Satisfaction (I can’t get no)

When I’m watchin’ my TV / and a man comes on to tell me / how white my shirts can be.
Well he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke / the same cigarrettes as me.

Am I the only one still having some kind of identity crisis thing going on, or is it just what happens when you turn thirty?

Bill Goodman, I’m bringing my friend to church!

JW used this quote from Dr. King a while back (meaning it was in his old blog at one point in time) and I don’t want to appear void of ideas or original thought, but in light of this article I felt it appropriate:

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral; returning violence with violence only multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

There is absolutely no reason a church should sanction this kind of event.

**UPDATE**

This idea looks like another winner!

Hey! Check it out!

It’s happened!

Game on, yeah…

and now it’s fixed… sorry for being dumb on that one

Here’s something I learned

The Kentucky Derby is a giant Mardi Gras, but instead of serving ‘hurricanes’ it’s mint juleps, and instead of crazy masks it’s crazy hats. But all the drunkenness, beads exchanging, and adult akwardness is ever-present*.

Sometimes having a second job in photography is cool. If I don’t go back to Chuch Hill Downs for a horse race again, I won’t be sad. On the other hand, if you’re into ‘people watching’ as a spectator sport then this is jackpot gold friend.

*My vantage point was from the infield seating/populous and is a statement from what I saw occuring in that small portion of the total event. But I definitely saw some crazy things coming from the grandstands…

Today was a difficult day. As I mull over what happens next, and if I should permit myself continued hope in a boyhood dream, I weigh the words of Langston Hughes.

Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore–
And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Something to bring me out of my hole…

Of course they did. This city is still so divided it makes me sick.

I qualify for public housing. I also qualify for other forms of public assistance.

I can only imagine what Jesus would have said in that public meeting to the people who voice their prejudices that way…

I’m saddened by this reaction, and I wonder why more people aren’t.

The only difference between insanity and genius is the genius has proof

Pope rejects condom distribution

The Catholic Church seems to be stuck in another awkward situation. It just doesn’t seem to be going well for them in the PR department. I mean, it’s enough to have a bishop declare that the holocaust was not a real event and bungle the response in the manor they did. But now the Pope goes to Africa and wants to take on HIV/AIDS by declaring people have more restraint and discipline in Abstinence Only education/programs. That is a really large can of worms to open and sort through. I don’t doubt the Church is trying to do the right thing, but I wonder how they came to the decision to go this route. Africa is not Europe or of European descent. I’ll give it to the Church for making the impact it has had on the continent. Jesus is spreading through there with fury and commitment.

And the Church wants to use the momentum to address a community engulfed in the largest, deadliest epidemic per capita than any other State in the world, Washington DC excluded. His Pontiff is going to take a cause, one which hasn’t really been figured to work so well in developed nations, to communities that have different cultural beliefs, backgrounds, and practices. Again, Jesus is growing through some of those communities in huge ways and I am not about to say He can’t do something. So it really boils down to the same debate we face here between conservatives and liberals.

So the two sides of this debate are as follows:

Conservative:

• The only way to 100% prevent pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted disease is to be 100% abstinent.
• Educating individuals to the proper use of condoms will lead to promiscuity.

Liberal:

• Does sex outside of marriage happen?
• Do kids who encounter abstinence only education have sex outside of marriage?
• Since the answer to both of those questions is yes, what can effectively be done to stop it?

Just to clarify before the inevitable attack. Do I think people should engage in sex outside of marriage? Nope. But I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t happen and I’m certainly not going to pretend I can solve it.

Research and studies show that abstinence only education doesn’t work at preventing 100% unwed pregnancy, let alone the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. I may have an overall impact on lowering unwed pregnancy, but sexual behavior changes and STD’s spike among those individuals who don’t have access to preventative measures.

It’s plain that I lean toward educating people and making available to them the tools necessary (which includes abstinence and marital fidelity, but I doubt anyone notices that) to prevent unwanted diseases and pregnancies. What I don’t understand is the necessity to stay rooted in programs that historically don’t succeed. I mean, isn’t the very definition of insanity doing the same things again and again while expecting different results?

Hey look, New picture in the header!

I have to admit to why I’m not writing anything. I’m frustrated. I’ve got a serious case of writer’s block. Okay, it’s not necessarily writer’s block. It’s more along the lines of anything on my mind in any given moment of freedom is the frustration that I am mired in hypocrisy. A great majority of it may very well be my own. I have a lot of confusion revolving around the current climate of our struggling economy and the cacophony between partisan extremes in elected officials and media outlets.

I guess the worst part is the perplexity of self identity. See, I consider myself a follower of Jesus. I read my Bible every night. I participate in a Bible Study. I pray to the Creator of the Universe. I have placed wise, God Fearing people in my life to challenge me toward growth and maturity (sure, make your easy joke here). And yet, my views of practicing social justice (which seems to often be confused with socialism for some reason) seem to make an easy justification for shunning me. My understanding of bridging Faith and Reason give rise to challenges of credibility.

I guess what makes me really sad is the lack of honest conversation. These things polarize people to the extent of making it easier to engage in mockery than have a discussion. I am guilty of being the point of extremes from which I stand. And I’m still infuriated by the ignorant statements of individuals who will only submerge in one side of any given issue, however I think I have become more patient with expressing my outrage whenever I hear someone say they will never get on an airplane because it’s too dangerous (yeah, see what I did there?).

I’m used to standing alone in the crowd challenging the “majority”. I’ve been censured, mocked, ridiculed, and (figuratively) spit upon. It’s gotten old and I long for a dialogue – an honest debate. I know it has the potential to become ugly, but I would hope that those who also proclaim the Grace of Christ to practice the same Grace between men. I’m likely to make mistakes, but it’s no reason to turn to passive aggressive behaviours; I’ve learned that many times over (often the hard way).

What am I going to do with this now that I’ve gotten it out of my system? Probably hope that it makes a difference in some people. I’m going to start diving more into understanding the talking points on both sides of the issues, though discerning between hateful rhetoric between extremes and legitimate claims of defense/debate is not for the faint of heart. I hope to pose more public questions here and see if anyone cares. I hope to get a lot of opposition, but not in the hateful manor of slander which will most likely propogate at times. Who knows, maybe we can all change.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t drink and drive.

Free advice doesn’t come along often, but when it does….

Every one loves going to the stadium for different reasons. One reason that is universal to all, regardless of whether you partake, is stadium food. There’s just something so good about it-the saltiness, the foil wrapping, the pump mustard… When I go to any sports venue to watch a real sport, I cave and get one hot dog. Sometimes two if it’s dollar dog night at the Cyclones game.

Here’s where the free advice comes into play…

Carrie took me to a Columbus Bluejackets game Saturday night. While there, we went for the mid-game snack and found the hot dog stand. But these were no ordinary hot dogs. Nope. The selection was for the Kosher Beef dog, which Carrie enjoyed immensely, and the Half Pound foot long. Which looked amazing. I mean, it was a half pound of hot dog and a bun which was in equal portion to managing that beast. I took the chance.

If you ever see the half pound hot dog, and believe it to be an amazing feet of food processing worth taking the dare, go ahead and wimp out on it. It was a fantastic dog. I’m not going to lie. It was prepared to complete done-ness, the  bun was fresh, warm and moist,  and the deli mustard finished perfectly on the pallatte. That’s about where the perfection ends.

The half pound hot dog stays with you for a while. It haunts you through the night. In Soviet Russia, the half pound hot dog eats you! You may have a bad dream because of the half pound hot dog. And you will need an IV before, during, and after enjoying it because there is enough sodium to shrink your retinas.

There you go.  You’re welcome.

You can only get back up so many times…

Disappointment strikes another wounding blow.

I applied for a position with Executive Jet Management in the Flight Center. It was a position that would have been a step in the right direction for my overall career goals. I interviewed pretty well three weeks ago, just before starting my position in recovery specialty-ahem, collections.

Today I got the rejection letter.

So it appears I’m once again fighting the battle between lies and truth. Guess which is speaking in whispers currently…