If the abortion issue is the deciding factor for you please read this

http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/2058

Trouble the Water

Rachel and I saw this preview of this documentary the other day and it seems like it is going to give a powerful perspective into the heart of poverty and government relations through an unlikely eye. Here is the preview and website if you want to find out more info.

http://www.troublethewaterfilm.com/

A narrative of fear and security

With White House Push, U.S. Arms Sales Rise Sharply

Interesting article...thought I would share

Amy Sullivan: 'Are Evangelicals Really Sold on Palin?' (by Jim Wallis)

I saw a column this weekend in Time magazine by Amy Sullivan in which she asks, "Are Evangelicals Really Sold on Palin?" It's well worth reading.

Lost in the stampede of social conservatives to embrace Palin this past week is the fact that she is culturally outside the mainstream of Evangelicalism. Over the past few years, a growing number of Evangelicals have been consciously distancing themselves from the more extreme stands of the Christian Right. They live in the suburbs, hold graduate degrees, and while they might not want their children reading certain novels, would be embarrassed by attempts to ban certain books from libraries, as Palin is reported to have briefly considered while Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. They don't attend churches where speakers charge that violence against Israelis is divine punishment for the failure of Jews to accept Jesus, as happened at one of Palin's churches two weeks ago (though Palin has now issued a statement saying she does not agree with those views). And they would disagree with Palin's decision to use her line-item veto as Governor to slash funding for an Alaska shelter that serves teen mothers.

That goes double for younger Evangelicals. These voters tend to be even more pro-life than their parents, but abortion isn't always a priority that moves their votes -- it wasn't when McCain was alone on the ticket, and there's no reason for that to change with the addition of Palin. More important, Palin has problematic stances on many of the issues that do motivate young Evangelicals. Her insistence that global warming is not man-made, for instance, is unlikely to appeal to those Evangelicals who have embraced so-called "creation care" in the past few years. This is particularly relevant to the current race, as young Evangelicals account for much of that demographic's undecided bloc. No one knows what the size of their impact may be in November because young Evangelicals are consistently underrepresented in polls of white Evangelicals. (Even a TIME poll of likely white Evangelical voters conducted last month used a sample in which just 10% of respondents were between 18 and 35. That age group made up 22% of the total electorate in 2004, and its share of the electorate is expected to increase this year.)

Hurricane Gustav Post #2... bringing down trees

Here is a video of last minuet preparations before the storm hits in the early morning. Trying to get rid of immediate threat trees that have a chance of coming through the roof.

Hurricane Gustav Post #1

Me and rachel are all set at her parents house in Mandeville while we await what is quite possibly the biggest storm to ever hit here. Who would have thought that only three years after Katrina we are facing a storm even greater. The storm surge and flooding is going to be atleast 4 feet higher than in Katrina. The footprint of Katrina was 400 miles, Gustav is already 9oo miles and growing. I have a lot of apprehension right now and you might ask why in the world are you staying, well the way I looked at it no matter where in Louisiana we went we we're going to get hit and power, granted we live just above lake ponchaetrain but we live right above I-12 so we really only have to worry about trees coming through the roof from gail force winds and or tornado's. We are as prepared as you can be for something of this magnitude. We have a generator, chainsaws, plenty of food and water, flashlights, cards and games, books and of course beer, wine and tobacco(quite possibly the most essential resources in a time like this). This is post number one, I intend to update as often as possible, hopefully I can find an internet source quickly after the storm hits, me and my brothers-n-law plan on taking some before pictures and then after the storm we plan on taking the canoe around(because thats the only way to get around) and getting the after shots. I hope all are well, and I pray that lives are saved and and houses unscaved.  

Inspired and unashamed

I am married now and have a future with my family to consider with everything I do and every decision I make now. I have been very forward with my support for Barrack Obama for president for a while now and after tonight I have a myriad of new reasons why I am supporting him and would love to talk to anyone about that who would like to know. After tonight I saw such a bright future for my family in the hopes of the leadership of Barrack Obama. I want my kids to inherit a better world than the one that we have today and I feel confident in my kids and families future because of the character of the person of Barrack Obama. I am by no means naive and completely idealistic, I believe that it takes an incredible amount of individual responsibility, but it also takes a significant amount of mutual/communal responsibility. 

may the winds blow

the winds of change

amen