We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The weather extremes of the past few days kept us home bound. However, the connectedness we share is ever with us and is particularly intense as we reflect on the meaning of today's celebration.
The Holiday Season, from Thanksgiving to New Year, is a time of reflection, re-dedication and committing oneself to embark on new journeys. We wish you the best, God's peace and grace!
Over the next few days as you reflect on the holidays, I hope you will have time to look at some of the linked articles and share your thoughts and comments about the subjects and points being made by the authors.
In particular, I'd like to read your comments regarding:
Jesus as radical and what those implications are for us in today's society...According to accounts of Pope Benedict XVI's Christmas message he encouraged followers to make time for God, be more involved with those in need. AP quotes the Pope saying, "Man is so preoccupied with himself, he has such urgent need of all the space and all the time for his own things, that nothing remains for others, for his neighbor, for the poor, for God," Additionally the Pope used his homily to highlight environmental concerns. Ah, now we're getting into the political realm. The Dallas Morning News ran this OpEd today discussing politicians' and their use or misuse of the "Jesus Card." What are your thoughts about how William McKenzie essentially re-phrases the question, "What would Jesus do?" and then cautions political leaders to not condense "Jesus down to the candidate of the left, right or middle."
Why are Christians, who supposedly have the most powerful force in the universe living inside of them, fearful of the power of retailers and others in the public square who choose to be more inclusive in their marketing and approach to a season where there are a variety of traditions... An online poll taken by WSET-TV in Dansville, VA found that 62 percent of 7,464 people responding (this is FAR from scientific polling) were offended if stores don't say Merry Christmas? Here's what Creflo Dollar has to say on the matter...Do you agree or feel like I do that Dollar doesn't make any sense on most religious questions.
A Musical Tribute to Oscar Peterson who died this week
One one most amazing piano meetings of all time! Two of the greatest pianists, the incredible Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock play "Billie´s Bounce."
There is also NPR's "Oscar Peterson's 'Jazz Odyssey' -- Pianist Looks Back at His Life Among Legends"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Gallup Polls - Politics
Take Action
This section highlights key legislation and links for you to contact your elected officials.
Health care reform is front and center on the nation's agenda. The group Sojourners has an interesting "Christian Health Care Creed" that can be sent to Congress. It in part says:
"I believe that Christians should seek to bring health and well-being (shalom) to the society into which God has placed us, for a healthy society benefits all members (Jeremiah 29:7).
I believe in a time when all will live long and healthy lives, from infancy to old age (Isaiah 65:20), and "mourning and crying and pain will be no more" (Revelation 21:4). My heart breaks for my brothers and sisters who watch their loved ones suffer, or who suffer themselves, because they cannot afford a trip to the doctor. I stand with them in their suffering."
Health care reform is front and center on the nation's agenda. The group Sojourners has an interesting "Christian Health Care Creed" that can be sent to Congress. It in part says:
"I believe that Christians should seek to bring health and well-being (shalom) to the society into which God has placed us, for a healthy society benefits all members (Jeremiah 29:7).
I believe in a time when all will live long and healthy lives, from infancy to old age (Isaiah 65:20), and "mourning and crying and pain will be no more" (Revelation 21:4). My heart breaks for my brothers and sisters who watch their loved ones suffer, or who suffer themselves, because they cannot afford a trip to the doctor. I stand with them in their suffering."
A Little This..A Little That...
06/20/08
Gallup Poll: Currently, 79% of Americans hold negative views about the economy, while 13% hold mixed views, and only 5% hold positive views. In comparison, 61% of Americans held a negative view at the begining of the year, 21% held a mixed view and 16% were positive.
04/19/08
Gallup Daily: Hillary Clinton now receives 46% of the support of Democrats nationally, compared to 45% for Barack Obama, marking the first time Obama has not led in Gallup's daily tracking since March 18-20.
04/06/08...The Milwaukee Brewers are starting the 2008 Season where they belong atop the NL Central. Ben Sheets was dazzling Sunday as he helped the club sweep the Giants with a 7-0 victory.
02/06/08...A bit of old news, but the casual dining chains continue to struggle as folks like me have to look twice at our spending habits due to the high price of gas, groceries and a slumping housing market. As you know, IHOP bought Applebee's last November -- a deal that I for one questioned. Applebee's sales continue to decline and that does not bode well for the future of the chain. The management strategy for IHOP is the franchise model so the company-owned Applebee's may be on their way out faster than you can say "baby back." With the debt of the purchase, you can imagine they're under pressure to turn things around or else. Look for IHOP to make a deal with a private equity firm to take the stores off their books. The National Restaurant Association recently issued the following release: Restaurant Performance Index Declined for the Fourth Consecutive Month in December
01/26/08...The Civil Rights Project at UCLA published astyd discussing the resegregation of the public schools. The report finds that segregation of African Americans is back to what it was in the late 1960s. The only kinds of communities with high levels of school integration are the nation’s rural areas and towns, once the center of the most intense resistance. By contrast, extreme segregation is concentrated in the largest metropolitan areas. Read the report: The Last Have Become First; Rural and Small Town America Lead the Way on Desegregation
01/04/08...Federal efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care are underfunded and indicate a lack of seriousness about accomplishing the goal, according to former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher. You can view Dr. Satcher discussing health disparities and current federal legislative efforts and the factors that may influence the outcome of these efforts.
12/31/07...The U.S. Census Bureau says that on this New Year's Eve, morethan 303 million Americans of all ages are ready to greet the year 2008. Fifty years ago, the U.S. population was just over 171 million. A centuryago, it was 87 million. To show how fast the nation is growing, by thistime tomorrow, there will be some 7,800 new babies on hand to welcome the new year.
12/28/07...Sales of new one-family houses in November 2007 were 9.0 percent below the revised October rate and is 34.4 percent below the November 2006 rate. The median sales price of new houses sold in November 2007 was $239,100; the average sales price was $293,300, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The outlook for the restaurant industry continued to weaken in November. Forty-four percent of operators reported a same-store sales decline in November, up from 36 percent who reported similarly in October, according to the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of restaurant activity. The index fell to its lowest level in more than four years. FYI...News Report on the Casual Dining Sector
Gallup Poll: Currently, 79% of Americans hold negative views about the economy, while 13% hold mixed views, and only 5% hold positive views. In comparison, 61% of Americans held a negative view at the begining of the year, 21% held a mixed view and 16% were positive.
04/19/08
Gallup Daily: Hillary Clinton now receives 46% of the support of Democrats nationally, compared to 45% for Barack Obama, marking the first time Obama has not led in Gallup's daily tracking since March 18-20.
04/06/08...The Milwaukee Brewers are starting the 2008 Season where they belong atop the NL Central. Ben Sheets was dazzling Sunday as he helped the club sweep the Giants with a 7-0 victory.
02/06/08...A bit of old news, but the casual dining chains continue to struggle as folks like me have to look twice at our spending habits due to the high price of gas, groceries and a slumping housing market. As you know, IHOP bought Applebee's last November -- a deal that I for one questioned. Applebee's sales continue to decline and that does not bode well for the future of the chain. The management strategy for IHOP is the franchise model so the company-owned Applebee's may be on their way out faster than you can say "baby back." With the debt of the purchase, you can imagine they're under pressure to turn things around or else. Look for IHOP to make a deal with a private equity firm to take the stores off their books. The National Restaurant Association recently issued the following release: Restaurant Performance Index Declined for the Fourth Consecutive Month in December
01/26/08...The Civil Rights Project at UCLA published astyd discussing the resegregation of the public schools. The report finds that segregation of African Americans is back to what it was in the late 1960s. The only kinds of communities with high levels of school integration are the nation’s rural areas and towns, once the center of the most intense resistance. By contrast, extreme segregation is concentrated in the largest metropolitan areas. Read the report: The Last Have Become First; Rural and Small Town America Lead the Way on Desegregation
01/04/08...Federal efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care are underfunded and indicate a lack of seriousness about accomplishing the goal, according to former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher. You can view Dr. Satcher discussing health disparities and current federal legislative efforts and the factors that may influence the outcome of these efforts.
12/31/07...The U.S. Census Bureau says that on this New Year's Eve, morethan 303 million Americans of all ages are ready to greet the year 2008. Fifty years ago, the U.S. population was just over 171 million. A centuryago, it was 87 million. To show how fast the nation is growing, by thistime tomorrow, there will be some 7,800 new babies on hand to welcome the new year.
12/28/07...Sales of new one-family houses in November 2007 were 9.0 percent below the revised October rate and is 34.4 percent below the November 2006 rate. The median sales price of new houses sold in November 2007 was $239,100; the average sales price was $293,300, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The outlook for the restaurant industry continued to weaken in November. Forty-four percent of operators reported a same-store sales decline in November, up from 36 percent who reported similarly in October, according to the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of restaurant activity. The index fell to its lowest level in more than four years. FYI...News Report on the Casual Dining Sector
1 comment:
Are you trying topush meover the edge? Where do you find this stuff Jefferson?
Post a Comment