“RAM” Voters

Doug Shoen wrote a column in today’s Washington Post warning politicians to beware of what he is calling RAMs or “restless and anxious voters”. Aside from his nauseating fawning over his current employer, Bill Clinton, I think Shoen nails something important about the current state of the American voter – we’ve had it.

From the article:

Voters today aren’t just fed up with the status quo; they’re furious. In a Gallup poll last month, only 24 percent of Americans said they were satisfied with the state of the country — one of the lowest readings ever recorded. And it’s not just George W. Bush they’re mad at. Public approval ratings for the Democratic-controlled Congress are even lower than the president’s. According to a 2006 poll taken by my former firm, Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, 61 percent of voters say the two major parties are failing, and a survey last year by the Republican pollster Frank Luntz showed that 81 percent of voters would consider voting for an independent this year.

Yep, that sounds about right. Continue reading ““RAM” Voters”

Yankee French Bread

And now for something completely different. . . I’m going to share my family’s secret recipe for Yankee French Bread.  Actually, I found this recipe in GQ, of all places years ago and have used it ever since.  It’s super easy and gives you a wonderful, dense, slightly sour loaf that keeps well in a grocery store plastic bag.  Mmmmmmm. . . 7 Cups Flour … Continue reading Yankee French Bread

“My yoke is easy and my burden is light . . .”

Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  Matthew 11:28-30

This is one of these verses which sounds nice and for a while you can take comfort in it.  Until things really just get pushed too far and you realize that you have no idea what the blazes it’s supposed to mean and it doesn’t even seem to be true as far as you can see.  What is Jesus’ yoke anyways?  Continue reading ““My yoke is easy and my burden is light . . .””

Christians as a “Creative Minority”

I came across a great quote today from Pope Benedict which presents a way of thinking about living an authentic Christian life in our modern, western world:

We do not know what the future of Europe will be. Here we must agree with Toynbee, that the fate of a society always depends on its creative minorities. Christian believers should look upon themselves as just such a creative minority, helping Europe to reclaim what is best in its heritage and thereby to place itself at the service of all humankind. (See the whole article by Benedict here.)

Toynbee was a British historian who looked at history as a series of rising and falling cultures. In his understanding, cultures are shaped by the particular challenges their culture faced. The role of the “creative minority” was to offer solutions which addressed the challenges of the times. There’s a very interesting and long discussion to be had regarding how this works, however, I have kids to take care of so I’m going to cut it as short as I can. Continue reading “Christians as a “Creative Minority””

Perfect election scenario

We are very conflicted over this year’s election.  On one hand, we’d really like Obama to win the nomination and the election, because we think it would be good for the nation.  It would go a long way towards healing some of the distrust and anger between black and white America if we can demonstrate that we are willing to elect a black man as … Continue reading Perfect election scenario

What does evil look like?

Really, the lastest atrocity of Al Quaeda speaks for itself: Two women described as mentally disabled and strapped with remote-control explosives — and possibly used as unwitting suicide bombers — brought carnage Friday to two pet bazaars, killing at least 91 people in the deadliest day since Washington flooded the capital with extra troops last spring. . . the bombs were detonated by remote control. And … Continue reading What does evil look like?

Unpopular Public Schools in Nevada

The Las Vegas Review Journal recently ran an article about a survey of parents in Nevada and their attitudes towards the state’s public education system.  This is crazy: Just 11 percent of Nevada residents who responded to a recent survey on educational issues said they would send their children to public school if they had the freedom to choose any available option . . . … Continue reading Unpopular Public Schools in Nevada