30 January 2009
19 January 2009
Scarse
Probably gonna be a little quiet around here for a while. The end of the quarter is Friday, and I am awash in backlogged work, plus ready to start next semester's work. Ach! After k-bowl on Saturday we'll also be heading to the College Club in Saint Paul for the Minnesota St. Andrew's Society's Burns' Night supper. Oughta be a blast. But will seriously not help with the paper grading.
15 January 2009
Wild Goose Chase
So I apparently had the other email logged in today and accidentally posted this to the really old blog. This leds me to finding the "import blog" feature so I went ahead and consolidated. Cool beans...The "title" bar has disappeared...
Oh well. So why am I living in Minnesota? It's stinkin' cold here!! We haven't had a full day of school all week. Monday we had completely off at both schools. The blizzard was kind of a flop, but the blowing and drifting in the country still sucked, and the windchills were nasty. More snow on Monday night and continued windchill pushed the Tuesday starts back two hours all over the region. Yesterday, the kids' school ran on time but mine stayed 2 hours late. Diesel buses and children fare better if the sun is actually up, even if it is still blessed cold. By noon yesterday, my district, and several others in the area had already set today's start times back. Most of the rest followed suit by the 10:00 news last night. In this part of the country, almost every district is consolidated to some extent, which means lots more rural routes and shady township roads. With winds, some of them plug back up as soon as they get plowed open. Today as I look out the window, it seems pretty still, but holy cow, the "actual" temperature is -24. Blech. Usually we get one or two "Alberta Clippers" every year, and the severe cold is short-lived (after that it's just cold). We seem to have had more than our fair share of bitter cold this year, and more snow than the past few years. Out and about people are either complaining that it's "the worst winter in several years" or "the first normal winter we've had in several years." The latter is usually heard from snowmobilers and ice fishermen. As I drove home from school around the lake, I noted that it must really be cold, as there were no ice fishermen out, but as I got to the parking area at the boat landing, I saw the DNR hadn't plowed yet. I'm sure if there had been parking spots, the fishermen would have been out. Fishhouses stay warm. I suppose I had better scoot mine out to the bus. Snowsuits ahoy.
*edit*
As if the week wasn't weird enough, we had a fire alarm today. We knew no-one would have a drill on a day like today, so the kids started to file out into the bitter cold. The all clear was soon sounded, but not until after a bit of consternation. There was a problem: a burst pipe leaking all over the entryway. I assume it had something to do with the sprinkler system to set off the alarms, but haven't heard for sure.
Oh well. So why am I living in Minnesota? It's stinkin' cold here!! We haven't had a full day of school all week. Monday we had completely off at both schools. The blizzard was kind of a flop, but the blowing and drifting in the country still sucked, and the windchills were nasty. More snow on Monday night and continued windchill pushed the Tuesday starts back two hours all over the region. Yesterday, the kids' school ran on time but mine stayed 2 hours late. Diesel buses and children fare better if the sun is actually up, even if it is still blessed cold. By noon yesterday, my district, and several others in the area had already set today's start times back. Most of the rest followed suit by the 10:00 news last night. In this part of the country, almost every district is consolidated to some extent, which means lots more rural routes and shady township roads. With winds, some of them plug back up as soon as they get plowed open. Today as I look out the window, it seems pretty still, but holy cow, the "actual" temperature is -24. Blech. Usually we get one or two "Alberta Clippers" every year, and the severe cold is short-lived (after that it's just cold). We seem to have had more than our fair share of bitter cold this year, and more snow than the past few years. Out and about people are either complaining that it's "the worst winter in several years" or "the first normal winter we've had in several years." The latter is usually heard from snowmobilers and ice fishermen. As I drove home from school around the lake, I noted that it must really be cold, as there were no ice fishermen out, but as I got to the parking area at the boat landing, I saw the DNR hadn't plowed yet. I'm sure if there had been parking spots, the fishermen would have been out. Fishhouses stay warm. I suppose I had better scoot mine out to the bus. Snowsuits ahoy.
*edit*
As if the week wasn't weird enough, we had a fire alarm today. We knew no-one would have a drill on a day like today, so the kids started to file out into the bitter cold. The all clear was soon sounded, but not until after a bit of consternation. There was a problem: a burst pipe leaking all over the entryway. I assume it had something to do with the sprinkler system to set off the alarms, but haven't heard for sure.
11 January 2009
A love story
iPastor and I have sort of become the coffee couple among our friends. His family was all about the coffee, never without a thermal pot or travel mug; mine probably not as obsessively so, but there was always a percolator going in the background somewhere. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of "going to coffee" at a family friends' home, and how special it was to be given my very own cup, loaded with sugar. iPastor and I started the "coffee club" at church and I have coffee-themed deco in my dining room. We are not, however, by any means coffee snobs. Probably just the latter, truth be told. In the past, when friends have shared their home-ground brews of premium roast beans, we've choked down the bitter, black tar politely and smiled at their enjoyment. We're plain old Butternut lovers, albeit by the quart.
We almost always get cups or specialty coffees from friends at Christmas and birthday time. Usually the little gift packs of dark roast Caribbean blend are trotted out for parties or given to the "gourmet"-loving friends. When Christmas came this year, we were perplexed to find a coffee press in the basket of caffeine-themed goodies from our friends. Without a coffee grinder, I Googled up some instructions and we tried the press with some pre-ground coffee. The results were entirely unimpressive. Not ones to give up, a grinder was added to the shopping list and duly purchased. We dove into the premium gift beans, noting on the package that this particular bean was a mild roast. Sweet heavenly day! The resulting brew was the closest I have ever been to coffee Nirvana. The proof is in the roasting, I guess. Such depth and flavor is squeezed lovingly through its little sieve into my morning cup. I have subsequently grown fonder every day of the little silver and glass jewel of my morning. The "Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!" hurry of the gravity drip pot has become stale and lifeless in the shadow of my full and well-rounded new morning companion. I know we shall live happily ever after. At least until somebody drops it.
We almost always get cups or specialty coffees from friends at Christmas and birthday time. Usually the little gift packs of dark roast Caribbean blend are trotted out for parties or given to the "gourmet"-loving friends. When Christmas came this year, we were perplexed to find a coffee press in the basket of caffeine-themed goodies from our friends. Without a coffee grinder, I Googled up some instructions and we tried the press with some pre-ground coffee. The results were entirely unimpressive. Not ones to give up, a grinder was added to the shopping list and duly purchased. We dove into the premium gift beans, noting on the package that this particular bean was a mild roast. Sweet heavenly day! The resulting brew was the closest I have ever been to coffee Nirvana. The proof is in the roasting, I guess. Such depth and flavor is squeezed lovingly through its little sieve into my morning cup. I have subsequently grown fonder every day of the little silver and glass jewel of my morning. The "Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!" hurry of the gravity drip pot has become stale and lifeless in the shadow of my full and well-rounded new morning companion. I know we shall live happily ever after. At least until somebody drops it.
09 January 2009
Ahhh, the memories
All my fellow children of the 80's should head over to Mercy Me's website to check out their rendition of "Shout." Good fun.
01 January 2009
It's been an interesting Christmas break so far. Still have a few days off, but I'm hoping to use them to gear up for school.
Christmas Eve, Thing 1 and I cruised to town and noticed a stick or something on the side of the road. I mentioned to her that it looked like the leg of a deer. We forgot all about it until the next day when we were returning home from Grandpa's. "There's the deer stick!" she announced, requiring us to let the rest of the car in on the conversation. iPastor, never one to stifle an inquisitive nature, pulled around so we could determine what, exactly, lay by the side of the road. Thing 1 jumped out to discover that it was, indeed, the severed foreleg of a deer. Ew! Of course, she picked it up and used it to tap on the van windows and gross out her siblings. Good thing it was frozen solid.
The bathroom reno is better than half done. They need to install the new pedestal sink and do the finish work. We opted for the heated floor and have not been sorry. Christmas Eve, I crawled into bed around 10. iPastor's work phone rang about 11:30 as one of his fellows called with a question. It woke me enough to decide to get up and use the bathroom. There was something blocking the door, and I pushed my way in to discover Things 1 and 2 sleeping on the heated tiles. I kicked them out; it's nice and warm in there, but not too soft. The cats remedy this by snuggling in on the towels the kids are all too willing to leave on the floor.
As previously documented, we visited friends on Saturday, arriving home about bedtime. We settled in for the night, iPastor making ready for work in the morning, and I planned to take the family to church. We hadn't been there for two weeks, as our two recent snowstorms had cancelled services and the Christmas program. We don't have an answering machine per se, so we have no little contraption with a blinking light to alert us to messages on the voicemail. It was not until I arrived at church the next day, with only one of the four cranky children, that I was informed that the rescheduled program would take place an hour later during Sunday school. We managed to get the kids where they needed to be, but it was not the calm, uneventful morning I planned.
Got some more puttering done around the house between family visits, and got ready for our annual game party, which was pretty much a Wii party, but who's counting. Yesterday dawned bitterly cold. I wasn't expecting the house to seem so chilly. I noticed the blower to the furnace groaning before it kicked in. I thought it didn't sound too healthy, but went about my business, heading out with iPastor for some errands. When we returned, I heard the groan again, but this time the blower did not kick in at all. A quick check of the thermostat revealed that I was not just cold blooded, the temperature in the house was indeed less than 60 degrees. I got on the phone with the local furnace place, who talked me through to determine that it was the blower motor, but they had none in stock and couldn't get any until Tuesday. I got on the phone with the people who had actually installed the furnace. They were further away, and also had no motors in stock, but they had someone there within half an hour to jury rig a different motor until they could get one in. Should have just called them in the first place, but I was thinking that the one 6 miles away would get the job done quicker than the one 25 miles away. I was assuming they'd actually want to do the job. The installers had originally gotten the bid because they bid a bigger furnace/central combo at $1500 less than any of the locals. Guess I'll keep taking my business there.
Today I had some quiet time in the toasty warm house to be thankful for what I have as the new year starts. 2008 was a helluva ride. A year ago we celebrated Christmas on this day with iPastor's mom, who had a headache and was feeling dizzy. She got her diagnosis January 16, and left us July 28 after a good fight, aided by family and friends crawling out of the woodwork to lend any sort of aid they could. It was well appreciated. In the meantime, I finally finished my degree and got a teaching job. We got some work done on this poor old house that's needed doing for ages. iPastor took a promotion at his day job. He's gotten away from his studies as we've dealt with life around here. He's had a tougher year than I. Here's hoping 2009 brings us experiences as valuable, but not quite so traumatic, please.
Christmas Eve, Thing 1 and I cruised to town and noticed a stick or something on the side of the road. I mentioned to her that it looked like the leg of a deer. We forgot all about it until the next day when we were returning home from Grandpa's. "There's the deer stick!" she announced, requiring us to let the rest of the car in on the conversation. iPastor, never one to stifle an inquisitive nature, pulled around so we could determine what, exactly, lay by the side of the road. Thing 1 jumped out to discover that it was, indeed, the severed foreleg of a deer. Ew! Of course, she picked it up and used it to tap on the van windows and gross out her siblings. Good thing it was frozen solid.
The bathroom reno is better than half done. They need to install the new pedestal sink and do the finish work. We opted for the heated floor and have not been sorry. Christmas Eve, I crawled into bed around 10. iPastor's work phone rang about 11:30 as one of his fellows called with a question. It woke me enough to decide to get up and use the bathroom. There was something blocking the door, and I pushed my way in to discover Things 1 and 2 sleeping on the heated tiles. I kicked them out; it's nice and warm in there, but not too soft. The cats remedy this by snuggling in on the towels the kids are all too willing to leave on the floor.
As previously documented, we visited friends on Saturday, arriving home about bedtime. We settled in for the night, iPastor making ready for work in the morning, and I planned to take the family to church. We hadn't been there for two weeks, as our two recent snowstorms had cancelled services and the Christmas program. We don't have an answering machine per se, so we have no little contraption with a blinking light to alert us to messages on the voicemail. It was not until I arrived at church the next day, with only one of the four cranky children, that I was informed that the rescheduled program would take place an hour later during Sunday school. We managed to get the kids where they needed to be, but it was not the calm, uneventful morning I planned.
Got some more puttering done around the house between family visits, and got ready for our annual game party, which was pretty much a Wii party, but who's counting. Yesterday dawned bitterly cold. I wasn't expecting the house to seem so chilly. I noticed the blower to the furnace groaning before it kicked in. I thought it didn't sound too healthy, but went about my business, heading out with iPastor for some errands. When we returned, I heard the groan again, but this time the blower did not kick in at all. A quick check of the thermostat revealed that I was not just cold blooded, the temperature in the house was indeed less than 60 degrees. I got on the phone with the local furnace place, who talked me through to determine that it was the blower motor, but they had none in stock and couldn't get any until Tuesday. I got on the phone with the people who had actually installed the furnace. They were further away, and also had no motors in stock, but they had someone there within half an hour to jury rig a different motor until they could get one in. Should have just called them in the first place, but I was thinking that the one 6 miles away would get the job done quicker than the one 25 miles away. I was assuming they'd actually want to do the job. The installers had originally gotten the bid because they bid a bigger furnace/central combo at $1500 less than any of the locals. Guess I'll keep taking my business there.
Today I had some quiet time in the toasty warm house to be thankful for what I have as the new year starts. 2008 was a helluva ride. A year ago we celebrated Christmas on this day with iPastor's mom, who had a headache and was feeling dizzy. She got her diagnosis January 16, and left us July 28 after a good fight, aided by family and friends crawling out of the woodwork to lend any sort of aid they could. It was well appreciated. In the meantime, I finally finished my degree and got a teaching job. We got some work done on this poor old house that's needed doing for ages. iPastor took a promotion at his day job. He's gotten away from his studies as we've dealt with life around here. He's had a tougher year than I. Here's hoping 2009 brings us experiences as valuable, but not quite so traumatic, please.
31 December 2008
The End of Blog 365
New Year's Eve brings the end of Blog 365. A grand social experiment, or an excuse for a bunch of lameass posts. You decide.
My resolution for the New Year: to post some worthwhile content in this here bandwidth.
Happy New Year Everyone!!
My resolution for the New Year: to post some worthwhile content in this here bandwidth.
Happy New Year Everyone!!
30 December 2008
More cleaning
I am actually enjoying the puttering about the house. I am starting to think about some more smaller projects around here now that the end of the bathroom reno is in sight. Must be something about snowstorms that makes a body want to nest. I need some serious distraction...
29 December 2008
Christmas...check
Well I think we can finally say that's the last Christmas celebration of the year. Brother and his wife came bearing gifts today, so we had a lovely ham dinner. I gave brother a basket o' goodies and took SIL yarn shopping. All but one of my sisters/SIL's knit, which makes them easy to buy for. Now to continue the cleaning for the New Year's Eve party. Same ol' game party. It's mellow and fun, and requires no reservations.
28 December 2008
In that mood again
Today between rounds at church, I completely gutted my linen closet. How many sets of sheets does a person need, anyway? We only sleep on one at a time. Got rid of curtains I'll never hang again and pillow shams I have never used (my pillows go under the spread; they're utilitarian, not decorative) The back of my little truck is full and ready for a trip to the thrift store. Now, to keep the momentum.
27 December 2008
Home!
Speed run today for holiday fun with friends. iPastor hooked the Wii our projector and we had a blast playing. Hate driving both ways in one day, though. Kills a lot of daylight. 2.5 hours to the dot home. Yuck.
26 December 2008
Cut the cord!!!
How stupidly internet dependent am I? When I got out to my car this morning to head south, the battery was dead. Bummer. Nothing I couldn't fix with a trickle charge and time, but it killed my road trip. It was too early to call my friend, so I surfed aimlessly for a while until my internet went down, which it does frequently for short periods. Not too happy about that, but ISP beggars can't be choosers. I busied myself with some laundry and putzed around the house, checking back from time to time. Still no 'net. Now it was becoming a problem. My friend had emailed her phone number to my gmail account, and I hadn't bothered to write it down or transfer it to my hard drive address book, because, hey, I had it right at my fingertips, right? I also had to scrounge up my kid's cell phone, because my little-used one is in a box at school, and out house phone service is Vonage, delivered, of course, via the internet (voice over IP). Unfortunately, friend's parents are unlisted, so I can't track down a number to let her know I am safe at home. Gonna have to put in some fixes around here, just as soon as my connection comes back, anyway...
*whew* Back online and pacified. Really gonna have to do something about my little problem.
*whew* Back online and pacified. Really gonna have to do something about my little problem.
25 December 2008
Merry Christmas
We had a lovely Christmas Day with iPastor's dad and the steps. Good food, good family, good fun.
Things playing with the adorable nephew/cousin, current baby of the clan. Somebody else needs to get busy makin' babies for us aunties to mash on. We've had our turn. Luckily there are stepbrothers and older nephews to produce more.
He's too sexy for this cousin.
Requisite monkey pile in grandpa's big chair.
iPastor brought along the new toy to share with the fam. We ate lots and talked lots and had a lovely time.
Hope your Christmas was as nice.
Things playing with the adorable nephew/cousin, current baby of the clan. Somebody else needs to get busy makin' babies for us aunties to mash on. We've had our turn. Luckily there are stepbrothers and older nephews to produce more.
He's too sexy for this cousin.
Requisite monkey pile in grandpa's big chair.
iPastor brought along the new toy to share with the fam. We ate lots and talked lots and had a lovely time.
Hope your Christmas was as nice.
24 December 2008
Killer Music
Yesterday the crud snuck up and bit me on the butt, putting me down for the count. After everyone else got off to school and work, I had a bit of a stomach ache, which I chalked up to wine and hummus too close to bedtime. I realized there was no reaso not to go back to bed for a while, so I did. I dragged myself back out at 9:45, to dig out my car and head to Thing 4's headstart party. I realized then that I was feeling decidedly ill. I soldiered on and got through school, which was shortened class periods followed by a streamed movie for the kids. It was fun, but I packed out of the building as soon as humanly possible, and went straight to bed, from which I did not crawl out until about 7pm, to bathe and force down a couple of dry pancakes. I went back to bed and slept through the night, feeling much better this morning. As with the rest of the family, this particular bug seems to be relatively short-lived and easily slept off.
However, in my sleepy state I was unable to relate the tale of the Christmas concert. The choir and band have taken to having their Christmas concerts together, which on the surface would be a good timesaver. However, teardown and setup between the groups are longer than the actual concert. This year the band director attempted to rectify this a little: having the bands switch over during a percussion feature, segueing his groups together, etc. It helped. However, the instruments were really suffering from dry air and cold, and he and the junior high director performed some speedy, between song instrument surgeries. Then came the choirs. First, a young man nearly passed out. The director stopped him and headed him offstage to a waiting nurse. The kids finished the songs as two more left before they dropped, then one fell off the back of the risers. Soon, someone tapped me to come help in the lobby. One of the kids who walked off was having some serious pain, and they sent me for her parents, our friends from last weekend's post. As I got her stepmom, she told me, "It's the world's most dangerous concert! They're dropping like flies!" One to remember, that's for sure.
We'll have a quiet night at home together for Christmas Eve, doing some baking and playing with the Wii, I'm sure. Tomorrow we'll spend the day with iPastor's family, the I will head down to my hometown for a coffee gathering with friends from high school. When I get back, we'll turn around and head to the cities to spend a day with our friends like family there. Next week will be kicked back and quiet; I have papers to correct and some projects to keep me busy. Looking forward to that.
However, in my sleepy state I was unable to relate the tale of the Christmas concert. The choir and band have taken to having their Christmas concerts together, which on the surface would be a good timesaver. However, teardown and setup between the groups are longer than the actual concert. This year the band director attempted to rectify this a little: having the bands switch over during a percussion feature, segueing his groups together, etc. It helped. However, the instruments were really suffering from dry air and cold, and he and the junior high director performed some speedy, between song instrument surgeries. Then came the choirs. First, a young man nearly passed out. The director stopped him and headed him offstage to a waiting nurse. The kids finished the songs as two more left before they dropped, then one fell off the back of the risers. Soon, someone tapped me to come help in the lobby. One of the kids who walked off was having some serious pain, and they sent me for her parents, our friends from last weekend's post. As I got her stepmom, she told me, "It's the world's most dangerous concert! They're dropping like flies!" One to remember, that's for sure.
We'll have a quiet night at home together for Christmas Eve, doing some baking and playing with the Wii, I'm sure. Tomorrow we'll spend the day with iPastor's family, the I will head down to my hometown for a coffee gathering with friends from high school. When I get back, we'll turn around and head to the cities to spend a day with our friends like family there. Next week will be kicked back and quiet; I have papers to correct and some projects to keep me busy. Looking forward to that.
23 December 2008
22 December 2008
So I shamelessly copy/pasted this from NPR's website, because I thought the fella made some interesting points. His comments were full of saber rattlers from both camps, and they had a few points of their own, but mostly fuss and bluster. This guy is a little left of Timothy Leary in his stated views, and I, a self-proclaimed liberal in my own right, don't agree with his views on several social issues. I'm all about the love, man, but don't adjust the legal system to accommodate every possible lifestyle. But he also makes the point that Obama is the chosen president of the whole country, and the whole country has to start finding what we have in common and resting our focus there, rather than picking at the already frayed edges of our differences until we unravel the fabric of our society even further. So, here ya go. Fire away.
I'm A Lefty And I Like Obama's Pick Of Rick Warren
by David Weinberger
NPR.org, December 18, 2008 · I'm a liberal. Free the whales. Tax the rich! I swear to you that not only do I drive a Prius, I turned in our Volvo for it. If you know any one of my political positions, you know them all. That's how embarrassingly stereotypical I am. So pardon me if I take a moment to give some advice to my fellow liberals and progressives: Chill out, will you?
You're already out criticizing our president-elect for betraying our side. He's gone soft on wiretapping, on raising taxes on the wealthy, and now you're having conniptions because Barack Obama has invited the Rev. Rick Warren onto the inaugural podium. The shame! The horror!
Rick Warren believes things that are anathema to liberals like me.
Rick Warren is against abortion choice and totally against gay marriage. I'm from Massachusetts. I'm totally for both those things.
But personally I'm delighted that Rick Warren was asked and he agreed to participate in the inauguration.
My lefty friends, you're not listening. All through the campaign, you thought Obama was just hiding his real views — which you assumed just had to be the same as yours — in order to get elected. Well, read Obama's book. Replay his speeches that you've TiVo'ed. Yes, Obama shares many key liberal views. But he's more interested in addressing a fundamental issue that we liberals have been just plain wrong about. And so have been the conservatives. That problem is that we're so damn angry at one another. All the time. For decades. We can barely live in the same country. The blue states sneer at the red states. The red states think the blue states aren't really America. We can't go on this way.
So in walks Obama. He's a blue state guy, of course. But he's getting us to do what seems impossible: to listen to what's best in what the other side is saying, because then you hear the shared values, and the other side isn't another side at all. That means you put Rick Warren up on the stage with you, because he disagrees with you. Yet he's there celebrating the moment when a person becomes a president of all the people. To progressives, Rick Warren is a symbol of views they disagree with. To the rest of the country, Rick Warren is a symbol of "the purpose driven life" that he has written about, a life lived for something larger than yourself ... a value liberals completely share.
And to Barack Obama, I believe Rick Warren's participation is also a symbol. Obama is modeling yet again how we can live together by finding what's good, and admirable, and right in what others believe, and not getting stuck only on what we disagree with.
Obama is redefining politics not by driving left or right, but by redefining patriotism. What does it mean to love your country?
To be convinced you know what's right and therefore to sneer at those who disagree with you? Or does loving your country in practice mean finding what's best in all your fellow citizens?
Obama's got an answer to that question. It's where hope comes from.
And if you don't know that, if you still only look through the lens of left and right, blue and red, you really have not been listening.
David Weinberger is at the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet & Society.
I have more Christmasy, thoughtful and interesting posts perking on the back burner, but they'll wait for Christmas break.
I'm A Lefty And I Like Obama's Pick Of Rick Warren
by David Weinberger
NPR.org, December 18, 2008 · I'm a liberal. Free the whales. Tax the rich! I swear to you that not only do I drive a Prius, I turned in our Volvo for it. If you know any one of my political positions, you know them all. That's how embarrassingly stereotypical I am. So pardon me if I take a moment to give some advice to my fellow liberals and progressives: Chill out, will you?
You're already out criticizing our president-elect for betraying our side. He's gone soft on wiretapping, on raising taxes on the wealthy, and now you're having conniptions because Barack Obama has invited the Rev. Rick Warren onto the inaugural podium. The shame! The horror!
Rick Warren believes things that are anathema to liberals like me.
Rick Warren is against abortion choice and totally against gay marriage. I'm from Massachusetts. I'm totally for both those things.
But personally I'm delighted that Rick Warren was asked and he agreed to participate in the inauguration.
My lefty friends, you're not listening. All through the campaign, you thought Obama was just hiding his real views — which you assumed just had to be the same as yours — in order to get elected. Well, read Obama's book. Replay his speeches that you've TiVo'ed. Yes, Obama shares many key liberal views. But he's more interested in addressing a fundamental issue that we liberals have been just plain wrong about. And so have been the conservatives. That problem is that we're so damn angry at one another. All the time. For decades. We can barely live in the same country. The blue states sneer at the red states. The red states think the blue states aren't really America. We can't go on this way.
So in walks Obama. He's a blue state guy, of course. But he's getting us to do what seems impossible: to listen to what's best in what the other side is saying, because then you hear the shared values, and the other side isn't another side at all. That means you put Rick Warren up on the stage with you, because he disagrees with you. Yet he's there celebrating the moment when a person becomes a president of all the people. To progressives, Rick Warren is a symbol of views they disagree with. To the rest of the country, Rick Warren is a symbol of "the purpose driven life" that he has written about, a life lived for something larger than yourself ... a value liberals completely share.
And to Barack Obama, I believe Rick Warren's participation is also a symbol. Obama is modeling yet again how we can live together by finding what's good, and admirable, and right in what others believe, and not getting stuck only on what we disagree with.
Obama is redefining politics not by driving left or right, but by redefining patriotism. What does it mean to love your country?
To be convinced you know what's right and therefore to sneer at those who disagree with you? Or does loving your country in practice mean finding what's best in all your fellow citizens?
Obama's got an answer to that question. It's where hope comes from.
And if you don't know that, if you still only look through the lens of left and right, blue and red, you really have not been listening.
David Weinberger is at the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet & Society.
I have more Christmasy, thoughtful and interesting posts perking on the back burner, but they'll wait for Christmas break.
21 December 2008
Happy Solstice.
Unfortunately, windchills of -40 make it difficult to dance naked around a fire as they did on solstices in ancient times. Nobody wants to see that anyway...
20 December 2008
And again with the snow
This week's blizzard moved in a few hours early, as opposed to last week's pokey storm.
Either the winds weren't as strong or came from a different direction this week as I didn't hear them howling like last time. We were socked in from the word go. At about 2:30 the sky cleared and the sun shone, but it was blowing and drifting something fierce.
We rallied the kids to help clean up around the house a little, then Santa Daddy pulled out his bag an declared that being snowbound called for early presents. The reaction was everything that could be expected: squealing, clapping, and hugs for dad the hero.
The rest of the day was a total loss to Wii goodness. Wii fit will totally make me skinny and fabulous. Right?
Either the winds weren't as strong or came from a different direction this week as I didn't hear them howling like last time. We were socked in from the word go. At about 2:30 the sky cleared and the sun shone, but it was blowing and drifting something fierce.
We rallied the kids to help clean up around the house a little, then Santa Daddy pulled out his bag an declared that being snowbound called for early presents. The reaction was everything that could be expected: squealing, clapping, and hugs for dad the hero.
The rest of the day was a total loss to Wii goodness. Wii fit will totally make me skinny and fabulous. Right?
19 December 2008
Big Wieners
Three teams to Jr. High K-Bowl Subregional tournament; One wins it all, two don't place. Pizza buffet for lunch. Not a bad day...
18 December 2008
Dogs are Barkin'
It's Christmas party time at the waitress job. Ran my butt off. Ready for bed. Early day tomorrow with K-Bowl kids.
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