A Wedding Blessing

Today, a dear friend of ours is getting married.  She has been a wonderful close companion to my wife for many years, which is one of the reasons my wife took the opportunity to go back to Pennsylvania to be there for this joyous occasion.  Sadly, events did not work out to allow me to return with her.  So, from the opposite end of the Atlantic Ocean I send this wedding blessing:

Two souls have been raised separately yet have found each other.
Two voices have called out in the wilderness and been answered.
Two out stretched hands have grasped each other in the darkness.
Two people have come together to forge one future.

Today you have proclaimed your love for each other to the world at large.
Yours is an ever strengthening union, guard it well.
Together you can face whatever the world may bring to your door.
By staying strong in this marriage nothing can separate you.
By supporting each other nothing can stop you from obtaining whatever you dream.

May your nights be full of stars.
May the wind caress your souls.
May sun grace your days.May today, and all the tomorrows to come greet you with open arms.

John Roberts Nomination Affects Religious Free Speech or The ULC bows in Fear

The Universal Life Church has its own forum on the internet.  Like most forums, members can come to express their beliefs on many different topics.  Well, it turns out that Judge Roberts nomination to the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will not be one of those topics.  Why not, you ask?  It is because, even though the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court can have a major impact on decisions effecting freedom of religion and its expression, it is seen as a “political topic”.

Those in charge of the site seem to fear that if such discussions were allowed to exist in this type of setting, it would affect the non-profit standings of the ULC Seminary.  How sad is it that a far-reaching state of fear exists within some religious communities in the United States under the current Bush administration.

I believe the quote is: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

Bush's bubble bash

Okay, this is just funny. Seriously folks, if you have a sense of humor, you will like it.

At the peak of Zugspitze in Germany, approximately 9,700 feet above sea level, I build and bless this family prayer tower. For those that have come before and have past away; for those that we hold dear; for those in need, I pray for your peace. 

In the Alps, at the highest point in Germany, there sits a small church. Not a large congregation, let me tell you, but the view! 

"My first train ride EVER!" 

At the highest peak in Germany, a boy and his mother embrace.  

Gay Marriage still strong in Mass

Gay marriage is still doing great in Mass. Let's see, the world did not end; hell did not open up (Bush was already here, so that doesn't count); the dead have not come back to life (I don't care if there have been sightings of Dick Cheney). It turns out that life is still good. Gay Marriage is not evil. And Bush and the far-right are still stupid.

I've Been Gone a While

Life has been hectic for a while. Work, Rush, work, rush all the day long, and not a moment to truly sit down and Blog. I will be back soon. I am getting my second wind.

In the mean time, please keep your eyes open to the events of today. Brown steps down as the FEMA head. Patients found dead in hospital in New Orleans: Died prior to flood. Two Air Force helicopter pilots removed from flight status for deciding to help with rescuing victims of Katrina after delivering supplies: They didn't get permission first.

Lots going on out there. Don't be caught unaware.

Department of Homeland Security: F is for Failure

Department of Homeland Security: F is for FAILURE

The United States of America has gone through many changes since the coordinated attacks on September 11, 2001.  One of those changes was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an agency that was suppose to protect the country against all threats, to prepare for Terrorist or National disasters.  The federal government (read: Bush Administration) shuffled around different agencies, making them part of the DHS.  One such agency was FEMA.  Ready for anything that the world can throw at the US right?

Absolutely wrong.  The DHS has been revealed to be an utter failure.  On July 13, 2005 the DHS posted their agenda.  On this date they showed themselves for the failure that they are, it would just take Katrina to show the rest of the world.  What was this agenda you ask?  Well:
“The six-point agenda will guide the department in the near term and result in changes that will:
1.  Increase overall preparedness, particularly for catastrophic events
2.  Create better transportation security systems to move people and cargo more securely and efficiently
3.  Strengthen border security and interior enforcement and reform immigration processes;
4.  Enhance information sharing with our partners
5.  Improve DHS financial management, human resource development, procurement and information technology
6.  Realign the DHS organization to maximize mission performance. ” (emphasis added)
Let’s see how they do when judge by their own stated goals.

Was the DHS prepared for the catastrophic event of a Category 4 Hurricane hitting Louisiana?  You know, that event that has been talked about for the past few decades?  It took almost a week to get the relief effort in gear.  That is counting all of the work that the American Red Cross, the National Guard, heck Wal-Mart put into providing relief before the DHS came in and screwed things up.  What happen in that long period without the federal government intervention?  Death, destruction, rape, and murder.  If the federal government was actually prepared it would have been in the mix a lot earlier.  

A better transportation system?  Not a chance.  There were water drops from helicopters.  You might think this was a good thing, guess what, the packaging broke on contact with the water below.  The cases broke open spilling the bottles into the river that is New Orleans.  Making thirsty, desperate people trying to get individual bottles out of waist deep water, what, is this some kind of sick sport?

Communication between the different agencies trying to help was non-existent in the beginning.  Did the DHS re-establish this?  No, Verizon decided to get in there and fix the wireless connections.  Doesn’t the US Government own the most satellites in the (out of) world?  What about all the Satellite Phones that they have?  How is there a lack of communication ability for these people?

So much for maximizing performance.  Unfortunately, there have been many global disasters over the years that the DHS could have learned from.  Does anyone remember the Tsunami?  What about the massive Iraqi deployments of the US military that the Bush Administration has ordered?  If  Bush’s administration can plan for the temporary housing and feeding of close to 200,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen, they could have done the same for Louisiana.  Tents & cots for sleeping; telephone trailers with their own generators; a simple spreadsheet database program recording the names, addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers, and next of kin information for everyone trucked and bused out of Louisiana.  With the federal government’s massive move towards laptops it would have been easy to have one (preloaded with that simple spreadsheet database) on each bus and truck that left the devastated area.

Instead there are just those suffering and those preventable deaths that are now facing the rescuers working in Louisiana.

US Supreme Court Chief Justice Rehnquist died at 80

This news will fill anti-Bush fans with dread (as it should), but let us remember that this also tells of the passing of a life.

Huricane Relief Effort

Best Buy is offering a dollar-for-dollar match up to $1 million donations to support the relief effort in the wake of Huricane Katrina. Check it out!

Coffee in my cup

A single mother raising two children and working two jobs needed all of the energy she could get. Through the day a soda could add an artificial caffeine boost. But the day started a lot earlier.

After working the graveyard shift at the hospital, there was enough time to make it home to see her children awake to a new day. While they bathed and dressed the coffee was brewed to provide the last erg of energy necessary to complete her duties as a parent. The smell of the cheap store brand coffee percolating through the house with one meaning for all present: Home. This one morning constant meant security and all that was good.

Growing up, a time came when I was finally able to taste that magic elixir. As I lifted the mug the steam caressed my face. The glorious smell grab hold of my senses. The hot brew touched my lips. By all that was mighty, it was the foulest thing I had ever tasted. True, it smelled good, but UGH! Away from coffee I turned.

There is the stereotype that teenagers stay up late and get up slow. Not I. Oh yes, I stayed up, but you wouldn’t find me sleeping in. My eyes would spring open on their own accord, and I would wake. There was no gentle caress of morning greeting me. One moment I would be asleep. Then next I would be fully awake without any trace of sleep in my eyes. The need for caffeine never existed as far as I was concern.

High school came and college went without any desire for coffee. Law school arrived with grueling late night study sessions, and coffee was not there. Marriage and the life of a DC beltway attorney were mine and coffee entered my life. My wife drank the magical elixir that smelled so heavenly, yet tasted so foul.

The beltway was followed by the Army, a tour of the military installations around the globe. The US Army is fueled by coffee, but I was able to resist. Ft Jackson, SC to Ft Huachuca, AZ. Ft Huachuca to Ft Jackson. Ft Jackson to Suwon Air Base, Republic of Korea. Korea to Ft Lee. Ft Lee to TJAGSA. And there it happened.

Even though I had not driven in almost a year, I rented a car and was going to take a slow drive up to Pennsylvania to see my pregnant wife. She had been put on bed rest due to complications from her pregnancy. Having gone to see a specialist at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, she had been admitted for “observations”. (By the way, great place to have a baby.) Here is a fact about my wife and I. She speaks and understands the English language wonderfully. I do not. I speak American. I can communicate exceptionally well, however I may not always be grammatically correct.

This is important because my wife repeated for me what the doctor had told her. Instead of hearing the proper words, I heard the meaning. Basically, the doctor’s words as said by my wife were able to communicate their meaning to me. What I understood was that my wife was in danger. Within three days she was going to have an emergency c-section. She might die.

I left at first light, 5:50am to be exact. On July 25th 2001, with an extra large cup of coffee in one hand, and a one-pound bag of Twizzlers in the other, I drove six hours straight to the hospital.

She almost died. Her liver and kidneys were shutting down. But, on the 27th of July my son was born. My wife started her road to full recovery. And coffee has been part of my life.

Do I mind drinking coffee now? Not at all, it helped get me to my wife. Because of that, my cup runs over.