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00:00:40 01/06/12
Mitt Romney, a Profile in Cowardice
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 00:00:40 01/06/12
For months, likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has made Barack Obama's supposed "failure of leadership" a centerpiece of his campaign. But like his ill-advised comparison of President Obama to Marie Antoinette , Romney's sound bite could well boomerang. After all, when Multiple Choice Mitt isn't comically reversing his stands, he's too afraid to take any at all .
That cowardice starts with his tax returns . While John Kerry and John McCain at least presented a summary of their (and their well-to-do wives') payments to Uncle Sam, the $250 million Mitt has so far refused to do so. Despite his famous demand in the 1994 Senate race that Ted Kennedy release his tax returns to show he has "nothing to hide," Romney reiterated his own paperwork would not be forthcoming. "We don't have any current plans to release tax returns, but never say never," Romney said, adding: >
"I can tell you we follow the tax laws, and if there's an opportunity to save taxes, we like anybody else in this country will follow that opportunity."
Or as he put it to CNN's Wolf Blitzer last week (at around the 6:40 mark): >
"I don't put out which tooth paste I use either. It's not that I have something to hide."
That's one interpretation. Another is that Mitt Romney is desperate to avoid the horrible political optics his tax returns would inevitably produce. After all, because Romney's continuing millions in annual income from Bain Capital (a company the Los Angeles Times recently explained "often maximized profits in part by firing workers") are taxed at the 15 percent capital gains rate, Mitt already pays a much lower share to Uncle Sam than most middle class families .
Romney's pusillanimity extends to his own tax proposals as well. Unlike virtually all of his GOP rivals , Romney has held back on endorsing either a flat-tax or the complete elimination of the capital gains tax. As he seemed to suggest to the Wall Street Journal , discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to telling voters about the massive windfall the Romneys would reap under the tax policies that dare not speak their name: >
What about his reform principles? Mr. Romney talks only in general terms. "Moving to a consumption-based system is something which is very attractive to me philosophically, but I've not been able to sufficiently model it out to jump on board a consumption-based tax. A flat tax, a true flat tax is also attractive to me. What I like--I mean, I like the simplification of a flat tax. I also like removing the distortion in our tax code for certain classes of investment. And the advantage of a flat tax is getting rid of some of those distortions"... >
Amid such generalities, it's hard not to conclude that the candidate is trying to avoid offering any details that might become a political target. And he all but admits as much. "I happen to also recognize," he says, "that if you go out with a tax proposal which conforms to your philosophy but it hasn't been thoroughly analyzed, vetted, put through models and calculated in detail, that you're gonna get hit by the demagogues in the general election."
Mitt Romney's fear of getting hit was also on display during the debt ceiling debate this summer. As the GOP's brinksmanship over defaulting on the U.S. debt reached its climax in late July, Romney turned his tail and fled. As MSNBC reported at the time: >
NBC's Garrett Haake reported that Mitt Romney told reporters in Ohio yesterday that he would not comment on the debt negotiations in Washington. And so far, he has refused to either endorse Boehner's legislation (as Huntsman has done) or oppose it (as Pawlenty and Bachman have done). Our question: How does someone who wants to be the leader of the Republican Party not have a position on one of the biggest issues facing Washington, especially after the dueling primetime speeches by Obama and Boehner? It's actually quite surprising; this isn't just another Washington fight. Is the lack of a position proof of how fragile Team Romney believes its front-runner status is right now?
(Ultimately, Romney used Facebook to announce his support of the Boehner bill, but only after it passed the GOP House .)
As it turns out, Ohio was the scene of another of Mitt Romney's moments in cowardice.
After visiting a Republican phone bank calling voters about the state's controversial Issue 2 curbing public unions , Romney amazingly refused to take a position: >
"I'm not saying anything one way or the other about the two ballot issues."
Embarrassed by his obvious lack of backbone, Romney endorsed the measure the next day. Ohio voters, who handily defeated the Republican measure, won't soon forget Romney said goodbye to his spine in Columbus.
Romney's vertebra similarly went missing on immigration and abortion , two issues near and dear to the Republican primary voter's heart. As Steve Benen recounted, Mitt's campaign simply would not answer Joe Klein question about what President Romney would do about the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country: >
The evasion wasn't exactly graceful. Klein asked what Romney would do with the undocumented immigrants who are already here, and Fehrnstrom replied, "He would not grant them amnesty." Right, Klein said, but instead of amnesty, what would Romney do with these people? "He would not grant them amnesty," Fehrnstrom answered. Got it, Klein said, but what, specifically, would Romney do? "I just told you, he's not going to grant them amnesty," the campaign spokesperson said. When Klein then explained that this isn't actually an answer, Fehrnstrom, once again, said, "He would not grant them amnesty."
The Romney camp built a similar stonewall after their man seemingly came out in support of the soon-to-be defeated "personhood" initiative in Mississippi . But the day after the ballot measure went down to crushing defeat, Team Romney insisted "he's being falsely characterized as supporting a proposed amendment to define a fertilized egg as a 'person.'"
On matters small and large, duck and cover is Mitt Romney's posture. Afraid to admit that he has obviously been running for President without interruption since his failed campaign four years ago, Romney's wife claimed his 2012 run was all her idea. As Ann Romney told Wolf Blitzer last week (starting around the 2:30 mark in the video above): >
BLITZER: Is it true that you had to talk to Mitt into running again? >
ANN ROMNEY. ROMNEY: It is true...after the last campaign, it was kind of ironic that I was the one that said I'd never do this again, and now, this time around, I'm saying, you know what, Mitt, you've got to do this again.
But in Mitt's telling, his latest White House bid is all due to Barack Obama. As he told the Wall Street Journal just days ago, Mitt was content to hang out in his $12 million, soon-to-be doubled-in-size California beach side home : >
The Republican presidential candidate says he never intended to run for office again after 2008--"I went back and bought a home which was far too expensive and grandiose for the purposes of another campaign," he jokes. He was drawn back into public life amid Mr. Obama's bid to "fundamentally transform" the country, to use the president's own words, into "an entitlement society," to use Mr. Romney's.
Given his Boston area townhouse and lakeside mansion with man-made beach in New Hampshire, a third palatial retreat would have seemed excessive for a candidate Romney. After all, Mitt Romney's running for office as a " man of the people "; he can't have mansions, for Pete's sake .
"If it seems like this keeps coming up with the former governor," Benen concluded, "it's not your imagination." >
Romney refused to take a stand on Paul Ryan's budget. Romney refused to take a stand when asked about voters booing a U.S. soldier serving in Iraq during a Republican debate. Romney refused to take a stand when Rick Perry dabbled in Birtherism. Romney initially refused to take a stand on Ohio's campaign to undermine collective-bargaining rights, and then sheepishly backpedaled when the right complained. >
There's going to come a point next year when the Obama campaign is likely to say, "Mitt Romney lacks the courage and the character to be a leader." And the criticism will sting because it's based in fact.
And so it goes for the man George Will rightly described as a "recidivist reviser of his principles." On the issues where he doesn't change his mind, Mitt Romney - the man who would be leader of the Free World - lacks "the courage of his absence of convictions."
(This piece also appears at Perrspectives. )
0 Views
00:00:40 01/06/12
Mitt Romney, a Profile in Cowardice
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 00:00:40 01/06/12
For months, likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has made Barack Obama's supposed "failure of leadership" a centerpiece of his campaign. But like his ill-advised comparison of President Obama to Marie Antoinette , Romney's sound bite could well boomerang. After all, when Multiple Choice Mitt isn't comically reversing his stands, he's too afraid to take any at all .
That cowardice starts with his tax returns . While John Kerry and John McCain at least presented a summary of their (and their well-to-do wives') payments to Uncle Sam, the $250 million Mitt has so far refused to do so. Despite his famous demand in the 1994 Senate race that Ted Kennedy release his tax returns to show he has "nothing to hide," Romney reiterated his own paperwork would not be forthcoming. "We don't have any current plans to release tax returns, but never say never," Romney said, adding: >
"I can tell you we follow the tax laws, and if there's an opportunity to save taxes, we like anybody else in this country will follow that opportunity."
Or as he put it to CNN's Wolf Blitzer last week (at around the 6:40 mark): >
"I don't put out which tooth paste I use either. It's not that I have something to hide."
That's one interpretation. Another is that Mitt Romney is desperate to avoid the horrible political optics his tax returns would inevitably produce. After all, because Romney's continuing millions in annual income from Bain Capital (a company the Los Angeles Times recently explained "often maximized profits in part by firing workers") are taxed at the 15 percent capital gains rate, Mitt already pays a much lower share to Uncle Sam than most middle class families .
Romney's pusillanimity extends to his own tax proposals as well. Unlike virtually all of his GOP rivals , Romney has held back on endorsing either a flat-tax or the complete elimination of the capital gains tax. As he seemed to suggest to the Wall Street Journal , discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to telling voters about the massive windfall the Romneys would reap under the tax policies that dare not speak their name: >
What about his reform principles? Mr. Romney talks only in general terms. "Moving to a consumption-based system is something which is very attractive to me philosophically, but I've not been able to sufficiently model it out to jump on board a consumption-based tax. A flat tax, a true flat tax is also attractive to me. What I like--I mean, I like the simplification of a flat tax. I also like removing the distortion in our tax code for certain classes of investment. And the advantage of a flat tax is getting rid of some of those distortions"... >
Amid such generalities, it's hard not to conclude that the candidate is trying to avoid offering any details that might become a political target. And he all but admits as much. "I happen to also recognize," he says, "that if you go out with a tax proposal which conforms to your philosophy but it hasn't been thoroughly analyzed, vetted, put through models and calculated in detail, that you're gonna get hit by the demagogues in the general election."
Mitt Romney's fear of getting hit was also on display during the debt ceiling debate this summer. As the GOP's brinksmanship over defaulting on the U.S. debt reached its climax in late July, Romney turned his tail and fled. As MSNBC reported at the time: >
NBC's Garrett Haake reported that Mitt Romney told reporters in Ohio yesterday that he would not comment on the debt negotiations in Washington. And so far, he has refused to either endorse Boehner's legislation (as Huntsman has done) or oppose it (as Pawlenty and Bachman have done). Our question: How does someone who wants to be the leader of the Republican Party not have a position on one of the biggest issues facing Washington, especially after the dueling primetime speeches by Obama and Boehner? It's actually quite surprising; this isn't just another Washington fight. Is the lack of a position proof of how fragile Team Romney believes its front-runner status is right now?
(Ultimately, Romney used Facebook to announce his support of the Boehner bill, but only after it passed the GOP House .)
As it turns out, Ohio was the scene of another of Mitt Romney's moments in cowardice.
After visiting a Republican phone bank calling voters about the state's controversial Issue 2 curbing public unions , Romney amazingly refused to take a position: >
"I'm not saying anything one way or the other about the two ballot issues."
Embarrassed by his obvious lack of backbone, Romney endorsed the measure the next day. Ohio voters, who handily defeated the Republican measure, won't soon forget Romney said goodbye to his spine in Columbus.
Romney's vertebra similarly went missing on immigration and abortion , two issues near and dear to the Republican primary voter's heart. As Steve Benen recounted, Mitt's campaign simply would not answer Joe Klein question about what President Romney would do about the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country: >
The evasion wasn't exactly graceful. Klein asked what Romney would do with the undocumented immigrants who are already here, and Fehrnstrom replied, "He would not grant them amnesty." Right, Klein said, but instead of amnesty, what would Romney do with these people? "He would not grant them amnesty," Fehrnstrom answered. Got it, Klein said, but what, specifically, would Romney do? "I just told you, he's not going to grant them amnesty," the campaign spokesperson said. When Klein then explained that this isn't actually an answer, Fehrnstrom, once again, said, "He would not grant them amnesty."
The Romney camp built a similar stonewall after their man seemingly came out in support of the soon-to-be defeated "personhood" initiative in Mississippi . But the day after the ballot measure went down to crushing defeat, Team Romney insisted "he's being falsely characterized as supporting a proposed amendment to define a fertilized egg as a 'person.'"
On matters small and large, duck and cover is Mitt Romney's posture. Afraid to admit that he has obviously been running for President without interruption since his failed campaign four years ago, Romney's wife claimed his 2012 run was all her idea. As Ann Romney told Wolf Blitzer last week (starting around the 2:30 mark in the video above): >
BLITZER: Is it true that you had to talk to Mitt into running again? >
ANN ROMNEY. ROMNEY: It is true...after the last campaign, it was kind of ironic that I was the one that said I'd never do this again, and now, this time around, I'm saying, you know what, Mitt, you've got to do this again.
But in Mitt's telling, his latest White House bid is all due to Barack Obama. As he told the Wall Street Journal just days ago, Mitt was content to hang out in his $12 million, soon-to-be doubled-in-size California beach side home : >
The Republican presidential candidate says he never intended to run for office again after 2008--"I went back and bought a home which was far too expensive and grandiose for the purposes of another campaign," he jokes. He was drawn back into public life amid Mr. Obama's bid to "fundamentally transform" the country, to use the president's own words, into "an entitlement society," to use Mr. Romney's.
Given his Boston area townhouse and lakeside mansion with man-made beach in New Hampshire, a third palatial retreat would have seemed excessive for a candidate Romney. After all, Mitt Romney's running for office as a " man of the people "; he can't have mansions, for Pete's sake .
"If it seems like this keeps coming up with the former governor," Benen concluded, "it's not your imagination." >
Romney refused to take a stand on Paul Ryan's budget. Romney refused to take a stand when asked about voters booing a U.S. soldier serving in Iraq during a Republican debate. Romney refused to take a stand when Rick Perry dabbled in Birtherism. Romney initially refused to take a stand on Ohio's campaign to undermine collective-bargaining rights, and then sheepishly backpedaled when the right complained. >
There's going to come a point next year when the Obama campaign is likely to say, "Mitt Romney lacks the courage and the character to be a leader." And the criticism will sting because it's based in fact.
And so it goes for the man George Will rightly described as a "recidivist reviser of his principles." On the issues where he doesn't change his mind, Mitt Romney - the man who would be leader of the Free World - lacks "the courage of his absence of convictions."
(This piece also appears at Perrspectives. )
6 Views
07:03:32 11/29/11
Timelapse Watercolor Illustration - Harlequin Ducks
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 07:03:32 11/29/11
Go behind the scenes with an award-winning artist. This timelapse video puts you right in the driver's seat as famed bird artist Jonathan Alderfer creates a watercolor of two adult male Harlequin Ducks. Visit www.facebook.com/NatGeoBooks to learn how to enter to win the original, signed watercolor of this illustration! It's all part of the Field Guide to Birds of North America, new from National Geographic Books. The latest edition of America's favorite birding guide includes 300 new art figures; unique subspecies maps never before seen in a field guide; extensive migration information overlaid on species maps; field-mark labels on all artwork; text updates to include new species; reorganization reflecting taxonomic changes in the bird community; organization, readability, and increased page count with a fresh new design.
6 Views
20:54:38 11/26/11
Minecraft: CocoCraft The Mod ft CocoSmackdown (MC Gameplay/Commentary)
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 20:54:38 11/26/11
Minecraft: CocoCraft The Mod ft CocoSmackdown (MC Gameplay/Commentary)
www.youtube.com Click here to watch Minecraft: CocoCraft Ep 6 by CocoSmackdown (MC Gameplay/Commentary) Minecraft: CocoCraft The Mod ft CocoSmackdown (MC Gameplay/Commentary) A series where you, the viewer, gets to unfold what happens! Leave feedback and objectives in the comments to be a part of this!Thank you for watching! DIRECTOR'S CHANNEL: www.youtube.com www.youtube.com www.youtube.com DIRECTOR'S FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com DIRECTOR's TWITTER: www.twitter.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This Realm video will show you: How to mod How to hit a duck with a shovel How to bounce on blocks How to have your own mod How to play Minecraft - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Like Machinima Realm on Facebook! facebook.com Enlist in the Respawn Army! therespawnarmy.com FOR MORE MACHINIMA, GO TO www.youtube.com FOR MORE GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE SPORTS GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE MMO & RPG GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE TRAILERS, GO TO: www.youtube.com Tags: cocosmackdown cococraft coco craft smack down mine mods more creeps weirdos xie farming mod yt:quality=high Minecraft "Mine Craft" mmo rpg mmorpg massively multiplayer online role playing game roleplaying multi-player Markus Persson sandbox Alpha beta notch spider spiders skeleton skeletons zombie zombies lumber wood coal stone torch torches workbench crafting square pickaxe pick wood wooden stone ... From: MachinimaRealm Views: 15794 323 ratings Time: 15:41 More in Gaming
14 Views
18:08:00 04/20/11
Disneyland Japan Reopens and Texas Arms Preschoolers - Nearly The News #039
[LESS INFO] 14 VIEWS | ADDED 18:08:00 04/20/11
Nearly The News #039
NOT SUCH A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL
Some good news from the South Pacific, Disneyland Japan is re-opening just a few weeks after the tsunami and nuclear reactor meltdown spread radiation over parts of the country. Although the log ride will remain closed for obvious reasons, visitors can expect to see a two hundred foot tall Donald Duck who shoots lasers out of its eyes and crushes city buses like they were toys.
THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS, AND WEAR GERANIMALS
The legislature in Texas is considering a bill that would allow toddlers in the state to carry concealed weapons. “We know anti-freedom gun haters are going to get their crazy liberal shorts in a twist about this,” said Governor Rick Perry. “But this is the only way we can make sure the terrorists don’t win, and our kids are safe during naptime.”
BANKS SUCK… NO, SERIOUSLY
And finally…
Bank of America is refusing to do a re-fi on the home of prominent local anchor woman, this despite her sending in all the paperwork they’ve asked for, again and again and again. “It used to be celebrity would get you a little consideration,” said the attractive blonde for a well known internet news service. “But I guess they just hate America.” There was no response from the bank, as per usual. Wow, some pretty strong words there, we’ll see if stupid B of A is listening.
-----------
This episode written by Collin Friesen.
18 Views
20:38:57 02/07/11
NTN #010: Arizona Deports Thousands and Natalie Portman Not Pregnant
[LESS INFO] 18 VIEWS | ADDED 20:38:57 02/07/11
NTN 010-Coming up today: Arizona deports thousands of useless people, Natalie Portman misdiagnosed as pregnant and Surgeon General calls for more breastfeeling.
Arizona Deports Thousands of Useless People
An estimated 2,000 residents have been deported from Arizona since the state passed a new law last week intended to decrease the state's population of useless people that many complain could lead to profiling and other abuse.
With a 16% budget deficit, the worst in the nation, Arizona State Treasurer Dean Martin remarked they could not go on supporting the dead weight any longer.
But Arizona State Representative Debbie Lesko whose 81 year old mother was arrested for being useless while using several coupons and loose change to purchase groceries in Flagstaff, has argued that the law will promote unfair discrimination against elderly white citizens.
Phoenix Sheriff Joe Arpaio defended the enforcement and explained that the police are targeting only the most blatantly inept, non-functioning members of society.
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard argues that the law doesn't go far enough pointing out that it does not allow for search permits that would enable law enforcement to apprehend the worst offenders inside their homes.
"For every one do-nothing we might encounter staggering the streets or loafing about the park, staring at the ducks, there are two more truly useless people rooted to a Barcalounger gawking at infomercials all day."
http://www.newsmutiny.com/pages/Arizona-Deportations.html
Natalie Portman misdiagnosed as pregnant
Natalie Portman's pregnancy has been found to be a false alarm. Analysis revealed that her baby bump was actually just the result of bloating after the actress ingested a grape.
http://www.derfmagazine.com/news/entertainment/natalie-portman-pregnant-grape
Surgeon General calls for more Breastfeeling
U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin issued a call to action today to encourage more Americans to take part in and be supportive of breastfeeling.
"We have to understand that we live in a society that holds the MILF in high regard." As such it is incumbent upon us to afford mothers every opportunity for hteis natural function."
There is opposition however from Mothers Against Everything who say breastfeeling in the wrong hands can too easily be abused.
http://www.crystalair.com/story.php?id=201102001
2 Views
17:30:58 12/18/10
Will the media hold the GOP up to their fetish standard for "bipartisanship" too?
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 17:30:58 12/18/10
Today the Senate tries to get much work done, as the lame duck session comes to a close -- which includes Don't Ask Don't Tell, the DREAM Act and the START Treaty. I wonder if the media will hold the GOP up to the same bipartisan standards as they do the Democratic party? I know Villagers were very happy that millionaires got their tax cuts, thereby raising the national debt which happens to be the Tea Party Holy Grail with no real visible resistance. Now after getting their unpaid tax cuts the GOP then torpedoed the trillion dollar appropriations bill that Republicans helped craft and which contained a food safety bill because it had earmarks that they negotiated into it.
Andrea Mitchell was quite giddy on Friday as she discussed how Harry Reid got played at the game of 'chess" after he had already secured the votes from the Republican side, before they were against the bill. Doesn't that sound like bipartisan sabotage?
I expect if Democrats don't bow down to the GOP because they won the House after the midterms, even after the huge tax bill compromise, the media will attack Dems for not being bipartisan. Or when Republicans destroy legislation it's because they are principled, but Democrats are just Dirty F*%king Hippies.
Digby adds: >
Meanwhile, here's a little preview for you about how the implementation of the health care bill is going to go: >
A confluence of facts and events helped McConnell convince senior appropriators in his own party -- people who, like he, don't fundamentally oppose the earmarking process -- to back off the omnibus, according to a Republican leadership aide. Part of it was that, though bipartisan, the bill itself included funding for key Democratic priorities that in the current political environment no Republican supports, or wants to be accused of supporting. The omnibus included $1 billion in spending to implement the health care law -- a provision no Republican wanted to de facto support.
"Health care money helped a lot....it added on to the urgency," the aide said.
So, will they shut down the government over health care? I don't see why not. After all, deficits are the most serious threat to the nation since Hitler and the only weapon we have to fight them are cuts in "entitlements". And while I think the President wants more than anything to preserve his signature accomplishment, they have every reason to believe he won't fight to the death for it. In any case, they can certainly use it as leverage. I don't know what they want more than to force Obama to dismantle his own legacy, but dismantling Roosevelt's might do in a pinch.
And what will happen when the debt ceiling fight comes up? What will Republicans want President Obama to give up in that fight? I shudder at the thought.
0 Views
17:23:10 09/24/09
Duck Duck Go Part 2
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 17:23:10 09/24/09
Search Engine Review Distributed by Tubemogul.
2 Views
10:15:58 09/17/09
2 girls 1 duck - contains spoilers
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 10:15:58 09/17/09
This video at first started out just like any other. It just wasn’t cool or interesting, however once the action took place it became a whole different ball game. I don’t want to spoil too much but let’s just say the 2 girls and the 1 duck are very important parts to the overall story that plays out. In fact I found a little bonus which I showcase in more detail if you read more. SPOILER ALERT – now don’t say that I didn’t warn you. When I clicked on the video by accident while it was playing I ended up entering a strange new world where the RubberDuckZilla played the main character. The website is an old school video game fun fest complete with video game looks and music background. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen I was quite confused when it was asking me to print out a symbol of a rain drop. Even more fascinating was the comic that was hidden on the website along with a video of the 2 girls from the original video demonstrating on how to print out a special tool to play the games. I knew I was going to feature the main video but seeing the webcam recognize the symbol that I printed out was quite cool. For some of the games I found the symbol tough to keep on the screen long enough to play the games but for others it worked beautifully. Looking back I should have included more lighting in the room to compensate for the darkness that must have not allowed the web cam to work correctly. I noticed that the 2 girls did demonstrate that even if you don’t print out the picture of the rain drop you could always draw it yourself using a marker. I never tried it out but would like to hear if anyone else resorted to that trick. All in all for a nice little diversion into the world of RubberDuckZilla try out the website and see if you can beat the high score.
0 Views
10:15:58 09/17/09
2 girls 1 duck - contains spoilers
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 10:15:58 09/17/09
This video at first started out just like any other. It just wasn’t cool or interesting, however once the action took place it became a whole different ball game. I don’t want to spoil too much but let’s just say the 2 girls and the 1 duck are very important parts to the overall story that plays out. In fact I found a little bonus which I showcase in more detail if you read more. SPOILER ALERT – now don’t say that I didn’t warn you. When I clicked on the video by accident while it was playing I ended up entering a strange new world where the RubberDuckZilla played the main character. The website is an old school video game fun fest complete with video game looks and music background. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen I was quite confused when it was asking me to print out a symbol of a rain drop. Even more fascinating was the comic that was hidden on the website along with a video of the 2 girls from the original video demonstrating on how to print out a special tool to play the games. I knew I was going to feature the main video but seeing the webcam recognize the symbol that I printed out was quite cool. For some of the games I found the symbol tough to keep on the screen long enough to play the games but for others it worked beautifully. Looking back I should have included more lighting in the room to compensate for the darkness that must have not allowed the web cam to work correctly. I noticed that the 2 girls did demonstrate that even if you don’t print out the picture of the rain drop you could always draw it yourself using a marker. I never tried it out but would like to hear if anyone else resorted to that trick. All in all for a nice little diversion into the world of RubberDuckZilla try out the website and see if you can beat the high score.
0 Views
17:50:44 06/23/09
Sweetbreads Duck Breasts Ice Cream Cake And More!
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 17:50:44 06/23/09
http://foodtease.com/2009/06/sweetbreads-duck-breasts-ice-cream-cake-and-more For David's birthday we decided, rather than going out for a meal (sorry Laredo but your options for fine dining are limited at best), that we would cook a 5 course meal. We started with Chilled Cucumber Cream Soup with Smoked Salmon Ribbons, followed by Cured Chorizo and Parsley on Toasted Bread, followed by Sauteed Sweetbreads with Caramelized Onions, then Rosemary Duck Breast with Rustic Potato Gnocchi (the rustic part meaning that it looks a bit ugly but tastes good), and a radish and sprout salad. As per his request, David's birthday cake selection was an ice cream cake. I didn't have a recipe for an ice cream cake so I kinda winged it and I have to say that, even if its only in this one instance, I am a culinary genius. It worked out beautifully and to be honest was quite easy -- the only catch is that you need an ice cream machine. Bittersweet Chocolate Ice Cream Cake 2 cups oreo cookie crumbs3 tbsp butter, meltedheavy cream1/2 cup milk2 cups light creamegg yolkssugar4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, crushed4 oz. chocolate toffee bar, crushed Line a springform pan with wax paper on the inside and aluminum foil on the outside.Combine the oreo crumbs with the butter and mix until the texture of wet sand.Press firmly into the bottom of the springform pan. Chill.In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups heavy cream with 1/2 cup milk and bring to a simmer.Meanwhile whisk together 4 egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar.Slowly pour in the yolk mixture, while stirring. Reduce heat to medium low and stir constantly for 10 minutes.Add the crushed bittersweet chocolate, stirring to melt completely. Transfer the pot to an ice bath. Chill mixture completely in fridge.Transfer to an ice cream machine and process. Spread mixture over the chilled oreo crust. Cover and transfer to freezer. Freeze overnight.In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups light cream with 1/2 cup heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, beat 5 egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar.Slowly whisk in the yolk mixture, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook 10 minutes,stirring constantly.Transfer to an ice bath and then chill completely in fridge.Pour into an ice cream machine and process. While mixing in machine, add the crumbled chocolate toffee bar.Spread mixture over top the frozen chocolate layer. Cover and freeze overnight.
0 Views
10:55:09 03/23/09
Episode # 95
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 10:55:09 03/23/09
Keep on Rollin'!Podcast Rock%Roll Rampage episode *95One hour of Sleazy TrashyRock& Roll/ Garage/ Punkrock/ 60's Beat/ Ye Ye Beat/ 60's Girl Garage/ Raw soul/ Nasty Rockabilly/ Trashy Country and many many more...for all ye sinners 'n' sufferersTake this Dirty Ride Playlist #95 19-03-091. Trixie Smith with Sidney Bechet • Jack I'm Mellow • 1938 • Decca2. Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb & Orchestra • When I Get Low I Get High • 1936 • Decca3. Marsha Gee • Peanut Duck • 1980 • Virtue acetate 4. Louis "Blues Boy" Jones • Someway, Somewhere • 1962 • Sabra 5. Isley Brothers • I Wanna Know • 1958 • Gone 6. Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup • My Baby Left Me • 1950 • Rca7. Rev-Lons • Give Me One More Chance • 1961 • Garpax8. Rev-Lons • Whirlwind • 1965 • Garpax9. Donnie Elbert • A Little Piece of Leather • 1965 • Gateway 10. Gloria Jones • Heartbeat Part 1 • 1965 • uptown11. Rocky Horror Show • Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me • 1974 • A & M 12. Blacktop • Here I Am (Here I Always Am) • 1994 • In The Red13. Brave new world • Train kept a rollin' 14. The Oblivians with Mr. Quintron • Ride That Train • 1997 • Crypt 15. The Meat Purveyors • The Crawdad Song • 2002 • Bloodshot16. Lefty Frizzell • If You've Got The Money, I've Got The Time • 1950 • Columbia17. Tennessee Ernie Ford & Ella Mae Morse • False Hearted Girl • 1952 • Capitol18. Brenda Lee • Jambalaya (on the bayou) • 1956 • Decca19. Wanda Jackson • Funnel Of Love • 1961 • Capitol20. Troy Hess • Please don't Go Topless, Mother • Showland 21. Budget Girls • Like going Topless • 2000 • Voodoo Rhythm
2 Views
17:06:51 10/28/07
Part 3 Scholar/Author On Greed Environment 10 Commandments Old Testament Stories
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 17:06:51 10/28/07
Part 3: Bible Scholar:/Author talks about the Bible and how it relates to greed, the environment, the 10 Commandments and Old Testament storiesWell-known biblical scholar Dr. Walter Brueggemann of the Atlanta area spoke to Northern Michigan residents in early October 2007 about the 10 Commandments, greed, the environment and other social topics.In part three of a four-part series, Earth Keeper volunteer media advisor Greg Peterson reports from Northern Michigan University.Time: 9:50 ---Some of the verbatim from Dr. Brueggemann’s talk - follow along - then a full story:Dr. Brueggemann:"So that the theological question - that we don't answer easily - the logical question is that is there really a connection between the violation of the commandments - written broadly - and the well being of the earth."---Reporter:In October 2007, Dr. Walter Bureggemann, an expert on the Old Testament, spoke at Northern Michigan University.---Dr. Brueggemann:Hosea's poem is an anticipation of Wendell Berry - perhaps you know Wendell Berry - the critic of agribusiness who has written in many places that distorted social relationships inescapably will distort the environment - a distortion that is caused by greed and acquisitiveness and self-indulgent entitlement because the commandments articulate the restraints that are necessary for the maintenance of the environment.- and when there is excessive greed, when the land is overused, when the horizon is abused or the oceans are over fished, when the forests are stripped, the whole creation becomes dysfunctional.---Reporter:Brueggemann said the Lord has an indictment with the inhabitants of the land," Brueggemann said.That lead to an nteresting exchange with a member of the audience:---Dr. Brueggemann:Fifth text is in Hosea four verses one-three"The Lord has an indictment with the inhabitants of the land.The inhabitants of the land are abusing the land so Yahweh is taking them to court.Here is the indictment - see what this makes you think of.."There is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery, bloodshed."What does that make you think of - Audience member: "Iraq?""I meant in the Bible - I don't want to get into anything contemporary. "There is lying, sealing, killing, adultery - the ten commandments."The indictment is - Israel in its acquisitiveness has violated the ten commandments.."Now from what I have told you - what do you think comes next - therefore."Now I want you to get this: Therefore the land mourns."This is a Biblical idiom for drought.That's what they said - when you violate the ten commandments you get a drought.- and then it says - because of the drought - the beasts and the fields and the birds and the air and the fish in the sea - What's that supposed to make you think of?Creation are perishing." This is an extraordinary three verse poem.The indictment is you break the ten commandments - the connection is the therefore - and the threat is that creation will be undone and won't grow anything anymore ."The logic of the poem is that the violation of the ten commandments will lead to the dismantling of creation.""I heard a Rabbi once say - that in Auschwitz all ten commandments were systematically violated - and then he said whenever you violate all ten commandments then you get Auschwitz.""Oh I would not suggest that our ecological crisis is of Auschwitz proportion - but if you fill the therefore with moral passion - you have got to believe that the violation of God's commandments eventually jeopardize and risk the good gift of creation."---First Kings 21 - Naboth's Vineyard - King Ahab wanted vegetable garden that Naboth had "who could not sell because the land was not a possession it was inheritance The land did not belong to him rather "He belonged to the land."Ahab and wife Jessiebell eventually frame Naboth as a traitor and got him executed..All Land owned by Traitors fall to the crownThat's when the prophet Elijah arrived on the scene.- who Ahab identified as enemy of his regime of acquisitiveness.Ahab - God's death sentence?---Fourth text in Mica two versus one thru five :"Alas for those who devise wickedness and evil deeds on their beds.""They start scheming and plotting before they get out of bed - and when they get out of bed they have a cup of coffee and while they are still in their bathrobe they call their broker and take some more land away from somebody."When the morning dawns they perform it - they covet fields and seize them, houses and take them away - they oppress household and house - people and inheritance.""The power class schemes about how to take over real estate before they every get out of bed in the morning - they covet - the poet uses covet which as you know comes right from the tenth commandment - thou shalt not covet - thou shalt not be acquisitive - thou shalt not gather more commodities t one's self."They buy up houses and fields and they violate the neighborhood and they take advantage of those who do not have sharp lawyers.The comes - it won't surprise you - the therefore."Therefore says the Lord - I am devising evil against this people and you shalt not walk haughtily for an evil time will come.""And then the poem goes on to say: ‘You will say oh we are utterly ruined. Oh help us God help us' and it will be too late because your land will be owned by foreigners."------Full Story:---Biblical scholar warns about consequences of greed, overindulgence, and abuse of the environment - says northern Michigan sulfide mine is losing proposalDr. Walter Brueggemann: Christians are in denial over past religious violence, must own antisemitism(Marquette, Michigan) - Speaking to packed audiences at two northern Michigan events, noted theologian Dr. Walter Brueggemann warned that today's world should change its ways because the "creator will not tolerate the ultimate despoiling of creation."Speaking to over 400 people in Ishpeming and Marquette, Dr. Brueggemann said historically greed, disregard for the environment and "the violation of the ten commandments will lead to the dismantling of creation."An expert and prolific author on the Old Testament, Brueggemann quote numerous biblical verses and described the prophets of the time as "poets" who warned about the greedy abuse of nature because people must "view the environment as God's gift that requires responsible management."Bringing humor and simple explanations to complex scripture, Dr. Brueggemann's animated translations invoked passion, laughter, and stunned silence that was often punctuated with crescendos, whispers and dramatic gestures like a fist in the air or hands clutching his head."Every national security state works itself to destruction - never learning in time the limits to acquisitiveness and giving full rein to satiation," Brueggemann said Monday night (Oct. 8, 2007) at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.Dr. Brueggemann's ecumenical public talks are reflected in his personal life. Brueggemann is a member of the United Church of Christ, teaches at a Presbyterian Seminary, and worships in an Episcopal congregation.The standing room only crowd clapped when he tied abuse of the environment to the proposed sulfide mine near Lake Superior in Marquette County by stating abused land will not produce in the future."What this poet knows is that absentee ownership and agribusiness - and you can extrapolate the word mining - I don't know much about it but I know that much - will simply refuse to produce when the land becomes a tradeable commodity and is no longer caressed, and honored and treated with its own particular creation magic," Brueggemann said. "The land requires ownership that is partnership and without such partnership creation loses its interest in fruitfulness."In an interview following his talk, Brueggemann said while he doesn't know the all the details about the proposed sulfide mine he has done "some reading on the crisis of the proposed mining initiative" in Michigan's Upper Peninsula."It is obviously a case in which the well being of the environment and the well being of the neighborhood are being subordinated to economic interests," Brueggemann said."In the bible, the economy is, according to the Torah, kept subordinated to the well being of the neighborhood," Brueggemann said. "This seems to me a case in which economic interests want to overpower the concerns of the neighborhood.""From the perspective of biblical faith, that is always a loser," Brueggemann said.Speaking to about 200 people Tuesday night (Oct. 9) at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, Brueggemann said in the New Testament Jesus fed people with loaves of bread warning his followers about the evil ways of greedy pharaohs.Brueggemann said "for the sake of the common good - for good health care policy, good schools, for better housing - the work of the neighborhood depends upon the power of the dream to dream outside the pharaoh's regime of anxiety.""One way to understand the worship of the church, is every time we gather - we gather to dream the dream of God's abundance that powers us to the neighborhood," Brueggemann said.Rev. Warren Geier, pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, said in all Dr. Brueggemann's talks the theologian "highlighted that God's intention for the world, as articulated in the Ten Commandments, is that we live in relationship with God and with the neighbor."This can't be done without respect and care for the ‘neighborhood' which is the earth, God's gift of creation," said Geier, who organized Brueggemann's U.P. visit. Brueggemann "emphasized the need the tell the truth, not to deny reality and pretend things are other than they are," Geier said."This is done in order to get to hope, the realization that there is another way that counters ways that seem unchangeable - to use Dr. Brueggemann's words: ‘The data on the ground is not the final truth; it's outflanked by the fidelity of God. There are new gifts to be given'," Geier said.Describing a story about land abuse in the book of Isaiah, Brueggemann said the text warns about coveting land and "exercising eminent domain and buying up the property of neighbors until there is no one left but you.""You are left to live alone in the midst of the land - woe you," he said.An Atlanta resident, Dr. Brueggemann said a verse that states "these many houses shall become desolate - large beautiful houses without inhabitants" reminds him of the once prosperous southern cotton plantations."When I read about large beautiful houses that become desolate without inhabitants I think of Tara in Gone with the Wind," Brueggemann said in Marquette. "You know that the cotton industry in the south was the wealthiest economy in the world and nobody paid any attention."Describing an agricultural economic crisis, Brueggemann said "the text goes on in this poem to imagine that when the land is organized so that it destroys a neighborhood that the land simply refuses to produce.""God has said to the land ‘be fruitful' and the land simply says ‘I won't do it - I won't grow anything'," Brueggemann said.Brueggemann's talks were co-sponsored by Lutheran Campus Ministry, the interfaith NMU EarthKeeper Student Team, the NMU departments of Philosophy and English, the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming.Brueggemann's visit "was another way we like to continue our (environmental) work and invite other people into our community so that we can learn from them and continue to grow in our knowledge about theology and creation and the environment as well," said Jennifer Simula, the NMU EK project director and a student leader with NMU Lutheran Campus Ministry.Understanding the audience was filled with supporters of the environment, Brueggemann said he is "aware of the work of the Earth Keeper's Covenant and so I already know that you are into these issues" describing his talk "simply as a reinforcement footnote to what all of you have already thought."Dr. Brueggemann said you know when the poets (prophets) are about to make a point - and interject "moral passion" - when they use words like "therefore" or "alas.""When you read a ‘therefore' in this poetry you must duck," said Brueggemann - in one example of his wit that evoked laughter sometimes adding levity to an intense Biblical lesson."I believe the gap between consumer indulgence and the consequences of that in our society has to be filled with moral passion and not with explanation," Brueggemann said.The poets, Brueggemann said, warned of the possible outcomes of human behavior and were used in the Bible "as an interface between the power of acquisitiveness - on the one hand - and the poetry of alternative on the other hand.""All through the heady years of Jerusalem there were ad-hoc protests and dissents and warnings," Brueggemann said of the poets who today would be considered liberal.The poets were "not social action liberals - which they were - they were poets - they wrote poetry so that the world could be imagined outside the domain of (King) Solomon."In the book of Hosea, "the Lord has an indictment with the inhabitants of the land," Brueggemann said."The inhabitants of the land are abusing the land so Yahweh (God in the Old Testament) is taking them to court," he said.Brueggemann crafts his messages to have a direct bearing on today's world while sticking to Biblical history - thus causing the audience to think and draw their own conclusions of time."Here is the indictment - see what this makes you think of," Brueggemann said leading the audience to a purposely indirect point. "There is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery, bloodshed. What does that make you think of?"An audience member said: "Iraq?""I meant in the Bible - I don't want to get into anything contemporary," said Brueggemann - delighting the crowd."There is lying, stealing, killing, adultery - the ten commandments," Brueggemann explained bringing home a Biblical lesson with contemporary impact. "The indictment is - Israel in its acquisitiveness has violated the ten commandments.""Now from what I have told you - what do you think comes next - ‘therefore'," Brugeggeman said. "Therefore the land mourns - this is a Biblical idiom for drought.""When you violate the ten commandments you get a drought.- and then it says - because of the drought - the beasts and the fields and the birds and the air and the fish in the sea - What's that supposed to make you think of ? Creation is perishing. This is an extraordinary three-verse poem.""The indictment is you break the ten commandments - the connection is the therefore - and the threat is that creation will be undone and won't grow anything anymore," Brueggemann said. "The logic of the poem is that the violation of the ten commandments will lead to the dismantling of creation.""The poet only knows that the land that is being abused is God's creation and the poet knows there are limits to be honored and respected, restraints to be exercised and trusts to be cared for and when self indulgence overrides limits, restraints and trusts - creation has a way of circling back and bringing death," Brueggemann said."I heard a Rabbi once say - that in Auschwitz all Ten Commandments were systematically violated - and then he (Rabbi) said ‘whenever you violate all ten commandments then you get Auschwitz'," Brueggemann said."I would not suggest that our ecological crisis is of Auschwitz proportion - however you have got to believe that the violation of God's commandments eventually jeopardize and risk the good gift of creation," Brueggemann saidDuring a meeting at the Lutheran Campus Ministry house, Brueggemann said the American "Christian community has been overly pre-occupied - for a long period of time - with personal salvation and redemption - and the result of that is that we have reneged on the Creator - Creation question."Brueggemann said "you can't just turn it (the environment) into a commodity""I believe that our work in scripture study and teaching is to reread the Bible away from those personal questions toward the large questions of creation and creator so we learn to view the environment as God's gift that requires responsible management," Brueggemann said.With the exception of noted Lutheran theologian Joseph Sittler, Brueggemann said that "Lutherans are notorious for not having had a very vibrant Doctrine of Creation."Brueggemann said many fundamentalists just "want to talk about me and Jesus, and being saved by the blood and all that kind of business."Fundamentalists "have no understanding of creation at all" and don't "understand that our reception of the reality of God also has to do with honoring the Earth differently," Brueggemann said."Those categories have almost been lost in the way the church conducts its teaching."Many churches refuse to face antisemitism and past religious violence and instead are "sort of pretending" that Christian-related atrocities did not happen, Brueggemann said."I think we invite people to engage in wholesale denial about their own lives," Brueggemann said.As a result of denial, the communication to churchgoers, Brueggemann said, is "well if you feel violent - talk about it somewhere else - don't do that here because we are all nice people here."It is "better to say we have a long history of antisemitism - we've go to own that," Brueggemann said. "I think that good recovery of the Bible is like good psychotherapy."At Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, Brueggemann said one of the saddest quotes by Jesus is in the New Testament book of Mark.After Jesus feeds ten thousands people at two events with loaves of bread to spare - he's out in a boat with two disciples who don't understand his frustration over why they forgot the bread, Brueggemann said."The paragraph ends with what I think must be one of the saddest statements of Jesus in the new testament - Jesus says to them ‘do you not yet understand?' He says to his disciples ‘you don't get it, do you?'," Brueggemann said."What's to get - is - wherever Jesus is - the power of anxiety has been broken - and there is an abundance that lets us get our minds off ourselves," Brueggemann said."So the disciples - the church - is invited to get its mind off itself - off its scarcity - off it's narrow budget - off its parsimony."The disciples "did not understand that Jesus is in the bread business," Brueggemann said."Watch out for the bread of the Herodians and the bread of the pharisees - he says watch out for the bread of the pharaoh because if you eat the bread of the pharaoh your stomach will be filled with anxiety," Brueggemann explained.Brueggemann said Jesus then "gets a little reprimanding and he says to them ‘do you have eyes and not see - do you have ears and not hear and do you have hearts and not understand - don't you know what we have been doing'?"Brueggemann added that Mark says Jesus "took the bread, he blessed the bread, he broke the bread, he gave them the bread.""These are the four great verbs in the church for abundance - he took, he blessed, he broke, he gave - these are the four verbs of the Eucharist," Brueggemann said."These are the verbs whereby the gospel takes the stuff of the earth and transforms it into a wondrous abundance.""So what Mark is telling us is - that the disciples know the numbers but they haven't any idea what the numbers mean," Brueggemann said.Brueggemann participated in Bill Moyers acclaimed PBS television series on the Book of Genesis. A graduate of Elmhurst College, Professor Brueggemann studied at Eden Theological Seminary, receiving his Doctorate of Divinity from Union theological Seminary, New York, and a Ph.D from Saint Louis University. Brueggemann was professor of Old Testament at Eden before joining the faculty at Columbia Theological Seminary in 1986. He is currently William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia.
3 Views
00:58:10 10/28/07
Part 2 Theologian On Antisemitism Christian Violence And Environment
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 00:58:10 10/28/07
Old testament scholar and prolific author Dr. Walter Brueggemann spent a couple days in northern Michigan in early October 2007 speaking to the public, clergy, church leaders and Lutheran Campus Ministry students and board members.Earth Keeper volunteer media advisor Greg Peterson has the second of a four part look at Dr. Brueggemann’s opinions on how the Bible relates to protecting the environment and many other social issues like antisemitism.Time: 9:55Here is some of the verbatim (follow along) from the theologian’s talks in Marquette and Ishpeming, Michigan followed by complete story.Violence and antisemitism in Christian church history and denial:And I think by sort of pretending about that - I think we invite people to engage in wholesale denial about their own lives. So what we communicate that way to people in church: ‘Well if you feel violent talk about it somewhere else - don’t do that here because 'we are all nice people here.'Better to say we have a long history of antisemitism - we’ve got to own that.I think that good recovery of the Bible is like good psychotherapy.” ---All the fundamentalists who want to talk about me and Jesus, and being saved by the blood and all that kind of business.They have no understanding of creation at all - so you would never understand that our reception of the reality of God also has to do with honoring the Earth differently. Those Categories have almost been lost in the way the church conducts its teaching.---“Solomon is popularly celebrated as a very wise king - until you read the text - if you read the text - which people tend not to do - you begin to see that Solomon is essentially a practitioner of foolishness.”— “... regime of economic commodification to be penultimate and not the ultimate source of wealth or well being ... ”“So what this poem does is to describe incredible self indulgence of the consumer economy in the northern capitol of Samaria - Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves divine.”“He’s describing the urban elite who have an enormous amounts of money for their well being for their amusement and their self indulgence - he’s describing the power class at the club with frivolous music and body care and extravagant oil and getting their hair done every three days and I don’t know what all ... "“But who are not grieved over the rule of Joseph - but who do not notice - in the midst of a flourishing economy that their society is going to hell in a hand basket.”---“When you read a therefore in this poetry you must duck.”“But because of this self indulgence - therefore - they shall be the first to go into exile.”“I believe the gap between consumer indulgence and the consequences of that in our society has to be filled with moral passion and not with explanation .”“The poet only knows that the land that is being abused is God’s creation and the poet knows there are limits to be honored and respected, restraints to be exercised and trusts to be cared for and when self indulgence overrides limits, restraints and trusts creation has a way of circling back and brining death.”---Third text is in Isaiah five eight - series of woe again:“Ahhh, You who join house to house, and field to field, - with regentrification - exercising eminent domain and buying up the property of neighbors until there is no one left but you - and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land - woe you.”“Then he says the Lord of hosts has sworn - in my hearing - that these many houses shall become desolate - large beautiful houses without inhabitants.Now I live in Atlanta so when I read about large beautiful houses that become desolate without inhabitants I think of Tara in Gone with the Wind.You know that the cotton industry in the south was the wealthiest economy in the world and nobody paid any attention.He’s describing an agricultural economic crisis but the text goes on in this poem to imagine that when the land is organized so that it destroys a neighborhood that the land simply refuses to produce.”“God has said to the land ‘be fruitful’ and the land simply says ‘I won’t do it - I won’t grow anything.’”“So the poem says it will take - we don’t know how big these measures are - something like it will take ten acres of grapes to produce a small measure of wine. It will take huge amounts of land because the land is not going to be fruitful if you continue to acquire and covet.”---Fourth text in Mica two versus one thru five :Now this is not logic, this is not economic analysis, this is poetry.“The logic of it is that the creator will not tolerate the ultimate despoiling of creation.”And of course the connection that the prophet makes is outrageous - it is as outrageous as if a contemporary poet were to say about our society that if you abuse poor people long enough you are going to evoke a terrorist threat. No poet would surely say that now."Fifth text.""I am not making this up."---Full Story:---Biblical scholar warns about consequences of greed, overindulgence, and abuse of the environment - says northern Michigan sulfide mine is losing proposalDr. Walter Brueggemann: Christians are in denial over past religious violence, must own antisemitism(Marquette, Michigan) - Speaking to packed audiences at two northern Michigan events, noted theologian Dr. Walter Brueggemann warned that today's world should change its ways because the "creator will not tolerate the ultimate despoiling of creation."Speaking to over 400 people in Ishpeming and Marquette, Dr. Brueggemann said historically greed, disregard for the environment and "the violation of the ten commandments will lead to the dismantling of creation."An expert and prolific author on the Old Testament, Brueggemann quote numerous biblical verses and described the prophets of the time as "poets" who warned about the greedy abuse of nature because people must "view the environment as God's gift that requires responsible management."Bringing humor and simple explanations to complex scripture, Dr. Brueggemann's animated translations invoked passion, laughter, and stunned silence that was often punctuated with crescendos, whispers and dramatic gestures like a fist in the air or hands clutching his head."Every national security state works itself to destruction - never learning in time the limits to acquisitiveness and giving full rein to satiation," Brueggemann said Monday night (Oct. 8, 2007) at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.Dr. Brueggemann's ecumenical public talks are reflected in his personal life. Brueggemann is a member of the United Church of Christ, teaches at a Presbyterian Seminary, and worships in an Episcopal congregation.The standing room only crowd clapped when he tied abuse of the environment to the proposed sulfide mine near Lake Superior in Marquette County by stating abused land will not produce in the future."What this poet knows is that absentee ownership and agribusiness - and you can extrapolate the word mining - I don't know much about it but I know that much - will simply refuse to produce when the land becomes a tradeable commodity and is no longer caressed, and honored and treated with its own particular creation magic," Brueggemann said. "The land requires ownership that is partnership and without such partnership creation loses its interest in fruitfulness."In an interview following his talk, Brueggemann said while he doesn't know the all the details about the proposed sulfide mine he has done "some reading on the crisis of the proposed mining initiative" in Michigan's Upper Peninsula."It is obviously a case in which the well being of the environment and the well being of the neighborhood are being subordinated to economic interests," Brueggemann said."In the bible, the economy is, according to the Torah, kept subordinated to the well being of the neighborhood," Brueggemann said. "This seems to me a case in which economic interests want to overpower the concerns of the neighborhood.""From the perspective of biblical faith, that is always a loser," Brueggemann said.Speaking to about 200 people Tuesday night (Oct. 9) at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, Brueggemann said in the New Testament Jesus fed people with loaves of bread warning his followers about the evil ways of greedy pharaohs.Brueggemann said "for the sake of the common good - for good health care policy, good schools, for better housing - the work of the neighborhood depends upon the power of the dream to dream outside the pharaoh's regime of anxiety.""One way to understand the worship of the church, is every time we gather - we gather to dream the dream of God's abundance that powers us to the neighborhood," Brueggemann said.Rev. Warren Geier, pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, said in all Dr. Brueggemann's talks the theologian "highlighted that God's intention for the world, as articulated in the Ten Commandments, is that we live in relationship with God and with the neighbor."This can't be done without respect and care for the ‘neighborhood' which is the earth, God's gift of creation," said Geier, who organized Brueggemann's U.P. visit. Brueggemann "emphasized the need the tell the truth, not to deny reality and pretend things are other than they are," Geier said."This is done in order to get to hope, the realization that there is another way that counters ways that seem unchangeable - to use Dr. Brueggemann's words: ‘The data on the ground is not the final truth; it's outflanked by the fidelity of God. There are new gifts to be given'," Geier said.Describing a story about land abuse in the book of Isaiah, Brueggemann said the text warns about coveting land and "exercising eminent domain and buying up the property of neighbors until there is no one left but you.""You are left to live alone in the midst of the land - woe you," he said.An Atlanta resident, Dr. Brueggemann said a verse that states "these many houses shall become desolate - large beautiful houses without inhabitants" reminds him of the once prosperous southern cotton plantations."When I read about large beautiful houses that become desolate without inhabitants I think of Tara in Gone with the Wind," Brueggemann said in Marquette. "You know that the cotton industry in the south was the wealthiest economy in the world and nobody paid any attention."Describing an agricultural economic crisis, Brueggemann said "the text goes on in this poem to imagine that when the land is organized so that it destroys a neighborhood that the land simply refuses to produce.""God has said to the land ‘be fruitful' and the land simply says ‘I won't do it - I won't grow anything'," Brueggemann said.Brueggemann's talks were co-sponsored by Lutheran Campus Ministry, the interfaith NMU EarthKeeper Student Team, the NMU departments of Philosophy and English, the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming.Brueggemann's visit "was another way we like to continue our (environmental) work and invite other people into our community so that we can learn from them and continue to grow in our knowledge about theology and creation and the environment as well," said Jennifer Simula, the NMU EK project director and a student leader with NMU Lutheran Campus Ministry.Understanding the audience was filled with supporters of the environment, Brueggemann said he is "aware of the work of the Earth Keeper's Covenant and so I already know that you are into these issues" describing his talk "simply as a reinforcement footnote to what all of you have already thought."Dr. Brueggemann said you know when the poets (prophets) are about to make a point - and interject "moral passion" - when they use words like "therefore" or "alas.""When you read a ‘therefore' in this poetry you must duck," said Brueggemann - in one example of his wit that evoked laughter sometimes adding levity to an intense Biblical lesson."I believe the gap between consumer indulgence and the consequences of that in our society has to be filled with moral passion and not with explanation," Brueggemann said.The poets, Brueggemann said, warned of the possible outcomes of human behavior and were used in the Bible "as an interface between the power of acquisitiveness - on the one hand - and the poetry of alternative on the other hand.""All through the heady years of Jerusalem there were ad-hoc protests and dissents and warnings," Brueggemann said of the poets who today would be considered liberal.The poets were "not social action liberals - which they were - they were poets - they wrote poetry so that the world could be imagined outside the domain of (King) Solomon."In the book of Hosea, "the Lord has an indictment with the inhabitants of the land," Brueggemann said."The inhabitants of the land are abusing the land so Yahweh (God in the Old Testament) is taking them to court," he said.Brueggemann crafts his messages to have a direct bearing on today's world while sticking to Biblical history - thus causing the audience to think and draw their own conclusions of time."Here is the indictment - see what this makes you think of," Brueggemann said leading the audience to a purposely indirect point. "There is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery, bloodshed. What does that make you think of?"An audience member said: "Iraq?""I meant in the Bible - I don't want to get into anything contemporary," said Brueggemann - delighting the crowd."There is lying, stealing, killing, adultery - the ten commandments," Brueggemann explained bringing home a Biblical lesson with contemporary impact. "The indictment is - Israel in its acquisitiveness has violated the ten commandments.""Now from what I have told you - what do you think comes next - ‘therefore'," Brugeggeman said. "Therefore the land mourns - this is a Biblical idiom for drought.""When you violate the ten commandments you get a drought.- and then it says - because of the drought - the beasts and the fields and the birds and the air and the fish in the sea - What's that supposed to make you think of ? Creation is perishing. This is an extraordinary three-verse poem.""The indictment is you break the ten commandments - the connection is the therefore - and the threat is that creation will be undone and won't grow anything anymore," Brueggemann said. "The logic of the poem is that the violation of the ten commandments will lead to the dismantling of creation.""The poet only knows that the land that is being abused is God's creation and the poet knows there are limits to be honored and respected, restraints to be exercised and trusts to be cared for and when self indulgence overrides limits, restraints and trusts - creation has a way of circling back and bringing death," Brueggemann said."I heard a Rabbi once say - that in Auschwitz all Ten Commandments were systematically violated - and then he (Rabbi) said ‘whenever you violate all ten commandments then you get Auschwitz'," Brueggemann said."I would not suggest that our ecological crisis is of Auschwitz proportion - however you have got to believe that the violation of God's commandments eventually jeopardize and risk the good gift of creation," Brueggemann saidDuring a meeting at the Lutheran Campus Ministry house, Brueggemann said the American "Christian community has been overly pre-occupied - for a long period of time - with personal salvation and redemption - and the result of that is that we have reneged on the Creator - Creation question."Brueggemann said "you can't just turn it (the environment) into a commodity""I believe that our work in scripture study and teaching is to reread the Bible away from those personal questions toward the large questions of creation and creator so we learn to view the environment as God's gift that requires responsible management," Brueggemann said.With the exception of noted Lutheran theologian Joseph Sittler, Brueggemann said that "Lutherans are notorious for not having had a very vibrant Doctrine of Creation."Brueggemann said many fundamentalists just "want to talk about me and Jesus, and being saved by the blood and all that kind of business."Fundamentalists "have no understanding of creation at all" and don't "understand that our reception of the reality of God also has to do with honoring the Earth differently," Brueggemann said."Those categories have almost been lost in the way the church conducts its teaching."Many churches refuse to face antisemitism and past religious violence and instead are "sort of pretending" that Christian-related atrocities did not happen, Brueggemann said."I think we invite people to engage in wholesale denial about their own lives," Brueggemann said.As a result of denial, the communication to churchgoers, Brueggemann said, is "well if you feel violent - talk about it somewhere else - don't do that here because we are all nice people here."It is "better to say we have a long history of antisemitism - we've go to own that," Brueggemann said. "I think that good recovery of the Bible is like good psychotherapy."At Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, Brueggemann said one of the saddest quotes by Jesus is in the New Testament book of Mark.After Jesus feeds ten thousands people at two events with loaves of bread to spare - he's out in a boat with two disciples who don't understand his frustration over why they forgot the bread, Brueggemann said."The paragraph ends with what I think must be one of the saddest statements of Jesus in the new testament - Jesus says to them ‘do you not yet understand?' He says to his disciples ‘you don't get it, do you?'," Brueggemann said."What's to get - is - wherever Jesus is - the power of anxiety has been broken - and there is an abundance that lets us get our minds off ourselves," Brueggemann said."So the disciples - the church - is invited to get its mind off itself - off its scarcity - off it's narrow budget - off its parsimony."The disciples "did not understand that Jesus is in the bread business," Brueggemann said."Watch out for the bread of the Herodians and the bread of the pharisees - he says watch out for the bread of the pharaoh because if you eat the bread of the pharaoh your stomach will be filled with anxiety," Brueggemann explained.Brueggemann said Jesus then "gets a little reprimanding and he says to them ‘do you have eyes and not see - do you have ears and not hear and do you have hearts and not understand - don't you know what we have been doing'?"Brueggemann added that Mark says Jesus "took the bread, he blessed the bread, he broke the bread, he gave them the bread.""These are the four great verbs in the church for abundance - he took, he blessed, he broke, he gave - these are the four verbs of the Eucharist," Brueggemann said."These are the verbs whereby the gospel takes the stuff of the earth and transforms it into a wondrous abundance.""So what Mark is telling us is - that the disciples know the numbers but they haven't any idea what the numbers mean," Brueggemann said.Brueggemann participated in Bill Moyers acclaimed PBS television series on the Book of Genesis. A graduate of Elmhurst College, Professor Brueggemann studied at Eden Theological Seminary, receiving his Doctorate of Divinity from Union theological Seminary, New York, and a Ph.D from Saint Louis University. Brueggemann was professor of Old Testament at Eden before joining the faculty at Columbia Theological Seminary in 1986. He is currently William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia.
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23:10:22 10/19/07
Part #1 Noted Theologian Walter Brueggemann Delivers Environment Warning In Michigan
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Dr. Walter Brueggemann got his Marquette, Michigan audience involved in his talk about the bible and the environment often resulting in laughter and stunned silence - hundreds turned out for his talks at Northern Michigan University and Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, MichiganThis is the first of several videos on important message delivered by famed theologian and author Dr. Walter Brueggemann during October 2007 in northern Michigan - other videos include Christians must face up to involvement in antisemitism and religious violence .Biblical scholar warns proposed U.P. sulfide mine is losing idea that puts economic interests over environment & local concerns At the Northern Michigan University Lutheran Campus Ministry house, Theologian Dr. Walter Brueggemann shows an Earth Keeper Shirt he was given while sharing a laugh with Marquette Baha'i Spiritual Assembly leader Dr. Rodney Clarken, one of the 10 Earth Keeper Initiative faith communities.Dr. Walter Brueggemann describes consequences of greed, overindulgence, and abuse of the environment(Marquette, Michigan) - Noted theologian Dr. Walter Brueggemann warns that the proposed sulfide mine in northern Michigan is a losing proposition that puts economic interests over concerns of local residents and the environment.In an interview following his Upper Peninsula visit, Brueggemann said while he doesn’t know the all the details about the proposed sulfide mine near Lake Superior in Marquette County he has done "some reading on the crisis of the proposed mining initiative" in northern Michigan. Opponents of Michigan sulfide mine are worried that the Salmon-Trout River in Marquette County will be polluted like another sulfide mine did to this river (Save the Wild UP photo)"It is obviously a case in which the well being of the environment and the well being of the neighborhood are being subordinated to economic interests," Brueggemann said."In the bible, the economy is, according to the Torah, kept subordinated to the well being of the neighborhood," Brueggemann said."This seems to me a case in which economic interests want to overpower the concerns of the neighborhood." "From the perspective of biblical faith, that is always a loser," Brueggemann said.On Monday night (Oct. 8, 2007), a standing room only crowd clapped when he tied abuse of the environment to the proposed sulfide mine by stating abused land will not produce in the future."What this poet knows is that absentee ownership and agribusiness - and you can extrapolate the word mining - I don’t know much about it but I know that much - will simply refuse to produce when the land becomes a tradeable commodity and is no longer caressed, and honored and treated with its own particular creation magic," Brueggemann said."The land requires ownership that is partnership and without such partnership creation loses its interest in fruitfulness."Speaking to packed audiences at two northern Michigan events, Dr. Brueggemann warned that today’s world should change its ways because the "creator will not tolerate the ultimate despoiling of creation."Brueggemann’s talks were co-sponsored by Lutheran Campus Ministry, the interfaith NMU EarthKeeper Student Team, the NMU departments of Philosophy and English, the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming. Northern Michigan University Earth Keeper (NMU EK) Student Team Project Director Jennifer Simula spoke during the event at NMUBrueggemann’s visit "was another way we like to continue our (environmental) work and invite other people into our community so that we can learn from them and continue to grow in our knowledge about theology and creation and the environment as well," said Jennifer Simula, the NMU EK project director and a student leader with NMU Lutheran Campus Ministry. Northern Michigan University Earth Keeper (NMU EK) Student Team Project Director Jennifer Simula turns podium over to Professor Don Dreisbach of NMU Dept. of Philosophy who introduced biblical Scholar Walter BrueggemannUnderstanding the audience was filled with supporters of the environment, Brueggemann said he is "aware of the work of the Earth Keeper’s Covenant and so I already know that you are into these issues" describing his talk "simply as a reinforcement footnote to what all of you have already thought."Earlier in the day, Brueggemann was given an Earth Keepers shirt. Noted author and Bible scholar Dr. Walter Brueggemann holds an Earth Keeper shirt at Lutheran Campus Ministry on Monday Oct. 8, 2007Speaking to over 400 people in Ishpeming and Marquette, Dr. Brueggemann said historically greed, disregard for the environment and "the violation of the ten commandments will lead to the dismantling of creation."An expert and prolific author on the Old Testament, Brueggemann quote numerous biblical verses and described the prophets of the time as "poets" who warned about the greedy abuse of nature because people must "view the environment as God’s gift that requires responsible management."Bringing humor and simple explanations to complex scripture, Dr. Brueggemann’s animated translations invoked passion, laughter, and stunned silence that was often punctuated with crescendos, whispers and dramatic gestures like a fist in the air or hands clutching his head."Every national security state works itself to destruction - never learning in time the limits to acquisitiveness and giving full rein to satiation," Brueggemann said Monday night (Oct. 8, 2007) at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. Dr. Walter Brueggemann got his Marquette, Michigan audience involved in his talk about the bible and the environment often resulting in laughter and stunned silence - hundreds turned out for his talks at Northern Michigan University and Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, MichiganDr. Brueggemann's ecumenical public talks are reflected in his personal life. Brueggemann is a member of the United Church of Christ, teaches at a Presbyterian Seminary, and worships in an Episcopal congregation.Speaking to about 200 people Tuesday night (Oct. 9) at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, Brueggemann said in the New Testament Jesus fed people with loaves of bread warning his followers about the evil ways of greedy pharaohs. Brueggemann said "for the sake of the common good - for good health care policy, good schools, for better housing - the work of the neighborhood depends upon the power of the dream to dream outside the pharaoh’s regime of anxiety.""One way to understand the worship of the church, is every time we gather - we gather to dream the dream of God’s abundance that powers us to the neighborhood," Brueggemann said.Rev. Warren Geier, pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, said in all Dr. Brueggemann's talks the theologian "highlighted that God's intention for the world, as articulated in the Ten Commandments, is that we live in relationship with God and with the neighbor."This can't be done without respect and care for the ‘neighborhood' which is the earth, God's gift of creation," said Geier, who organized Brueggemann's U.P. visit.Brueggemann "emphasized the need the tell the truth, not to deny reality and pretend things are other than they are," Geier said. Rev. Warren Geier, right, who organized Dr. Walter Brueggemann's northern Michigan appearances, takes notes during the theologian's talk at Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, Michigan"This is done in order to get to hope, the realization that there is another way that counters ways that seem unchangeable - to use Dr. Brueggemann's words: ‘The data on the ground is not the final truth; it's outflanked by the fidelity of God. There are new gifts to be given'," Geier said.Describing a story about land abuse in the book of Isaiah, Brueggemann said the text warns about coveting land and "exercising eminent domain and buying up the property of neighbors until there is no one left but you.""You are left to live alone in the midst of the land - woe you," he said.An Atlanta resident, Dr. Brueggemann said a verse that states "these many houses shall become desolate - large beautiful houses without inhabitants" reminds him of the once prosperous southern cotton plantations."When I read about large beautiful houses that become desolate without inhabitants I think of Tara in Gone with the Wind," Brueggemann said in Marquette."You know that the cotton industry in the south was the wealthiest economy in the world and nobody paid any attention." Lutheran Campus Ministry Director Rev. John Magnuson, right, talks with author/biblical scholar Dr. Walter Brueggemann who visited with students and boards members at the LCM home on Oct. 8, 2007 near Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MIDescribing an agricultural economic crisis, Brueggemann said "the text goes on in this poem to imagine that when the land is organized so that it destroys a neighborhood that the land simply refuses to produce.""God has said to the land ‘be fruitful’ and the land simply says ‘I won’t do it - I won’t grow anything’," Brueggemann said.Dr. Brueggemann said you know when the poets (prophets) are about to make a point - and interject "moral passion" - when they use words like "therefore" or "alas.""When you read a ‘therefore’ in this poetry you must duck," said Brueggemann - in one example of his wit that evoked laughter sometimes adding levity to an intense Biblical lesson."I believe the gap between consumer indulgence and the consequences of that in our society has to be filled with moral passion and not with explanation," Brueggemann said.The poets, Brueggemann said, warned of the possible outcomes of human behavior and were used in the Bible "as an interface between the power of acquisitiveness - on the one hand - and the poetry of alternative on the other hand.""All through the heady years of Jerusalem there were ad-hoc protests and dissents and warnings," Brueggemann said of the poets who today would be considered liberal.The poets were "not social action liberals - which they were - they were poets - they wrote poetry so that the world could be imagined outside the domain of (King) Solomon."In the book of Hosea, "the Lord has an indictment with the inhabitants of the land," Brueggemann said."The inhabitants of the land are abusing the land so Yahweh (God in the Old Testament) is taking them to court," he said.Brueggemann crafts his messages to have a direct bearing on today’s world while sticking to Biblical history - thus causing the audience to think and draw their own conclusions of time."Here is the indictment - see what this makes you think of," Brueggemann said leading the audience to a purposely indirect point."There is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery, bloodshed. What does that make you think of?"An audience member said: "Iraq?""I meant in the Bible - I don't want to get into anything contemporary," said Brueggemann - delighting the crowd."There is lying, stealing, killing, adultery - the ten commandments," Brueggemann explained bringing home a Biblical lesson with contemporary impact."The indictment is - Israel in its acquisitiveness has violated the ten commandments." "Now from what I have told you - what do you think comes next - ‘therefore’," Brugeggeman said."Therefore the land mourns - this is a Biblical idiom for drought.""When you violate the ten commandments you get a drought.- and then it says - because of the drought - the beasts and the fields and the birds and the air and the fish in the sea - What's that supposed to make you think of ? - Creation is perishing. This is an extraordinary three-verse poem.""The indictment is you break the ten commandments - the connection is the therefore - and the threat is that creation will be undone and won't grow anything anymore," Brueggemann said."The logic of the poem is that the violation of the ten commandments will lead to the dismantling of creation.""The poet only knows that the land that is being abused is God’s creation and the poet knows there are limits to be honored and respected, restraints to be exercised and trusts to be cared for and when self indulgence overrides limits, restraints and trusts - creation has a way of circling back and bringing death," Brueggemann said."I heard a Rabbi once say - that in Auschwitz all Ten Commandments were systematically violated - and then he (Rabbi) said ‘whenever you violate all ten commandments then you get Auschwitz’," Brueggemann said."I would not suggest that our ecological crisis is of Auschwitz proportion - however you have got to believe that the violation of God’s commandments eventually jeopardize and risk the good gift of creation," Brueggemann said.During a meeting at the Lutheran Campus Ministry house, Brueggemann said the American "Christian community has been overly pre-occupied - for a long period of time - with personal salvation and redemption - and the result of that is that we have reneged on the Creator - Creation question."Brueggemann said "you can’t just turn it (the environment) into a commodity.""I believe that our work in scripture study and teaching is to reread the Bible away from those personal questions toward the large questions of creation and creator so we learn to view the environment as God’s gift that requires responsible management," Brueggemann said. Noted author and theologian Dr. Walter Brueggemann at Lutheran Campus Ministry in Marquette, MichiganWith the exception of noted Lutheran theologian Joseph Sittler, Brueggemann said that "Lutherans are notorious for not having had a very vibrant Doctrine of Creation."Brueggemann said many fundamentalists just "want to talk about me and Jesus, and being saved by the blood and all that kind of business."Fundamentalists "have no understanding of creation at all" and don’t "understand that our reception of the reality of God also has to do with honoring the Earth differently," Brueggemann said."Those categories have almost been lost in the way the church conducts its teaching."Many churches refuse to face antisemitism and past religious violence and instead are "sort of pretending" that Christian-related atrocities did not happen, Brueggemann said."I think we invite people to engage in wholesale denial about their own lives," Brueggemann said.As a result of denial, the communication to churchgoers, Brueggemann said, is "well if you feel violent - talk about it somewhere else - don’t do that here because we are all nice people here."It is "better to say we have a long history of antisemitism - we’ve go to own that," Brueggemann said."I think that good recovery of the Bible is like good psychotherapy."At Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming, Brueggemann said one of the saddest quotes by Jesus is in the New Testament book of Mark.After Jesus feeds ten thousands people at two events with loaves of bread to spare - he’s out in a boat with two disciples who don’t understand his frustration over why they forgot the bread, Brueggemann said."The paragraph ends with what I think must be one of the saddest statements of Jesus in the new testament - Jesus says to them ‘do you not yet understand?’ He says to his disciples ‘you don’t get it, do you?’," Brueggemann said."What’s to get - is - wherever Jesus is - the power of anxiety has been broken - and there is an abundance that lets us get our minds off ourselves," Brueggemann said."So the disciples - the church - is invited to get its mind off itself - off its scarcity - off it’s narrow budget - off its parsimony."The disciples "did not understand that Jesus is in the bread business," Brueggemann said."Watch out for the bread of the Herodians and the bread of the pharisees - he says watch out for the bread of the pharaoh because if you eat the bread of the pharaoh your stomach will be filled with anxiety," Brueggemann explained.Brueggemann said Jesus then "gets a little reprimanding and he says to them ‘do you have eyes and not see - do you have ears and not hear and do you have hearts and not understand - don’t you know what we have been doing’?"Brueggemann added that Mark says Jesus "took the bread, he blessed the bread, he broke the bread, he gave them the bread." It was standing room only at NMU for the talk by scholar Dr. Walter Brueggemann"These are the four great verbs in the church for abundance - he took, he blessed, he broke, he gave - these are the four verbs of the Eucharist," Brueggemann said."These are the verbs whereby the gospel takes the stuff of the earth and transforms it into a wondrous abundance.""So what Mark is telling us is - that the disciples know the numbers but they haven’t any idea what the numbers mean," Brueggemann said.Dr. Brueggemann participated in Bill Moyers acclaimed PBS television series on the Book of Genesis.A graduate of Elmhurst College, Professor Brueggemann studied at Eden Theological Seminary, receiving his Doctorate of Divinity from Union theological Seminary, New York, and a Ph.D from Saint Louis University.Brueggemann was professor of Old Testament at Eden before joining the faculty at Columbia Theological Seminary in 1986.He is currently William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia.--- Dr. Brueggeman sites of interest:The Words:http://www.thewords.com/articles/walterabout.htmPBS:http://www.pbs.org/wnet/genesis/bios.htmlGuest speakers:http://www.januaryadventure.org/Public/Speaker%20Page.htmLinks to his schools:http://www.januaryadventure.org/Public/Speaker%20Page.htmJanuary 2008 event:http://www.ctsnet.edu/lifelong/calendar/index.asp?strMonth=subCurr%CURDATE=1/1/2008#January18Faith & Reason:http://faithandreason.org/ab_wbrueggemann.htmStory:http://www.fourthchurch.org/downloads/FP0606.pdfBrueggeman tribute book by Timothy Beal (scroll down):http://www.timothybeal.com/Books.htmunofficial fan site:http://sunflower.com/~uman/long list books:http://www.thewords.com/articles/walterbooks.htmBrueggemann backgroundhttp://www.thewords.com/articles/walterabout.htmBrueggemann lecture:http://www.mayfieldsalisbury.org/index.php/BrueggemanLectureWicki:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_BrueggemannBooks:http://www.amazon.com/Walter-Brueggemann-Color-Scholarship/lm/289P1QDUQSBH5Christian/Jewish site: "The end"http://www.icjs.org/news/vol8/memorial.htmlBrueggemann on hunger:http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1191---Dear Rev Warren Geierrevwgeier@charterinternet.comRev. Warren Geier604 N. Third St.Ishpeming, MI---Prof. Don Dreisbach NMU Dept. of Philosophy208 Cohodas BuildingPhone: (906) 227-2512Fax: (906) 227-2229 Prof. Don Dreisbach ddreisba@nmu.edu
