All the symptoms are there. . .

. . . (From NBC News. . . )
"Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann yesterday attended a church here in Iowa, where the pastor called homosexuality "immoral" and "unnatural," and later showed a testimonial video from a man who claimed to have been gay before having a conversation with God.

Before the sermon at Point of Grace Church -- a non-denominational congregation near Des Moines -- Bachmann stood with her husband, Marcus Bachmann, before a crowd of about 100 people, clutching her personal copy of the Bible.

“This is a time that we need to be encouraged this week, not discouraged,” she said, referencing Friday night’s credit downgrade and Saturday’s news about the Navy SEALs killed in Afghanistan.

“Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,” Bachmann said, reading from the book of Philippians, “think well on these things.”

The reading drew cheers. Pastor Jeff Mullen, standing next to Bachmann, took her Bible his hand. “There are some candidates who start running, and have this come-to-Jesus moment,” he said. "What I love about this Bible,” he said, “is how well it's used.”

Mullen offered a prayer honoring democracy. “We have a nation where people can still rise up and speak their voice, and say, ‘This is what I believe.’”

When Bachmann and her husband returned to their seats, Mullen began a half-hour presentation on his church's beliefs. Reading verses from the Bible to support his case, Mullen said, "We inherently know that homosexual behavior is immoral and unnatural."

“God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,” Mullen said, reading from the book of Romans.

Mullen’s sermon concluded with video testimonial from a man named Adam Hood, who claims to have been gay before experiencing a conversation with God. "I am so happy God has given me natural affection for a woman," Hood said in the video, adding that his wife is nine months pregnant.

"We need to have compassion for people that are bound by that sin," Hood added. "And it is a sin. Call a spade a spade."

The Bachmanns remained in the church for the duration of the service, and afterward posed for a picture with Pastor Mullen and his family.

In an interview with NBC News, Mullen called his sermon on homosexuality “a bedrock, just a Biblical truth we’ve taught over the years.”

“It just so happens they were here today,” Mullen said of the Bachmanns. “And we were teaching on both marriage and homosexuality.”

The Bachmann campaign released this statement on Mullen's sermon: "Michele was an invited guest, she always welcomes the opportunity to meet with parishioners."

The Point of Grace Church service was the second church event Michele Bachmann attended on Sunday. Earlier, they visited the Des Moines First Church of the Nazarene, where the presidential candidate discussed the origins of her faith and political life."

Do you think maybe she's. . .



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Freak appreciation. . .

As my appreciation for rock, popular and more esoteric musics grew, I became aware of the live concert. My first had to have been either Chicago or Jethro Tull. I saw the former sometime during my middle-school years (we called it "Junior High") and probably the latter during high school with the 'Mother of all' (pun intended) concerts, Frank Zappa around this this time. I attended a second FZ concert about two years later, shortly after the release of Zoot Allures in the mid 1970s. Funny, looking back on the music now, I really did not prefer lengthy, complex, intricate or technical FZ guitar solos at the time. My favorites with the vocal pieces and complex, jazzy, ensemble passages. Now I find the guitar solo recordings of Frank Zappa are my choice; 'air sculptures' as he referred to them. The Zappa 'guitar' albums were and are a tremendous inspiration to me in my writing, performing and recording.

I still at the time, did not know quite what to make of the iconoclastic Mr. Zappa. He was visually the hippy-freak-wildman; philosophically a socially liberal political libertarian; a guitar virtuoso and a modern music composer. Respected by some. Shunned by others. Repulsive to many yet revered by a great number (hundreds of thousands then/millions now?). Mysterious is probably the word that sums him up best in my perception at the time.



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Two hands wrapped tightly. . .

. . . round a perspiring glass. I see a little tear that I hope won't last. I'm wishing that what appears will disappear fast. I should have stopped myself from speaking my mind. But just like a children's toy, I had to unwind. Now look at the consequence. It wasn't the time. Hindsight's gold. So I'm told but could not admit. Hindsight's gold; truth as old as the pyramids.

Always the last to know; always behind. Shoot from the hip. React; behavior all mine. I was raised to know better. But still I declined. The last thing I want to see is the tear on your face. The last thing I want to be is the villain whose case I received by default it seems. And lives in disgrace. Hindsight's gold. So I'm told but could not admit. Hindsight's gold; truth as old as the pyramids.

Can an old dog learn how to do something new? Many times been burned. Understand it but just can't follow through.

Some kind of malady or some kind of curse; whichever's afflicting me, it can't get much worse. I can't be concerned much more and I'm not the first. I"m sorry for what I've done and what might still come. I'd like to just disappear but where would I run. There's nothing to show for this. My lesson is done. Hindsight's gold. So I'm told but could not admit. Hindsight's gold; truth as old as the pyramids.

HINDSIGHT
©2007 Raymond M. Jozwiak



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"Fair and Balanced"????

Steve Benen's
Political Animal
Blog Reported

There was a private White House party in honor of President Obama’s 50th birthday. Here’s how Politico described the event.

[Shortly after 5 p.m.], the party started with dinner in the Rose Garden, accompanied by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. Then the First Lady and his daughters presented POTUS with a cake, and everyone moved into the East Room for performances that included R&B singer Ledisi, and Herbie Hancock. Stevie Wonder came up at the end and sang a medley ending in “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” DJ Cassidy played Motown, hip hop, and ’70s and ’80s R&B.

Folks from the cabinet were there (Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder, Tim Geithner), as were members of Congress (Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman Schultz), Obama’s team (Robert Gibbs, David Axelrod, David Plouffe, Valerie Jarrett), the private sector (UBS Investment Bank President Robert Wolf), and the entertainment industry (Jay-Z, Chris Rock, Charles Barkley, Tom Hanks). That’s by no means a comprehensive list, but these are some of the notable names in attendance.

And here’s how Fox Nation told its audience about the event.
“Obama’s Hip-Hop BBQ Didn’t Create Jobs.”

Mr. Benen was fascinated (as we all should be) "...by the claim that a birthday party “didn’t create jobs.” Maybe I should have run a post this morning that said, “John Boehner had breakfast this morning, didn’t create jobs.” Or maybe, “Eric Cantor watched some TV, didn’t create jobs.”"

Steve Benen is a contributing writer to the Washington Monthly, joining the publication in August, 2008 as chief blogger for the Washington Monthly blog, Political Animal.



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Scary stuff. . .

From www.seocollege.org news. . .

(Republican Presidential candidate, Texas Governer Rick) ". . . Perry is saying that one reason our country's problems are so intractable is "because we are a nation that has not honored God in our successes or humbly called on Him in our struggles."

And Perry's going to fix that.

On August 6th, he's going to be leading a huge prayer rally called The Response, in which he will call upon Americans to "pray and fast" so God will forgive us and help us fix the country.

Perry is leading this prayer rally, political analysts say, so he can win over evangelical Christian voters, who make up 60% of GOP voters in two key early primary states, Iowa and South Carolina. And if that's all he's doing at the prayer rally--saying stuff that these voters want to hear--then he'll be doing just what every other politician is doing, so we shouldn't get too worked up about it.

Far more frightening is the possibility that Perry actually believes what he is saying--that the reason America has racked up such colossal debts and has such a massive budget deficit is because we haven't been paying enough attention to God.

God did not vote for the budgets and policies that ballooned our deficit. Congress and the President did. So laying our problems off on God's disfavor--and suggesting that the way to fix them is to start doing a better job of honoring Him--is disturbing, to say the least.

And then there's the small matter of the separation of church and state.

The First Amendment of the Constitution says that the government can't establish a state-sponsored religion, and many Americans interpret the spirit of this amendment far more widely than that. . . "



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My Ego. . .

. . . I take such great pride in what I do. I think you should take some too. I believe. Pride in me. Not in you. It's just my ego. It gets the best of me. It's just my ego. It's just my ego. It just won't let me be. It just won't let me be alone. It's not one of my more redeeming qualities. Still though, it serves me rather well sometimes. It won't be easy to just let it go though, it's just my ego.

Sometimes I can get my point across and I do it rather well. Don't you think? It's a gift. You can tell. It's just my ego. It's just my ego. It just won't let me be. It just won't let me be alone. It's not one of my more redeeming qualities. Still though, it serves me rather well sometimes. It won't be easy to just let it go though, it's just my ego.

There's a fine distinction between confidence and pride. There's a fine distinction that I'll never know. Cloaked with some discretion you emerge from the inside. I emerge in all my glory. What is there to hide?

Mother said that I would never make any friends if I don't see what I'm like; if I don't lost some pride. It's just my ego. It's just my ego. It just won't let me be. It just won't let me be alone. It's not one of my more redeeming qualities. Still though, it serves me rather well sometimes. It won't be easy to just let it go though, it's just my ego.

MY EGO (from "Chromatose")
©2003 Raymond M. Jozwiak



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It's in the eyes. . .

. . . While attending coed Catholic grade school, grades 1 through 8, one of my male classmates in particular, was always a favorite with the girls. No, I don't mean ONLY the 'popular' girls. Yes, those girls loved him also, but everyone loved this guy. Why, you may wonder? Well, he was tall (for his age, at least), handsome, athletically built (and inclined), charming, articulate and quite gregarious. My male classmates and I were truly impressed with his ability to engage so many of the coeds in apparently meaningful and entertaining conversation for extended periods of time. I, on the other hand at this age, found it very difficult to talk with GIRLS at a meaningful level for the most part, and for that reason found his skills to be particularly remarkable and admirable. At the same time, he had a comparable amount of male friends also as he was quite simply, very personable.

On one occasion, he volunteered (I did not even ask) his formula for being popular with the 'cool' girls. He told me that he, in effect, rehearsed with the uncool girls quite intentionally. The overweight, the homely, the shy and the unattractive were sought out by him quite intentionally yet unbeknownst to them, to be the recipients of this bon vivant's joie de vivre. And by adhering to the timeless principle that 'practice makes perfect', he developed the confidence to transfer his socializing techniques to the more attractive members of the student body. This, I and my less demonstrative friends thought at the time, was a marvelous thing, yet never actually made any serious attempt to implement his modus operandi ourselves. Incidentally, he did later marry a very jealous (justifiably?) woman and I've lost track of him.

Not sure why this whole thing occurred to me recently but it did and it also reminded me of bigotry, the connection being basic respect that each and every human being deserves from another. While I thought my friend's socializing pointers were pretty practical at the time, I now realize how self-serving and insensitive they were to the unsuspecting that he 'used' for his own gain. Personally, it seems like all I have to do is look another human being in the eye and I find it very difficult NOT to treat him/her with basic, human respect. There is something inexplicable in the eyes that conveys humanity. True bigotry is the inability to accord basic human respect to another. And EVERYONE deserves that respect no matter what they look like, whether they have as much material wealth as you or belong to the same social, religious or recreational 'clubs' as you, no matter what they weigh, how tall or short, color of their skin, sexual orientation, hair color, profession or lack thereof, taste in food, drink or music. Seems like a very simple thing. I don't believe that I am particularly commendable for doing it and I don't know why I do, but I just can't help it. It's in the eyes. That doesn't mean that I give money to every street/bag-person who asks me or that I have to strike up a meaningful conversation with anyone (or everyone). It simply means that I look them in the eye, and they generally look me in the eye as well with few exceptions, and I do feel something when confronting their gaze and I believe I owe them the courtesy of a civil, humane and hopefully a pleasant response.




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