Good Samaritan Law

Happy Sunday. Now you get a religion post (after all this time).

When I spent the holidays back east, I went to church with Veteran Seeker. I hadn't seen him in a year or two so it was a nice way to catch up, especially since he is quite spiritual. We visited the Episopalian church he frequents which, interestingly enough, is where we met for the first time. (We met through Fellow Seeker but the actual physical meeting took place on the steps of this church.) I met some of V.S.'s new friends and enjoyed the service. This was my kind of church because it was pretty progressive (it has a fellowship group for gays, just to give you an idea), the priest who gave the sermon was down to earth and funny, and the message seemed to focus more on helping others than on hell or every other religion being wrong. I felt good there.

My goal when I got back "home" was to start going to different churches to see what I like here. Then, the earthquake in Haiti struck, and bang! I lost all desire. Why would I want to go worship this Dude? I thought to myself.

Some religious folks out there will cry out, "That's not fair!"" but the fact of the matter is that an omnipotent God who cares about humanity could prevent earthquakes and other natural disasters from taking us out. S/he could. S/he didn't.

Sorry, just being honest.

I was watching a DVD of Bill Maher's stand-up the other week (love him) and he talked about those right-wing Christians like Pat Robertson who say that 9/11 was God's vengeance or He let it happen or whatever. (You know, the same guy who is saying Haiti was struck by this earthquake because they made a pact with the devil. That guy.) I usually just write these people off as insane, but Bill's point on it hit home. He said, "Oh, I get it guys, God is a prick! Thanks for clearing that up." Am I saying that God is a prick? No. But can you at least see the logic? Isn't it hard to deny that a God who caused it or "let it happen" because of gays or abortion or whatever is, um, a less than desirable deity to wake up early on Sundays for?

I'm not big on calling people names, let alone God, so please don't misunderstand me. I am not repeating the Bill Mahr quote. I'm just saying the man has a point, that a God who would stand by at times like these makes you wonder about His character. It's like the last episode of Seinfeld. Would you stand by and watch someone being abused, murdered, etc. - adults, children, babies alike - if you could just step in and stop it? Well, then, you're a... never mind.

One final point: I spent a lot of time in the fundamentalist Christian paradigm and I know the drill. If I was asking why God allowed someone to, say, get shot and killed by another person, the answer would be, "The gunman has free will." But how, my friends, do you answer for an earthquake?

Thoughts?

Things That Make Me Happy: Change

Today's the day, baby. Let's put this nightmare behind us!

Things at work just got all kinds of scary. It looks like the company is set to split into two sections, one which will work on making the new product a wild success and the other that will maintain customers on the current product. This means a split in personnel and management, and new management coming in. It also means a few layoffs and shaving off.

My job is safe for now, as New Boss asked me to be on his new team, selling the new product. He told me that he was given the option to build his team any way he wanted, including hiring new people for it, but that he wanted me to be on it. He did give me the option, though. It will involve working 10-hour days and a bit of risk, but as we talked and I gauged the level of hysteria in the office, I realized that the overtime and the risk is on both sides. Boss and New Boss are going to the new team, while a new executive hire is going to lead the old. If I elected to stay with the old, I would have no relationship or history with management, and I hear that under them, "the company will not be the same size it is today." At least I have a good working relationship with the Bosses, and they value me enough to invite me over.

Of course, if either side fails, the whole company could go under. Thank you, those of you who are responsible for this shitty economy.

I have been stressed and sick with worry for the past two days. All of this has been hush-hush, with closed-door meetings and "this is sensitive information, don't tell your close colleagues when they question you." Next week all the shit will hit the fan and everyone will know the truth and be reassigned. Maybe I will be able to breathe a little easier then.

An Email Exchange

IT Guy: Please let me know if you want to watch the inauguration online on the 20th. I'd prefer 30 people not tune into this individually. If there's enough response, I'll get it setup in the conference room.

Me: Si señor.

IT Guy: Commie.

Me: McCarthyist.

IT Guy: Pinko.

Me: Archie Bunker.

Special Comment

Andi at The Unlikely Activist posted this video, and I think it is really powerful.

Things That Make Me Happy: President-Elect Barack Obama

WE DID IT!!!!!!!!

Hello my lovelies. I have neglected you for no good reason. Here's the update:

• I've got some sort of "condition" in my chest that is supposed to go away in 7-10 days but is really being a bitch in the meantime. (No, it's not my heart, but it's still a bitch.)
  
  
• As I told my mother, I voted for the Antichrist yesterday. And boy, did it feel good! :)
  
  
• I have to go shopping tonight to try and find an outfit for High School Friend's wedding in late November. Did I mention I hate shopping? With a passion?
  
  
• Swamped at work. Hence the not posting.

Someone Needs to Re-Read Their Bible Alright

You know what might liven up this blog a bit? How about a good old fashioned rant on the ever-sensitive, ever-relevant subjects of politics and religion?

When my father died, it was announced to members of the church where he served faithfully for years and which I grew up in. My parents left the church saddled with serious burnout, after being expected to drive the church van and pick up people all over Brooklyn, teach Sunday school classes, host prayer meetings at our home during the week, coordinate various ministry events, etc. (all of which they did, gladly). When they left, all of their best friends stopped bothering with them, calling them backsliders. They no longer got any phone calls, they were no longer invited to parties. It was as if they had died.

Anyway, some of these church members came to my father's funeral, and some of them remembered me from my brief stint there as a teen in the youth group. Long story short, they added me on Facebook.

Yesterday such a friend - who had always been very kind to me when I was at the church, but whom I hadn't been in touch with for about 7 years now - posted a note: "Why Christians Should NOT Vote for Obama." The note, which tagged others I recognized from the church, including a couple of Former Pastor's grown children, excerpted parts of Former Pastor's (who now fancies himself a "Bishop" though it is a nondenominational church that doesn't believe in those titles) article on the subject. Though it reminded me of 2000, the year I received handouts in church endorsing all of the Republicans on the ticket, I continued to read. Big mistake.

Essentially, "no child of God should support abortion or gay union," and Obama does both. Therefore, this guy urges conservatives to try to carry this election like they did with GW (because that worked out so well, for Christians or otherwise?). Comments from Facebook friends tagged in the note included, "Yes, bring on the antichrist! That should shake up the church." There was also a comment from a Christian friend who disagreed, stating that he would be voting for Obama because of his intelligence, his unifying message, etc. McCain is not exactly the model Christian (as Boyfriend mentioned, he did cheat on his second wife, no?). To which, my "friend" who wrote the note published nasty retorts, ending with, "You need to read your Bible."

Goodness me, where do I begin? Conservative friends and readers of my blog, look away, because this ain't going to be pretty.

• When is the religious right going to stop voting primarily on abortion and gay marriage? Do you realize our country is falling down around us? Do you realize what our national debt is, for example? Do you realize how many enemies we have made around the world because of our foolish arrogance? Do you have any concept of the challenges we are facing, aside from whether or not someone you don't even know will or will not give birth to a baby she cannot afford, or whether or not Bob can make Tony an honest man? Really? Not paying much attention lately, are you?

• Why is it that so many Christians - the people who are supposed to represent a loving, peaceful and forgiving religion? - are gung-ho about war and killing non-Christians? I feel like I'm in the middle of a Neo-Crusade. We view fanatical Muslims as less than human but fanatical Christians are A-OK. If there is a Jesus Christ, I hope he will hold them all accountable for the atrocities they supported and the people they elected into office. Save the unborn fetuses while murdering and raping children in Iraq, good tradeoff. But they're not white or Christian, so they're not like real people anyway.

• I am going to take advice from "Bishop" so-and-so? The man who refused to visit, call or pray for a former friend who was paralyzed for over 3 years? Who waited until the man dropped dead to show any kind of concern (and oh, how genuine - he didn't speak of my father at all, only about his personal Jesus, the one that is sending all of you to hell). This is the guy who is going to influence my voting preference? Really? Jesus said a few things about visiting the sick and that whatever good you do for other people, you do for him. That means that when you tell a broken, suffering man that you are too busy to pray for him, Jesus takes it personally. I can't wait until the "Bishop" gets to heaven and Jesus laughs in his face before showing him the door.

• Republicans, you don't own Christianity. Stop acting like one's personal faith and one's political party are one and the same. There are plenty of Christians out there who don't judge, who don't want to bomb people of other religions, and who don't want to see us all bankrupt while the fat cats add to their Mercedes collections. Try Anne Lamott, for starters.

• I've said it once and I will say it again, Jesus Christ was one hell of a liberal, and if I have any feeling left for him inside, it is for that - for his compassion for people that others discarded, for his feeding of the poor and disregard for racist/sexist bullshit. To steal a phrase, what would Jesus do? I highly doubt he'd have the blood on his hands that America does today.

If you recall, I wrote about trying to start the Potatoes Not Prozac (PnP) program a while back. I tried to do too much too fast and cut out white things and sugars entirely, making myself weak and inducing withdrawal symptoms. Bad idea. Now I am actually being *gulp* obedient and following the steps in order, determined to master each one before I move on to the next. The first regards breakfast, and there are three rules: have breakfast within 1 hour of getting up, have your target amount of protein in it, and have a brown in it. The first one is challenging but I have managed to do it. The second is REALLY challenging because this program wants you to have a ton of protein. I finally mastered that by making breakfast shakes with protein powder in them. Finally, the brown is easy - wheat toast, oatmeal in my shake, whatever. So it's going pretty well.

Oh, the perilous times we live in. It is getting scary to be an American, let me tell you. If there was a ever a time to vote your little heart out, it's now.

Bigfoot

I calculated my ecological footprint via MyFootprint.org, and though I use up 8 acres less than the average American, if everyone lived like me, "we would need 3.7 planets."

Yikes.

*This is including the fact that I have made my way back to semi-vegetarianism in the last week.

The Office

Scene: The Kitchen

Sales Guy looks at the "I Voted!" sticker on my shirt.

SG: Well, I see you have already voted this morning. Are you going to do the caucus this evening?
Sojourness: Yes.
CEO: I bet a million dollars you voted for Hillary.
SG: I would also bet a million dollars that you voted for Hillary.
Sojourness, aghast: What? Why do you say that?
CEO: I've read your blog.
SG: New York.
CEO: We can read you like a cheap novel.

I went to the doctor this morning and it turns out I have lost 6-16 pounds (I fluctuate within ten pounds on their scale every time I go). That's pretty good news. I don't see the results as much as I would like but it was encouraging enough to push me off into a better week than last. I didn't exercise much last week because I kept feeling dizzy and not knowing why.

It is still rainy and grey in Austin. It's not cold or anything but boy, is it miserable.

I did not have the opportunity to watch the SC Democratic debate last night, but I heard clips on NPR this morning. Political squabbling is really starting to embarrass me. It's like Jerry Springer out there.

And yes, I am starting to get boring, but it is just so darn grey.

Give Me a Shot of Stok!

It's a dark rainy day in Austin, which mirrors the latest news about the economy. I have never been all that informed before but for some reason now I am interested in everything. I listened to NPR on the way in to work today, I read the NY Times more often, I watch news and political programs and I am seriously considering my vote in the primary in March. Who have I become? I guess I am hoping that some of the problems in this country will eventually get better. Or maybe I'd just like to be informed of everything as we go down.


In other news, I discovered a new caffeine product in the office yesterday. Apparently they are now throwing shots of espresso into creamer-sized containers for you to add to your coffee if coffee by itself is not enough. You can't have more than two a day because you will lose all your hair or something, but it is supposed to really supercharge you. Tried one last night so I could stay up and study. Really did not work. Oh well.