Faces of the Enemy. Faces of the Friend.

January 1, 2014.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’ve been troubled by the stories of the Volgograd bombings. More troubling to me are stories that additional suicide bombers may be fanning out across Russia. Reports are that Saratov is on high-alert right now. Many years ago now, I had the honor of visiting Saratov, Russia nine times over a seven-year period. These were […]

Hey Austin: Dallas Is Texas’ Bluest County (Yes. I’m Throwing Down)

November 16, 2013.Reading time 5 minutes.

In my last blog, I noted that sports statistics and political statistics are wonky pursuits of mine. They are for lots of folks. In both cases, one of the reasons we love them is that they give us “bragging rights.” Who’s the greatest college football team of all-time? Go to the stats. They’ll tell you. […]

Presidential Voting in Dallas County Since 1960

November 16, 2013.Reading time 11 minutes.

As I’ve said many times, I love to analyze political data the way some folks love to analyze sports statistics. (OK, I love to do it with sports statistics too…) Now and then, you may have heard me make the assertion that Dallas County has turned “Blue” and that it is unlikely to turn back, […]

A New iTunes Single and Reflections on 50 Years

October 29, 2013.Reading time 30 minutes.

NOTE FROM EF:this entry has been expanded/updated over the years….EF I’m pleased to announce that my song “Sitting In the Trade Hall (11.22.63)” (1) is now available on iTunes as a single. iTunes link here. It’s a song I wrote some years ago, from the perspective of adults who lived in Dallas at the time […]

A Tale of Two Women (Why I am Pro-Choice)

July 13, 2013.Reading time 26 minutes.

Although I blog about a lot of things, I’ve never written much about abortion or about why I am fundamentally “Pro-Choice.” But my friend Rev. Jim Rigby, a minister from Austin, asked yesterday for clergy who are Pro-Choice to sign their name to statement. I was please to stand with many other Texas clergy who […]

Message to Senator Wendy Davis

June 26, 2013.Reading time 2 minutes.

Right now, State Senator Wendy Davis of Fort Worth is filibustering on the floor of the Texas Senate. I thought you would appreciate reading a part of a message that I just sent to her: As a United Methodist clergy in Texas, I am horrified by the bill before the Texas Senate. Years ago now, […]

It’s All About Loving

June 12, 2013.Reading time 2 minutes.

Today is “Loving Day,” the day where the Loving Case is celebrated all across the nation. The Loving Case, as you may recall, was the Supreme Court case that struck down laws across the nation which prevented interracial marriage. If you’re unfamiliar, here’s an old report from ABC News: Obviously, Dennise and I have always […]

Profound Disappointment in the Obama Administration

May 14, 2013.Reading time 5 minutes.

It’s hard to take in these two scandals rocking the Obama Administration right now. First, on Friday, the news that the IRS specifically targeted conservative groups. Tea Party Groups Today, the news that the Department of Justice had been surveilling the phones of Associated Press reporters. There is certainly no love lost for me when […]

Today’s Bush Library Dedication

April 25, 2013.Reading time 3 minutes.

I believe the decision to house a Presidential Library, any Presidential Library, at a major university is a no-brainer, and a real honor for that university. Presidential Libraries become those places where the legacies of presidents are finally sorted out. Historians come to comb the record, write the histories, that ultimately help us shape our […]

Our Everyday Insanity

January 31, 2013.Reading time 13 minutes.

“Try not to think about it. That’s what I do,” The Judge texts me. “The Judge,” for those unfamiliar, is a term of affection I use for my wife. She’s a State District Judge in Dallas County. I texted her this morning, soon after I heard the news of yet another shooting. This time, the […]