of these people criticized Warren for even PRAYING with Obama. It literally makes my adrenaline surge and my heart pound to hear poop like that. Absolutely assinine.

Let there be no confusion: I'm pro-life, believe marriage is for a man and a woman, and any silly 'What party are you?' test I take confirms I'm a Republican. That doesn't mean I can't understand the perpectives of proponents of pro-choice and gay marriage advocates. I continue to re-evaluate my political leanings and try to educate myself at every opportunity.

Several months ago I wrote about an NPR interview with Rich Cizik, Vice Pres of the National Association of Evangelicals. Check this out: he was FIRED because of that interview. Read on:

"As noted by Jim Wallis in his "Hearts and Minds" Sojourners post (December 19, 2008) a leading evangelical -- Richard Cizik -- who is progressive on environmental issues and gay rights, was just fired from the vice presidency of the National Association of Evangelicals for only daring to say he is warming up to the idea of gay civil unions.

As Wallis notes:

'Rich Cizik has been a pioneer in the "new evangelical" movement... Rich has helped lead the way to putting "creation care" and climate change on the mainstream agenda of the evangelical movement... because of things he said in an NPR interview with Terry Gross [he was fired]. The controversy of some of Rich's statements, in particular his "shifting" feelings about gay civil unions, admitting that he voted for Barack Obama in the primaries, and implying that he did so in the general election, caused so much controversy in some quarters of the NAE's constituency that the Executive Committee felt they had no choice but to suggest resignation, which Rich quickly but sadly accepted...'

One step forward and two steps back....but maybe now it will be TWO steps forward and ONE step back with Barack at the wheel. We can only hope and continue in our individual efforts at promoting love and unity.

"Thank you for my life"

"Dear God
Whose Name I do not know
Thank you for my life
I forgot how big....
Thank you
Thank you for my life"

I've thought about this clip a million times since I saw it many years ago. It comes to mind when I feel that same spontaneous urge to lift my arms to praise God and to thank Him for whatever....for my life, my family, for beauty. It's the same feeling I've felt all my life, before I knew Who it was I was thanking. I never want to forget how big He is.

May I recommend...

I was turned onto Studs Terkel's work through This American Life - really amazing stuff. I would love to record peoples' experiences like this someday...priceless history.

http://www.studsterkel.org/





This looks amazing too, can't wait to spend a day working on spreadsheets, listening to every single audio clip.

http://www.historicalvoices.org/

I'm sure there are a million like these...can't wait to hunt them down...

First snow!

The person who authorized all the abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib is the president

Really sickening. I'm so done with Bush. I remember being so MAD at those guards who humiliated the prisoners the way they did. Come to find out, they were just pawns...obeying orders. Unbelievable.

Article below is from this site: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/12/the-architects.html

"Last week, we reached some closure on a burning and controversial question that has occupied many for many years now. That is the simple question of who was responsible for the abuse, torture, rape and murder of prisoners in American custody in the war on terror, most indelibly captured by the photographic images of Abu Ghraib. The Senate's bipartisan report, issued with no dissents, reiterates and adds factual context to what we already know. And there is no equivocation in the report.

The person who authorized all the abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib, the man who gave the green light to the abuses in that prison, is the president of the United States, George W. Bush.

Again: there is no longer any reasonable factual debate about this (hence to near total silence of the Republican right), and the Senate report finally holds the president responsible in bipartisan fashion:

The abuse of detainees in U.S. custody cannot simply be attributed to the actions of “a few bad apples” acting on their own. The fact is that senior officials in the United States government solicited information on how to use aggressive techniques, redefined the law to create the appearance of their legality, and authorized their use against detainees. Those efforts damaged our ability to collect accurate intelligence that could save lives, strengthened the hand of our enemies, and compromised our moral authority.

Those ghastly pctures of naked, hooded prisoners? Bush approved nudity and hooding of prisoners. Hypothermia? Sleep deprivation? Bush signed a memo removing the most baseline protections for all human beings under the Geneva Conventions. Waterboarding? Bush knew full well. As did Rice and Tenet and Powell and that poseur in defense of human rights, Paul Wolfowitz. But even before the memo, before any prisoners were captured, the Bush administration was working on how to torture them:

In December 2001, more than a month before the President signed his memorandum, the Department of Defense (DoD) General Counsel’s Office had already solicited information on detainee “exploitation” from the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA), an agency whose expertise was in training American personnel to withstand interrogation techniques considered illegal under the Geneva Conventions.

Let's be absolutely clear what this means: When we saw an image of Lynndie England pulling a naked prisoner around on a leash, we assumed at the time that she improvised this, or was some kind of "bad apple." This is and was a conscious lie to the Congress, and to the American people, and to the world. The person who authorized the use of nudity and leashes on prisoners was not Lynndie England or any of the other grunts thrown to the wolves. The man who authorized the technique shown below is the president of the United States:



The report itself is not that long and I highly recommend reading it all closely. It is the most sobering indictment of high government officials in the U.S. since Watergate. And, in the gravity of crimes, it is a far more profound violation of the law and the constitution and the security of the United States than Watergate ever was. Bush's crimes are far greater than Nixon's - because war crimes are far graver than burglaries. And there is no statute of limitations for war crimes."

Thanksgiving Weekend

Lovin' that man of mine ****

I told the kids to say Reindeer poop and looks like Cady was the only one who obeyed...

Getting the kids fruit smoothies on a cold day probably wasn't the brightest idea - they froze their butts off.

Autumn wanted to surprise Dave and Mandy with a Thanksgiving chocolate fondue! I think we'll make it a new tradition.

The whole fam damily...

Dave carved the Roast Beast!

Cady helps in the kitchen every chance she gets.

Mandy marinated the turkey in crystalized Jamaican ginger and other cool stuff, then roasted it with fresh herbs and other neato things....turned out amazing!!

The kids did some gingerbreak cookie decorating, but of course we ate them all before Thanksgiving even came.

Thanksgiving Weekend

I think Nolan ate more sprinkles than cookies...

Mystery piano in the woods...more detectives!!

Forget those unsolved murders, we HAVE to know what's up with this piano!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/23/massachusetts.piano/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Nolie bear...

He just turned 10, is busy with friends and skateboarding, piano and video games, was just honored at school for treating others with respect, and is (thank God) still young enough to snuggle, but I know he won't be for long, so I'm making the most of every day...

New Era for America

I watched in total awe as the world celebrated Obama's victory last night. I'm so freakin' thankful I'm alive to see history being made! I expected his win but when CNN announced it, it had this air of unreality to it....like really? Really really? Can I exhale now? Two things stood out: the faces in the crowd as Obama spoke after his announced victory and the worldwide celebrations. Both were far more inspiring to me than the speech itself, which was amazing in and of itself. What a guy. But to see school kids in Indonesia celebrating, citizens in Beijing, Paris, Kenya...WOW. Blew my mind. And I don't mean just smiling, these people are all out whooping it up. They are full on elated. Cool pics here... http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/05/world.reaction/index.html#cnnSTCPhoto

"This is our moment. This is our time -- to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth -- that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can!"~President Barack Obama

Now THAT'S a great outreach idea...

We ran across this on our way back from the pumpkin farm last weekend - no way we could pass up this picture.

Pumpkin Carving...

Pumpkin Carving...

Lone Pine Farms...

Lone Pine Farms...

The Church...Think Globally, Act Locally

Today's headline on the NPR website: 'Experts Fear Financial Crisis Will Hurt World's Poor'. Doy Ralph. It doesn't take an expert to tell you that when money is tight, the ones who are already needy suffer most. Countries are tightening their belts even tighter and not providing aid as they did in years past. The poor have already been reeling from budget cuts and canceled programs and now the repercussions of this global economic downturn will most certainly strike fear in the hearts of struggling families everywhere.

I totally recognize there is a difference between American poverty and worldwide poverty. I grew up below the poverty line but I still had food and clothes. I can't imagine not having anything to feed my children. Or being sick and not having access to healthcare. Completely beyond the scope of my imagination. We are beyond blessed in this country, yet have a sense of entitlement that disgusts the rest of the world. Nevertheless, I have a heart for the people in my community and how they will be affected.

Springfield/Eugene is a region known for stellar programs for the needy, programs that will inevitably feel the sting of lack of cash flow in the coming months and years. What an amazing opporunity for the local church to show their stuff! Christians are called to feed and clothe the 'least of our brothers' and I believe they'll be coming in droves to their local churches, looking for help in these troubled times. And not only help for their earthly needs but for their spiritual needs as well.

So many inspiring verses about God's heart for the poor:

Psalm 82:3
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

Psalm 140:12
I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

Job 29:11, 12
Whoever heard me spoke well of me and those who saw me commended me, because I rescued the poor who cried for help and the fatherless who had none to assist him.

Proverbs 22:9
A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Proverbs 28:27
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

Proverbs 31:20
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy [a wife of noble character]

And one of my personal favorites...

Isaiah 58:6-8

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard."

God, help us be ready!

Tastes like chicken...that's been previously tasted.

Character matters

There is a bumper sticker that cracks me up -'mean people suck'. I thought about that while watching the third and final debate. It's been at the back of my brain that there is a proverb about staying away from angry people. Here are the two, of many, I found:

Prov 29:22 says 'An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins'

Prov 22:24 says 'Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered'

It helps explain my discomfort with McCain and my conviction that the temperment and character of the man chosen to lead the country is so important.

I found this story on www.itsnotwhatyouthink.com. It's sappy, granted, but sweet nevertheless. I usually question the authenticity of stuff like this, but I scouted out the source and it seems legit...a story from the Oct 4th edition of the largest Norwegian newspaper VG, www.vg.no.


ÅSGÅRDSTRAND (VG): Mary was a newlywed and ready to move to Norway, but was stopped at the airport because she didn’t have enough money for the trip. Then a stranger turned up and paid for her.

Mary Menth Andersen was 31 years old at the time and had just married Norwegian Dag Andersen. She was looking forward to starting a new life in Åsgårdstrand in Vestfold with him. But first she had to get all of her belongings across to Norway. The date was November 2nd, 1988.
At the airport in Miami things were hectic as usual, with long lines at the check-in counters. When it was finally Mary’s turn and she had placed her luggage on the baggage line, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.
-You’ll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway, the man behind the counter said.
Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.
-I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions, says Mary.

Although she explained the situation to the man behind the counter, he showed no signs of mercy.
-I started to cry, tears were pouring down my face and I had no idea what to do. Then I heard a gentle and friendly voice behind me saying, That’s OK, I’ll pay for her.
Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.
-He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. The first thing I thought was, Who is this man?
Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man.
-He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants, says Mary.
She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

The piece of paper said ‘Barack Obama’ and his address in Kansas, which is the state where his mother comes from. Mary carried the slip of paper around in her wallet for years, before it was thrown out.
-He was my knight in shining armor, says Mary, smiling.
She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker* in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.
In the spring of 2006 Mary’s parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.
In a letter to Mary’s parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped ‘United States Senate, Washington DC’, Barack Obama writes**:
‘I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I’m happy I could help back then, and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States senator’.
The parents sent the letter on to Mary.

This week VG met her and her husband in the café that she runs with her friend Lisbeth Tollefsrud in Åsgårdstrand.
-It’s amazing to think that the man who helped me 20 years ago may now become the next US president, says Mary delightedly.
She has already voted for Obama. She recently donated 100 dollars to his campaign.
She often tells the story from Miami airport, both when race issues are raised and when the conversation turns to the presidential elections.
-I sincerely hope the Americans will see reason and understand that Obama means change, says Mary.


And here she is with her husband and the letter.

Lessons in Faithfulness

I've been musing over the fact that I love Steve and Joyce Miller, the pastors of our new church, New Song. It's just that I haven't felt this way in a long time about my pastors, since Monroe, and that's been over 10 years. I really don't know them well yet but in this short time, I'm feeling like "till death do us part!!". They are so stuck with me, they have no clue...so that's why this teaching is so timely.

For the first time, Don and I will be a part of some specific, consistent, unweirdly (word? I dunno, check Urban Dictionary) teaching about WORSHIP. We've listened to countless sermons about worship, we've been on worship teams for many, many years, and have received practical training under the ministries we've been involved with, but this is something different. Our first discussion is entitled 'Being a Gift' and is about our role as it relates to leadership...for better or for worse!

Proverbs 25:19 - "Confidence in an unfaithful man (or woman) in time of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint."

Interesting that the analogy chosen are teeth and feet, appendages needed to eat and get around - to survive basically, at least back then. So you have other teeth and you have another foot, but it doesn't say 'is like missing a tooth' or 'is like only having one foot', it says 'is like having a BAD tooth' and 'is like having a foot OUT OF JOINT', which affects your whole bod, ie. the whole body of Christ.

Steve and Joyce Miller are the coolest people. The whole history of this church is amazing and peppered with their sacrifice and perseverence. You can hear Pastor Steve's compassion for his sheep in his sermons and see it when he gets choked up...the heart of a pastor, through and through. The intensity for pursuing the heart of Jesus is written all over his face. What you see is what you get..completely authentic and open people, generous with their time, energy and yummy food.


I've been reading this teaching this morning and am resolved that our family will be a gift to the Millers that:
...brings refreshing
...encourages
...pushes them onward
...doesn't murmur/complain
...is ready, in season and out

It's scary to be fully given to a ministry - we've been burned in the past and we have deeply hurt people ourselves. We know God led us here and won't let fear drive us - He's got a future and a hope and I couldn't be more excited about what He has planned!!

Tragic Forgetfulness

"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
~ 1 Peter 1:3-8

Forgetting one is forgiven seems like a strange thing in a way...it's like the foundation of Christian belief, the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins. But it's way more personal that that. Forgetting I have been cleansed from my old sins....some days that is pretty easy to do, especially when those old sins don't seem very old. So what happens if I 'forget'? Are my sins still forgiven? Of course! My lack of brain function or inconvenient guilty conscience doesn't affect God's grace in any way. But it does affect my growth. And my growth affects the people I will inspire to get to know Jesus and follow Him. Pretty tragic, really...the person who walks around, haunted by their past, is not only robbing themselves but everyone around them. God, help me not forget!!!

"Party line voting in my opinion is unbiblical. It says you don't think" ~ Richard Cizik, National Association of Evangelicals

I listened to an interesting interview on NPR over the weekend with Richard Cizik, vice president of governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals....http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95142910....which got me googling the guy because I loved his honesty. Turns out he has ticked off several high-profile conservative Christian leaders like James Dobson, Tony Perkins, Paul Weyrich and Gary Bauer, mostly because of his environmentalism (Creation Care) focusing on his stance on global warming. This NPR interview and other articles I've read recently, like the one in the Colorado Independent titled "Evangelical leader smacks McCain for lack of ‘principle’" proves he's not out to please the right....and I think that's what I liked about him. He's an independent thinker, not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, regardless of what mainstream Republicans or Christians say. This essay on torture that Richard Cizik wrote in the Washington Monthly...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2008/0801.cizik.html...reminded me of my frustration with the current administration. Abortion, no - torture, yes? There is no greater irony in deeply held beliefs than that.

Now, I'd love to tell you he's voting for Obama/Biden this year, but he is, as of the date of this interview, in the 'undecided' category. But I love that he is open-minded and willing to speak out against the pressure Christians feel to vote Republican. Here's an excerpt:

...No party has a monopoly on GOD...I'm a conservative, but it doesn't mean I'm going to vote that way. I may disagree with Obama, and do, on same sex marriage and abortion, but that doesn't mean I'll vote against him...i think there are character and integrity issues that are even more important [than specific issues]. I would ask my fellow evangelicals 'what kind of temperment do you want?'...Barak Obama is a healer - he's looking to build common ground, even with his opponents...as we can find common ground, let's do it - that's Obama's forte!

Ahhhh...thank you, Mr. Cizik....like a Coke slurpee on a hot day, totally refreshing...

Embracing My Inner Zombie

Interesting article on the Discovery site:

THE BRAIN: COULD AN INNER ZOMBIE BE CONTROLLING YOUR BRAIN?
Scientists have found evidence that the self-aware part of our brains isn't always in charge.

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/oct/15-could-an-inner-zombie-be-controlling-your-brain

I'm living proof - I've been blaming that dude for all my bad decisions for years...

Must Love Dogs?

'What I haven't decided, yet, who are the biggest morons: the hysterical, sensation-seeking and ill-informed media, or the gutless, insecure-with-their-masculinity, microcephalic mental-midget losers who abuse animals, in this case one of America's icons: The American Pit Bull Terrier.' ~ Andrew Rosza

I cringed when I read it...a tiny woman in Seattle mauled by two pitbulls. She had to have surgery to attach her EARS, for crying out loud! ..... http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/NW_091008WAB_woman_mauled_pit_bull_KS.6240e996.html

So what's the deal? Are these irresponsible pet owners who have created a monster through abuse or neglect? Or an unpredictable breed, a ticking bomb with teeth that could explode at any moment?

We have a pitbull named Ginger. She is the sweetest dog you've ever met. I'm not biased...I actually don't like dogs. Seriously. I don't. Granted, puppies are cute and I will politely pet my friends' dogs knowing how much THEY love them, but I am a dog avoider, through and through. I hate it when they jump on me, hate it when they sniff my crotch, hate it when they rub their wet dog nose all over me and worst of all, the TONGUE....if my friends really knew what I thought of dogs, some would disown me I'm afraid. So I pretend to this day to enjoy their dogs' company and put up with the annoying canine habits I despise. But Ginger...

She was part of an abandoned litter, most likely due to their breed. Most of the puppies died in a hot Texas desert but a compassionate Navy family saved two, Ginger and her brother. They were fed with droppers and nursed back to life and good health. Soon after, the family was relocated to Everett WA and were unable to keep the pups, again because of their breed. Their landlord provided the 'it's you or the dogs!' ultimatum and the family posted a desperate plea on Craig's List for homes. Ginger's bro found a home right away but it was down to the wire for her. If shuttled to the nearest animal shelter, she faced certain death - the Snohomish County shelter used to automatically kill pits upon arrival, regardless of health status and behavior. Maybe they still do.

Don had been parusing the CL posts for at least a week. He had his heart set on a pitbull puppy - they're smart, loyal, beautiful dogs and he assured me they were not a violent breed and that a handful of unfeeling, selfish dog owners had ruined America's perception of pits through several high profile cases souped-up by the media. At that time, I had a friend who is very active in the pit-rescue world and works tirelessly as an advocate, which also helped with my decision. So when Don found this post saying Ginger would be dropped at the local Murder Shack, we jumped on it and he drove to get her that night.

Adorable...no other word described our new family member. She was fairly docile for a puppy - even with my inexperience I could see that. I chalked it up to all the changes she had endured in her short life. She learned quickly and enjoyed the kids so much. Don took her to work with him every day so she wasn't alone and worked to train her on the canine basics.

Truthfully, my trepidation has never completely subsided. I'm very aware that any domesticated animal has the possibility of exhibiting unpredictable and sometimes dangerous behavior. Take my husband's run-in with death at the hands (paws) of a lovable Lab at five years old. It's an amazing story, really, and the attack ends with him waking up bloody and confused with the Lab kneeling several feet away, its head down, unmoving. He later told his mom that he saw an angel there, holding that dog's head down with its celestial hand of protection.

A violent Lab? Every breed has its misconceptions and prejudices. I notice my neighbors' faces when Ginger runs out the door occasionally. Or when friends with small children come over for the first time. I totally get it.

But Ginger had proved over and over that she is nothing but a dog who, more than eating or breathing, wants to please us... that she loves us with an unconditional doggie kind of love that makes her almost pee herself with glee everytime she sees us.

She's a keeper.

Why I'm not voting for McCain

“I believe voters elect their leaders based on their experience and judgment — their ability to make hard calls, for instance, on matters of war and peace. It’s important to get them right.” ~ John McCain

I used to like McCain, and I still do in some ways. When I lived in AZ, I said 'If that guy ever runs for president, I'm voting for him!' I liked how real he was, just a 'say-it-like-it-is-and-you-can-like-it-or-not' demeanor. But my opinion started to change during the Republican primaries. I saw a man who seemed to be boiling under the surface, like he was going to bust a vein any second but with great difficulty he was keeping it together. Remember that part in Fifth Element when the Mangalore morphed into a 'normal' looking guy to pretend to be Korben Dallas so he could get on the cruise ship to Fhloston? Kinda like that. His true Mangalore kept trying to come out. During the primaries, McCain's demeanor was condescending and arrogant and his sarcasm really bothered me. It just seemed unpresidential and I lost a lot of respect for him. I've listened to interviews since then, listened to speeches, and I just can't shake this feeling that this guy would lead us to war. Like he'd get pissed off about something and BOOM! ... my teenage son would be drafted.

I read a Steve Benen story on the NY Times site (http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/18/mccain-judgment-and-a-response-to-the-attacks-of-911/) in response to David D. Kirkpatrick's story about McCain's foreign policy world view and his actions following the 9/11 attacks. McCain's knee-jerk reaction was to invade Iraq as early as one month following the attacks. And that was just one country on his shit list - Iran and Syria were mentioned as well. “He has the personality of a fighter pilot: when somebody stings you, you want to strike out,” said retired Gen. John H. Johns, a former friend and supporter of Mr. McCain who turned against him over the Iraq war. I tend to avoid people like that in my personal life and certainly don't want a hot-head for a president, not in these times.

Let me say this: I am not a pacifist. I believe in war, as horrible as it is. Ecclesiastes says there is a time for war and a time for peace. If we had not gone to war in WWII, where would the world be? I'm reading The Gathering Storm by Winston Churchill, the first book in the Second World War series. His premise is that WWII could have been prevented if the world had enforced its clauses against Germany after WWI, but everyone was so sick of war and wanted peace so badly that we let important things slide. During the Washington Conference of 1921, we even proposed a naval disarmament of Britain and the U.S. because we felt like we couldn't expect Germany to disarm if we weren't going to do it! WTF? Here is a passage I found very compelling:

'It is my purpose, as one who lived and acted in these days, to show how easily the tragedy of the Second World War could have been prevented; how the malice of the wicked was reinforced by the weakness of the virtuous; how the structure and habits of democratic states, unless they are welded into larger organisms, lack those elements of persistence and conviction which can alone give security to humble masses; how even in matters of self-preservation, no policy is pursued for even ten or fifteen years at a time. We shall see how the counsels of prudence and restraint may become the prime agents of mortal danger; how the middle course adopted from desires for safely and a quiet life may be found to lead direct to the bull's-eye of disaster. We shall see how absolute is the need of a broad path of international action pursued by many states in common across the years, irrespective of the ebb and flow of national politics....It was a simple policy to keep Germany disarmed and the victors adequately armed for thirty years, and in the meantime, even if a reconcilatiaton could not be made with Germany, to build ever more strongly a true League of Nations capable of making sure that treaties were kept or changed only by discussion and agreement...but this modest requirement..the victors were unable to supply.'

Pretty strong words but here's what I get from this: countries need each other to stand up to the bad guys and to keep them accountable for their actions. We need a leader capable of unifying not only the US but all the democracies of the world in order to accomplish this. Bush has struck out - we're no longer respected as we once were.

I don't want a loud bully shooting off his mouth or a pit bull with lipstick. I want a strong, rational, confident, uncompromising leader who does not react with his fist. I want a leader willing to sit down and talk to whoever, whenever, wherever, because I'd say by looking at the state of the world today, something is not working. Talking doesn't mean weakness and it doesn't mean we're going to compromise. The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different outcome. In the words of Dr. Phil, 'How's that working for ya?' Shittily, that's how it's working...adverb of the day.

Martin Luther King

My sister Mandy put this together....love it...

The integrity of Barack Obama

As a teenager, I had sex and lots of it.
Thank you, and good night.

So before I continue with my gushing praise of Obama, it's important to me that you know that I am in no way passing judgement on Sarah Palin or her daughter Bristol. I wish them all the best in the days ahead.

In an article written by Brian Naylor on the NPR (National Public Radio) website, he reports Barack Obama's response to the news released today that McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, is going to be a grandma soon. Her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is pregnant and it has cast a shadow over the Republican National Convention and the conservatives' initial rah-rah-ing over McCain's choice because of Palin's socially conservative views. But check this out...with an opportunity to get a jab in, Barack chooses the high road:

'Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, in a Michigan news conference, was asked about reports about Palin's daughter's pregnancy. He said the media should back off the story.

Obama told reporters that "people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits." He said it has no bearing on Palin's performance as governor of Alaska or what kind of vice president she would be. Obama denied anyone in his campaign was responsible for spreading rumors about Palin, and added that anyone caught doing so would be fired.'

A jillion kudos to Obama for his unrelenting integrity and undeniable respect for all persons. This guy is the real thing....you shine a probing light from any direction at any given time and he proves over and over that he is authentic.

I went looking for blog responses to the news and ended up at the 'Religion Blog' at dallasnews.com. Whoa Nelly! People are hoppin' mad! Floating in the sea of insults and gossip was this post that made the biggest impression on me:

'The more christians and conservatives open their mouths to pass judgement upon others, the more I view christians and conservatives as just plain mean.'

Ah man...I had such mixed feelings reading that...it's SO DAMN TRUE!! Christians and conservatives can be some of the the meanest people on earth. This situational compassion crap makes me want to vomit. And I also felt sad. I hate reading something that hurts about someone I love. And I love Christians. They drive me crazy collectively but I love them because God loves them, because God loves ME. I'll be writing more about that later, it's been in my mind a lot lately.

Barack's kindness toward a member of the opposing team was a breath of fresh air. No condemnation, no gossip, no insult cloaked in the guise of kindness - 'we're sending our thoughts and prayers during this extrememly, shockingly, dreadfully, horribly, exceedingly difficult time'.

'He who is without sin may cast the first stone....'

Why can't every day be like today?

Today was so awesome....woke up excited, connected with several people at church, went to a birthday party and got stuck under a tarp with a dozen laughing people I barely know when the rainstorm hit, came home and took a bath, and our friends are on their way to jam and eat Don's curry chicken...
I'm realizing that telecommuting, as awesome as it is, has the drawback of being a lonely occupation. And I don't realize how fully drained and unmotivated I feel until I get out and mingle, chat, connect, make plans, laugh, hug and love PEOPLE. I so need that.

"We can't meet 21st century challenges with a 20th century beaurocracy....Change doesn't come FROM Washington, it comes TO Washington!" ~ Barack Obama

Says Obama...WHAT CHANGE LOOKS LIKE:

-A tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it, rewarding businesses who create jobs here in the US with tax breaks. Eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses and startups that will create the high tech job for the future.
-Cut taxes for 95% of all working families.
-In 10 years, end our dependence on oil from the middle east. Tap our natural gas resources, safely harness nuclear power, invest in clean coal technology.
Help auto companies retool so fuel efficient cars are built in America. Invest 150 billion in the next 10 years in affordable, renewable energy.
-Invest in early childhood education, higher salaries for teachers, higher standards. Help with college for service to community or country.
-Lower premiums for existing healthcare coverage, and if no coverage, opportunity to get same healthcare as members of congress. Tougher regulation for insurance companies.
-Paid sick days, better family leave.
-Change bankruptcy laws, protect social security, equal pay for equal work.
-Close corporate loop holes and tax savings. Eliminate programs that don't work in the federal budget.
-Provide care and benefits veterans deserve. End war in Iraq responsibity. Rebuild military. Renew direct diplomacy. Build new international partnerships. Restore moral standing so America is respected in the world again.

Brought to you by inspiring Moments (Paul and Janece):

What would Jeeves do?

I can't get enough of P.G. Wodehouse these days, early 20th century English humorist, author of all of the Jeeves and Bertie Wooster stories but many other short stories, plays, lyrics and essays. This guy is amazing and I can't wait to read everything he's ever written. I found 'World of Jeeves' at a yard sale many years ago and have collected all I could get my hands on ever since. He just appeals to the smartarse in me, I suppose - the perfect mental vacation I need after being immersed in Winston Churchill's series on World War II history.

This says it best - a Newsweek article I ran across, June 2007, where David Gates writes:

"Wodehouse’s true appeal doesn’t lie in his “timeless” stage sets or his “inimitable” stock characters, but in his language — a pure well of English dazzlingly defiled. [Wodehouse} takes, and gives, so much pleasure in the manipulation of words and idioms, tones and dictions... “I was pushing a bit of breakfast into the Wooster face at the moment,” Bertie tells us in “Jeeves and the Yule-Tide Spirit, “and feeling fairly well-fortified with coffee and kippers, I decided to break the news to Jeeves without delay. As Shakespeare says, if you’re going to do a thing you might just as well pop right at it and get it over.” When such meticulously calibrated play ceases to give us joy, let the nukes fly, the icecaps melt and the Great Irksomeness begin."

And on the BBC site:

It is worth pointing out that, despite Wodehouse's repeated intention only to write entertainment for entertainment's sake, his work has long been revered for its richness of language. Any one of Wodehouse's stories contains an astonishing variety of vocabulary, a capacity for literary allusion to satisfy the most intellectual of tastes, a wealth of witty dialogue, and an unsurpassed talent for simile.

Gotta love the Ionicus illustrations in the earlier editions:



And for your reading enjoyment, a few Wodehouse excerpts and quotes:

After breakfast I lit a cigarette and went to the open window to inspect the day. It certainly was one of the best and brightest.

"Jeeves," I said.

"Sir?" said Jeeves. He had been clearing away the breakfast things, but at the sound of the young master's voice cheesed it courteously.

"You were absolutely right about the weather. It is a juicy morning."

"Decidedly, sir."

"Spring and all that."

"Yes, sir."

"In the spring, Jeeves, a livelier iris gleams upon the burnished dove."

"So I have been informed, sir."

"Right ho! Then bring me my whangee, my yellowest shoes, and the old green Homburg. I'm going into the Park to do pastoral dances."

~ The Intimitible Jeeves, 1923

I was standing there, hoping for the best, when my meditations were broken in upon by an odd gargling sort of noise, something like static and something like distant thunder, and to cut a long story short this proved to proceed from the larynx of the dog Bartholomew.

He was standing on the bed, stropping his front paws on the coverlet, and so easy was it to read the message in his eyes that we acted like two minds with but a single thought. At the exact moment when I soared like an eagle on to the chest of drawers, Jeeves was skimming like a swallow on to the top of the cupboard. The animal hopped from the bed and, advancing into the middle of the room, took a seat, breathing through the nose with a curious, whistling sound, and looking at us from under his eyebrows like a Scottish elder rebuking sin from the pulpit.

~Weekend Wodehouse

He looked like a bishop who had just discovered Schism and Doubt among the minor clergy.

Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the hotel at Cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to talk French.

Big chap with a small moustache and the sort of eye that can open an oyster at sixty paces.

Come to find out, my mom read Wodehouse books when she was pregnant with me....maybe that's where my love of salsa and pizza comes from?

Obama-Biden 2008

Go ahead and say it out loud...it's fun...Obamabiden, Obamabiden... kinda flows, yes? I have to admit that I wasn't surpised when I heard the news this morning. I figured Obama would choose someone with extensive foreign policy experience, someone who was older and wiser, someone who 'knows the ropes'...just the logical attributes that would compliment him and make him a more attractive choice to those who still have questions and concerns. 'You complete me'...I'm imagining the scene in Jerry Maguire but with Barack and Joe...but I have to stop now because it's slightly disturbing.

So who is Senator Joe Biden, this guy who will likely be our VP for the next four years?



Joseph Biden was born in Scranton, PA to a working-class family. At age 29, he was one of the youngest ever elected to the Senate and was elected to his sixth term in 2002. He has run for president twice: 1988 and, ironically enough, 2008 (though he dropped out pretty early in the game). Here's where it gets interesting. Biden had called Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy", for which he apologized later 'cuz it sounded so lame. During the primaries, Biden also claimed Obama was "not yet ready" to serve as president. WHOA mama! There's a sound byte we'll be hearing over and over...and over.

Here is some of the the stuff I read that meant something to me regarding Biden's voting record:

*He helped write legislation that set up shelters and a national hotline for abused women, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
*He helped pass a resolution observing Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, and calling on the remaining member countries of the International Commission of the International Tracing Service to ratify the May 2006 amendments to the 1955 Bonn Accords immediately to allow open access to the Bad Arolsen archives.
*He introduced a bill that's currently scheduled for debate, the 'Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2007'.
*He introduced a bill a few months ago to increase public confidence in the justice system and address any unwarranted racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal process.
*He introduced the 'College Affordability and Creating Chances for Educational Success for Students Act of 2007'.
*He co-sponsored legislation that was recently signed into law to authorize $48 billion for the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS and other deadly diseases.
*Through his work on the Foreign Relations Committee, Biden has sought to promote the use of American power to stop dictators who commit crimes against humanity or genocide.
*He voted yes to more funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in May 2008 (say what you will about the validity of this war, I believe our troops deserve the best we can give).
*He voted to table (kill) an amendment that would cut all federal funding to the National Endowment for the Arts in 1999.
*He voted yes to pass a bill that reauthorizes and expands the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
*He voted yes on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines in April 2007.

Here are a few of a million and one sites to do more research:

http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=53279

http://www.ontheissues.org/Joe_Biden.htm

http://biden.senate.gov/issues/voting.cfm

http://civilliberty.about.com/od/ussenators/p/joe_biden.htm

Transcript of Sen. Biden's speech today after the announcement:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93913125

The Warmth

I'd like to close my eyes go numb
but there's a cold wind coming from
the top of the highest high-rise today.

It's not a breeze cause it blows hard.
Yes and it wants me to discard
the humanity I know
Watch the warmth blow away.

Don't let the world bring you down
Not everyone here is that fucked up and cold
Remember why you came
and while you're alive
experience the warmth
before you grow old

Do you think I should adhere
to that pressing new frontier
and leave in my wake a trail of fear?
Or should I hold my head up high
and throw a wrench in spokes by
leaving the air behind me clear?

The Girl Effect

I found this on my friend Janece's site - I love stuff that makes me think and this was some of that 'stuff':



For more information, visit GirlEffect.org

Sing a New Song

Who are all these happy people? I have no idea, but this church is really great. We've been going for a few weeks and LOVE it.

Daily dose of Engrish...

The Underlings

Ok, I'm biased....my sister's man is the bassist of the Underlings out of Eugene, but that's where my prejudice ends...these guys are GREAT. I'm a musician, nothing outstanding, but I have a long history of playing/writing/recording, so I feel at least a little qualified when I say that this band is worth going to see. Not only do they sound incredible, they're three of the coolest, humblest, doing-it-for-the-love-of-the-art guys you'll ever meet. Can't wait for the next show....come meet us there! Sam Bond's Garage, Sept. 13 at 9:30pm in Eugene. Check out their MySpace at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=19419564.

Joe Strummer Tribute

I'm totally blown away by this guitar I won at a raffle Saturday night at the WOW Hall. So we're there, watching the Underlings at this Joe Strummer tribute concert (they kicked ass, by the way....more about them later) and Don and I bought some raffle tickets for different things, the coolest of which was this custom Fender Telecaster guitar. They called my name for the first raffle for an Element skateboard (amazingly enough, we were going to buy one for our 9-year-old's birthday in October) so I thought there is NO way, statistically, they would call my name again. Seriously...right? Meanwhile, Don has gone to the ATM to feed his obsession with winning this guitar....I think he bought like 15 tickets. So the moment comes and they SAY MY NAME, just like that... Ronni Deam...I'm stunned and Don is behind woopin' it up. I keep replaying it in my mind - stuff like that just doesn't happen so I'm gonna squeeze every good feeling outta that moment that I can! Then ZZ Clash (a.k.a. Spanish Balls) plays it for a few songs.....icing on the cake. GREAT night.

Seriously...

Life as we know it has changed forever.....we are Oregonians, not Californians or Washintonians or flavor-of-the-month-ians....we're done moving around and have settled in our chosen tribe and nation - Thurston OR. I'm committed to this place ... I want to be an integral part of the community: drink in everything it has to offer, pour myself out for what it needs, watch our kids invest in life-long relationships with the security that they won't be uprooted. Don't get me wrong, we've experienced so many great things by living in the places we have and I don't have many regrets, but the time has come to drop our anchor. We have officially changed the course of the Deam Family for generations to come.