Wright was Rad and Obama's Fired Up!

Jeremiah Wright was at Amherst College Friday night... as was I (along with a bunch of others) and it was rad. Awesome guy. And..the very next AM he was back in Springfied, IL with Obama when he announced he is running. WooHoo!

The Pond is Filling Up

The Democratic Party Pond is filling up. While I reveled in Barack's announcement last week, I fairly cringed with Hilary's this weekend. I have never bee n a Hilary fan and I fear that if both she and Barack seek the nomination they will be splitting votes and will make a clear choice much less likely. Could even open the door for some dark horse Dem and that in turn could leave the door open more widely for a Republican president in '08. But, what do I know? A political expert I am definitely not. Bottom line -- I just plain don't want to see her run; don't want to listen to her or to reports about her (or Bill) and don't want any distractions from Obama, a candidate that (so far as I can see to date) is one amazing guy. Someone the world MIGHT actually listen to! Well, we'll wait to see what Barack has to say "officially" on Feb 10. In the meantime, I'll follow the politics from my "arm chair" and keep surfing the real estate listings in Costa Rica, just incase :-)

In other areas:

Will the Patriots win tonight? I seldom watch football but the Pats are in the playoffs... so... like any good Massachusian, I tuned in last week, will tonight.. and we'll see about the Super Bowl.

As for the house, A. is closing in on the cellar project and Ben is installing cement board in our main bathroom so it can be tiled (floors and 43" high on the walls). I have been doing a lot of experimentation with art stuff but you'll have to click on the Terra Nova Design blog if you want to see pics of that part of my life.

Barack's "Announcement"

This is an excerpt of a longer email I received today from Barack Obama. I subscribed to his email months ago b/c I wanted to follow his goings on. Here is what he announced to his email list regarding the upcoming campaign:

Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.

So even in the midst of the enormous challenges we face today, I have great faith and hope about the future - because I believe in you.

And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.

>> If you have not read his book, The Audacity of Hope, you night want to check it out.

Too Many Changes to Count

WOW! So many changes in the state and country this week. Deval Patrick won! Lots of us are going to be counting on him!

The Dems took control of the House and the Senate, Rumsfeld resigned and Gates will take over.

Hard to imagine what things will be like on Capitol Hill come February 07. I do hope that somehow they will be able to work put a productive and sane solution to the quagmire in iraq and will deal with iran and No Korea in more promising ways in the yea rot come. It did bother me today tho to hear that El Qaeda released a tape gloating and boasting that Rumsfeld has been chased out of Iraq. Our democracy and the logic behind changes here, the voice of the "people" etc is hard to grasp for people who have never known a system where changes can happen thru things like votes, I guess. It juts bugs me that the working of our system seem to empower them in disturbing ways.

Deval Was at UMass Today

Deval Patrick is about to become our new governor. The election is one week away but I am calling the race today :-) I am not out on a limb in this declaration; he has not been considered the underdog, ever since he swept the state in the primary, shocking almost everyone. However, it is very unusual for Mass to have a Democrat as governor. We tend to have a Republican Governor and a Democratic controlled House and nothing much gets done. So, this will be a big victory in that sense.

I was able to go hear Deval today. I think he represents the hope we all need and the determination we need to make some major headway in this state. Many other state officials were there and many students or course. It was great to see so many interested and responsive students. That alone makes me hopeful.

Deval came to Massachusetts from inner city Chicago as part of the ABC (A Better Chance) program. The Amherst ABC kids were there today...sitting on the stage with the officials!

One part of Deval's web page says:

I can still remember when I first came to Massachusetts. I wasn’t a lawyer then. I wasn’t a business leader or a senior government official. I wasn’t a father or a husband and goodness knows I wasn’t a candidate for governor. I was a 14-year-old boy, starting a new life that was as different from anything I'd experienced in Chicago as I could possibly imagine. And I was scared.

But my grandmother had a saying that fortified me: “Hope for the best – and work for it.”

Hope for the best – and work for it.

That’s what I did. I hoped for the best – I learned how not to accept what is right in front of me, what someone else said were my limits. I learned how to imagine a better life and a better way. And I worked for it.

I learned to listen to common sense and wisdom, to be true to my core values, and to ignore those who called me naïve or told me to accept something less.Standing on the brink of an uncertain future, with all the challenges our state faces today, I hope for the best and am prepared to work for it.

And that is why I am running and why I'm asking you to help me become your next governor. I want you to see what’s possible in Massachusetts – and to help me work for it.

Hot Ticket: Obama & Lamott

Now wouldn't that be quite the Democratic ticket?? Ha Ha Ha Ha!

Just finished reading Anne Lamott's: Plan B. Great read: refreshing and challenging and funny...OMG sooo funny. I am also more than half way thru Obama's new book; The Audacity of Hope. The first half is a framework, his explanation of government, what he sees, etc. Interesting and necessary to really understanding where and why he says what he does in the rest of the book. I am now into the second half where he talks more about his actual ideas. It is interesting to have so much of an inside glimpse into the mind and thinking of a potential presidential candidate. Memoirs afterwards are common, but a person laying their cards on the table before even announcing a run, now that is refreshing. I think in part this book is his fleece. How it is received by, the Party and by the America public may very well influence his decision. It will be interesting to watch this unfold.

A couple of enticing glimpses for you:
Obama in his chapter called "Values" is talking about authenticity and empathy. Regarding empathy he says:
That is what empathy does. It calls us all to task... the oppressed and the oppressor, the conservative and the liberal. No one is exempt from the call to find common ground. Of course , in the end, mutual understanding isn't enough. After all, talk is cheap; like any value, empathy must be acted upon. (p.68)

and,
from Lamott:

In the chapter "Loving Your President" she wrestles with the idea of loving one's enemies as related to Bush, whose policies deeply disturb her, leading her to obsess about the war and the condition of the world. She writes: But Jesus kept harping on forgiveness and loving one's enemies, so I decided to try. Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess about everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breath at all or to pay attention, stomp away to brood when people annoy us, and then eat a big bag of Hershey's Kisses in bed? (p224)
later she writes.....
When you give up on hope, when it is not pinned wriggling onto a shiny image or expectation, it may float forth and open like those fluted Japanese blossoms, flimsy and spastic, bright and warm. This almost always seems to happen in community with family, related by blood, or chosen; at church, for me; at peace marches. (p238)

Barack's Got a New Book

Shortly after the Democratic Convention 2years, ago I went out and bought Barack's first book. which is sort of an auto-biography. I couldn't believe his keynote address at the convention. "Who IS this guy?" I found myself asking along with thousands of other people. Now he is a possible presidential candidate and has a new book: The Audacity Of Hope. I love the title and I bet I'm gonna love the book too. I am listening to him now on Larry King Live. He said he got the title (and underlying thrust) of the book from a sermon delivered by his pastor, Jeremiah Wright Jr. 18 years ago. Rev Wright has been the pastor of Trinity UCC in Chicago for over 30 years and the church's motto since the 70's, is "Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian."

I am hoping and yes, praying too, that he runs for President (he is being heavily recruited but has not announced yet) and that he wins. One never knows exactly what will happen with any particular person once they are elected but from my lowly seat in this land, I think he is our last (best) hope ~ Barak : US as Obe Wan Kenobi : The Empire :-)

Live from North Korea

Some of you know that the book we are teaching from in the Dean's Book Course this Fall is about North Korea. Well, in an all too timely way, things have definitely heated up in relation to North Korea and it is providing and unusually large volume of info and topics for presentations and discussion. Kim Jung Il, donning nuclear sunglasses, is even on the cover of Newsweek this week. This means I have been spending huge amounts of time reading updates and watching news so that I have half a clue about what is going on day to day.


One amazing thing is that this week, Diane Sawyer (ABC News) has been allowed into this isolated, closed country to report from there. So far she has posted two videos (and transcripts). They are available on line here. Take a look!

It is very unusual to get such an inside view -- even tho all her interactions are monitored and her government "translator" goes with her everywhere. Still, it is a pretty amazing peek.

So Much for "W" & the Religious Right??

Heard this former senior presidential aide in the Bush administration was on 60 Minutes tonight talking about his new book. Sorry I missed it. Could it be that the blanket on their "king" sized bed the bed is unraveling???

North Korea Over The Brink

News just released:
Looks like North Korean has gone over the brink. The official North Korean News agency has announced that North Korea has successfully tested a nuclear weapon. It has not yet been verified but the South Korean government is in an emergency meeting but has said that they did detect a 3.8 on the Richter scale this AM (it is Monday AM there). North Korea says this is for regime survival (defense) because they feel under siege by the Bush administration. Are we surprised?

Two Outta Three Ain't Half Bad

No fires set, I don't think, but..... two out of my three DBC classes seemed fairly appalled by the info on the new Military Commissions Act that our Congress passed last Friday. The first class had a fairly subdued, somewhat mixed reaction. A couple of comments from students who seemed to think the whole think is not so bad included, "The war on terror is unique and requires special tactics." and "I think our government should torture prisoners for information but I don't think we should make it legal." I grab the sides of my desk and try to be composed.... OK.... moving right along... what do others think???

It was clear that none of them have much of a clue about what is going on in the world or in our country. They have some very broad strokes as best. Got me to thinking that the Honors College should require a one credit current events class each semester. If our Honors students are entirely out of touch, how much hope is there for our country and be default for the world?