jolly good idea?

Have you heard the news? The nation that gave us Shakespeare, Newton, and Burns is now offering a new contribution to world culture – an unbreakable pint glass! That’s right. Proudly unveiled by government officials on Thurs, this incredible British innovation of grog technology means that over-drinkers, embolden with liquid muscles, will no longer be able to smash their glasses on each other’s heads and use the shards as weapons to settle incoherent late night arguments.

Beer contained in Brits weapon of choice

Now, I don’t mean to be overly cynical but – really? Will a glass that won’t shatter make a difference? I suppose it’s possible. But isn’t an unbreakable pint glass like a reloaded weapon – able to be used again and again? Maybe the number of laceration injuries will decline but what about a possible upswing in blunt trauma? Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t deny anyone the enjoyment of a good beer now and then but it seems a problem if/when a country is so prone to drunken brawls that a special nationalized beer glass is needed to protect its population. Yet, that is apparently the case. With 87,000 alcohol-related glass attacks each year, it costs the British National Health Service £2.7 billion a year [$4.6 billion US] to stitch up and treat inebriated knuckleheads and their victims. A few years back Britain extended its pub hours, on the theory that longer hours would reduce binge drinking by people desperate to slam down as many pints as they could stomach before closing. That didn’t seem to work. Obviously the problem rests not with pub hours, glassware or even beer itself but with the foolishness of excess.  Cheers.

Death — the narrator

Here is a small fact…
You are going to die.

The reaction to the aforementioned fact…
Does this worry you?
I urge you – don’t be afraid.
I am nothing if not fair.

A small theory…
People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and ends, but to me it’s quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations, with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. Waxy yellows, cloud-spat blues. Murky darknesses. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them.

A reassuring announcement…
Please, be calm, despite that previous threat.
I am all bluster – I am not violent. I am not malicious. I am a result.

another artist

It seems I’ve been introduced to a number of exceptional musicians lately – at least I think they’re exceptional. Obviously, the appreciation of art in any form tends to be pretty subjective. Like many, I enjoy thinking “But I really know what is good and what isn’t” – esp when it comes to music. Recognizing that just isn’t true, as a raging amateur music critic - I offer the sound of Alexi Murdoch for consideration.   

growing needs

According to an article this week in the Chicago Sun Times,

Poverty in Chicago burbs up nearly 50%

a new Brookings Institution report shows poverty continues to rise in and around the US. In fact, Chicago area suburbs saw a large spike in the number of poor. Experts see a link between the recession and the rise in the number of poor in suburban communities. The poor population is growing faster than the rate of affordable housing options in those areas. While the number of poor living in Chicago, Naperville and Joliet increased an insignificant percentage, other Chicagoland communities jumped up from nearly 172,000 to more than 535,000 – a 47% increase! That is a huge percentage which carries serious implications for everyone.

Haitians in need

The situation in Haiti is devestating. I encourage you to pray for victims and their families as well as the relief efforts underway. For information on how to help.  Visit Parkview’s information on Relief for Haitian Earthquake Victims.

out of sight out of mind

A church in Phoenix was recently ordered by a judge to stop feeding the poor in their community due to zoning rules. In short, it wasn’t the serving of food per se that was a violation but the fact that the food was free [ie. charity]. Apparently, in Phoenix, you can serve food to others in residential areas, just not if they’re really hungry and really need it. The pastor of the church posed the following:

How hungry? What about our potlucks? What about our Christmas dinner or Easter Sunrise breakfast? When I eat that, I am pretty hungry…is that allowed? What about the coffee and donuts we serve on Sunday mornings? Can we eat that if we are hungry? And then there is the other question, “How poor?” How poor do we have to be to be considered a “charity?” Federal-poverty-guidelines-poor? Not-able-to-make-the-house-payment-poor? Or, how about not-able-to-pay-off-the-credit-card-poor?

In all fairness, an increase in undesirable behaviors, including panhandling, burglary, public intoxication and vandalism, etc. caused concern among church neighbors who certainly have a right to feel safe in their homes and community. However, could the ruling be more about controlling the homeless population? By restricting services from residential areas it is possible to keep “unsightly” homeless people out of certain parts of cities and concentrate them in others. As the old saying goes: out of sight, out of mind.

Let’s not be naive — homelessness is a problem many of us [in Phoenix, Chicago or elsewhere] want to ignore or deny. There are no easy answers but it’s sad how a church that is willing to help people in need gets forced to stop. Our church does a lot of work with the homeless in community and this kind of thing makes me nervous.

one tough nut

Don't mess with this guy

Did you hear about the kid who got stuck on an ice flow in the Canadian arctic? He withstood several days of minus 21 degree temperatures, hypothermia, had to face 3 polar bears and shoot one dead to survive. Rumor has it, the bears couldn’t wait to get away from him. All in all, a reasonably good weekend. Maybe I’m overreacting but I think this could be the toughest kid in our hemisphere — possibly in any hemisphere. Suddenly my weekend is looking pretty bland.

Haunting sounds

Band of Horses is a group my son just introduced to me this Christmas. I like their music.  It carries a unique and haunting sound. One song particularly struck me. Entitled The Funeral, the song seems to be a modern lament –waiting for “morning to wake” the ones you love is all you’ve got left. It’s “too late to call” so we have to trust that in the morning they will be alive. But given the nature and brevity of life, at every occasion and at ay time we’re preparerd and “ready for a funeral” – the loss of someone we care about.  Interesting thoughts.

honest theivery

Rev. Tim Jone affirms honest thievery

A priest in northern England recently told his congregation that stealing is sometimes acceptable and even justifiable. Yes. Shoplifting, for example, is ok for desperate people as long as they do it at large national chain stores [knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices] rather than small family businesses. There are also other limitations. If you steal don’t be greedy–take only what you need. ie – steal with integrity!

What a wonderful Christmas message. Unfortunately, some less spiritually enlightened individuals, including North Yorkshire Police, have taken his remarks in entirely the wrong way, assuming that by advising people in need to shoplift he was in some way encouraging holiday thievery.

Ya think?

I need to drink more water…