We're taking our show on the road -- or at least hope to very soon. Help us select from the variety trade show displays one that is eye catching, easily transported, and will fit into a variety of settings, -- that means it can't be completely gaudy.
The link above will take you to the Godfrey Group which provides a broad range of trade show booths, as well as accessories for trade shows, corporate information centers, showrooms, retail environments, and promotional events. So, help us pick our presentation, and then invite us to come to your show. Hope to see you soon.
Today, Barack Obama submitted his resignation from membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ. The political burden of Jeremiah Wright and Michael Pfleger became too much for him.
My question is this, if it is right for him to withdraw from membership now, why was it not the right thing to do for the last twenty years when the same anti-American, anti-white vision has been cast from the pulpit?
I think it was the "Wright" thing for him to do now, but he still must answer questions about why he has chosen to remain in that environment and raise his children in it. Without answering questions about his twenty year membership he leaves the impression that his withdrawal at this time is not a principled decision but an act of political expediency.
If Obama was deeply disappointed by Michael Pfleger's "divisive, backward-looking rhetoric," then why has he not expressed that concern in the past. Michael Pfleger is acting and speaking as he has always acted and spoken. And, in the past, Obama has embraced Pfleger and Wright. What has changed? The only thing that has changed is that Barack Obama is running to become President of the United States and it doesn't set well with the American voter for a candidate to spend all his time hanging out with those who are terrorists, slum lords, racists, and anti-American.
I love to hear my father-in-law tell the story of his conversion to Christianity which took place more than sixty years ago.
He grew up in the Ozark Mountains and never went to school; not even grade school. At the age others were learning their ABCs he was driving a team of mules dragging logs to a sawmill.
He received just about as little religious education as he did education in reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. However, when he married my mother-in-law she would help him to get both. She taught him to read, herself. And, her tears helped bring him to church where he first really heard the gospel.
He says that when the preacher finished his sermon and gave the invitation he went forward and kneeled at the altar praying, "Lord, I don't understand all that preacher said, but I do know this, if what he said is true, I know I need it."
I love that prayer.
Those words describe not only the way someone comes to Christ, but how we must approach many things in life. For instance, "I don't really understand webhosting but I know I need it."
Because I don't understand web hosting I appreciate sites like WebHostingChoice.com which can help me analyze the pros and cons of the many web hosting companies that are out there. Not only do they provide informational articles, and ratings for the various web hosting companies, but their advanced search function allows me to key in exactly what I am looking for in a web host and then it will generate possible matches. I'm glad they are there for those like me who don't understand web hosting, but know that they need it.
What is the one trait that always appears on lists of "things I want in a spouse" but rarely if ever appears on lists of "things I want in a President?"
You got it; a sense of humor.
And its a good thing, too, because ever since Mike Huckabee got out of the race the candidates have shocked us, cried, pandered, drank whiskey, and just about everything other than show any evidence of a sense of humor. Smirking doesn't count.
If you can want humor is a spouse, if you can want humor in a buddy, if you can want humor in a pastor (dare we go there?), then what is wrong with wanting your Presidential candidates to show a little humor.
For those of you who like me are finding much to make you aghast but little to bring a smile to your face, the following video might be a little shot in the arm.
I loved the scene in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" when Indiana Jones throws the Nazi officer out the window of the German zeppelin. The passengers look on in horror and because he is disguised as a ticket-taker, quick thinking Indy points toward the window and explains, "No ticket!" Afraid of meeting a similar fate, the passengers quickly scramble to hold up their own tickets as proof that they really have a place on the airship.
Finding yourself without tickets might not hold that much drama but it can sure be a drag. Just ask any tween girl you know who just has to see Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, live. Or better yet, ask her mom, who isn't prepared to camp out overnight just to obtain concert tickets for her precious little overdosed-on-Disney daughter. Sure she was up to it for Van Halen, Sting, and Springsteen about twenty years ago but that was then and this is the internet accessible now.
Because we want things quick and hassle free, the smart shopper goes online. Whether you need sports tickets , (and as a mother of four boys I'm sure I will need plenty of those in the future), theater tickets or tickets to other family events you should visit seatexchange.com.
SeatExchange is an online website where fans can buy, sell and trade like a pro to hundreds of leading arenas, stadiums, performing arts venues and museums. They have a wide selection, great service and the maximum security needed to perform any transaction. No need to despair if you've heard something is 'sold out' because chances are that tickets are still available. No need to worry you will lose big bucks through a scam because SeatExchange offers a guarantee for all buyers that they will be attending the event for the tickets they select.
Better go online myself. My four year old just informed me, "Diego is coming to town." For those of you without pre-schoolers, Diego is the cousin of Dora the Explorer who happens to be touring with his own road show.
The more that Barack Obama tries to extricate himself from the rantings and rhetoric of race baiting, counterfeit-gospel spewing pastors, the more he seems to sink. In response to Pastor Michael Pfleger's recent tirade at Obama's own church, Trinity United Church of Christ, the Obama campaign removed from the website, testimonials by Pfleger who has represented the presidential candidate's campaign at faith gatherings.
Obama also stated, "As I have traveled this country, I've been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that that unites us. That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause," Obama said.
Exactly what is Obama trying to get at here? Is he saying that in his many years of association with Father Pfleger, this friendly priest has always expounded a united, forward-looking rhetoric? Not very likely, considering Pfleger's track record.
Pfleger, an early supporter of Obama who leads a mostly black Chicago parish, has hosted Farrakhan a number of times, drawing the ire of the Catholic Church. The June/July 2007 issue of Wright's Trumpet magazine describes Pfleger as "Afrocentric to the core."
As with the case of Pastor Wright, Obama's reaction to Pfleger leads to one of three explanations and their obvious conclusions.
1. Obama really didn't understand the basic theology that drives these men or those in their churches. He really didn't know they have been spewing such hatred for decades. Conclusion: Obama is guilty not only of not doing his homework, but of badly judging the characters and motives of others. His hopeless naivete disqualifies his as President.
2. Obama undrstood these men very well and though he did not agree with their views, he used them and was used by them (as a state legislator Obama directed at least $225,000 towards social programs at Pfleger's church) because their influence would help his career. Conclusion: His raw lust for political power at the expense of his personal integrity disqualifies him as President.
3. Obama has had a close relationship with these men because he is in basic agreement with their theology and worldview. He has enjoyed both political perks and spiritual/philosophic mentorship. Conclusion: Obama is double-minded in all he does, denouncing longtime friends for views he himself holds while misrepresenting himself and his vision to the American people. His duplicitous nature disqualifies him as President.
Which of the three conclusions do you find most likely?
Hey, what's your sign? No, that's not just an old pick-up line from the 1970's. It is a very pertinent question for many people as they shop around for the best deal on signage - custom banners, retail displays, neon signs, and of course in an election year, where would we be without political signs? About every other house in my neighborhod has some sort of sign in the front yard, either promoting their favorite candidate or else promoting their house itself. In the sluggish housing market many 'Sell By Owner' signs are cropping up complete with printed contact number of the owner and listed amenities of their home for sale.
Check out buildasign.com if you are in the market for not only signs, but bumber stickers, magnets, flags, vinyl lettering, vinyl decal and other accessories. Not only are prices lower than you will find with a traditional sign franchise, but you can upload your own images to get the look you want. Best of all, they guarantee that signs will be constructed up to a customer’s standards. If constructed signs aren't absolutely perfect, just call and they will make it right.
Barack Obama's spiritual advisors keep getting curiouser and curiouser. This past Sunday at Obama's church, Trinity United Church of Christ, guest speaker Micahel Pfleger implied Clinton was a white supremacist who believed she would win the nomination because of "white entitlement."
Pfleger, a Chicago Catholic pastor who practices black liberation theology, is a regular guest speaker at Trinity church. He was introduced at Sunday's sermon by Obama's new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss III, who called Pfleger a "brother beloved, he is a preacher par-excellence, he is a prophetic powerful pulpiteer."
After Pfleger's remarks about Clinton, Moss thanked Pfleger repeatedly.
Pfleger told the Trinity congregation, "We must be honest enough to expose white entitlement and supremacy wherever it raises its head."
He continued: "Reverand Moss, when Hillary was crying, and people said that was put on, I really don't believe it was put on. I really believe that she just always thought, 'This is mine. I'm Bill's wife. I'm white. And this is mine. I just got to get up and step into the plate.'
"And then out of nowhere came, hey, I'm Barack Obama. And she said, 'Oh damn, where did you come from? I'm white. I'm entitled. There's a black man stealing my show.'"
Pfleger then mimicked Clinton crying as the audience erupted into applause and gave Pfleger's remarks a standing ovation. Clinton has become emotional during several interviews this year, and some media commentators have questioned her sincerity.
In his sermon, Pfleger added, "She wasn't the only one crying. There was a whole lot of white people cryin'."
Obama is a longtime associate of Pfleger, even referring to him in a 2004 Chicago Sun-Times article as a key source of spiritual guidance.
I can't imagine that the Hillary supporters out there will be jumping up and down with excitement over this mockery of their number one gal. In fact, the Hillary fans who are unsure of Obama might very well be pushed into the McCain camp in droves.
This comes at the worst possible time for Barack, just when he is seeking to woo those independents and wavering Democrats into the Obama hypnotic euphoria. He would do well to keep his ragtag team of 'spiritual advisors' tied up in an attic somewhere until after November.
I know its been a few months since Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Presidential race but I still get a bit melancholy when I think of what might have been. Don't get me wrong. I've worked through the customary 'stages of grief' and have come to acceptance of his defeat and I am now willing to support John McCain. However I still can't help thinking that Huckabee will re-emerge as a candidate at some point in the future.
Perhaps this is mom-wishful-thinking on my part because back in February I actually drove my kids to see and hear the Governor speak at a rally in front of the Stockyards in Fort Worth. "Look kids," I pointed. "That man might be your President one day."
"The President of Texas?" asked my four year old.
"No honey, the President of the UNITED STATES," I emphasized.
"Wow!" he replied in wonder.
Of course it was probably an ominous sign for Huckabee when we were at the Stockyards and an authentic cowboy had a rope and engaged Huckabee in trying to rope a fake steer. He tried and tried but after about a dozen attempts he had to abandon the cause. Humorously, his wife Janet, gave it a shot and managed to lasso the steer on the first try.
If I had the opportunity, I would have joked to Huckabee that this President of the United States thing better work out because he definitely has no future on the rodeo circuit. The closest he will come is using his clout to get National Final Rodeo tickets.
This year the Finals will be held in December in Las Vegas. Looks like Huckabee will have the spare time to attend. And anyway, who wants to be busy preparing for a stuffy old Inaugural Ball when you can enjoy an exciting week of Bareback riding, Steer wrestling, Team roping, Saddle bronc riding, Tie-down roping, Bull riding, and Barrel racing. Ye-haw!!
So former White House press secretary Scott McClellan has written what is reported to be an 'insider tell-all' book about George W. Bush, full of scathing criticisms of the President and other members of the Bush inner circle. Since I haven't read the book and have only heard a smattering of the leaked material, I haven't formed a full opinion but here are some first thoughts.
My impression of Scott McClellan when he first came on the scene as White House press secretary was that he was a very weak communicator. Perhaps it was because Ari Fleicher always seemed so poised and confident, genuinely relating to the reporters' questions instead of just showing up at the podium to read from prepared statements. Ari was admittedly a tough act to follow, but Scott always seemed like he was in over his head. A bit of a kid, cherub-like, he stammered around, looked uneasy, almost as if he wore an earpiece waiting for someone to feed him lines about what he was to say next.
It is no big secret that McClellan didn't leave his position on his own initiative but was politely asked to leave in favor of the more dynamic and articulate Tony Snow. One can't help but to believe that since that time McClellan has been munching on more than just a few sour grapes. The fact that he is finally 'spilling the beans' on the supposedly nefarious inner workings of the White House in a lucrative book deal is cause for me to take whatever he says with several huge grains of salt.
Today former New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, turns 64 years young. Happy Birthday! Did I send him a card? Well, no. But best wishes just the same. My niece also has a birthday today as she turns 26. Did I send her a birthday card? No again, though in her case I really intended to drop something to her in the mail. So now I am left with two options - send her an e-mail which isn't nearly as personal as a tangible card you can hold in your hand, or leave her a message on her answering machine (since she will likely be partying with friends) and wish her well, explaining that her boneheaded aunt is too unorganized to send her a card ahead of time.
This last minute birthday scramble happens to me a lot. When I am out at the store wrangling multiple pre-schoolers trying to escape from the cart, the last thing on my mind is visiting the card aisle and perusing the selections. I am doing well just to make it through the check-out and to my car injury free.
That is why I was so delighted to discover a place where I can order birthday card packs online! At only $1.50 each, I have a great assortment to choose from that will keep me up to speed on all my friends and family member's birthdays for the whole year. What a deal!
Check them out now and you'll never have to send those lame Sorry-I-forgot-your-birthday-was-last-week cards again.
When Alaska Governor Sarah Palin received the news from her doctor in December that the child she was carrying had Down's Syndrome, she was caught off guard.
"I've never had problems with my other pregnancies, so I was shocked," said Palin, a mother of four other children.
"It took a while to open up the book that the doctor gave me about children with Down syndrome, and a while to log on to the Web site and start reading facts about the situation."
The 44-year-old governor waited a few days before telling her husband, Todd, who was out of town, so she could understand what was ahead for them.
Once her husband got the news, he told her: "We shouldn't be asking, 'Why us?' We should be saying, 'Well, why not us?'"
There was never any doubt the Palins would have the child, and on April 18 she gave birth to Trig Paxon Van Palin.
"We've both been very vocal about being pro-life," Palin said. "We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential."
I admire Governor Palin for remaining true to her convictions. It has been estimated that between eighty to ninety percent of children diagnosed with Down's Syndrome during the mother's pregnancy are aborted. Even for mothers who already hold strong beliefs about the sanctity of human life, the anxiety, fear, and questions that so often accompany the prospect of raising a child with special needs can seem overwhelming. What will this mean for our family? Will my other children lack the attention they need? Will my marriage suffer? Can I cope with the stress? Will I be able to help this child thrive?
God must surely give a special peace and confidence to parents who face such a challenge. Palin certainly appears to have adopted a positive outlook.
"I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," Palin said. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"
Imagine someone who is hosting a fundraiser for a political candidate. If he is doing his job right, he is largely invisible. He does not draw attention to himself for his whole function is to make sure the candidate is allowed to shine.
This is similar to the purpose of a web host. His function is to make his customer's website stand out and make an impression. Every day there is a large number of entrepreneurs either starting a business or finally succumbing to the increased pressure to have a visible online presence. Business owners are quickly realizing that to have no website is the equivalent to a storefront with no signage, no lights, and the shades pulled down.
Unfortunately, many of these same entrepreneurs are finding that they are putting the future of their business into the hands of inexperienced web hosts who are drawing attention to themselves via numerous glitches instead of allowing the business to shine on what is expected to be a professional looking website. In fact, most web hosting providers are run by technical-dummies that are the business people who are just riding the internet wave to make some extra money, and this has produced a huge influx of terrible web hosting companies.
Before allowing your company's future customers and profits to slip into a cyberspace black hole, check out the web hosting articles available at http://webhostingrating.com/articles/ . The world of web hosting is tricky, and it is hard to tell how reliable a host can be. An expensive host is not necessarily better and there are definite do's and don'ts to look for when shopping around to determine if a cheap web host is reliable. After all, a good web host you can depend on shouldn't break the company budget.
Other important topics available for you to study at the Web Hosting Rating website include Ecommerce, Colocation Hosting, Multiple Domain Hosting, Shared Hosting, Front page Hosting, Linux Hosting, Windows Hosting, Scripting, Security Issues and much more.
While I am speaking in terms of profit making businesses, we naturally want reliable web hosts for our personal sites and other organizations as well. Whatever your needs the articles at Web Host Rating should be of assistance to you as you plan for success.
Apparently this is the year of politicians with vivid imaginations. Mitt Romney claimed he saw his father march with Martin Luther King. Hillary claimed she was under sniper fire in Bosnia. Now Barack Obama claimed his uncle regaled the family with the story of helping to liberate the Jews at Auschwitz. As it has been pointed out, Auschwitz is in southern Poland, which was occupied by troops from neighboring Russia in 1945. It was the Russians who liberated the Nazi death camp.
Perhaps it is not Obama but his uncle who had the faulty memory. Most likely his uncle was at the Ohrduf camp, part of Buchenwald,in Germany. Of course Obama did have a memory lapse when he forgot that it was not his uncle, but his great uncle who was in World War II.
I don't quite buy the argument that he was "lying about the Holocaust for political gain." Sure, he should have done his homework but the larger point about making help available for returning veterans was important. Besides, I would have a tough time keeping straight every detail of the stories my extended family has told through the years.
Dorothy was wrong, Toto. She said this must not be Kansas anymore. Actually, you ARE in Kansas but because the price of gasoline is quickly approaching $4.00 a gallon, you just feel as if you are filling up your tank in some country in the Netherlands.
The high price of fuel, the mortgage meltdown, and the accompanying credit crunch are currently creating a perfect storm for many American families as they are forced to rework their budget. My own family is a fitting example. Almost three years ago we moved back to Texas and bought a house in a developing area. One year ago my husband took a new job on the other side of the DFW metroplex so he now has about an hour and a half commute to and from work every day. Our monthly gas bill for his car alone is $500.00.
Because there are many brand new model homes in our neighborhood as well as established homes trying to sell at reduced prices, even some foreclosures, our prospects for selling our house are not good. So for the foreseeable future we are stuck with the $500.00 a month bite out of our budget. That is a lot less McDonald's Happy Meals. A lot less 'date nights' for me and my husband, which means less cash for our babysitter which means she can't go spend that money at the Gap...and on and on it goes. The economic engine is grinding to a standstill.
As a result, many people are finding their monthly cushion is far less cushy. In some cases, the cushion is gone completely and so when a financial need arises there is no emergency fund left for it has been steadily going into the gas tank or the increased grocery bill for several months.
It is therefore necessary that households be prepared by securing adequate lines of credit. A great resource to check out is credit card review. You can find all sorts of information about various credit card offers - which gives you the lowest fixed and variable APR, which will help you earn airline reward points and even gasoline credit points. Also helpful is info on no annual fee cards, balance transfer cards, business credit cards, and cards that help you earn cash back. For you parents about to push your eighteen year olds out of the nest, be sure to look into cards geared toward college students.
There are also financial articles that offer tips on saving money with a credit card, how to handle billing errors, repairing bad credit, improving your credit rating, and much more.
Who knows? Maybe with your gasoline credit points, you can actually drive to some fantastic vacation spot this summer. Or at least drive to McDonald's for a Happy Meal.
On a conservative radio talk show recently the host opened up discussion of Senator Ted Kennedy's diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor. While the host was gracious in praising Kennedy for the good things he has done and wishing him the best for recovery, some of the listeners who called in were far from charitable. In fact, I was appalled by the hateful tone that many took. One caller in particular said he had absolutely no sympathy for Senator Kennedy, claiming he was just belatedly getting what he deserved for the accident involving Mary Jo Kopechne.
This caller didn't mention whether he was a Christian or not, but I couldn't help but to wonder if he was and how many other conservative Christians adopted the same stance. How many fail to practice forgiveness and offer empathy, but instead install themselves as judge?
We can trust that God is fully aware of all the circumstances surrounding that fateful accident on Chappaquiddick Island nearly forty years ago. He intimately knows every detail and every motive. He is fully capable of holding Ted Kennedy responsible for his role in that tragedy. He is also fully capable of complete forgiveness. King David committed crimes even worse and yet God still called David 'a man after God's own heart'.
Let us stop enthroning ourselves as judge, smugly assigning what punishment we think people deserve. Instead, let us remember that we don't deserve the grace we have been given and all join in prayer for Senator Kennedy and his family.
Recent celebrity news has been buzzing that Oprah is losing viewers, an estimated seven percent drop in recent months. There is speculation that many viewers are turned off by the ever more strident New Age tone she has taken, not only in her book club selections and guests but in the general philosophy she interjects on a variety of topics. Many of the non new-age, stay at home moms who have been faithfully watching Oprah for years and propelled her to the top of the talk show heap have finally said enough is enough. After listening to a barrage of pseudo-spiritual advice Oprah style, many have gone from the attitude of, "Well, I'll take that with a grain of salt" to "I'll just pass on it altogether."
Another troublesome area that may account in her viewership decline is her foray into politics with her support and public campaigning for Senator Barack Obama. Hollywood celebrities and politicians have always made strange bedfellows. However for Oprah Winfrey the dynamic might even be stranger. Her celebrity status depends not on other characters she plays in films but simply on herself - what she thinks, believes and how she connects on a personal level with her audience.
Actors and actresses may have a political philosophy with which you disagree, but you tend to forget about that while you are watching them in a movie. Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon are no longer liberal activists, they have become the characters they are portraying on the screen. Of course there are cases where an actor's political leanings will impact box office revenue. Too many Hollywood celebrity photos where they appear arm in arm with foreign dictators can put the brakes on their career. I remember my dad would never watch a Jane Fonda film after her ride on the tank in Hanoi.
Of course it is no crime for Oprah to support a particular candidate for president. In fact there is much to admire in that she is supporting the causes and the person she truly believes in. However, given that probably half of her audience has more conservative leanings, a continued drop in her ratings may prove that she would have been wiser to stay neutral when it comes to the political sphere.
Whenever I have seen character actor, Tom Wilkinson in a movie, I have always thought he reminded me of someone but couldn't put my finger on who it was. Last night as I was watching a review of the new HBO movie, Recount, I realized who it was - former Secretary of State, James Baker. Evidently the casting director also thought the similarity uncanny as Wilkinson was cast to play Baker in the drama surrounding the recount disaster in Florida following the 2000 presidential election.
Baker praises Wilkinson's performance, though he does say the script takes a lot of dramatic license. "They made me out to be a little more like Don Corleone than I really am," Baker tells Variety, a bit wryly.
I sometimes dream of living in California. Just thinking about the beautiful scenery, mountains, beaches and great weather makes me want to load up our belongings and the young-uns and set off - just like the Joad family from The Grapes of Wrath.
I also discovered another reason I wished I lived in California - www.ticketbust.com Every Californian who sees those whirling red lights in their rearview mirror and ends up with the hassle of a ticket needs to check out How to Beat a Speeding Ticket in California
My husband wrongly got a 'failure to yield' ticket several months ago in a police/tag team round up in which cars were being pulled over left and right. Rather than go through the trouble of fighting it, he went ahead and paid it. Now every time I look at our bank statement, I cringe when I see the extra amount State Farm is drafting out of our account for that stupid ticket.
So all you Californians consider yourself lucky that you can take advantage of the filing system available under California law to fight your ticket. As for a lot of us, we're still California dreamin.
Separated at birth? I am probably the only person in the world who sees a similarity between Presidential nominee Barack Obama and Director/Actor Ron Howard. I have never seen it mentioned anywhere else.
But seriously, take a look. Something about Obama has always screamed 'Opie' to me. Or Richie Cunningham. Perhaps it is the ears that stick out, the similar jawline, the nose, the receding hairline (though now Howard's is WAY receded) or the smile. If only Barack had a gap between his two front teeth, the picture would be complete.
Have you ever heard such a comment? Hopefully not, but if you have it is likely that you are not one who frequently needs legal representation, especially of the criminal defense kind. Because politicians find themselves in such scrapes repeatedly (white collar crimes, fraud, lying under oath, sexual harassment.....the list goes on) they often have a good defense attorney on their speed dial.
For the rest of us, life is humming along as usual when circumstances erupt in ways we would have never imagined. Accusations or even an arrest is made and suddenly we find that we indeed 'need a good lawyer'. For those in Southern California, you should turn to Criminal Attorneys in Los Angeles | California Criminal Law Questions and Discussion Unlike many firms, Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP guarantee in writing that only the firm partners will litigate their case in court! They do not hire or train new lawyers or associates to litigate their clients' cases in criminal court.
I live in Texas. Hopefully, if I find myself or any of my family members in such a legal scrape I will be able to find an experienced firm I can trust. I might not need to put their number on speed dial but having their number listed in my address book might not be a bad idea. After all, there may come a day when someone will say to you, "Hope you have a good lawyer."
My husband says that as a kid he used to get 'Sunday Afternoon Depression'. Because his father was a minister, all of his Sundays were taken up with church activities - Sunday School, worship service, potluck luncheons, and the evening service. If he was lucky, he could carve out a few hours of personal time in the afternoon but it was hard to really enjoy it because it was so fleeting. He knew that soon he would go back to church, then bed, then school on Monday morning. So he tended to get kind of blue on Sunday afternoons, hence the term, 'Sunday Afternoon Depression'.
Don't get me wrong. It is not that he detested church - but for a contemplative kid who really enjoyed uninterrupted time to read and have time to himself, always being in the spotlight as the preacher's kid got to be a little draining.
I believe I am developing a condition akin to 'Sunday Afternoon Depression'. I call it 'Sunday Afternoon Talk Show Blues'. Because of the DVR, it is easy to record all of the Sunday morning talk shows but there is a problem in finding time to watch them. When I get in from church, I feel bombarded with things to get done. My family typically demands some sort of lunch. Then there is the dishes to clean up, laundry to catch up on that has accumulated during the week, last minute school projects that must be done by Monday, the toy I promised to glue back together for my toddler, the book I promised to read for my daughter. The list is endless. Usually, all I really want to do is either take a nap or relax in front of the T.V. and catch up on the Sunday political gab sessions. Since I have recorded them, I feel compelled to watch them just to make sure I don't miss anything really good or insightful. Perhaps I feel it is even my civic responsibility to keep up with what is going on in the world. But if I do watch them, I feel guilty that I am shirking my parental responsibilities. It seems that whichever I choose to do, it is hard for me to really enjoy it.
So how do I overcome Sunday Afternoon Blues today? Pizza delivery (no cooking) on paper plates (no clean-up) while the kids play video games upstairs (happy kids) and I relax in the recliner (happy me) becoming the well informed, politically savvy woman I was meant to be. Tim Russert, George Stephanopoulos, and Wolf Blitzer would be so proud.
Several years ago my husband obtained free tickets to a lecture by husband/wife team Mary Matalin and James Carville who were on a book tour promoting, "All's Fair: Love, War and Running for President". Matalin is a Republican strategist who worked on the elder George Herbert Walker Bush re-election campaign while Carville as a Democratic strategist worked on the Bill Clinton campaign. Amazingly, these political rivals fell in love and married when the campaign was over.
How do they make their marriage work? Listening to them on stage taking sarcastic barbs at one another, it was kind of hard to imagine them having a peaceful home life. Evidently they have found the secret to domestic happiness despite their opposite views, for they have now been married for fifteen years and have two daughters together.
I suspect that while this power couple might be more extreme in their passion for their candidates and/or parties than the average couple, political differences of opinion within marriage is not unusual. My own in-laws who are in their eighties have reportedly canceled out each other's vote for decades, as my mother-in-law leans for the Democratic candidate and my father-in-law tends toward the Republican. They have been happily married for sixty (count em', SIXTY) years!
For other couples, bliss on the homefront has been more elusive and this election year in particular has brought out sharp differences between couples. Even activist Jesse Jackson reported a few months back that while he supported Barack Obama, his wife supported Hillary Clinton. This year has brought out differences of priorities between husband and wives not only in terms of Republican vs. Democrat but between gender and race. This has surely made for some interesting breakfast chatter or even arguments around the kitchen table.
Hopefully, when the election is over couples with differing political views will find a way to bury the hatchet. For others, the current sparring only leads to arguments on other issues. Hidden resentments have a way of rising to the surface in the heat of the moment and some couples discover they have drifted away from each other more than they realized.
Before lasting damage is done to the marriage, couples should seek sound Christian counseling. For those in the Troy, Michigan area check out New Day Counseling at christian counseling in Michigan They have a great staff of biblically trained counselors and also have support groups available for a variety of specific issues. If you don't live in the area, or if you get snowed in as I frequently did during my one year stint in Ann Arbor, they also offer online counseling.
As with any counselor, it is important to understand their philosophy. I found the mission statement at New Day reassuring: "Our mission is to inspire hope and healing, and offer our support and help to the people with whom we work so that they might live their lives to the fullest with joy, inner peace, confidence, and love for life, self, and others."
So if election year 2008 leaves you with a case of depression, anger management issues, or battles with your spouse, don't wait. Get the help you need. Then perhaps you and your sweetheart can go on your own book tour.
John McCain is hosting a Memorial Day Barbeque at his vacation ranch in Sedona, Arizona and has invited many of his political pals and also some political pal wannabes. Senator Lindsey Graham was on Fox News recently, dismissing the notion that the purpose of the barbeque was for McCain to look over his potential VP candidates. "It's just a party," Graham shrugs, "a place to have fun and get a free meal."
Of course. I always jump on a plane and travel across the country whenever I want a free hot dog. When I first heard of McCain's Memorial Day shindig, I found it amusing. It would be great fun to be there and watch all the political maneuvering as the VP prospects not only schmooze and audition for McCain, but try to out-schmooze and out-audition their rivals. "More relish, John?", asks Charlie Crist as Mitt Romney tries to elbow his way in, 'accidently' knocking Crist into the pool. "Oops! Sorry about that Charlie!" Mitt calls out as he turns to McCain. "Now John, about the economic impact of this global warming policy. Let me tell you what I learned about that when I ran and saved the Olympics..."
As I thought of the possible scenarios I couldn't help but to think this must be similar to the parties that Hugh Hefner throws at the Playboy Mansion. When Hugh has to make a decision on who will be Playmate Of The Year, I am sure the twelve Playmates Of The Month that are vying for the title pull out the daggers toward each other, even as they charm and dispense all sorts of favors for Mr. Hefner.
So unlikely as it seems, John McCain and Hugh Hefner actually have a lot in common these days. Both powerful male senior citizens who have the power to confer a coveted title. Both have invited their respective nominees to come splash around the pool while looking them over. Both have a group of prospects willing to do almost anything to get their way - egotistical, competitive, backstabbing females or egotistical, competitive, backstabbing politicians. Hard to say which group is worse.
At least John McCain isn't going around in his slippers and bathrobe.
Hillary Clinton says she was simply making the point that there have been Democratic primary contests have that gone into June. Clinton has apologized for referencing the assassination of Robert Kennedy.
Much is being said about Hillary Clinton's comment that she is staying in the presidential race because there is a chance Barack Obama could be assassinated. That was a really stupid thing for her to say. But are such thoughts completely out of left field?
Just a few weeks ago there were several international news articles addressing this possibility. Here is an excerpt from Mideast Youth:
A lead op-ed in the New York Times today by Edward N. Luttwak draws attention to Obama’s irtidad, his decision to leave the Muslim faith he was born into. According to Islam, which defines the children of any Muslim father as Muslim themselves, Obama’s conversion to Christianity is an act of apostasy. “Indeed,” writes Luttwak, “it is the worst of all crimes that a Muslim can commit, worse than murder…”
Blogs from The Daily Howler to the San Francisco Sentinel are abuzz with this “new” finding–that Obama as president would be at risk of assassination. Luttwak notes that Muslim law “prohibits punishment for any Muslim who kills any apostate, and effectively prohibits interference with such a killing.” The security ramifications are huge, Luttwak claims:
At the very least, that would complicate the security planning of state visits by President Obama to Muslim countries, because the very act of protecting him would be sinful for Islamic security guards. More broadly, most citizens of the Islamic world would be horrified by the fact of Senator Obama’s conversion to Christianity once it became widely known — as it would, no doubt, should he win the White House. This would compromise the ability of governments in Muslim nations to cooperate with the United States in the fight against terrorism, as well as American efforts to export democracy and human rights abroad.
Plenty of intrigue in the news these days about the presidential election. All of the talk about Hillary staying in the race just in case Barack Obama is assassinated - - did she really say that out loud? McCain inviting potential VP candidates to his vacation home in Sedona to talk -- Charlie Crist, Bobby Jindal, and ... what? Surely not Mitt Romney. It shouldn't be a surprise that my preference would be Mike Huckabee.
Here is what Mike Huckabee had to say about the VP slot on a recent interview with Tavis Smiley:
"Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted, Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel." ~ Pope Benedict XVI, speaking to bishops during his visit to the U.S.
An appeals court here in Texas has ruled that Child Protective Services had no right to seize hundreds of children from the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said.
The girl, Maria Sue, was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The brother, whose name and exact age weren't available, apparently did not see the girl, McPherson said. No charges are expected.
"It looks like a tragic accident," she said.
Several family members witnessed the accident, which happened in Williamson County just south of Nashville. The girl died later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, hospital spokeswoman Laurie Holloway said.
In a statement, Velvet Kelm, a publicist for Chapman, said Maria was the Chapmans' youngest daughter.
Let us all remember to keep the Chapmans in our prayers in the coming days and weeks as they grieve over this unexpected loss. May God give comfort and peace to the entire family.
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I have been review What's So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D'Souza. Interesting book. I recommend it. In it he talks about how Christianity in Chinas has been growing and spreading. Here is a statement that caught my attention:
"Despite the limitations imposed by the Chinese government, it is estimated that there are now 100 million Christians in China who worship in underground evangelical and Catholic churches. At current growth rates, David Aikman observes in his book Jesus In Beijing, China will in a few decades become the largest Christian country in the world." (page 9)
However, this week I read a report from the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research that indicates the above numbers may actually be understated.
"The number of religious believers in China continues to grow almost exponentially, far outpacing population growth. Meanwhile, vague and unchanging official estimates, which since 1994 have reported "over 100 million faithful" in the country, reflect the government's tendency to mask the rapid growth evident on the ground. In February 2007, for the first time, the official media reported on an academic challenge to these earlier figures. Scholars in Shanghai had made very rough projections based on a limited survey, suggesting that there were up to 40 million Protestants in China among a total of 300 million religious adherents (not including estimated adherents of informal popular religions or "folk faiths").
"Of the officially tolerated faiths, Christianity has grown at the fastest pace. There were fewer than 1 million Protestants and over 4 million Catholics in 1949--a little over 1 percent of China's total population of 450 million. By 1965, there were far fewer practicing Christians, of course, as Mao Zedong pursued his policy of escalating persecution. Yet, by 1980, the total was back up to 4 million and growing. As of 2005, Christians were approaching 5 percent of the population, four-fifths of them Protestants, all with virtually no public support or access to China's mass media--and with the majority not registered with the government. Projections for 2020 show even more growth, with a jump to 10 percent or even more. Unregistered Christians may be the largest autonomous social group in China."
You can read more of the article by CLICKING HERE.
Oprah is always on the lists of "most respected," "most popular", "most... just about everything." A year ago Oprah Winfrey's favorable ratings were at 74%. However, something has happened. Her favorability ratings have dropped to 55% and her unfavorability ratings have risen to 33%. What happened?
Politics and Christianity -- that is what happened.
Politics: Oprah Winfrey became an outspoken supporter of Barack Obama. Her advocacy of a Democrat, although most would have assumed that would be her preference, cannot have helped her with Republicans. And, half of all democrats, support Hillary Clinton rather than Obama. Oprah's actions sent the message to many who always felt like Oprah was on their side, that she was not.
Christianity: Oprah has always been known as a New Ager. She has never tried to hide self-spun religious philosophy that happens to be whatever the most recent self-help guru happens to be publishing. However, recently she has become so in-your-face about promoting "spirituality" that conflicts with Christianity that many of her fans are sitting up and taking notice. Consider the following video:
Presently she is promoting Ekhardt Tolle and M. With Oprah's help he has sold more than 3.5 million copies of A New Earth which blends beliefs from Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. Obviously, she still has much influence...
Oprah Winfrey's fame and fortune are not going away. However, many people are starting to realize that here influence on our culture is spotty at best.
"I thought liberals were happiest. ... I thought kids make you happy. I thought fundamentalist Christianity makes you unhappy. I thought leisure makes you happier than work. I thought all kinds of freedom make you happy. I thought I actually was going to find in many cases that money really does buy happiness," said Brooks, who discovered he was wrong on all counts.
For starters, there is a yawning happiness gap between political liberals and conservatives. A 2004 survey found that conservatives were more than twice as likely to say they were very happy than were liberals. Moreover, said Brooks, this gap has endured for at least 35 years, no matter who was in the White House. Brooks traces the cause of this to two key factors on which liberals and conservatives diverge: religion and marriage. Data conclusively indicates that religious people are happier and better off emotionally than the non-religious, he found. Political conservatives tend to be more religious than liberals; in 2004 they were found to be more than twice as likely as liberals to attend church at least once a week.
Married people of all political groups are nearly twice as likely as singles to say they are very happy. And two-thirds of conservatives are married compared with one-third of liberals.
Notably, children may be a blessing at the end of the day, but marital happiness "takes a nose dive" after the birth of the first child. It really doesn't bounce back until the kids move out if, that is, the marriage has survived, Brooks said.
I don't believe that all of the content of the below video is fair. However, it show very clearly the difficulties that Barack Obama is going to face in the coming months.
"Jesus said that we are to render to God the things that are God’s and to Caesar those that are Caesar’s. Our Caesar is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. In order for us to render to Caesar the things that are due him, we should indeed participate in our government. Our Lord would have it so." ~ Adrian Rogers
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend." ~ Thomas Jefferson
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, by Dinesh D'Souza. Interesting book. I recommend it. In it he talks about how Christianity in Chinas has been growing and spreading. Here is a statement that caught my attention:
