Stone of Sisyphus

June 17, 2008.Reading time 14 minutes.

(UPDATE: It’s now early evening and I have in my hot little hand my very own copy of the CD. I’ll incorporate some thoughts about it in the rest of what I say here…) I wrote about this CD a couple of years ago when I found it on some Chicago-fan sites in bootleg version. […]

New Ways to Look at Fathers

June 15, 2008.Reading time 8 minutes.

On Father’s Day this year, I remind myself that parenting is hard. And it’s getting harder all the time. It’s not just the outside forces that are challenging to a parent’s influence and effectiveness, it’s also internal changes to our family structures themselves that have pushed the envelope. I have always said that the untold […]

"Oh this is sure stirring up some ghosts for me…"

June 14, 2008.Reading time 11 minutes.

“I been spellbound – falling in trances I been spellbound – falling in trances You give me shivers – chills and fever I been spellbound – somewhere down the crazy river” — Robbie Robertson Far more faithfully than either guns or religion, it seems to me that Americans cling to their sports bitterness. It’s what […]

So, Should We Believe Donaghy?

June 14, 2008.Reading time 3 minutes.

One more bit of bitterness while I’m at it…. Some may recall that the whole “Bitter P1” thing came from some YouTube vids that I uploaded in the wake of the Mavs loss to the Heat two years ago. I’m over it. Promise. Really not bitter about it any more. Although, it’s a fascinating exercise […]

Democratic Muslims and Football-playing Tongans

June 12, 2008.Reading time 11 minutes.

Texas has never been widely known as a hotbed of progressive thought. This, despite the fact that great thinkers like Barbara Jordan and Molly Ivins came from here. Ann Richards too. This, despite the fact that issues near and dear to the progressive-heart were finally nationally adjudicated in cases that originated here (Roe v. Wade….Lawrence […]

What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been

June 5, 2008.Reading time 27 minutes.

So it’s over. It’s finally over. Barack Obama has claimed the position of presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, and Hillary Clinton has now confirmed she’ll concede, belatedly, on Saturday. Those of you who read some of my thoughts from back during my blog “vacation” (January-March) will know that I’ve been absolutely sure of this […]

Bill McElvaney

June 4, 2008.Reading time 21 minutes.

(Note: Today is William K. McElvaney’s 80th Birthday. This June also marks his 50th year in ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. At Northaven this weekend, we celebrate both those milestones. Bill was the pastor of Northaven in the late 1960s, and is one of two emeritus pastors that call the church home, even […]

No Joy In Vindication

May 30, 2008.Reading time 10 minutes.

Sometimes there is no joy in vindication. Sometimes, the stakes are just too high and –even though history proves you right– there’s no joy when you finally get confirmation that you were justified in some strongly held opinion all along. The Iraq War is like that for me. As someone who, from the very beginning, […]

Theo is Here!

May 27, 2008.Reading time 1 minute.

This is what my brother-in-law Chris called to tell us yesterday morning. Theo was born yesterday at about 4 am. Dennise, Maria and me made a quick (and surprise) visit yesterday afternoon, since we had the day off and Denise was feeling better. Here are pics from my Dad… Please visit Eric’s original blog here: […]

$7,100 and a Gratitude Beyond Measure

May 26, 2008.Reading time 4 minutes.

Earlier this month, just after our last Connections show, I posted what we believed would be the fundraising total for the night. Today, I am very pleased to tell you we were very wrong. The actual grand total from the LLUMC show is…. $7,100!!! Good Lord! That beats our previous best show by $3K!!! The […]