There is this life and there is the next. But the "and" misleads us. We think that there will be a moment when we die that we go from this body trapped in time to a mind out of time. But from everlasting to everlasting we must move, as though jumping from one river flowing downhill to another flowing up the mountain. There is this life and it is full, getting and spending, late and soon, of lunches and dinners, diapers and dishes, but then there's, glory, transfiguration, eternity. But what about an eternity of dishes of getting out damn spots and not hating it? What if this and every moment is a chance to move from one slipstream into another?
When I was a kid, we would on special occasions, usually around the holidays, build a fire in the wood stove. It was at one end of the frontroom and would heat up the whole room with its calming, often soporific warmth. Sitting anywhere near it might mean nodding off right there on the floor, pillow or no. But when we had to go to bed upstairs, the open stairway would allow the heat from the fireplace only up to the point where the ceiling of the first floor stopped. Like a plane rising above the clouds, as soon as we stepped up to the level of the second floor, we stepped out of the stove's heat and had a very cool bed to look forward to or endure, depending on your perspective. It's like that other level, with its refreshing cool or comforting warm, is always just above or below us. We can raise our heads and see clear sky or stay below under the cloud cover.
Sometimes, though, the light dazzles the eye too much. We see the vision, the glory, the curtain parts and we glimpse the eternal but can't take it all in. We have to move back into the life of the commute, alarm clock and daily shaving to feel the touch of this material world. Like a terrier terrified of the storm, we need our thunder shirt to feel safe again. But then the shirt becomes too confining, or vision narrows to a point too fine and we must lift ourselves up again.
Music does this, art does this, creating allows us to see visions. Can we live both lives, though? Can we drive to work like its an act of worship? Can we send an email that is sacred as prayer? Can we burn sacrifices as we make popcorn for family movie night? Can these two sides of the coin not rest on the table heads up or down but spinning, alternating like AC power though the many connections between us and world at the tip of our fingers or tongues? What might we do to access that kind of everyday holiness? How does the divine meet the quotidian?
It might be somewhere in Deuteronomy 6, where we are to take God's commands and fix them to our heads or hands, teach them with vigor to our children, make them our thought on waking or sleeping and when stepping out the door or coming home. That seems a good place to start, when you allow God's word to inhabit your world like the refrain of a song stuck in your head, you get to see with clearer eyes more and more. You hear his voice, see his hand at work, know him a little more.
God is one. His bride is one. Seeing us as the church, as a communion of saints, not just "the church," but a body of believers is a powerful vision, a potent truth, not to be taken lightly. The body can only function well if all its parts are in accord and no one is fancying itself better than the rest. We must deal in realities and see the realities of unseen things, graced with the sensitivity to hear wisdom and feel mercy, to deal justly and do good. There is the bride satisfying the vows of her marriage. There we can be at home with the groom and not be ashamed.
Thanks to the The Hollands for coming to church today and bringing a little heaven with them.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Work **~~whip-crack--** Work
Work takes over. Work carries a pocket watch that it pulls out by its long fob, thumbs the top button, springs the door open and checks, hands a blur across its face or hands stopped against the crystal in a pantomime of surprise. Who me? What was I doing? Can you open the window of this glass box I'm in? I've a transparent trap that's captured my hands and holds them down pat.
The notebook has two sides, face-en-face, a personal side on the left and work side on the right. If all goes well, if the life can walk that tightrope of appointments and tasks and fancies and larks, hobbies and have-to-dos, then they will end neck and neck. Lately, the dark horse of the daily grind has pulled away from its rival, has run laps around its loping competitor and finished without a photo-finish required. The little black spiral notebook does not judge the race, it merely records it, like the lanes of a track, the racers prints marking their wild gallop, their frantic final moments, the beginning steps of grand plans.
Don't let's start bemoaning our lot, begrudging our friends the time they've got, the loans they've not. We assumed that 4 careers in a lifetime might mean easy transition, like speeds on the transmission, from starting gear to passing, to cruising. The earthquakes of life changes, the waves that crash down, eroding the paint on the side of the house, tearing shingles of the roof, causing a lost tooth or two, these failed to make the warning cut. These are the surprises of a grinding gear, the gravel to pavement bump on bad springs, spilling the coffee, dropping the calls and taking a hot iron to that last throbbing backbone and giving it a good poke.
The notebook has two sides, face-en-face, a personal side on the left and work side on the right. If all goes well, if the life can walk that tightrope of appointments and tasks and fancies and larks, hobbies and have-to-dos, then they will end neck and neck. Lately, the dark horse of the daily grind has pulled away from its rival, has run laps around its loping competitor and finished without a photo-finish required. The little black spiral notebook does not judge the race, it merely records it, like the lanes of a track, the racers prints marking their wild gallop, their frantic final moments, the beginning steps of grand plans.
Don't let's start bemoaning our lot, begrudging our friends the time they've got, the loans they've not. We assumed that 4 careers in a lifetime might mean easy transition, like speeds on the transmission, from starting gear to passing, to cruising. The earthquakes of life changes, the waves that crash down, eroding the paint on the side of the house, tearing shingles of the roof, causing a lost tooth or two, these failed to make the warning cut. These are the surprises of a grinding gear, the gravel to pavement bump on bad springs, spilling the coffee, dropping the calls and taking a hot iron to that last throbbing backbone and giving it a good poke.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Students are idiots
At the 10th week of class, I think most of my students are idiots. Given that it's the 10th week, I'm probably the real idiot.
They have learned well.
They have learned well.
Friday, January 07, 2011
The Image and Pseudo-Events
Daniel J. Boorstin perspective on Stewart/Colbert rally, specifically as reported and analyzed in NYRB.
Think about it.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
News that Stays News
In trying to understand what's been happening in this country in the last few years, especially in light of the Tea Party, one must turn to obscure sources, as the pundits do not seem to have any batteries left in their flashlights that might otherwise illuminate the situation. The following may not completely account for contemporary American politics, but it points to what might be the heart of the matter:
What else might so succinctly explain Sarah Palin, Joe the Plumber, Glenn Beck, Christine O'Donnell, Joe Miller and the countless examples of political brinkmanship, these players of a particularly dangerous game of chicken who are determined to race head-long to and collide head-on with the madness that so attracts them?
We see, first, the complete loss of a sense of measure in everything (and note that this is nearly always something temporary and passing that seems like the work of some evil power). There is an urge to go beyond the limit, an urge for that sinking sensation one has when one has come to the edge of an abyss, leans halfway over it, looks into the bottomless pit itself, and--in some particular but not infrequent cases--throws oneself headlong into it like a madman. We see this urge for negation in a person who may be the most inclined toward belief and reverence--the urge to negate everything . . .Fyodor Dostoevsky in "Vlas" from A Writer's Diary, vol. 1.
(pg 161 of the Northwestern U Press edition).
What else might so succinctly explain Sarah Palin, Joe the Plumber, Glenn Beck, Christine O'Donnell, Joe Miller and the countless examples of political brinkmanship, these players of a particularly dangerous game of chicken who are determined to race head-long to and collide head-on with the madness that so attracts them?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Are we not men?
Why am I so afraid to write? What makes me shudder at the thought of picking up a pen or putting my hands to the QWERTY grindstone? Is there some truth I'm afraid I'll dig up with the nib of the pen, some mystery that will be revealed by a certain combination of key strokes?
If so, what might I had locked away that I'm afraid to get too near all these keys for fear of its being released?
My biggest fear is that I am not who I think I am. Put another way, I might be exactly what I fear I am. Does anyone else feel like the wolfman, like Mr. Hyde, like Dracula, just trying to pass for normal most of the time? Do you fear your own desires, like they just might run you off the road, over the cliff, into on-coming traffic? Are we all Nosferatu at heart with a yen for a little sunlight? Do we all want a little pleasure chaser with our shot of pain?
Of course I am a monster. I'm a product of the laboratory of my own mind. I've got a Dr. Frankenstein slaving away over chemicals, electrodes, big levers and pulleys and machines that go zap. He's always fiddling with me, trying to connect all the pieces. He's not mad, though. He's just a little grumpy. Seriously, he wants what he think is best, but he's locked away in the gothic stone impervium of this consciousness. He's at work cooking up elaborate schemes under the cover of darkness, away from the eyes of the villagers. They don't know what he's up to and he likes it that way.
His vision is not entirely clear. It's like old maps of the world, during the age of exploration, when brave captains steered mutinous crews into the unknown, where the western edge becomes indistinct as though lost in a fog. My doctor has plans, but they are very vague and not very imaginative. They usually involve getting lucky or getting something to eat. Perhaps that is what I worry about most, that I am utterly typical.
In the movie "Say Anything" (yes, I'm dating myself [and I am a cheap date, Belgian beer is all I need]), John Cusack is talking about what he's supposed to do about a girl, as a guy. Lily Taylor, his guitar-playing emo folkie insists: "Don't be a guy. Be a man." I worry that despite all my (half-hearted, abortive, ill-conceived, never executed) intentions of being a man, I'm just a guy.
If I write, I might expose the bones of that guy. Should they then go on display for public viewing, everyone will know about the guy that thought he was a man.
If so, what might I had locked away that I'm afraid to get too near all these keys for fear of its being released?
My biggest fear is that I am not who I think I am. Put another way, I might be exactly what I fear I am. Does anyone else feel like the wolfman, like Mr. Hyde, like Dracula, just trying to pass for normal most of the time? Do you fear your own desires, like they just might run you off the road, over the cliff, into on-coming traffic? Are we all Nosferatu at heart with a yen for a little sunlight? Do we all want a little pleasure chaser with our shot of pain?
Of course I am a monster. I'm a product of the laboratory of my own mind. I've got a Dr. Frankenstein slaving away over chemicals, electrodes, big levers and pulleys and machines that go zap. He's always fiddling with me, trying to connect all the pieces. He's not mad, though. He's just a little grumpy. Seriously, he wants what he think is best, but he's locked away in the gothic stone impervium of this consciousness. He's at work cooking up elaborate schemes under the cover of darkness, away from the eyes of the villagers. They don't know what he's up to and he likes it that way.
His vision is not entirely clear. It's like old maps of the world, during the age of exploration, when brave captains steered mutinous crews into the unknown, where the western edge becomes indistinct as though lost in a fog. My doctor has plans, but they are very vague and not very imaginative. They usually involve getting lucky or getting something to eat. Perhaps that is what I worry about most, that I am utterly typical.
In the movie "Say Anything" (yes, I'm dating myself [and I am a cheap date, Belgian beer is all I need]), John Cusack is talking about what he's supposed to do about a girl, as a guy. Lily Taylor, his guitar-playing emo folkie insists: "Don't be a guy. Be a man." I worry that despite all my (half-hearted, abortive, ill-conceived, never executed) intentions of being a man, I'm just a guy.
If I write, I might expose the bones of that guy. Should they then go on display for public viewing, everyone will know about the guy that thought he was a man.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Great Typo Hunt Assignment
Read the Great Typo Hunt article
Answer the following questions (typed)
- Do you agree with the Jeff Deck's point that typos cloud communication? Explain.
- What might be the racial implications of correcting typos in other people's writing?
- What does Jeff Deck see as the difference between neologisms or innovations in language and typos? Do you agree with the distinction he makes?
Type out the outline of an argument about the reading
Make a claim either in support of or against Jeff Deck's typo hunting project.
Provide at least 3 reasons to back up your claim
Take one point of the outline and write the supporting paragraph
Write one paragraph (of 250 words) to explain one of your points. The topic sentence of this paragraph should be one of the reasons supporting your claim.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Changes Afoot at City Church
City Church: Past, Present & Future
Notes from 1 August 2010
Kurt and Jeff discuss what has happening at City Church and where they see us going.
There is some discussion of the suggestions Kurt is making as lead pastor and Jeff's thoughts about the same.
The plan, as I understand it, is that we'll be discussing these in the next couple weeks.
Listen to or download the audio (mp3).
Below are the actual notes with audio:
(for some reason the pages are in the reverse order.Page 3 is 1,
page 2 is 2 and
page 1 is 3.
Not sure why, though)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
But have you ever been to Omaha?
I have become a huge fan of Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. It is a boon companion when I am out on a run or ride, especially because it often lasts longer than most other podcasts. Where they may peter out at 50 minutes, Hardcore History can sometimes last over an hour and a half. This fits my leisurely (read: slow) riding and running pace perfectly.
As I'm crossing over the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Carlin may be giving an account of Hannibal's journey over the Alps. Should I be toiling up Omaha's many hills, he may be describing the atrocity of Hitler's siege of Stalingrad or Stalin's own draconian orders to kill his own soldiers who flee or retreat.
Me: "Maybe this hill's not so bad, after all?"
A Carthaginian soldier's ordeal or the Russian civilian's horror somehow takes the edge off going another mile or trying to speed up a little.
Most recently Carlin was considering the relative toughness of societies and generations within societies. He asked: "All things being equal, would our generation win a war against American's of our grandparents' generation?" (my paraphrase)
As it happens, Carlin had already caused me to wonder at my own generation's ease and luxury, compared to that of generations past. As in, "I'm kind of a wimp, huh? And I'm raising some wimpy kids, too." It's not intentional, but there's just not that much that many of us need to do that entails that much physical toil. Consider how painful it is to endure the inconvenience of a remote control with dead batteries. Or having to charge our iPhones each night. Will these Dark Ages ever end?
During the most recent podcast, "Show 33 - (BLITZ) Old School Toughness," he said described the way Genghis Khan's descendants would keep the Mongol troops in fighting form by rotating them out of the urbane Chinese cities they occupied and sending them back to the wind-swept, desolate steppes from which they came:
In a way, of course, he's right. You can get a good night's sleep in Omaha. It's harder in Chicago, especially if you live close to the El or a garage out of which the street cleaning trucks start emerging at ungodly hours in the morning, as I have had the privilege to experience.
On that note, I would say that life is tougher in the biggest cities than in mid-sized cites. In our largest cities, people make more money, but also have higher living expenses. They spend more time in traffic. They deal with more pollution. They are generally more stressed.
Comparatively, Omaha is a great place to live. Commute times are short (with a median of 17 minutes). The air is fresh and people are friendly. If anything, things are maybe a bit too easy.
Still, when you have more free time, as one does in Omaha, you can fill it with whatever you choose that is available, whether that's more TV (ugh), a concert (cool), or a morning bike ride with friends. I've met more people in Omaha who are involved in their community and encourage others to join them than I have ever even heard of in other cities. People who visit or study the city, usually say the same.
Does this make us very tough? Probably not. As Carlin says in the podcast, we may be living in the decline of the current American empire, but that's generally when the most fun is had, as he notes. I just wanted Carlin to know that some of that fun can be had in Omaha, too.
As I'm crossing over the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Carlin may be giving an account of Hannibal's journey over the Alps. Should I be toiling up Omaha's many hills, he may be describing the atrocity of Hitler's siege of Stalingrad or Stalin's own draconian orders to kill his own soldiers who flee or retreat.
Me: "Maybe this hill's not so bad, after all?"
A Carthaginian soldier's ordeal or the Russian civilian's horror somehow takes the edge off going another mile or trying to speed up a little.
Most recently Carlin was considering the relative toughness of societies and generations within societies. He asked: "All things being equal, would our generation win a war against American's of our grandparents' generation?" (my paraphrase)
As it happens, Carlin had already caused me to wonder at my own generation's ease and luxury, compared to that of generations past. As in, "I'm kind of a wimp, huh? And I'm raising some wimpy kids, too." It's not intentional, but there's just not that much that many of us need to do that entails that much physical toil. Consider how painful it is to endure the inconvenience of a remote control with dead batteries. Or having to charge our iPhones each night. Will these Dark Ages ever end?
During the most recent podcast, "Show 33 - (BLITZ) Old School Toughness," he said described the way Genghis Khan's descendants would keep the Mongol troops in fighting form by rotating them out of the urbane Chinese cities they occupied and sending them back to the wind-swept, desolate steppes from which they came:
It'd be like if you soldiers stationed in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or New Orleans, and then you have to rotate them out to Omaha, Iowa City, Ames, Butte . . . places where you could get a good night's sleep. [~53:00]As he was making this modern analogy, I had been expecting him to say that troops might be sent out to Death Valley or maybe Montana (Butte, even?). Instead, he said, "Omaha," and I laughed out loud when puffing away on my ride back from Council Bluffs along the Wabash Trace Trail.
In a way, of course, he's right. You can get a good night's sleep in Omaha. It's harder in Chicago, especially if you live close to the El or a garage out of which the street cleaning trucks start emerging at ungodly hours in the morning, as I have had the privilege to experience.
On that note, I would say that life is tougher in the biggest cities than in mid-sized cites. In our largest cities, people make more money, but also have higher living expenses. They spend more time in traffic. They deal with more pollution. They are generally more stressed.
Comparatively, Omaha is a great place to live. Commute times are short (with a median of 17 minutes). The air is fresh and people are friendly. If anything, things are maybe a bit too easy.
Still, when you have more free time, as one does in Omaha, you can fill it with whatever you choose that is available, whether that's more TV (ugh), a concert (cool), or a morning bike ride with friends. I've met more people in Omaha who are involved in their community and encourage others to join them than I have ever even heard of in other cities. People who visit or study the city, usually say the same.
Does this make us very tough? Probably not. As Carlin says in the podcast, we may be living in the decline of the current American empire, but that's generally when the most fun is had, as he notes. I just wanted Carlin to know that some of that fun can be had in Omaha, too.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Craigslist MacBook Pro Scam (Strikes Again)
I once read a book about writing copy which described greed as one of the motivators to consider when writing ads.
I recalled this when looking for a computer for my wife. I found on Craigslist a MacBook Pro for $500. After inquiring about it, I received a few messages from Laura (laura.hilton31@hotmail.com), who had recently moved to Manchester UK, even though the listing came up here in Omaha. Here's what she said:
She also sent a third message with pictures. First of all, I've never bought anything from Craigslist from someone at whose house I couldn't pick up the item and pay for it. Second, this was an incredibly good deal (tapping into my greed, I'm sure).
So I did a quick search on the Google. And guess what? It's a scam. Thanks Jacob Burke and Kelly T Adams. While a few of the details were different, enough were the same for there to be no doubt in my mind that I'd been duped. At least it was before I sent any money away, right?
Next time, I'll consider that copy writing book before I even inquire.
Check out the pics. This looks totally legit:
I recalled this when looking for a computer for my wife. I found on Craigslist a MacBook Pro for $500. After inquiring about it, I received a few messages from Laura (laura.hilton31@hotmail.com), who had recently moved to Manchester UK, even though the listing came up here in Omaha. Here's what she said:
This is Laura again from Manchester, United Kingdom regarding the 15" Unibody MacBook Pro. Did you receive my earlier email?
I just wanted to make sure you have all the specs for the laptop, the Apple 15.4" Unibody MacBook Pro Laptop for $500.
The complete specs are below.2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4.0 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM Memory, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT Graphics Processors with 512MB of GDDR3 Memory, 500GB SATA 5400 RPM Hard Drive, iSight camera. Also included is the Lithium-Polymer Battery and also the Apple Remote and Case.
Let me know if you like it.
Laura
She also sent a third message with pictures. First of all, I've never bought anything from Craigslist from someone at whose house I couldn't pick up the item and pay for it. Second, this was an incredibly good deal (tapping into my greed, I'm sure).
So I did a quick search on the Google. And guess what? It's a scam. Thanks Jacob Burke and Kelly T Adams. While a few of the details were different, enough were the same for there to be no doubt in my mind that I'd been duped. At least it was before I sent any money away, right?
Next time, I'll consider that copy writing book before I even inquire.
Check out the pics. This looks totally legit:
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Very Snowy Omaha
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Eduweb 2009 Pencasts
I was at eduWEB 2009 conference in Chicago (July 20 - 22, 2009) and took some notes from the sessions I attended on my Livescribe Pulse Smartpen. Not to be too much of a shill, but I find it much easier to take memorable notes when writing on paper, drawing arrows and doodles, boxing things and such. I've never been able to quickly do the same on a laptop.
Below, you will find my handwritten notes with audio of the session. I apologize if the audio is hard to hear. I tried to get close in most sessions or at least in a place where I could hear the speaker.
eduWEB brought together other folks who work on the interwebs for colleges and universities, primarily. We tend to be very geeky, I suppose. I fit right in.
Brian Niles: "Biz.edu: Crazy Times Call for Crazy Ideas" (Closing Keynote)
Below, you will find my handwritten notes with audio of the session. I apologize if the audio is hard to hear. I tried to get close in most sessions or at least in a place where I could hear the speaker.
eduWEB brought together other folks who work on the interwebs for colleges and universities, primarily. We tend to be very geeky, I suppose. I fit right in.
Sessions from Monday, July 20, 2009
Bob Johnson: "Student Recruitment in the Online World: Communicating from First Web Search to Final Enrollment" (part 1)
Bob Johnson: "Student Recruitment in the Online World: Communicating from First Web Search to Final Enrollment" (part 2)
Dimitri Glazkov: "The Next Big Thing" (Opening Keynote)
Karlyn Morissette: "The Five Commandments of Email Marketing"
Stewart Foss: "Higher Style for Higher-Ed Web Design"
Sessions from Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sarah Stanek: "The Role of Writers"
Tom Williams: "User Generated Content: Tapping Into the Power"
Annette Levitt: "Facebook -- a case study of building virtual relationships"
Kyle James: "SEO Best Practices: The Low Hanging Fruit for Immediate Results"
Robin Smail and Nikki Massaro Kauffman: "Twitter Me This?"
Brad Ward: "I Can Do That with Google!"
Sessions from Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Brian Niles: "Biz.edu: Crazy Times Call for Crazy Ideas" (Closing Keynote)
Christopher Schmitt: "Javascript for People Who Don't Code"
Nikki Chun & Adrienne Bartlett: "Practical Uses of Social Media for Recruitment Marketing"
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The debates are over and the winner is . . .
America. Seriously, while I don't think we've really delved all that deep into their policies, given the tendency of both candidates to hammer home key talking points on taxes, the environment, the war, health care and the economy.
All told, though, we have an idea about these two guys that we wouldn't have otherwise had. Most of us don't get to a political rally. Most of us only hear from these fellows in their ads and that usually only at the end "I'm [John McCain/Barack Obama] and I approve this message." Even as mediated an experience as this was (as we are not in the room with these guys, we have to rely on the camera angles and cuts, the lighting and the quality of the sound system to help us understand what is happening), we still saw more than we may otherwise ever see. This is certainly true of the loser of Nov. 4. At what other time are you going to see over 2 hours of one of these guys again (unless you are a C-SPAN junkie)?
We know that John McCain seems like an angry guy. "Seems" is operative, though, as we must recall Al Gore's robot impersonation from 2000. John McCain may be a barrel of laughs, but you wouldn't know it from these debates.
Conversely, Barack Obama seems like a pretty chill guy, able to take whatever someone's dishing out without getting too rattled. Is he overly smart? Some people might feel that. Keep in mind, "smart" people aren't always right, after all. (Socrates made mincemeat out of such as these in the agora back in Athens, right?)
We also saw that McCain probably is a fighter. Heck, he was fighting while he was sitting at the table next to Obama. That can be a crucial quality in a scrap.
Obama is a diplomat, always trying to see how he can bring the two sides together.
While part of me loves the fighter (who doesn't like a good scuffle every now and then), the adult in me (the one with three kids who fight too much anyway and a lovely wife with whom keeping the best of relations is always to be desired) appreciates the diplomat. At this point in our history, too, I'd have to say that it is the diplomat who I belive is most direly needed to lead us out of this, a guy who can bring all the sides to the table and get them talking.
I don't mind McCain, really (Palin, on the other hand . . . .), but Obama is what we need. I think his brand of politics, his brand of transcendence (compared to McCain's) couldn't come too soon. And I think we saw why over the past 3 debates.
Blessed are the peacemakers, after all . . .
All told, though, we have an idea about these two guys that we wouldn't have otherwise had. Most of us don't get to a political rally. Most of us only hear from these fellows in their ads and that usually only at the end "I'm [John McCain/Barack Obama] and I approve this message." Even as mediated an experience as this was (as we are not in the room with these guys, we have to rely on the camera angles and cuts, the lighting and the quality of the sound system to help us understand what is happening), we still saw more than we may otherwise ever see. This is certainly true of the loser of Nov. 4. At what other time are you going to see over 2 hours of one of these guys again (unless you are a C-SPAN junkie)?
We know that John McCain seems like an angry guy. "Seems" is operative, though, as we must recall Al Gore's robot impersonation from 2000. John McCain may be a barrel of laughs, but you wouldn't know it from these debates.
Conversely, Barack Obama seems like a pretty chill guy, able to take whatever someone's dishing out without getting too rattled. Is he overly smart? Some people might feel that. Keep in mind, "smart" people aren't always right, after all. (Socrates made mincemeat out of such as these in the agora back in Athens, right?)
We also saw that McCain probably is a fighter. Heck, he was fighting while he was sitting at the table next to Obama. That can be a crucial quality in a scrap.
Obama is a diplomat, always trying to see how he can bring the two sides together.
While part of me loves the fighter (who doesn't like a good scuffle every now and then), the adult in me (the one with three kids who fight too much anyway and a lovely wife with whom keeping the best of relations is always to be desired) appreciates the diplomat. At this point in our history, too, I'd have to say that it is the diplomat who I belive is most direly needed to lead us out of this, a guy who can bring all the sides to the table and get them talking.
I don't mind McCain, really (Palin, on the other hand . . . .), but Obama is what we need. I think his brand of politics, his brand of transcendence (compared to McCain's) couldn't come too soon. And I think we saw why over the past 3 debates.
Blessed are the peacemakers, after all . . .
Obama's closing
These last 8 years have sucked. Really sucked. And failed.
We need change. Fundamental change.
It’s a fundamental thing, basically.
Tax cuts for the middle class.
Lifting wages, middle class.
All of us need to come together, spirit of sacrifice and responsibility.
We need change. Fundamental change.
It’s a fundamental thing, basically.
Tax cuts for the middle class.
Lifting wages, middle class.
All of us need to come together, spirit of sacrifice and responsibility.
McCain's closing
Healthy discussion.
America needs a new direction.
I’ll take on any party. [Give me a party and I’ll take it on.]
Yes, it’s no doubt that he’s a deficit hawk. It’s true.
Do you trust us?
I spent my life serving.
America needs a new direction.
I’ll take on any party. [Give me a party and I’ll take it on.]
Yes, it’s no doubt that he’s a deficit hawk. It’s true.
Do you trust us?
I spent my life serving.
on Education
We spend the most but are falling behind. What should we do?
Obama: This is about our economic future.
We’ve got to get education right: reform and more money.
College is no longer affordable. (Preach it, brother!) $4,000 tuition credit in exchange for service. That is kind of cool. Parents need to step up.
McCain: it’s the civil rights issue of the 21st cent. What is the advantage of sending to a failed school? We need to spank the bad teachers. Charter schools. Don’t throw money at the problem. Reward good teachers.
We must improve education. A realistic repayment schedule.
Schieffer: Fed gov’t’s role?
Obama: Fed gov’t needs to help local schools. Money has been left behind in No Child Left Behind. I doubled charter schools in Illinois.
McCain: vouchers are the best things since sliced bread, no matter what you say. It’s not about spending money. Sarah Palin knows about autism [that’s why she left her kids to go back to work after three days.]
Obama: This is about our economic future.
We’ve got to get education right: reform and more money.
College is no longer affordable. (Preach it, brother!) $4,000 tuition credit in exchange for service. That is kind of cool. Parents need to step up.
McCain: it’s the civil rights issue of the 21st cent. What is the advantage of sending to a failed school? We need to spank the bad teachers. Charter schools. Don’t throw money at the problem. Reward good teachers.
We must improve education. A realistic repayment schedule.
Schieffer: Fed gov’t’s role?
Obama: Fed gov’t needs to help local schools. Money has been left behind in No Child Left Behind. I doubled charter schools in Illinois.
McCain: vouchers are the best things since sliced bread, no matter what you say. It’s not about spending money. Sarah Palin knows about autism [that’s why she left her kids to go back to work after three days.]
on Justices
McCain: it doesn’t matter what they think, so long as they adhere to the constitution (but that’s the rub isn’t it). No litmus test, though.
Obama: No litmus test. Justices are some of the biggest decisions we make. Roe v Wade was right. Abortion is a moral issue, about which we can disagree. Women need to be able to make that decision. States shouldn’t be able to invade rights of privacy.
Pay discrimination, now. Courts need to stand up when nobody else will.
McCain: we need to change the culture. Obama voted against something that was beautiful and good. Obama’s extreme. Loves killing babies. If only there were more for him to kill, he’d be all over that.
Obama: If it sounds incredible, it’s because it’s false. I believe in a ban on late-term abortions, but the right won’t allow any exceptions in case of women’s life. There’s common ground, right, on preventing unintended pregnancies, allowing single mother’s keep their babies safely. It’s always tragic.
McCain: health of the mother means ANYTHING. We adopted children, but still have to protect the unborn.
Obama: No litmus test. Justices are some of the biggest decisions we make. Roe v Wade was right. Abortion is a moral issue, about which we can disagree. Women need to be able to make that decision. States shouldn’t be able to invade rights of privacy.
Pay discrimination, now. Courts need to stand up when nobody else will.
McCain: we need to change the culture. Obama voted against something that was beautiful and good. Obama’s extreme. Loves killing babies. If only there were more for him to kill, he’d be all over that.
Obama: If it sounds incredible, it’s because it’s false. I believe in a ban on late-term abortions, but the right won’t allow any exceptions in case of women’s life. There’s common ground, right, on preventing unintended pregnancies, allowing single mother’s keep their babies safely. It’s always tragic.
McCain: health of the mother means ANYTHING. We adopted children, but still have to protect the unborn.
McCain on Joe the Plumber
He loves that plumber.
He’s raising the specter of socialized health care.
What’s gold-plated insurance? Where can I find this? What does that even mean?
Choosing your future.
Fundamental differences: Obama wants gov’t to control your life. I’m for getting rid of the government.
Now, it’s democrats in charge of Congress, yikes.
He’s raising the specter of socialized health care.
What’s gold-plated insurance? Where can I find this? What does that even mean?
Choosing your future.
Fundamental differences: Obama wants gov’t to control your life. I’m for getting rid of the government.
Now, it’s democrats in charge of Congress, yikes.
Obama on health
It’s only the large businesses that pay for health care or are required to provide health care.
[Obama is letting McCain call the shots, responding to his talking points. I’m not sure if this benefits Obama or not. Perhaps it shows that he’s willing to get along.]
McCain is taxing benefits. Insurers are restricted by state law, but that would go away.
[Obama is letting McCain call the shots, responding to his talking points. I’m not sure if this benefits Obama or not. Perhaps it shows that he’s willing to get along.]
McCain is taxing benefits. Insurers are restricted by state law, but that would go away.
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