A Positive Turn....and value thoughts

So last night, my bishop told me to stay positive because my job search was going to get better...and he told me it would be immediately. Being my sarcastic self....I was like yeah right....yeah right...

Well, it did within an hour present more possibilities that were validated this morning. I dont know if I will get the job, but it looks promising and it brought me hope. That's a good thing right?

Totally unrelated, but I encourage any of you who dont know about Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse to check them out and see if you can help them with anything. They are a great organization that needs to be recognized as a savior within our community.

The blog Margaret and Helen really made me think this morning. I am going to go ahead and copy her whole post here, but I encourage you to read her blog. She is 82 and fabulous!


"Hello Margaret. I tried calling you last night but you didn’t answer. I swear every time a squirrel goes looking for a nut up there in Maine you lose your phone service.
I just don’t understand how your Howard can listen to that Rush Limbaugh each day. I tuned into him yesterday and couldn’t believe it. I mean, I know he is a Republican mouthpiece, I just didn’t realize we were dealing with Hoof and Mouth Disease.

Ask Howard to follow the logic of his argument today if you can. He said Republicans lost because they didn’t stick to their core values. They tried to be nice and tell people that they aren’t racists, bigots and homophobes. Once the Republicans got soft and started trying to be compassionate they began to lose. That is the problem with Republicans right now according to Rush. As proof he pontificated that conservative initiatives passed on the ballots.

So let me see if I understand. If Republicans would just admit that they are racists, bigots and homophobes and stop trying to be nice, they would win more elections. And the conservative movement which stands for less government was somehow validated because California, Florida, Arizona and Arkansas just forced government even farther into people’s bedrooms? And yet all of the conservative pro-life measures (the bread and butter issue for most of that group) failed to pass. So basically the conservative movement has been reduced to Anita Bryant’s diary. My, my but how they love their aging beauty queens… and we all know that beauty queens are the brightest bulbs on the chandelier.
Wow. I guess all the drugs Limbaugh takes have finally eaten away most of the gray matter that was stored in that fat head of his.
Oh and then there was that other guy - can’t remember his name - who actually went on and on about how steep the hill was for McCain and it was amazing how well he did. Steep hill? The other guy was a black man named Barack Hussein Obama. But McCain had the steep hill. I am at a loss on that one. You know, they can’t win with grace and they can’t lose with grace. Remind me again what we like about Howard? Oh that’s right. He cooks. At least there’s that. And he tolerates me so I guess he can’t be all bad.
Harold must have heard me screaming bullshit and asshole at the radio because he surprised me with two tickets to see Dame Edna at our favorite theater in Austin for this Saturday. He said I needed a little break and remembered that you and Howard loved Dame Edna when you saw her in New York a few years ago. Isn’t that the show you told us about? I hope so.
I hope you will plan a visit soon. We really do need to visit and laugh about all this blog stuff."


I recently had a conversation with a dear, dear friend of mine who happens to be very, very conservative. He stated that the government shouldnt get involved in healthcare, because it isnt their business and that it takes away free agency when government controls everything. I am not sure how providing healthcare takes away free agency, but I was more interested in the concept in its entirety. He is also pro-life. Laws against abortion directly take away free agency. That is a tangible example of wanting more government control over a person's personal affairs. He agreed with my argument, but did not change his stance on abortion.

He didnt change his stance because as much as we want to believe that we make stances on abortion and other passionate subjects (like the environment) on logical argument and discussion, we don't. They are value based beliefs. That is why a person is never able to change the mind of another in these situations. We never argue about what is really influencing the individual...what they think is right....

The whole global warming thing cracks me up. Everyone starts throwing science into the situation from both sides. Science has enormous cultural authority in our society. Instead of focusing on whether or not the earth was created for our use (or destruction) or whether we are a part of the earth and are responsible for its destruction, we discuss science and economics..

Funny really. What is really funny is when conservatives say they are against gay marriage because of the economic implications it could cause. Give me a break. Just admit that you think it is wrong to be gay. We all know that is what you are thinking anyway.

I also thought Helen was right on when she talked about McCain and Obama. Sure McCain had some difficulties after the Bush Administration, but does that compare being called a terrorist and pushing past oppression against people of color that has dominated our culture for how many years?

I think not.

Sorry McCain, but I don't feel sorry for your disadvantaged 2 minutes. Try a lifetime of discrimination and struggle and I might start feeling for you.

I hope someone reads this, although I doubt anyone will.