Currently Listening Eight Days A Week [Odeon Import] [DR Ebbetts SRS] see related

Eight

The natural number following 7 and preceding 9.

Behind the 8 ball.

Eight days a week.

Figure eight.

Eighth wonder of the world.

Eight cylinder.

Pieces of eight.

Eight is enough.

EIGHT DAYS UNTIL I HOLD MY LOVE IN MY ARMS AGAIN!

Anyone got any other "eight" phrases?

We All Scream

How is it that ice cream is simultaneously my best friend and my worst enemy?

Seriously, it's obscene how much ice cream I've eaten lately.  Gross.

I have real pearls now.  They're "irregular" because I bought them on a beach from the kid who dove for them.  No receipt.  No warranty.  Just a kid using the time and energy he has to make a buck.  The fancy-schmancy jewelers here in America look at them with surprise, wondering why anyone would ever purchase these when they can buy "perfect," round, consistently-colored pearls, strung perfectly there in their air-conditioned store.  Well, I would.  I would buy them overseas and a) pay less, b) support entrepreneurship, c) have a great story, d) have something unique, and e) be proud of them.

One less thing to buy for my wedding that will happen sometime in the next decade, if I'm lucky.

If you've got time check out www.booksforsoldiers.com.  Pretty rad.  Unfortunately, they're going to have to close soon if they can't get some capital raised.  It costs money to ship and run websites and whatnot, even for a charity where no one gets paid.

Currently Listening Dino: The Essential Dean Martin By Dean Martin Ain't That a Kick in the Head see related

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

At least they did during the twenty minutes today when I was locked out of my office building in a torrential downpour in a dress and heels.  It was fab.  Now I'm at my desk with wet hair.

In case you ever find yourself in that situation you should know that high-pitched sounds carry farther and stronger than low-pitched.  So instead of beating your fist raw by pounding on the glass door you should use a key, coin, or watch (my pick today) to relentlessly tap.  Then you should be prepared to smile at the man who lets you in while looking fully bothered and disgusted at you.

In other news, we are two days from the halfway point in the deployment!  Ballin'!

Currently Listening The Essential Michael Jackson By Michael Jackson The Way You Make Me Feel see related

Pro-life and Democrat? One and the same.

A friend asked me today if I thought McCain was shooting himself in the foot by declining to meet with Billy Graham and Dr. Dobson.

I think McCain might be trying to distance the Republican party from the Religious Right. While Falwell and friends raised millions of votes with their Moral Majority/Religious Right movement, I think they did an injustice to the American political system. They were able to cause countless Americans to equate the Republican party with "Christian values" and the Democratic Party with "sinners." Conservative does not equal Godly and liberal does not equal worldly. The only "Christian values" that the Republican party espouses more than the Democratic party is "sanctity of life" and heterosexual marriage. Roe v. Wade is NEVER going to be repealed. NEVER. While I deeply abhor abortion and wish it would never occur, it should no longer be an issue which voters choose a candidate on. Your candidate is impotent against abortion no matter what they believe about it. They know that full well. They just don't think that you know that so they use that platform as an easy way to win votes without having to follow through on any promise. It will NEVER EVER be repealed so for that to be the deciding factor upon which we choose our candidate is a waste of our voting power.  The only real way for Christians to diminish the impact of abortion is to change minds one at a time. Volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center. Talk to your own children and their friends about what the right thing to do is if you've done "the wrong thing" and find yourself with child.  Support sex education programs which promote abstinence.  Fight the battle, indeed.  But don't expect that a state legislator who is "pro-life" is going to have any effect whatsoever on the legality of abortion.

I say "sanctity of life" in quotations because the only time that Christians revere life, it seems, is when it's fetal. Why don't we care about the family down the street living in a car? Why don't we give every last dime we can afford for AIDS treatment in Africa? These are lives that are looked upon with scorn, as though those children had any choice in how they're living. Why do you want so bad to protect them in the womb, but feel absolutely no responsibility to protect them once they're born?  This is the sacred life you want them to live?  This one where you scorn them for being who they are?

Republicans also seem more willing to go to and to defend war. Why is that? Because all life is sacred? Even the life of a sixteen-year-old Afghan? Even the Iraqi tradesman who wakes up every day to provide for his wife and kids? What makes American Christians think that the life and security of a lawyer in Omaha is more valuable and more worth protecting than the lives of the Middle Easterners? This is perplexing and gross to me.  Homeland security?  Why?  Serving all the citizens of the world as though they're Jesus no matter the cost?  Yes, please.  Take a look at Matthew 25:31-45 for a reminder.

I think that so often we equate America with Christianity (since many of this country's enemies are mostly of another religion) and that is simply not a valid equation. As I recently read in an article by Dr. Mark Caleb Smith, separation of Church and State is not just about protecting the State from the influence of the Church. It also protects the Church from the influence of the State. Thus far we as a Church have gradually let the State influence us to such great extent that we often think they run parallel to each other. They do not. The United States of America is not the center of the Kingdom of Christ. In fact, I'd venture to say that most of the Christianity practiced in this country pales in comparison to that which you'd find in many less civilized countries in terms of passion, zeal, sanctification, knowledge of the Word, discipline, gratefulness, holiness, prayer time, etc.

So why am I supporting Obama?  Because I feel that he is most likely to protect the sanctity of ALL life, not just unborn children.  Why am I glad that John McCain is not painting himself as the hero of the Religious Right?  Because it is best for the Republican party, the Democratic party, the Church in America, the Church abroad, the Christians in America, and the non-Christians in America is the Republican party will no longer be identified with followers of Christ.  There are millions of Christians in the Democratic party and billions more around the world who have never even heard of the Republican or Democratic parties.  Let's not give our political culture more importance than it really deserves.  It's local.  The Kingdom is global and then some.

P.S.- In another recent article, Dr. Bill Brown writes that just because someone is a believer does not mean that they'd necessarily make a good leader- another common misconception amongst Christians, I believe.

Mi madre comica