Category: take action

politics, social justice and ways you can make a difference in the world around you.

Monday Morning

A quick and dirty post before I head out today.

I’ll be attending the Texas Technology Forum in Arlington today. Anyone else going?

I plan to Twitter the event – so if you’re interested you can follow along at www.twitter.com/jdblundell. That also means that if you’re not interested in the event or technology or local government and technology – my Twitter feed may be a bore for you today. Sorry. 🙂

I may also see if I can find some Arlington Geocaches if we get some good breaks and such during the day.

Also, Rick Warren scored a big forum event with both Barak Obama and John McCain. The mega-church pastor and author of The Purpose Driven Church will hold a one hour interview with both men (I wonder which candidate will be the first to come on the Something Beautiful Podcast :-)).

Watch the story from CNN (HT: Monday Morning Insight)

Well I need to find a post office that’s open this early in the morn (geeze – they’re never open on my schedule) and then head to the conference.

Have a great day. Let me know in the comment section what you’re up to and/or reading today.

My enemies are men like me

US Library of Congress

I have come to give you life
And to show you how to live it
I have come to make things right
To heal their ears and show you how to forgive them

Because I would rather die
I would rather die
I would rather die
Than to take your life

How can I kill the ones I’m supposed to love
My enemies are men like me
I will protest the sword if it’s not wielded well
My enemies are men like me

Peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication
It’s like telling someone murder is wrong
And then showing them by way of execution

When justice is bought and sold just like weapons of war
The ones who always pay are the poorest of the poor

– derek webb

Related ::
Thanksgiving Masking

A year of living biblically

Author, philosopher, prankster and journalist A.J. Jacobs talks about the year he spent living biblically — following the rules in the Bible as literally as possible.

A very interesting point he makes is in his discussion about taking the Bible literally. He says its virtually impossible to follow all of the Bible literally. We have to pick and choose at some point.

In my mind, it might help if we have a better understanding of the culture the Bible was written to before we start picking and choosing what we should or should not follow in Scripture.

Related ::
TED conference
Woody Allen interviews Billy Graham
Woody Allen & Billy Graham pt. 2

Christianity on Al Jazeera

Inside USA, a program on the English version of Al Jazeera recently did a story on Christianity and politics in America. Shane Claiborne, Chris Haw and the Psalters were each featured briefly as they worked on the audio version of “Jesus for President.”

If I’m not mistaken you’ll also catch a glimpse of Jamie Moffett sitting behind the sound board in the recording studio (Moffett was on the Something Beautiful Podcast 1.6).

Related ::
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera :: Inside USA article
HT :: Ordinary Radicals
Jesus for President
Something Beautiful Podcast :: Jamie Moffett

Say you want a revolution?

Might be a bit of a stretch for me as far as the simple life goes. But as Michael said – love seeing hungry people get fed… especially off the back of “corporate america.” 😉

Related ::
HT :: Michael>
Simply Living Simply pt 1
Simply Living Simply pt 2
re: Simply Living Simply

re: Simply living simply

Suzanne at Adventures in Daily Living shared some thoughts and ideas on how to live simply. She shares the following list from A Vision Splendid:

1. Living within our means in a small house with no debt
2. No commercial TV
3. Cooking from scratch
4. Finding old ‘sturdy’ items second hand rather than a constant supply of cheap ‘made in china’ items that need replacing every 12 months
5. Spending quality family time together
6. Baking our own bread
7. Brewing our own beer
8. Fixing things ourselves
9. Growing what we can
10. Doing our own renovations
11. Using the town library as a resource
12. Buying local produce
13. Composting our food scraps
14. Minimising plastic packaging on foods
15. Avoiding petrochemicals in products
16. Work on a completely cash budget
17. Changing all lights to CFLs
18. Line dry the washing
19. Menu planning
20. Buying Australian grocery items where local not available
21. Stockpiling
22. Managing my home in a single binder
23. Getting ahead by applying the 6P principle
24. Having a planning day once a week
25. Having a cooking day once a week
26. Work hard at ‘saving’ through the year for an annual holiday
27. Using old fashioned items and remedies – e.g. washup with sunlight soap, put eucalyptus oil on your hankie if you feel a cold coming.
28. Wear an apron to keep your clothes clean
29. Turn the TV off and read out loud to my children
30. Wear hand me downs
31. Avoiding food additives and chemicals

The original list also contains some ideas for a “family eco-challenge.” Are you and your family doing any of these things? Anything you would add to the list?

Related ::
Adventures in Daily Living :: Stay Home Day
A Vision Splendid :: Our Simple Life
SSL :: Simply living simply pt 1
SSL :: Simply living simply pt 2
Shaun Groves :: Simplicity