MLK

It's hard for me to watch...

It's hard for me to watch the goings on of the Republican presidential race. And it's not that I begrudge the Republicans their politics or their right to disagree with me. I'm not sure how different their Tea Party is from those who are occupying Wall Street right now.  Underneath bravado we are all just flawed humans beings prone to over simplifying complex issues.

What gets me though is the way they have high jacked my faith. At the prayer breakfast if the Holy Spirit speaks it is always in favor of tax cuts and less government regulation and preemptive military action. The Holy Spirit never comes out in favor of anything without clearing it with the Republican Party.

The Bibilist vow to put God back in the public schools, as if God were a small plaster icon and not the Creator of the universe. Evidently they can attend prayer rallies and sense the Spirit's presence. I don't. The public invocation (Father God, bless us, Father God, we ask you hear us, Father God hear this conference, Father God, of Northeast Iowa caucus voters, father God...) is a piece of sanctimonious boilerplate with the spiritual weight of a postage stamp.  It has no connection to my understanding of prayer, the offering of myself in the presence of the Creator: Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world have mercy upon us. Or in Merton's words: the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. Saying the names of loved ones, putting myself wordlessly under God's wing, this is the prayer I known and understand. Campaign prayer is simply political speech directed at God as if She needed instruction. Why are these candidates and their followers so willing to exploit the Christian faith for  political mileage? I can't answer that.

I just know that for all the prayers, if you try to find the love of God at work in the major political parties of America it may take you awhile.

It's okay to reconginize our differences

I know it’s been a while and this is going to sound like an odd thing to post about, but it’s been bugging me. So I’m posting.


With Mitt Romney, a Mormon, running for president there have been questions raised about the Mormon Church’s relationship to Christianity.

I want to preface what I’m about to say with this: I’m not attacking Mormons. They’re nice, good people. I’m not questioning a Mormon’s ability to be a good president. Being Christian should not be a prerequisite for holding public office, especially in America where freedom of religion is the law of the land.
I also recognize that there are lot of people who are Christian who don’t agree. I realize that there are some things that I believe that other Christians don’t. That doesn’t make me not Christian. There are some things that other Christians believe that I don’t. That doesn’t make them not Christian.

That said, Mormon’s aren’t Christian. There are key doctrines of faith that unite Christians with each other and at the same time distinguish Christianity from other faiths. These are the doctrines that make Christians not Jewish. Or Muslim. Or Buddhist. Or Mormon.

I realize that there is a lot of nuance in any faith, and I’m not at all claiming to know or understand the totality of what the Mormon Church professes. These are just key doctrines in which Christians and Mormon’s differ.

Christians teach:
Belief in one eternal triune God,
the Almighty, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
God has no beginning and no end.

Mormons teach:
God the Father is only one of countless gods,
He used to be a man on another planet.
He became a god by following the laws and ordinances of that god in that world.

Christians teach:
Jesus is the Christ, and is “one Being with the Father”
through him all things were made.
He came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
Mormons teach:
God brought one of his wives with him to this world
with whom he produces spirit children who then inhabit human bodies at birth.
The first spirit child to be born to god and his wife was Jesus.
Second was Satan.
We are all also spirit children.

Christians teach:
Jesus was crucified, died and was resurrected for the sake of our salvation. Salvation is understood to mean the forgiveness of our sins through the grace of God.
Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. Christian hope is looking forward to the day of resurrection when God’s kingdom will be united with earth and have no end.

Mormons teach:
One must follow the laws and ordinances of the Mormon church in order to earn forgiveness.
Salvation is both forgiveness of sins and the promise of universal resurrection.

Mormons can say they are Christian all they want, but that doesn’t make it so. When one group starts with a belief in one eternal God that created the universe and the other group starts with the belief in a man who became one of many gods back when he lived on a different planet, they aren’t sharing a common frame of reference.

Tomorrow we are leaving...

Tomorrow we are leaving for Walt Disney World AND tomorrow is also my 29th birthday. Although I think I reached a point several birthdays ago where turning a year older wasn't a socially acceptable thing to celebrate, I've relished in them. However, I have to say that this birthday in particular is the one I haven't been running towards with open arms. There is nothing even remotely redeeming about turning 29; it doesn't come with special privileges, and there isn't even a "turning 29" section in the birthday section at Hallmark. It's totally forgettable, and the only purpose it serves it to remind me that I'm still not even 30.

I guess I'm scared more than anything, not of getting old, but of what could possibly happen to me in this 29th year. I honestly thought my life couldn't get any more hectic than when I was 27, and then I turned 28 and all HELL broke loose: Alex went to middle school, I lost my job and started working for French people, I started hanging out with a guy, I've been accepted into seminary, moved upstairs, AND taught my daughter how to take a shower daily. You could say I'm a bit fatigued.

It's also weird because I've always been the youngest person in any group. I'm the youngest of three children, I was always one of the youngest people in my class at school, I'm always the youngest parent among Alex's friends, and I've always kept much older friends. Now this is all starting to change, and I'm the granny in the group. I find that when I tell a kid in college my age they sort of shudder with this look in their eyes, like, my god, this woman is ANCIENT, she actually remembers what it was like to be alive in the 80s! At church when I mingle with parents my age, their children are potty training. When I talk about my daughter's ipod downloads and ask for opinions on cellphone usage and study habits, all I get are blank stares. Really, it was almost better when people my age had no children.

I've decided that for my birthday I'm going to ask for things I know I can't have so that I won't be disappointed when I actually don't get them. Had I learned this trick at the age of five life would have been a much more enjoyable.

This list includes:

1. A vase of fresh flowers that won't die.

2. A brand new ibook.

3. A two and a half hour 3-D movie that contains nothing more than footage of  Anderson Cooper reporting live from war-torn countries dressed in Prada and looking at the camera with those bright blue eyes.

4. A never ending pan of chocolate chip cookies that will not make me fat.

5. That my daughter will stop grunting and rolling her eyes at me.

6. Fresh, minty clean breath (and farts) for my dog.

7. A promise from God or Allah or whoever is in charge that this trip to Disney World where I spend six nights sharing a hotel room with both my mom AND my dad is not going to totally suck.

8. A functioning national public school system where the curriculum is set by educators and not self-serving political hacks.

9. Three fiery meteors hitting the earth, one on the headquarters of FOX NEWS, one on the headquarters of AT&T Wireless, and one on the head of Texas Governor Rick Perry. (Rick Perry is the devil, which should be obvious from his hair.)

10. Free health care for everyone.

Divided We Stand

As our new Congress begins a long, hard fight over a new budget, political commentators ring their hands and worry that our country is too divided. The speech is too visceral. While I think there is plenty of room to argue for more civil conversations in Washington, D.C. I think its important to remember that it was on this day in 1801 that the presidential election was decided for Thomas Jefferson by the House of Representatives. The election laws were quite different at the time. Each elector in the Electoral College was allowed to cast two votes. On top of that, each political party nominated two candidates. So the election was between four men, two from each party, and the result was a tie between Jefferson and his fellow Republican Party member Aaron Burr. The tie meant that the election had to be decided in the House of Representatives.

The first vote in the House was held during a blizzard on February 11, 1801. By 3:00 a.m. the following morning, 19 roll calls had been taken, but they'd all been deadlocked. Three days later, the deadlock was still unbroken. Commentators began to worry that Congress would have to adjourn before selecting a new president, meaning that the country would be without an executive branch for several months. John Adams feared that this situation might result in civil war. Some people in Virginia said that they would secede from the Union if Jefferson didn't take the presidency. Others in the Republican Party announced that they would drive the Federalists from Congress by force if necessary.

The election was finally decided when the lone representative from Delaware chose to abstain from voting. And so, on this day in 1801, Jefferson was elected the third president of the United States. Aaron Burr became Vice President and of course is fondly remembered for mortally wounding his friend and political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel while he held that office.
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Making Up Stories...

On this cool night in Houston I see a little breeze in the trees as I look out my window, dozens of lighted windows of private lives, one of which is mine. I am reminded of this by the fact that 100 yards away a small number of Arab men have gathered. Their voices are just loud enough for me to hear. I don't speak Farsi, so I imagine them discussing recent events of the day.

I leave the blogging world for a few weeks and Egypt over throws her dictator and the Middle East is in an uproar. If I had only realized the impact I have the world I would have stopped blogging a lot sooner. I’ve always been a fan of revolutions, especially when they evolve from the masses and so count me as one who is eager to see what path these freedom fighters decided to take. Now that the good old USA is too weak to exert his influence in every corner of the globe, perhaps these countries will be free to find their own voice, apart from the influence of Western threats and bribes. For once our talking heads are forced to sit on the sidelines while the true players decided their fates. So I will refrain from offering my further opinions.

This is what we do in a big city: we make up stories about each other. I take my brown haired daughter to a crowded restaurant and she gazes into faces as we wait to be seated and because its a local eatery and not the Olive Garden there is an astonishing variety of faces, all shades, all shapes, all hairstyles from punk to post-hair. The entire city of Houston isn't like this. You get far enough away from the center and suddenly everyone looks rather similar — it's like the old joke about the little ant who was confused because all his uncles were ants — but in the center there's plenty to catch your eye. I have to remind her of the five-second rule. You can stare at anybody for five seconds but then you have to look away. Look but don't make a scene.

I have a hard time comprehending why anyone would want to be out of reach of such a rich tapestry of sights, sounds and cultures. I haven't quite wrapped my mind around preferring a McMansion that has been locked away from the world to a comfortable two bedroom surround my lights, noise and the richness of diverse and interesting neighbors.

Check your ego for the Greater Good

Republicans used their second day in charge of the House to read the Constitution to each other. This is good. Holding the majority of one chamber of Congress will require both political parties to decide who they are. Are Democrats really interested in unemployment, health care, banking regulation and the long-term health of the planet? Are Republicans still just angry that a non-citizen and practicing Muslim got elected president so he could send death panels around to enslave us in the chains of Mexican Marxists?

Nobody looks on the marathon health-care debate and the latest stimulus bill as a noble chapter in political science. No legislator is going to have a hospital or school named for him in honor of his heroic work. (Maybe a parking ramp.) Meanwhile, one-sixth of our population is without health insurance, and over ten percent are unemployed while the wealth gap gross and the middle class disappears.

If our nation is to learn anything from the shooting rampage that took place at a gathering for political dialogue in Arizona this weekend, both parties will have to wake up and realize that running on anger is not such a great idea. For one thing, it's hard to sustain. Government does not change when you yell at it. The world doesn't run on slogans and ideology, it runs on compromise and paperwork. Government can not be run on Blue or Red ideals alone, there being so many purple people occupying flyover country. One has to wonder if our Congressmen realize that our Constitution was written in order to form a more perfect UNION and not simply a cluster of warring ideologues. The remarkable thing about great Statesmen are not their high ideals, that at some point differences and ego are set aside for the greater good.

My heart was gladdened by an official-looking sign in the Bush airport when I went to pick up Alex the other day. Just beyond the TSA checkpoint, hanging over where you put your shoes and coat back on and stuff your laptop back in the case: The sign said, "Recombobulation Area." The English language gains a new word. Recombobulate, America. Pull yourself together, tie your shoelaces, and check your over sized ego before boarding.

Thank God Its Thursday

So now we have thrown some rascals out and left some rascals in power and sent some new folks to Washington to learn the art of rascality, and what in the end, after all the hoopla, will really change when the town drunks continue to run the municipal liquor store?

The Political Bulls remind me of an old coot who used to sit in my row when I attended the Episcopalian church, a guy who favored plaid dress shirts and a string tie with a turquoise clasp and who had an elaborate comb-over, a real piece of hair architecture. He muttered to himself through the sermon and never put more than one dollar in the collection plate. I guessed that he attended for the sake of his wife, a plump lady who sat between him and me. What he truly dreaded every Sunday morning was the exchange of peace. To shake hands with people nearby and say "The peace of the Lord" did not come naturally to him.

I didn't like it either. I was young and idealistic and thought those Episcopalians had more than enough peace, what they needed was some slapping around, not hand-shaking. But I was amused by how wary the guy got when the peace was exchanged and ladies went gallivanting around the sanctuary, hugging, having meaningful moments. He stood facing straight forward and wished everyone would keep their peace to themselves. I always leaned over to shake hands with his missus, and he turned away, avoiding eye contact.

One morning, during the exchange, the lady in front of me, turning to embrace me, lost her corsage. It fell at my feet and I looked down for it and accidentally kicked it and then went to retrieve it and stepped past the plump lady, and the old coot turned, horror-stricken, to see me coming. He tried to retreat but was blocked by other worshippers. I was one of the few people in that congregation under the age of 60 and maybe he expected me to plant a major peace on him — and then he saw me bend down and pick up the flower. He looked disgusted. It was what they call a transforming moment. I had always looked down on the guy and here he was, upset, because he thought I was going to love him up. He stuck out his hand to fend me off and I shook it.

The way to move forward in this political climate is for Political Bulls to praise each other for their courage and foresight and compassion until you scare them to death and they let important, true reforms pass. The way to fight these guys is to make them think you might like them.

Importance of Words

I have become increasingly uneasy with the prevailing conversations in the public domain. I have become increasingly uneasy with the knee jerk reactions, generalizations and simplifications.

Language is more than a means of communication. Words carry special potency. What is spoken, names what is really present. In the traditions of North American Indians, words and their sounds are born in the breath of the being from whom they proceed. Breath is a life principal - words are sacred and must be used with care and responsibility. They are enhanced by the understanding that breath comes from within in us, from within our spiritual center. Even an unspoken thought has potency and potential.

In the Christian tradition, the Gospel according to John tells us that the Word was with God. God said, let there be... and then there was. The Word was made flesh. Word is life. The languages of antiquity are rooted in passion. Over time many cultures have become disconnected from the passionate roots of their language. Perhaps we have become disconnected from our human experience.

In the traditions of the East it is widely believed that the word/sound "ohm" is the seed of the universe and the seed of all creation that can be heard reverberating in all life forms. Practically all religions, over time have come to find the sacred through sound. Whether it be with chants, calls to worships or corporate prayers the common thread has been the discovery of the sacred through spoken words.

Language usage is the reflection of our consciousness. What we say is of the utter-most importance. What we say matters. Words become solid. Become flesh. We are manifestations of our thinking patters. Harsh words can only translate into harsher realities. Sooner or later we must realize that we are liable for what and how we speak.

Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

Today is Bastille Day. Its the French national holiday that commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789. The Bastille had been a fortress in Paris that had been a place political dissidents were sometimes held for arbitrary offenses at the command of the King. But on this day in 1789, the fortress-prison housed only seven prisoners and none of them were actually political dissidents. Still, for the French people, the Bastille had become a symbol of the royal tyranny they needed to overthrow.

Revolutionaries had gathered at the base of the fortress in the morning and, just after lunchtime they attacked. After hours of bloody skirmishes 98 of the revolutionary attackers had died and just one of the fort's guards had been killed. But the French government's commander, fearing an all-out massacre, had surrendered. The revolutionary forces stabbed him, decapitated him, and put his head on a pike to carry around in victory.

It was a catalyst for other events of the Revolution: Soon feudalism was abolished, then the "Declaration of Rights and Men and the Citizen" was proclaimed. One year after the storming of the Bastille, the French established the holiday, "Fete de la Federation", or Feast of the Federation, to celebrate the successful end of the French Revolution and the constitutional monarchy they had established. But France was still a long way from a modern democratic republic. A few years later came the Regine of Terror, and the French citizens executed King Louis the XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette and other fellow French citizens. And then in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte seized control and declared himself emperor.

Many would also note that the French Revolution took a decidedly atheistic tone. To put this phenomenon in proper perspective one should also note that the Catholic Church in France was the government. During the middle ages, the Western Church became synonymous with the authority of corrupt monarchs. The Church had become nothing more than a prominent political player and oppressor. Therefore one could not dismantle a King ostensibly anointed by God without also dismantling that god in the process.

Fun fact: Today is also the anniversary of the 14th of July Revolution in Iraq. On this day in 1958 the Iraqi military staged a revolution, executed the British-allied King Faisal II and his family and called for democratic elections of a president. Two weeks later the constitution for the new Republic of Iraq was written.

It might also be fun to note that the Cubans revolted in their quest for equality, and overthrew the repressive dictator Fulgencio Batista on July 26, 1953.

Do you think its the heat of July adds the much needed fire to social unrest?

Post Memorial Day

As my late Memorial Day tribute to our fallen soldiers I offer the same photograph I posted this time last year. It was taken by an AP photographer and it says everything I could never put into words. I had planed to blog entry about Memorial Day and the sacrifice our troops have made through out history, and especially today when thousands of them have died because our leaders want to be able to call Withdrawal 'Victory', but I didn't get around to it.

On Saturday afternoon I developed a rash, which by Sunday afternoon was covering my whole body and driving me insane with itchiness even oatmeal baths could not contain. Thank goodness one of my dear friends is a nurse who diagnoses all of my odd aliments. My rash, according to Nurse Curly Locks, is an allergic reaction to something. What I don't know. I just spent the holiday in a Benadryl stupor and I have to say, I've improved slightly. Here's hoping this has all gone soon so I can think again.

On Memorial Day we hear a lot of stories about soldiers who gave their lives for our country, but I think its equally important to remember that many were not given, they were taken, and taken stupidly and carelessly. There has been a great public piety about those soldiers and their "sacrifice" on the part of the politicians who blithely sacrificed them. My hope for us all would be that, having properly remembered those who have died wearing a United States of America military uniform, we seriously ask ourselves how those lives might have been saved.

So Health Care...

So the health care debate is coming to a vote this week (I think); heated debate about this bill, in Washington DC and throughout the Unites States of America means that we won't be hearing about much else for the foreseeable future.

Part of me feels like I should have written about this topic long ago. I should have said something on this blog to declare my position on the subject. I should have said something about the fact that I don't see health care as a political issue, its a moral issue. I am a Christian after all and doesn't the bible say things like...

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed
by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the
creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you
looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then
the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and
invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or
in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of
the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

I also have a personal stack in this fight. You see, I'm an American citizen. I pay taxes. And guess what? I use the health care system. Just the other day I opened a medical bill for a whooping $1500. I guess I shouldn't have splurged on that MRI in January.

But I have kept quiet. I tend not to go into these things too much because of where I live and who my family is. I live in the South. In the land of "We don't need you! I'm just fine on my own!" And every time I walk into my parent's house they are watching those fair and balanced sages on Fox News. So I just keep my thoughts to myself. Its much safer that way.

It seems we are at a point in this country were no matter how much one tries to explain and appeal to reason, no matter how much and how often one might point out that other countries have solved this problem, the hole we are digging ourselves into is just going to keep getting deeper. This has nothing to do with reason or evidence. Contrary to what many might say the people opposed to reform are not blind idiots. This is tribal war. One can never overstate the power of resentment in American politics.

Ordinary Time

Today was just an ordinary day. I got out of bed with plenty of time to shower, brush my teeth and walk the dog. My daughter managed to find shoes that wouldn't alarm her teachers or move strangers to offer to buy her a new pair.

We went to work and school safe in the knowledge that an American had won the men's figure skating competition and the snowboard half pike and the women's down hill ski. Is it just me or does the Olympic medal race mean less and less now that the cold war is over? Earlier this week the Americans beat the Chinese at hockey, 12 to 2. They may own our economy, but we still kicked their ass on the ice.

It was Peanut M&M Friday at the office, and the military has re branded our war. Its no longer Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now its Operation Dawn. In other sports news Tiger Woods reminded us that his life may be falling apart, but he still has a brand to protect. There are a lot of people counting on him for their paycheck. Least we forget, he's human.

At four o'clock Alex is off the bus and eating ice cream with my mother when she calls to ask about dinner. Pizza? No, dinner with my friend and her baby who is almost one. We live five miles apart and haven't seen each other in a month. Babies grow fast, not like kids who seem to just evolve over time. I miss babies. I miss having someone small enough to hold in my arms. But I don't miss the bottles or the dipper bags filled with toys. I much prefer the ten year old who can sit and listen while we talk in code about things she will understand within the year.

Ten is a good age, but tonight I did regret that I have lost the 4 year old that could laugh with me while I danced to Vanilla Ice singing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle rap. I would trade those rolling eyes for dimpled cheeks any day of the week. Even if she is too cool for me she is not too cool to fall asleep on the couch before the movie ends. Ten thirty is still late to her.

It was an ordinary day for the world, for childhood. So we carried on just like always, too smart for our own good.

They're At It Again

Up to date live coverage at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/09/iran-uprising-blogging-th_n_228454.html

They are out it again. After the brutal crack down on demonstrations it was starting to look as though the streets of Iran had gone silent. Not so. At least, not today. Today demonstrators took to the streets to rally in honor of the anniversary of the student uprisings of 1999. The police fought back all day, but the crowds did not disperse. Now that it is night in Iran, cries of "Allah Akbar" are being shouted from the roof tops once more.

Happy Independance Day

I know I'm a day late. Here is a little poem by Ani Difranco.

Hall of Presidents: A Celebration of Liberty’s Leaders

Barak Obama, Hall of Presidents
Magic Kingdom, Disney World 2009

Disney imagineers have been hard at work, re-imagining the classic Hall of Presidents. I will admit that it has been years since I have seen it, but I am looking forward to seeing the new changes. They have updated the theater, sound system, animictroic figures and most importantly the film.

George Washington will speak for the first time, and Lincoln will recite the Gettysburg address. And following tradition of the sitting president's voice being heard, Obama will recite the oath of office and say a few words about the American dream. Of course, all 44 presidents will be on stage and be featured in the famous roll call.

The show isn't officially open yet, but all the reports I have seen coming out of the previews have been favorable. I'm looking forward to seeing it again, and not just to see the new president. I'm happy to hear that the focus of the show has shifted from the civil war to the office of the president. Its a unique position that has evolved a lot over time. I'm glad that story is finally being told in a great display of edutainment that mixes pageantry and robots in a way that is truly kitchtastic.

Hat tip to wdwmagic.com

The Twitter Revolution

Iranian supporters of defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi

Tehran, Iran on June 15, 2009.

Photo by Getty courtesy of The Huffington Post

I don't tweet on Twitter. Either my life is boring or I'm just not that narcissistic. You want to hear something crazy? I have never even been on Twitter. I don't know what the site even looks like. Until this week I had thrown it away as another way for us to be detracted from the true experience of our lives. Who can really communicate the depth of life in 140 characters?

The Iranians can. The supporters of defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi have taken to the streets. Even as the foreign press is being systematically barred from covering the story and documenting history the protesters are still being heard. Through cyber space. All of that social networking that I admit, I had thrown away as useless garbage is changing the world. No one controls the news anymore. The victors can't rewrite history with the stroke of a pen because there are too many people out there typing and making their voices heard.

Is this leading to a whole new revolution. Most experts don't seem to think so. Then again, a lot of this reminds me of the first revolution back in the 1970s (not that I was born then, but I've read about it in books). Plan clothes paramilitaries breaking into crowds and trying to cause chaos. Revolutionary guards on motorcycles terrorizing people. Back then no one new what the revolution was turning into until it had already turned. I think we might be seeing history repeating itself. I don't think anyone really knows where this thing is leading. The people in the streets are calling for the votes to be counted, but at this point, I'm not sure this will all stop there.

Gosh I love politics.

All Rivers Flow Into the Sea

President Obama with survivor Elie Weisel

Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Germany

by Associated Foreign Press

Alex and I went to the library last week. The book I wanted wasn't there. Alex had picked out all the books she wanted to read. All the books the library had about mice... and the latest Allie Finkle. I circled the shelves. I looked for my favorite authors, Hornby, Irving, Austen, Graham, nothing. I circled some more. Finally Alex was ready to leave. We had a graduation party to get to.

I grabbed a book that had caught my eye several times. A memoir of Elie Weisel. I read Night in school and I have heard him speak several times on CSPAN. "His life would be interesting to learn" I thought. As I started to read I realized that I had picked up the second half of his life, 1969 to whenever it was first published. This is not a book of his childhood. His struggles to survive and find a life after the war. This is about after all of that. His life as a writer, professor and lecturer. He writes about the people he has met. The events of the world that he has observed and participated in. Its interesting.

Then Thursday Obama visits Ciro. The time difference means that I can watch the speech live in the early morning hours. I found it intriguing. I wondered Where does this lead us to? and remembering the book I am now engrossed in, What does Weisel think about all of this? I wish I could pick his brain at this moment.

Friday I learn that Obama will be visiting Buchenwald Concentration Camp. The anniversary of D-Day is approaching. He will be remembering the victims of the Holocaust and touring the camp with Elie Weisel and a few others. I am intrigued. I read the transcripts. I am moved by the man whose memoir I picked up without thinking. Who has made me start thinking again.

Update: Last night I read the chapter of Weisel's involvement in the creation of what eventually became the US Holocaust Museum. This afternoon I went upstairs to lunch only to see CNN reporting that there had been a shooting. It seems a lone gun man walked into the museum and shot guard.

Evil to Him Who Evil Thinks

Micheal Savage is threatening to sue the British Government. I never thought I would say this, but I agree with him. I have to admit, that when they announced the list of people band from entering the UK because of their extremest views and 'hate speech' I was really disappointed. While I have never been to the United Kingdom, I do love the culture. They have a fascinating history and smartest sense of humor. They also have a great tradition (since the Magna Carta) of political tolerance. It is where people like Marx and Lenin went to hang out after being kicked out of their own home countries. So why wasn't it front page news when the "Ban list" started in 2005?

I have to say, its all very disturbing. It is the classic illustration of the proverbial slippery slop. One day you are banning skinhead murderers and Islamic gehadist and the next day you are banning radio talk show personalities that you don't agree with. Now I'm not going to sit here and defend everything Savage has to say. The man is nuts. But a threat to society? Hardly.

The life of an Intellectual ....

Properties prosecution paralegal is really boring. I know this because I am one. Unlike criminal prosecution which involves juicy stories, negotiations, and trials, IP prosecution just involves a lot of paperwork. My job is to file and keep track of paper work. Most of this is falls between exceedingly mundane and impossible unintelligible. I have no idea what the Inhibitors of C-KIT and Uses Thereof refers to nor why the world needs a Digital Restriction Enzyme Analysis of Methylation.

So when something happens across my desk that I can identify with, I'm pleased. And today it happened. In the course of filing a trademark in the United Arab Emirates, I had some documents legalized. They were returned to me today after making the rounds from the Texas Department of State, The UAE Embassy and the US Department of State. Signed and Sealed. Signed by Hillary Clienton.

I am almost tempted to keep them. Tell our clients they were lost in the mail and we would have to restart the process. I don't know why, but I felt great pride when I saw the important looking paper describing the former first lady as our Secretary of State. Now it really has sunk in just how much our world has changed since I was born. I'm only 26!

I remember watching when Hillary and Bill stumbled out the woods of Arkansas and rose from political obscurity to become the savors of the Democratic party. I remember Hillary's really bad hair cuts and her comments about Barbra Bush "making cookies". I remember the out rage of conservative women who felt that a wife had no business putting a toe in the political arena. Even if she was a highly respected and accomplished attorney she should spend her time making cookies, not policies.

Now look... our little Hillary is all grown up. And I can't help but feel that our country has grown with her.