Street Prophets

Good Morning! Hope your weekend has gone well.  I need to run over to Mom's and finish tiling her back splash.  The correct tiles arrived on Friday.  I will meet my fifth class on Tuesday night, then the first week of classes will be complete. I am savoring the morning--Maggie is asleep next to me, Zanz is curled up in the wing back chair. They were both very sweet as we woke up.  

I applaud Rachel Maddow in her guest host role on Countdown on Friday,  She actually finally called the Wrong Wing Liars!  Why does everyone else tip toe around it?  I also wish Rachel the best for her new show beginning on Monday. I am sick to DEATH of the Stepford Wrong wingers and McSame saying Obama accomplished nothing as a state Senator nor as a Senator!  He knows damned well that Obama has reached across the aisle and was co-sponsor of the most sweeping ethical changes in Senate rules!  I think Obama really needs to talk about his accomplishments and he needs to talk about what he did as a community organizer to show the ignorance of Palin.  I love the bumper sticker-- "Jesus was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a governor."  

Well, please grab a cup of something and some brunch type foods--try the danish--I got it from the bakery of a fabulous Italian restaurant--Abondante.  Let us know how you are doing--what you are eating and what you have planned for the week!

There's been a fair amount of notice about conservative legal scholar Doug Kmiec coming out in support of Barack Obama, and to be fair, Kmiec has taken some hits for it.

But man, I hope none of my Faith Outreach friends try to sell me Kmiec as an example of meeting in the middle on abortion. Kmiec is still an extreme right-winger:

Q. Would you like to see Roe v. Wade overturned?

A. Yes, but not on the terms usually suggested by Republicans. Roe is mistaken constitutional law not just because it invalidated state laws on the subject but because it is contrary to what is described as a self-evident truth in the Declaration of Independence, namely, that we have an unalienable right to life from our creator. It may surprise the general citizenry that not a single sitting justice utilizes the declaration as a source of interpretative guidance.

Whew.....3 days of classes done!  I am doing an overload to get some majors who require American Government through, so I get to say the same thing 3 times in a row....yikes.  Plus my 2 other courses.  It is hard to keep it fresh, but I can fix things that don't work.  All three classes have over 32 students each in them.  I am also teaching an hour earlier than usual.  I must say though that I can actually find a parking place, even though they have a parking lot blocked off because they are roofing my building.  The entire building is surrounded by scaffolding and one door is totally blocked--the door which is the easiest to get to--of course!  But boy am I sleepy!

I am so glad the Republican Convention is over.  Maybe I can get to sleep earlier... I had McCain's speech on, but just couldn't listen--he wants to unite the country and he has that woman screeching against all I believe in?  What a great way to unite us. Palin's voice is like nails on a blackboard.  I find her to be crude and honky tonk.  I do not see any dignity at all.  Margret Thatcher had dignity....even if I did disagree with her.  Do they have a midwestern sounding accent in Alaska?  Her accent is driving me to distraction.  They won't let her take questions from the press or even voters--she just keeps parroting the same lines.  I guess people want to see her, but then they want to see train wrecks.
Watching smarmy  commentators/spin doctors.  I have real concerns about why she wants to do this--people with that much ambition are frightening--I do question how she will be able to be involved in the intensive therapy and treatments her baby will need.  Her daughter is 17--she needs her mother at this time.  She is facing the birth of a child when she is too young...I dunno.  Mothers and Fathers are different.  They are equal, but different.  I still want my Mom when I am sick.  My beloved Daddy was hopeless--he just couldn't deal with life/blood/vomit etc.  I am also uncomfortable with the way Palin stretches the truth or outright lies--and she hasn't said much yet.  The jet wasn't sold on eBay, she didn't say no thanks to the bridge to no where until after Congress stopped the proposal--then she said no.....as well as a whole bunch of other things I have read.

So, what are your thoughts?  How was your week?  Any plans for the weekend?  The tiles arrived, so I want to finish Mom's back splash.  It looks fabulous so far. What are you eating and drinking?  Grab your favorite libation, some food and pull up a chair.  

A question for today:  What is your favorite food?  Mine is a meal my Mom makes called "Swiss Steak".  So very good with mashed potatoes!  It has tomato sauce, green beans, green peppers, and round steak--it is slow cooked.  It is very savory--yummmmmm!

Smoochies and hugs from me and the red girls!

"We have to catch up to history."  John, we're already here, speak for yourself.

And they want to run the country?  The most important moment of their convention and they screw up this much?  Can't tell one Walter Reed from another and the screw-up inadvertantly underscores McCain's wealth.  Wow.

Fact checking McCain

Faith in Public Life has statements from a number of them explaining their actual duties to Sarah Palin. Here's one example:

“As a life-long Republican, the comments I heard last night about community organizing crossed the line. It is one thing to question someone’s experience, another to demean the work of millions of hard working Americans who take time to get involved in their communities. When people come together in my church hall to improve our community, they’re building the Kingdom of God in San Diego. We see the fruits of community organizing in safer streets, new parks, and new affordable housing. It’s the spirit of democracy for people to have a say and we need more of it,”

said Bishop Roy Dixon, prelate of the Southern California 4th ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, member of the San Diego Organizing Project and former board chair of PICO National Network.

Some New York-based organizers are getting in on the fun, too. There are also a couple of Facebook groups, which I won't bore you with, and bumper stickers:

But this is my favorite response so far:

Yup.

Conservatives are thieves; if you visit this site, you know that. You also know that conservatives and authoritarians know that progressive concepts hold great appeal and great power and that is why they steal and pervert the meanings of those words.

They linked compassionate, a progressive word if there ever is one, with conservatism to steal its power for their own use.

Did you know that they have also done stolen to to the word maverick? It's true - the word maverick used to be the proud property of progressives. Most modern Democrats have not a clue why calling McCain a "maverick" should offend them to the core. I'm here to tell you why, as Democrats and as progressives, you should be offended every time you hear John McCain referred to as a maverick.

Conservative authoritarians stole that word from us.

[editor's note, by PoliSigh] I am not dealing well with these early mornings...see you later for Happy Hour.  I will have to get these ready the night before for next week!



Today's Meditation:

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want;
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the
Lord forever.

Psalm 23

Stay with us....

Is Palin's Legal Strategy Bogus?  (Yup.)

Not even trying to hide their racism anymore.  And this from the Repugnican who wanted to legislate the Ten Commandments (but couldn't list them).  Lynn Westmoreland is a white, right-wing southerner who, not too long ago, took a bold stand against reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.  And, apparently, he's an ass.

"Mrs. Palin needs to be reminded that Jesus Christ was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor."  Faith in Public Life responds to Palin's stupid remarks.

All right, I'm almost ready for this. I've got a brandy old-fashioned at my right elbow, a snoring beagle at my left, and the kind of grumpiness that only a long day of work and parenting can give you.

McCain is scheduled to walk on at 9:11 local time. Bring it on.

• The crowd is chanting "USA! USA!" Nice to know they've resurrected the 1980 Olympic Hockey championships.
• OMFG! They brought back the green screen!
• Nice banner: "YOU CAN'T WIN AN OCCUPATION," then "MCCAIN VOTES AGAINST VETS." He won't be there long.
• USA! USA! Again. Dirty Effing Hippies Vets, get out.
• Is that one of his houses in the background?
• "She's more my inspiration than I am hers"? What the hell does that even mean? Also, she looks like a lizard.
• Mrs P thinks Mother McCain has aged better than he has.
• He's stalling.
• Blue screen of death behind him.
• Wait, did he just say he'd get us back on the road to peace and prosperity? Who does he think got us off track in the first place?
• Lame response to Code Pink protestors. Bob Dole was funnier: said to college hecklers: "Get back in your cages."
• Wait, did he just say he was "going to shake up Washington"? Is this a hypocrisy watch or a stupidity watch? I'm not drinking enough.
• Did he just say "she worries about mortgage payments"? Barkeep! Another round! And he's burning up air time defending Sarah Palin?
• Lookit all those white folks excited about change. Their bowties are practically spinning!
• Maverick! Drink up!
• God, this is depressing, just a re-hash of every worked-over conservative cliche of the past forty years. How do you even parody this crap?
• Pathetic laundry list. Bathetic pandering to Gold Star parents.
• Notice how nobody claps when he says "We let Washington change us?"
• Supporter's sign: "PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH". George Orwell is so proud.
• How the hell does Joe Liebermann not get kicked out of the Democratic caucus? Seriously.
• Gawd, he's not even pretending to make sense anymore, just rattling off keywords. This will stir no one outside the convention hall. No one.
• Blah blah blah, bureaucrat, cut taxes, blah blah blah. This is not a vision.
• Job retraining? Really? This is the conservative vision of America's future?
• Oh, right. School vouchers. That's the conservative vision.
• Apparently the cameramen are as bored as I am. They're picking out all the babes in the crowd.
• Putting down schoolteachers? This is what we've come to?
• The kids are yawning.
• He's talking the environment. This makes the Republican strategy crystal-clear: co-opt the Democrats' reform promises without ever admitting that the GOP is to blame for most of the sh*t that's being cleaned up.
• We're finally getting down to the meat of the speech: kicking godless Commie ass.
• He's apparently lost his train of thought and stumbled into his stump speech.
• "...And the scars to prove it." You know, he doesn't like to talk about being a POW.
• "I'll ask Democrats and Independents to serve with me". By which he means...Joe Liebermann.
• Nice shout-out to the theocrats.
• Blessed by misfortune. You know, he doesn't...
• Citation of Romans. Interesting.
• Lord, what a waste of time. This is much more fun:

If you haven't checked out the Street Prophet SiteMeter lately, now would be a good time. So far this week, we've had three days of over 3,000 hits, and we're working on a fourth. That's on top of a couple of big days last week and the 10,000+ hit day we had while Casa Pastor was on vacation.

I'd like to say we're finally moving up from the Z List of blogs, but it's not true. It's mostly referrals from Daily Kos, which has been crazy ever since the start of the Democratic Convention. Traffic will trail down eventually, but it'd be nice to think it'll stay a bit crazy through Election Day.

We'll see.

What's better and more permanent news is that we just recently crossed the 5,000 UID mark. Our latest community member is mmik colorado, who can't wave back until tomorrow because he or she joined us just a few minutes ago.

Welcome anyway, and have a cup of coffee on the house.

What's anybody else talking about today?

You know, I take a lot of heat for my language at this blog. My own mother likes to troll the place so she can remind me not to use four-letter words. Plenty of other people read my, er, strident tone and scold me for being less-than-Christian toward political opponents.

I hope those critics will take a moment to recognize that nothing I've ever said here compares with the nastiness put forward last night by Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin. It was personal, petty, mean-spirited and vicious, and all delivered with a smile and nary a curse word in sight.

Jesus once said,

Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles.

For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.

These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."

We might make the same comparison between cursing and vituperation. God can withstand a few Anglo-Saxonisms, but I'm sure the divine heart breaks every time it hears hate, false witness, and slander.

I know I've said a lot of mean things in my time, but I've never flat-out lied about the people I excoriate, never tried to depict them as something they weren't, much less said that they didn't love their country.

And perhaps I'm wrong, but I've never looked down my nose at people participating in making their communities a better place:

I guess a small-town mayor if sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.

It seems so strange to me that that the Republicans would attack someone for organizing - through local congregations - to provide neighborhoods "employment training services, playgrounds, after-school programs, school reforms and other public amenities." Aren't citizens supposed to advocate for themselves? Aren't they supposed to work for the common good? Or does that only apply to lily-white gated communities?

Given the intense lack of vision the GOP has displayed this week, I shouldn't be surprised. Cultural resentment and character assassination is about all they have left. Their snide remarks will have to stand in for coherent ideas about what America can be.

You'll have to excuse my bitter tone. I take this stuff personally. Half of what I'm supposed to do as a pastor is organize my community, within my congregation and outside it. To hear Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani deliver cynical, consultant-approved trash talk about that feels like they've dismissed me, my congregation, and anyone else who doesn't have connections to well-heeled lobbyists. This will play well to the McCain base, of course, and that's why the campaign green-lighted it. But I can't imagine that anyone outside it will be attracted to its vicious elitism.

What a long way the Republicans have fallen. Here's what one GOP success story said way back in 1989:

"I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding. We will work on this in the White House, in the Cabinet agencies. I will go to the people and the programs that are the brighter points of light, and I will ask every member of my government to become involved. The old ideas are new again because they are not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.”

That was George Herbert Walker Bush in his inaugural speech. What must he think about the McCain campaign's casual dismissal of what was supposed to be his domestic legacy? It just got swept away in a fit of arrogance and entitlement.

If you have any doubt about that, listen to what Bush Sr. had to say about faith in that inaugural - the very first thing he said!

“And my first act as President is a prayer. I ask you to bow your heads:

Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank You for Your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the shared faith that makes its continuance likely. Make us strong to do Your work, willing to heed and hear Your will, and write on our hearts these words: "Use power to help people." For we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. Help us to remember it, Lord. Amen."

It is clear to me, so clear, that the GOP as it is currently constituted may talk the talk when it comes to faith and democracy, but they will never walk the walk. They can't stand the idea of faithful people working to make a difference in their world, of citizens bettering their communities, because it is too threatening to the corrupt and authoritarian system they have built. In Gov. Palin the McCain campaign has found a perfect representative to demonstrate to its core constituents that they have embraced fully the legacy of George W. Bush: nihilist, apocalyptic, and rotten to the core. They have utterly no idea of what they could do to move their nation into the future, and they are utterly contemptuous of anyone who tries. They have no faith, no hope, and no love.

Which brings to mind another lesson from Jesus:

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.

Scold me all you like for my lack of temperance, but that seems to be pretty close to where we're at these days. The ones who pay lip service do nothing, and the ones who supposedly operate outside the rule book actually get the work done.

Dr. Daddy holds up his end of the bargain:

"A genuine reformer. A deeply committed Christian."

That's how Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family Action, described Gov. Sarah Palin, who joined Sen. John McCain's presidential ticket Friday.

On a special Focus Action radio broadcast, Dr. Dobson said Palin has helped change his mind on McCain.

"If I went into the polling booth today, I would pull the lever for John McCain," he said.

To review: Dobson really wanted Newt Gingrich to run, but then allowed as how Mitt Romney wouldn't be so bad, and when Romney flamed out, he grudgingly endorsed Mike Huckabee and swore up and down that he'd rather spit on his mother's grave than give a nod to John McCain.

And now he'd like you to believe that Sarah Palin has caused him to vote for John McCain on principle.

Uh-huh.

You're not helping yourself, Jimbo.

Update: No, seriously: did she just compare herself to Harry Truman? I got cold chills when i heard that one...

No, really. Did she just pledge that Republicans will clean up the mess in Washington...that they made?

As an alleged Christian myself, you might expect me to shake my head gently and mutter "tsk-tsk" when I hear about the plateau of the Evangelical church from the Weekly Standard. But I just can't.

According to Julia Duin, a religion reporter for the Washington Times, more and more evangelicals are in fact fleeing their churches. Indeed, Ms. Duin regards church-quitting, at least among evangelicals, as nothing less than an epidemic. The problem, in her view, is not in the souls of the church quitters but in the character of the churches they choose to leave. "Something," she observes, "is not right with . . . evangelical church life."

The faults she points to--relying on her own reporting and survey data--are many. They are surprising, too, running counter to the stereotype of evangelicals bonding happily in their churches. She reports, among other things: a lack of a feeling of community among church members, inducing loneliness and boredom; church teaching that fails to go beyond the basics of the faith or to reach members grappling with suffering or unanswered prayer; pastors who are either out of touch with their parishioners or themselves unhappy, or who fail to shepherd their flocks, or who are caught
up in scandal, or who try to control the lives of church members in a high-handed way. She claims that many churches have "inefficient leadership models" and that many, preoccupied with the care of families, neglect single people.

Women in particular leave evangelical churches, Ms. Duin says, because they are asked to do too little by their churches. Ms. Duin, who has a seminary degree, writes: "I have been one of those unwanted women for years." In fact, Ms. Duin's interest in her subject is partly autobiographical: She left a church in 2001 and didn't find a new one until 2007. She has lived through the process of church-quitting, and she has interviewed a lot of people with the same experience.

I've pointed out before how similar this is to what the mainline Protestant churches have been going through over the past forty years. Except when it happened to us, we were accused - by Evangelicals - of being "too liberal" in our politics and our theology.

Now the shoe is on the other foot, and I can't help laughing. Ha, ha. Welcome to the club.

I will say that Duin's depiction of under-utilized women is interesting. In most mainline churches (and I believe Catholic parishes as well), women are the majority of members, and they often run the show. Sounds like that might be different in Evangelical circles, but it's no guarantee of church vitality.

It's also interesting that Duin mentions non-denominational churches as a bright spot in the Evangelical world. It's quite true that these congregations are the ones that are really growing, for the most part. Pentecostal or charismatic churches are the most dynamic part of American Christianity at the moment.

But it's also the hotbed of the prosperity gospel, often located in fast-growing mega-churches. That kind of growth we can do without.

More generally, it does grieve me when previously healthy communities stall out or even start to slip back. It's part of their life cycle, but not one that needs to be gloated over. At the same time - and in the full knowledge that my own church isn't so very large - I stand by the conviction that Christianity is at its best in small, counter-cultural communities. It makes it possible to offer a faithful witness against the powers-that-be in our society. Having the Evangelical growth curve flatten out in the same way it did for the mainline therefore may be bad news for their churches, but ultimately good news for the Church.

Cameron Strang:

Characterizing these evangelicals as “more socially aware,” he said this segment of voters offers an opportunity for both political parties. Characterizing young evangelicals as “pro-life,” he claimed they have a more “holistic” view of what being pro-life means.

Obama’s promise to reduce the numbers of abortions could appeal to this segment, Strang thought, adding that political action must consider the situation that would result were the Supreme Court to permit restrictive abortion laws again.

Strang proposed a reform of adoption laws and a review of the financial expense involved in an adoption.

“An abortion costs $500, while an adoption costs $25,000. That’s absurd.”

Adoptions are complex legal proceedings which generate court costs, lawyer's fees, and costs for things like social workers and home studies, which make the adoptions possible.

Those costs are much greater for parents working independently or adopting from abroad. Most, if not all, states waive all the fees for foster children eligible for adoption.

If you want a healthy white infant or a Chinese baby, it's expensive. If you're willing to adopt a black or Hispanic child, or a sibling group, the state will work with you.

Christians should reform their own hearts before they work on reforming somebody else's uterus.

Palin: war in Iraq and Alaskan gas pipeline are "God's will," "God's plan," and "a task from God."  I do believe that counts as blasphemy.

Fellow McCain POW: He's Not Fit For The Office  Watch the movie here.

Obstruction: McCain tries to delay Troopergate report

OK, now that's just pathetic  Palin's camp had claimed "a trip to Ireland" as part of Palin's international travels.  It was a freakin' fuel stop!

Palin’s Attempted Book Banning  Seriously. How backward can one person be?

Why Sarah Palin's ties to the Alaska Independence Party matter.

We're learning now that Sarah Palin, horror of horrors, once heard a speech from a Jew for Jesus.  What the fizzuck ever.

Yeah, I get it - anti-semitism is alive and well in the United States (you know whose story I'm talking about).  And yeah, Jews for Jesus are a particularly annoying brand of proselytizing to the Jews, because they're not only obnoxious in their constant push to convert, but they're theologically stupid (no, you cannot be Jewish and believe that Christ was the promised Messiah - read your damn Maimonides).

But seriously, who cares?  So Palin heard a damn lecture, and maybe she even gave some money.  All that proves is that she's a) gullible, and b) incapable of applying even the most rudimentary of reasoning to a given proposition to test it.

I'm more concerned about what it says about Jews.  Why are Jews still skittish of anyone who says that, hey, maybe Jews aren't perfect just the way they are?  Sure, we are (especially in bed, all you single ladies out there...Hi, Mom!).  But not everyone has to recognize The Greatness of The Jew.  And those who don't, aren't necessarily out to destroy the Jewish people by force.

So let's just all take a deep breath, 'kay?  Sarah Palin isn't going to oversee the construction of new concentration camps, and she isn't even going to suggest that concentration camps might be a good idea.  Not even "anti-Semites like John Hagee, the kind of people who enjoy blaming Jews for the misfortunes history has rained down upon us" are pushing the idea that turning Jews into Christians will solve all the world's problems.  What they do suggest is that the Second Coming (tee hee!) will induce all the Jews to smack themselves on the forehead and admit that they were wrong all along.

And that is probably correct.  If we do, in fact, experience a return of a first-century carpenter as the Savior of Mankind, then yeah, I would be a big enough man to admit that I was wrong.  And I hope that all my Jewish brothers and sisters would do the same.

In the meantime, let's all just take a deep breath.  At least we can all agree that Jews for Jesus is singularly silly, right?

[editor's note, by PoliSigh] Yikes--school starts again!  Pray for me!

Today's Meditation:

1 Corinthians 13


Love


If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.


Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.


And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

stay with us....

While on vacation, I spent an hour with the chair of the search committee that brought me to Lancaster. She told me that things are perking right along there. They're up to about 85 people in worship each week, and have had some new members join.

Tonight I got an e-mail from the little church in Mahanoy. They're up to 18 or 20 folks on a good week. When I was there, it was more like 10 or 13.

What is it with congregations blossoming after I leave? Hmmm...

Also, the Brewers. Manny Parra is getting shellacked tonight. Dangit.

Tonight I offer a coffee-house style approach to this virtual microphone, featuring random scenes from the last few days at the Brown household:

SCENE: I yell at the TV.

SCENE:  I get in one last outing to our neighborhood pool-- the one just steps away from our backyard and the one I have visited exactly four times all season. Sigh.  We come home and celebrate by grilling blue cheese peppercorn burgers and drinking really good beer.  Oh yes, I'm proud of my country.

SCENE: I give up on yelling at the TV and instead get salty with some old stuck-in-the-mud folks in the narthex of our church after services. I just couldn't walk on and pretend I hadn't heard the repetition of some of the Rush-inspired statements that were floating around.

SCENE: I'm glued to the TV and the political blogs simultaneously, as story after story about Palin and the GOP break higher and faster than Gustav's storm surge. I go back to yelling at the TV.

SCENE:  I cut eight or so inches off my hair. No one at church notices.  EVERY child at my school, though, has a comment & compliment about it.

SCENE: I get 26 learning disabled senior high students to write original lines of iambic pentameter.  This is small miracle #1.  Their lines of poetry are actually pretty good, and the kids have a blast writing & performing them, once they catch on.  This is small miracle #2.  One student even says, "Now I see why Shakespeare is so respected, if he could do this for play after play after play."  This is small miracle #3.  And people wonder why I love my job.

SCENE:  I realize (again) that I Am Now Old.  What precipitated the latest incarnation of this realization?  The remake of Beverly Hills 90210.  You see, when the first one came out, I only watched episodes from time to time so I could keep up with what all my students were watching.  So now there's a re-tooling of a show I was already too old for the first time around.  Sigh.  

So what are the scenes from your life today? And as always, what are you drinking, and what's for dinner?  This is an open thread.

Let me say at the outset that I agree, mostly, with the notion that candidates' kids are off-limits. There are obviously some limits to that, but as the father of two little handfuls, I can appreciate an ethic of privacy.

As for mother-to-be Bristol, well. Things happen. Like Obama says, lots of people wind up having kids pretty young. Some of them even turn out okay.

I just wish that there were a commonsense, practical guide that taught kids to take control of their bodies and use them in ways that reflected their values instead of their desire for short-term and often ill-considered pleasure. It would have saved her a lot of trouble and embarrassment.

Oh, wait. There already is. And in case you were wondering, this ain't it.