The Definition of a Prostitute
May 31, 2005
Cathy Gallagher doesn’t walk the streets of Bethesda, Maryland, at least not to my knowledge; I doubt that she has a “madam” or a “pimp” either. But what is a prostitute? I’d say that anyone who sells one’s integrity for money is engaging in prostitution. By that definition, this woman definitely qualifies, in another entry from our “How Low Will You Go?” files…
Love Notes for that Other “Special Someone”
Be careful, as you read this article, to note the many ways she attempts to “justify” how she and Jim Grove, her gigolo, use their talents.
A NASCAR Moment…
May 28, 2005
For the three of you who read this and follow Nascar racing (well, and also for the rest of you who one day will), here’s an article about a current Nascar driver whining:
Robby Gordon Cries Foul on Patrick
Boy oh boy oh boy…Robby Gordon making another excuse for why he is such a loser of a driver. Hint, Robby: look in the mirror, buddy! This guy has more driving talent in his pinkie than most drivers in the world, yet he consistently squanders it, blaming others, acting like a jerk on the track, and generally wasting the prodigious talent God gave him. Now, he’s whining because the girl has an advantage…sheesh.
I am not an Indy car fan, but I, for one, am certainly rooting for the lady to whip the boys tomorrow in the Indy 500. Go, Danica!
Helping Minorities Through Socialist Security Reform
May 26, 2005
Sojourners and the evangelical left has great concern to help the poor, and this is fitting, of course; why are they not wholeheartedly endorsing the President’s plan to reform Socialist Security, especially in light of this piece from Agape Press?
..An Oklahoma-based financial expert believes African-Americans should be leading the charge for Social Security reform. He says the issue of transferability to heirs is reason enough. According to Eddie Huff, a successful African-American financial planner based in Tulsa, most black Americans do not understand that, if a breadwinner dies early, his or her minor children will not have access to their parents social security funds forever. In that case, he explains, if the oldest child is over 18 and not still in school, “that money is forfeited. You cannot leave all of your life payments into FICA — it’s gone. It’s just totally gone. Nobody gets it.” Also, Huff says, the life expectancy of most black men typically does not allow them to get the personal benefit of all their tax contributions. “The average lifespan of the African-American male is 66 years of age,” he says, “so [the average black male retiree] might collect one year.” As a financial planner, Huff says he sees the scenario of each generation of black Americans building from scratch too often, and they seem least likely to leave an estate behind — often because they fail to understand that Social Security contributions do not always remain the possession of the surviving family members. [Ed Thomas]
Yeah! Exactly! The opportunity will exist for all Americans, rich and poor alike, to funnel a portion of their retirement currently earmarked for Socialist Security into a vehicle that has the likelihood of bringing far better returns; in other words, poor people can be helped to climb out of the hole of poverty by this plan.
And lost in all of this discussion and caterwauling by the left is the fact that this will be totally voluntary (in other words, Americans will have freedom—granted, that scares the left, unless you’re talking about freedom to engage in deviant sexual behavior or burn a flag—freedom to continue the status quo if so desired). If Socialist Security as we know it is such a great system, then encourage folks to keep their money where it is.
This system can be changed for the better, and while it will certainly take some creative thinking to do it, it needs to be changed—for the sake of the poor, among other reasons!
Alison Krauss & Union Station in Concert
May 25, 2005
There are singers…and then there are singers. Seems to me that there are only a few people whose voices just reach out and grab you, affect you in a powerful way with their uniqueness and beauty. There’s never been another quite like Karen Carpenter, for instance. Another such voice is that of Alison Krauss, who sings like her voice is made of delicate silk. Last night I was privileged to attend the Alison Krauss & Union Station concert at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh (a lovely venue, I might add), and Alison and the boys did not disappoint.
The show opened with a few new numbers, , most of which came from the band’s new album, Lonely Runs Both Ways, including “Restless”, “Gravity” (my favorite of the new ones I heard), and a couple featuring Dan Tyminski, “Rain Please Go Away” and “Pastures of Plenty”; Tyminski, as many know, was the voice of George Clooney in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, singing “Man of Constant Sorrow” (dutifully performed last evening as well).
The group showed its instrumental excellence on Chocktaw Hayride, a wonderful romp through the bluegrass fields, and on one of my favorites, “O Atlanta”, which combined instrumental features by Jerry Douglas (“the greatest dobro player the world has ever known”) and Ron Block on banjo, with Alison’s vocal stylings. As far as those are concerned, it’s hard to top what to me is her signature song, the old Keith Whitley hit, “When You Say Nothin’ at All”, as well as the almost-whispered “Maybe” and “The Lucky One”.
The on-stage banter, led by Alison, was a bit uneven; she demonstrated a great sense of humor, but at times, the conversation lagged and the joking seemed to go nowhere; I suppose that it’s hard to be fresh and original on a tour, and if the alternative is a staged performance and canned jokes, perhaps we’ll live with the occasional thud. Musically, though, one gets the impression that these folks genuinely love doing what they do—and that only makes them better at it!
The night ended with a couple of a capella numbers, “My Ain True Love” from the film Cold Mountain, and “Down to the River to Pray”, again from the “O Brother” soundtrack, with the capstone of the evening being a new Ron Block song from “Lonely” entitled “My Living Prayer”; as a Christ-follower, it was moving and meaningful.
Great concert, all in all, with exceptional musicians, the silky voice of Alison Krauss, and none of the garbage that often attends public performances—truly, an event for the whole family, one that should be appreciated by any true music fan, even if bluegrass isn’t one’s general cup o’ tea.
J. Gresham Machen v. George W. Bush
May 24, 2005
When you think of J. Gresham Machen (and I’m sure you do, all the time…), you think of one of the eminent theologians of the early 20th century. What you probably don’t think of is a guy with a real clear understanding of the way our republic is supposed to work. Here, though, is his testimony before Congress against the establishment of the Department of Education; it is masterful.
Testimony before the House & Senate Committees on the Proposed Department of Education
If George W. Bush really wants to leave no child behind, a good place to start would be to abolish the Department of Education and get Washington out of the business of standardizing education in this country. Machen articulately explains why.
Our Two Major Parties: The Socialists and the Cowards
May 23, 2005
From Sounding the Trumpet:
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS
Yet another example of why I dropped my Republican registration several years ago. Predictably, they’ve caved, led by John McCain; Linc Chafee, Olympia Snowe, and Susan Collins were to be expected to join McCain in caving; John Warner wasn’t a huge surprise either, since he’s pretty wimpy on judicial issues anyway. Mike DeWine and Lindsey Graham were disappointing surprises in their willingness to capitulate on the judges. Lindsey Graham can kiss presidential ambition goodbye, and so can Bill Frist, probably; if you can’t lead with a 55-45 majority, we don’t need you as our next Prez, Mr. Frist.
Confirm Them has this comment.
Yes, we will get, apparently, some fine judges in Janice Rogers Brown, Bill Pryor, and Priscilla Owen. And the Democrats promise to be good little boys and girls when it comes to other nominations, only willing to support a filibuster under “extraordinary circumstances”. Wanna bet that the word “extraordinary” undergoes massive “definition-morph” once Rehnquist announces his retirement?
This phrase comes from the 1978 "Jonestown massacre" in which most members of the Peoples Temple cult, blindly following their leader Jim Jones, committed suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.
Osborne: A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God
Schlossberg: Idols For Destruction
