And lo, he ventured forth ...

Best. Satire. Ever.

Don't you dare to NOT click on the link.

He ventured forth to bring light to the world | Gerard Baker - Times Online

And be sure to read the 10 or so first comments from the Americans who didn't understand the satire and Dave Cottle from Shrewsbury, UK, who sets them straight.

Is your neighborhood walkable?

A co-worker was just telling me about a documentary she saw called "The End of Suburbia" and it reminded me of this article that I came across a week or so ago. While you're on the site, be sure to find out how "walkable" your neighborhood is. Turns out, my 'hood is walker's paradise. Woo hoo!

The Benefits of Walkable Neighborhoods - Alan Durning

Wallow wallow fester fester

You know how sometimes you just need a good, wallow-in-my-sorrows kind of book to reassure you that SOMEONE out there has a crappier life than you, even if it's a nonexistant, fictional character?

Yeah, that about sums up my feelings tonight.

Had another crappy, nonproductive day at my $12/hour job, had no luck with the post-graduation, permanent-job hunting, got dissed by a friend, was eluded by yet another great deal on a sofa which means I have to endure the ugly loveseat for even longer, came home to a house with no beer in a kitchen whose floors I just mopped and were dirtied by roommates, and got no comfort by the boyfriend who doesn't quite understand what it means to listen to a girlfriend vent.

Ok, yes, I live a life that's better than 80% of the world. But that doesn't mean I can't just WALLOW for an evening with a sad, sappy book.

So I went looking to my shelves ... and ended up with Sylvia Plath for the woe-is-me feeling, Pablo Neruda for the someday-someone-will-love-me-this-much feeling, and T.S. Eliot to end with a bit of a pick-me-up. And then I decided that was all way too complicated and all the careful thinking I had just expended was starting to take the edge off my wallowing. Man, I can't even get wallowing right.

Thank goodness for St. John of the Cross -- nothing like a little Dark Night of the Soul to get right at the heart of things ....

And still I try ...

I'm beginning to think it's unhealthy for me to read the Family Research Council emails. I really do try to read them with an open mind - and I should say that I don't adamently disagree with everything, all the time.

But, dammit, I wish they didn't make it so HARD for me to appreciate their perspective.

In his July 21 edition, Tony Perkins basically says that the religious community has no right to be talking about issues other than the "traditional" ones of life, marriage and religious freedom.

Excerpt from Tony's latest email:

A Purpose-Driven Debate?

No one can blame Sen. John McCain for wanting to reach out to evangelicals. The latest poll from the Pew Forum shows the Arizona Senator lagging seven percentage points behind President Bush's support from this valuable constituency in 2004. Although 61 percent of white evangelicals still prefer McCain to Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), more of them are "undecided" (12 percent) compared to this point in the last two elections. Both candidates will attempt to shore up vital support from this community at a forum hosted by Rev. Rick Warren of California's Saddleback Church. On August 16, McCain and Obama will appear separately to discuss what Warren describes as "main areas of focus"-AIDS, poverty, human rights and the environment. While the Left would have us believe that this is the faith community's new agenda, a candid discussion of traditional values issues such as life, marriage, and religious freedom is what American voters need and deserve. Surely Rev. Warren won't ignore the most crucial initiative in his state (and perhaps the entire nation) as California determines the fate of marriage this November. Saddleback Church has the rare opportunity to crystallize the debate over abortion and homosexuality before FRC Action's Values Voter Summit in September. The candidates should be asked:

1. What is your position on man-woman marriage?

2. Where do you stand on partial-birth abortion and the killing of nearly-born babies?

3. Would you sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law?

4. How can the federal faith-based initiative survive without hiring protections for religious charities?



Really, Tony? Really?!? I have no problem with a person of faith who considers these "traditional issues" to be the most crucial ones out there. They ARE important and everyone has issues that they are passionate about. But to insinuate that someone who cares about AIDS, poverty, human rights and the environment isn't a true Christian, or is a Christian whose priorities are messed up or has been disastrously hoodwinked by "the Left" -- that's just plain disgraceful. Especially when you're talking about a well-respected, proven, and highly influential preacher like Rick Warren. Never mind the thousands of devout Christians and Christian leaders who support organizations like World Vision, World Relief, Bread for the World, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and Opportunity International -- and take seriously Jesus' command to clothe, feed and care for the poor, the disenfranchised, and the broken.

Chilling

I admit that I have mixed feelings about Amnesty International, but this latest public service ad to come out of AI is stunningly chilling to the bone. Like it or not, think this is unpatriotic or not, images like this are a predictable and unsurprising part of being at war.

Hat tip: @osocio

Aude Sapere: Eating Clay

I was less than satisfied with my pasta salad dinner last night. But women in Africa are eating clay. That's right, DIRT.

How do I always manage to take my life for granted?

globeandmail.com: Doctors, activists work to stop clay eating in Africa

The lure of social media

For all your social media haters (and hater wannabes), this one is for you.

How Would God Vote?

Take it for what you will. I just thought the blog debate "How Would God Vote" was interesting and worth the read.

You can start at the beginning of the debate between "conservative" David Klinghoffer and "liberal" Jim Wallis and scroll through their responses -- or you can go to specific responses, as they tickle your fancy:

1. Klinghoffer: Let's Clarify the Politics of the Bible
2. Wallis: The Bible is Neither Conservative Nor Liberal
3. Klinghoffer: The Theme is Moral Responsibility
4. Wallis: Personal and Social Responsibility
5. Klinghoffer: What are God's Real Politics?
6. Wallis: Biblical Perspectives on Idolatry, Poverty, Abortion
7. Klinghoffer: The Bible Says Poverty and Morality are Connected
8. Wallis: Let's Agree to Disagree

The tone gets a little tense towards the middle-end -- in a polite, verbal throwdown kind of way!

Enjoy.

If you have 10 minutes ...

... Check this out.

I scored a 48. It's surprisingly more difficult than it seems. NO CHEATING!

Twitter Twouble?

Enough with the heavy stuff, I say.

There's some trouble brewin' in Congress over ... wait for it ... Twitter.

Yep, that's right - the microblogging website that lets you update the world with your every move in 140 characters or less. Get this -- two Congressmen, John Culberson (R-TX) and Tim Ryan (D-OH) are frequent tweeters and my friend @Batterista has been interacting with them regularly through Twitter. A direct line of communication to our government representatives! What a breakthrough! What a fabulous way to leverage technology to close the ever-widening gap between the people and their government! Democracy at its best!

Except that the Democrats want to shut it down.

Check out the story at Batterista Blog and see how the Democrats are essentially trying to censor the online communication of government representatives, including posts to blogs, Twitter and YouTube.

I think it'd be great if all our reps were tweeters. It's way more interesting than C-SPAN. Only problem would be the implosion of the Twitter platform and the complete and utter domination of the Fail Whale (which, by the way, now has its own Wikipedia page).

Whoa.

Brilliant video. Simple yet stunning. And shocking.

Story telling

Fantastic example of storytelling and, as a result, a fantastic promotional piece for Save the Children.

Have you ever heard of Eglantyne Jebb? Yeah, me neither but she was a "a woman born over a century ago, that you've probably never heard of, and whose achievements you will never forget."

Check out her story, Lessons in Leadership, and pick up a few tips along the way.

(special thanks to @socialbttrfly for sharing Jebb's story)

And I'm not even 30

That's it!

I've finally arrived.

I'm old.

I have just crossed that threshold from being carefree in my 20s to having an old soul. And it happened this very evening. I know it happened because I was listening to my new, 25-year-old roommate explain how she wants to rearrange the living room to accommodate her furniture ... and her suggestions irked me.

They weren't inherently bad suggestions -- they were just suggestions that I didn't agree with. (I hate having the television as the focal point for a living room, especially if it's housed in an ugly ass entertainment center left by my old roommate. There's a reason the entertainment center currently serves as the liquor cabinet!) Then I noticed her coffee table and end table and how they were polar opposites to my taste in home decor. And I saw that she didn't own a normal sized sofa -- just a love seat and a "chair and a half." And I wanted my own, more tasteful painting on the large wall instead of a hodge-podge of picture frames. And, most of all, I didn't want to compromise.

Suddenly, it hit me. I wanted my own furniture, in my own house, arranged my way. I don't want to come home and roll my eyes at the coffee table every day. Don't get me wrong -- both of my roommates are wonderful girls and their stuff is not at all ugly or distasteful ... it's just not my style. And even though, in the end, I will compromise on the decor decisions, I'm tired of dealing with other people's style.

I don't know when I started to care so much about what my home looked like but I care now. What a burden! Life was much simpler when I could live in a rundown, not-up-to-code, cheaper-than-dirt apartment with no A/C, no washer/dryer, up three flights of stairs. Alas, those days are gone.

Farewell, youth. Looks like I'll be saddled with a coterie of cats, dentures, Metamucil overdoses, rheumatism, and the gout by the end of the year.

The Loud Silence Of Feminists

I had a really intense conversation last week about diversity in the workplace, racism and sexism. As you might imagine, the conversation continued well into the small hours of the morning. Though there were many different points that were made, one of the main nuggets of contention was that women and minorities are under-represented in Fortune 500 board rooms and executive suites because there simply aren’t enough qualified women and minorities. The person making that argument did concede that part of the reason for this dearth of talent was discrimination, but refused to let up that the numbers don’t lie – there are simply more white men out there who are qualified.

It was a mostly constructive conversation and one of the most interesting pieces was the discussion about whether hiring "diverse" candidates is just the right thing to do or it's actually good for business and the bottom line. We also talked about the need to recognize the importance of diversity in socio-economic levels. But, at the end of it all, what disturbed me the most was what I view as an excuse for institutionalized discrimination – the idea that America just doesn’t have enough women and minorities who are qualified to be top leaders of Fortune 500 companies.

It’s the same excuse that we’ve been hearing for the past 30 years. And with high school and college graduation rates among women and minorities rising a whole lot faster than for men, it does not make any logical sense that they are underrepresented simply because there are too few of them. For example, the latest census data show that 33% of women aged 25-29 have a bachelor’s degree as compared to 26% of their male counterparts. So, no, I just don’t buy into the idea that the overwhelming presence of white men in board rooms and executive suites across America is due to their higher education and better qualifications.

But!

Interestingly, I came across a fascinating opinion piece, "The Loud Silence Of Feminists", in which the author accuses feminists of keeping a deafening silence on the sexist treatment of Michelle Obama. She makes a good point. So, no, I don’t blame “the white man” for all the problems facing underrepresented groups – there is an institutionalized discrimination system in the U.S. and all of us play a role in keeping it there.

Musings on Life

Someone just sent me this latest video from Tony Perkins, posing an abortion question to Barack Obama.



Now, I have to tell you. While I am not pro-abortion, I firmly believe that no one has a right to talk about being pro-life unless they are applying a consistent life-affirming perspective. A right to life does not end after birth, nor does it end if you are terminally ill, nor after you’ve committed a crime.

My problem with Tony's video is not that he’s challenging Obama. He has every right to challenge and question a presidential candidate’s position on abortion. And I agree with him that abortion is not the choice God wants us to make. My problem is that Tony’s solution to the pro-life debate seems to be mostly about shutting down Planned Parenthood, overturning Roe v. Wade, and supporting capital punishment. At least, that’s what you see when you receive his email newsletters, as I do. He and the Family Research Council remain conspicuously silent on the 30,000 children that die each day from preventable causes – no mention of them on the FRC’s “Issues” page. And this video only underscores the omission.

If Jesus came so that everyone could live life in all its fullness, then why shouldn’t we also make that our goal? Surely God also does not choose for 30,000 children to die every day on our watch.

The Girl Effect

Since my last post was about a girl's story, I thought I'd follow up with this amazing video... As if you need another reason to support Gift Hawa and One Home Many Hopes.





Just so you know, one of the organizations that benefits from The Girl Effect campaign was started by an Ashoka fellow! Check it out. Ashoka is the leading organization for social entrepreneurs and it just so happens I'm interning there over the summer. The graduate student interns have started a blog and I'll be cross-posting between the two. Stay tuned for more info! Be inspired!

Aude Sapere: A Girl Named Gift

At age six, a girl named Gift Hawa was foraging the streets of Mombasa, Kenya, with her infant brother strapped to her back. Their mother had just died of AIDS and they were left on their own. Only Gift survived.

With the help of Mombasa's street children, a generous journalist named Anthony Mulongo found Gift, adopted her into his Nairobi home, enrolled her in a boarding school and hired a housekeeper to care for her during school holidays.

Today, Anthony and Gift have been joined by more than 30 other girls from the Kenyan streets in a new home called Mudzini Kwetu -- Swahili for "Our Home." The girls now have a family, attend school, have a safe place to sleep and to eat -- and they have another chance at enjoying childhood and life in all its fullness.

But it gets better! These girls are not only making a better life for themselves and their sisters, but their story is inspiring a small band of supporters from around the world. Led by a Northern Irishman in Boston (who, yeah, okay, is an old friend of mine -- full disclosure!), these folks have created their own organization to support Mudzini Kwetu and the girls. Through One Home Many Hopes, they've already raised thousands of dollars to alleviate the skyrocketing food costs, build a play area, start a small garden and farm, and purchase two cows. And probably more, but I can't keep track of it all.

I just love when stories like Gift's reach across the globe and inspire action - not only from individuals but in journalists too! Get to know Gift's story -- and if you're interested in keeping up with One Home Many Hopes, you can sign up for their mailing list here.

A dangerous leftist agenda!

Watch out, folks! There's a dangerous leftist agenda about.

My house just received a letter from the Black America's Political Action Committee, self-identified as BAMPAC. And if you think that acronym is unfortunate, just wait til you read what Alan Keyes, BAMPAC chairman, had to say about Barack Obama. Alan Keyes, of course, was the last-minute, black Republican stand-in to run against Obama for the Illinois senate seat. And lost.

The following excerpts are being reprinted here verbatim. No joke. The only difference is that the original letter used underlining, which I've represented as italics.

" ... Barack Obama represents the political evil that threatens to destory our conscience and our freedom ...

... Mr. Obama is a hard-core pro-abortion, anti-defense, pro-homosexual marriage, anti-sovereignty, pro-tax, anti-religious liberty leftist ...

... Those in this election who adore Mr. Obama, are also those who hate America, hate the truths of the Declaration of Independence on which America is founded, including the idea that our rights come from God and not from human choice. And frankly, with enemies both abroad and here at home determined to destroy our creed, we who love this country, our Constitution, and all that our nation stands for are morally bound to speak the truth about Mr. Obama ...

... What's more, we also plan to open up the REAL Barack Obama and his dangerous leftist agenda for America to see. An agenda that includes:

• surrender in Iraq;
• retreat in the war against radical Islam;
• the appeasement of Iran, North Korea, Red China and other dangerous enemies;
• the giveaway of our sovereignty to the United Nations;
• "amnesty" for illegal aliens;
• wide-open borders;
• higher taxes and federal spending;
• draconian environmental regulations;
• unconstitutional restrictions on gun ownership; and
  
• a "right" to universal healthcare

This is just the tip of the iceberg ...

... I took on Barack Obama in an improbably campaign for the same reason Black American's PAC and I are taking him on again: He is not just a run of the mill leftist. He represents the evil that most threatens liberty in America and that must be kept out of the White House at all costs at this crucial pivotal moment in America's history."

And that, my friends, is that.

Wow.

The only thing better than this letter is the opening animation for the BAMPAC home page.

Be fed and be a holy troublemaker

I spent my weekend at a wonderful conference called Pentecost 2008 -- it was a gathering of people of faith who want to put ending poverty at the top of everyone's priority list. Good people! We had the opportunity to hear from some absolutely incredible people, including Jim Wallis and Brian McLaren -- two wonderfully prophetic voices who inspire me to live life deeply and purposefully. Other notable speakers included John Unger, who worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, James Lawson, who worked with Martin Luther King Jr., and Alexia Salvatierra, an ordained pastor doing phenomenal work in creating economic justice for low-income workers.

And, as always, the best part of attending these conferences is the company you are honored to keep, kindred spirits who challenge you, love you, and motivate you. I just drank up the fellowship with dear, old friends and look forward to more time with the new friends.

The driving force behind this conference is the mobilization of resources around a campaign called Vote Out Poverty -- the purpose is to call our nation's elected leaders to go on record and come up with real ways to address poverty in the U.S. and around the world. There are 90 million working Americans who struggle with poverty -- and that is deplorable.

So, stay tuned for more information! Pentecost 2008 did such a good job of motivating me that I got talked into starting up the local campaign in my church and neighboorhood. My roommate, who I now call Five Star, is heading up the effort and I have no doubt she'll be putting me to work soon.

I hope you, dear readers, have a chance to attend an event that refreshens and rewards you as much as Pentecost did for me. Go and feed that spirit of yours!



----------------
Now playing: Henryk Goreki - Sostenuto Tranquillo Ma Catabile
via FoxyTunes

Be a Mooch!!

For you book-lovers, this site is absolute HEAVEN.

You go to Bookmooch.

Post your own books, receive a request for them.

Send the books to the requester, get points.

Find a book you want.

Use your points to get the book.

How stinkin' fabulous is THAT?!?!