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This photo represents how I imagine my dog, Duncan, feels. I've hardly even left the house this week, being afflicted with a sinus cold and fever. (Not a pleasant combination!) I was ill at the same time last year. When I'm sick, Duncan also suffers, because he doesn't get his frequent walks around the neighborhood.Note to self: apologize to the dog.
Here's what I hope will happen: we all will realize that the upcoming election isn't a reality TV show. I'm hoping that we'll get beyond the immature attacks on people's personalities. Maybe we can quit stirring the pot of the "culture wars" and waiting to see what flotsam rises to the surface.Can Barack Obama make a commitment to take the high road and not be dragged into stupid name-calling? Can John McCain remember what it's like to be tortured, and like the "maverick" he claims to be, say "no" to this practice that dehumanizes everyone who gets near it?How about voting for human rights? Don’t say I’m a dreamer! My snarling Sheltie might have something to say about it!
Tonight's game, in which the Dallas Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 41-37, was a display (at least on the Cowboys' part) of both spectacular and awful play. Of course, the Eagles' DeSean Jackson cheated himself out of a touchdown by deciding to celebrate before getting into the end zone. By the way, am I the only one who wishes that Tony Kornheiser was not part of the ESPN broadcast team on Monday night?Anyway, Tony Romo and his teammates got the job done. How 'bout them Cowboys?
Watching Charlie Gibson’s interview with Sarah Palin on ABC news was almost painful. Last night, when he asked her if she supports the Bush doctrine, her response was first, a blank gaze, then a reply which indicated that Gov. Palin has no idea what the Bush doctrine is. Gibson had to tell her that it refers to this administration’s policy of pre-emptive war. Palin then gave him, as she did tonight, the usual political slogans, while demonstrating that she has only the faintest grasp of international relations.The McCain campaign has said that Alaska’s proximity to Russia means that she has the requisite foreign policy awareness necessary to be vice-president (and by extension, president). By that logic, the governor of every state that borders Canada and Mexico also qualifies, since they, too, are at an international border. (We should probably also include the governor of Florida, which is very close to both the Bahamas and Cuba. Maybe we could toss in Hawaii, too, since it’s way out there in the Pacific, all by itself.)I hope McCain's choice of Palin isn't simply about winning an election (which it appears to be). It would be like couples who put their effort into a wedding, but not a marriage. As a pastor, I have encountered that!
Am I the only one tired of the manufactured hysteria over Obama’s criticism of McCain’s plans for change as “lipstick on a pig”? Am I the only one who recognizes it as a saying that’s been around for years? Am I the only one who sees the Republican claims that it’s a sexist attack on Sarah Palin as completely disingenuous? Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to even be discussing this?This isn’t even about politics. This isn’t about conservative or liberal. It’s about character, which was so loudly trumpeted at the Republican National Convention last week. Can John McCain show some of the character he developed while a POW during the Vietnam War and denounce the cynicism and false outrage of this alleged scandal? Or does his choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate demonstrate the depth of his character?
For Banu and me, today is our 14th wedding anniversary. The traditional gift for anniversary number 14 is ivory. But that is now frowned upon, due to the wanton hunting of elephants for their tusks. At a more spiritual level, 14 can be seen as seven—the divine number of perfection—times two.So that’s it. I celebrate my wife: perfection doubled!
This photo represents how I imagine my dog, Duncan, feels. I've hardly even left the house this week, being afflicted with a sinus cold and fever. (Not a pleasant combination!) I was ill at the same time last year. When I'm sick, Duncan also suffers, because he doesn't get his frequent walks around the neighborhood.
Here's what I hope will happen: we all will realize that the upcoming election isn't a reality TV show. I'm hoping that we'll get beyond the immature attacks on people's personalities. Maybe we can quit stirring the pot of the "culture wars" and waiting to see what flotsam rises to the surface.
Tonight's game, in which the Dallas Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 41-37, was a display (at least on the Cowboys' part) of both spectacular and awful play. Of course, the Eagles' DeSean Jackson cheated himself out of a touchdown by deciding to celebrate before getting into the end zone. By the way, am I the only one who wishes that Tony Kornheiser was not part of the ESPN broadcast team on Monday night?
Watching Charlie Gibson’s interview with Sarah Palin on ABC news was almost painful. Last night, when he asked her if she supports the Bush doctrine, her response was first, a blank gaze, then a reply which indicated that Gov. Palin has no idea what the Bush doctrine is. Gibson had to tell her that it refers to this administration’s policy of pre-emptive war. Palin then gave him, as she did tonight, the usual political slogans, while demonstrating that she has only the faintest grasp of international relations.
For Banu and me, today is our 14th wedding anniversary. The traditional gift for anniversary number 14 is ivory. But that is now frowned upon, due to the wanton hunting of elephants for their tusks. At a more spiritual level, 14 can be seen as seven—the divine number of perfection—times two.
