Amen - Christmas Spiritual

"Amen" - Gospel Christmas

Follow link for more info on concert.

~ Merry Christmas ~

Odetta: Rest in Peace

Best said by Christopher Chambers on his side bar at Nat Tuner's Revenge.

Odetta - Midnight Special [1957 studio recording] (1930-2008)

Happy Thanksgiving

One of My Favorite Things

My Favorite Things/ John Coltrane

Hurry up and Wait

Hurry up and Wait

It's an expression long associated with life in the armed forces: the endless lines, the delays while an assignment is being readied, the long night before a major battle, and finally, the anticipation of final orders. For some who serve during war, the sounds of battle remain tantalizingly distant, as they are left waiting stateside for the duration.

This the beginning of a section of the Library of Congress, Veterans History Project. This project features many veterans stories. These stories describe not only the heroic, exciting, transforming but also the mundane. One story, Irving Oblas' features a quote which is the essence of Hurry up and Wait. I and others have waited months for orders, being in that netherworld of doing odd jobs and many platoons learning the glory of raking sand. There was that anxiousness during Viet Nam from soldiers I knew, on where they would be assigned. The draftees who would rather be elsewhere, submitted to the mundane. If orders came for Viet Nam, they would sigh, but never the less would selflessly serve.

The President Elect - Barack Hussein Obama

WOW!

I had not been one of those who thought it would never happen in my lifetime, until recently when I entered the world of the net. Things said here and groups devoted to keep racism alive and well, abounded. I never underestimate the influence of such rhetoric and I didn't know how much it would influence an election. I didn't want Barack Obama to win because he was black, but I didn't want him to lose, because of it.

I don't have expectations that the world will instantly change or that Barack Obama will be able to govern extraordinarily, but I know that it will not be an ad hoc, seat of the pants, let see where that goes, presidency. Peoples liberties won't be abridged, the US will not become communist and terrorist will not be sleeping in Lincoln's Bedroom.

I don't have much more to say, but to say I am truly proud today.

VOTE

Are there not enough issues?

I have recently encountered a new blogger strategy for McCain Campaign. Using anecdotes, rumor, and a little factual information to say Obama supporters are naturally thugs or that thugs have Obama's support. What gets me, is the anger behind this, while the bloggers are trying to pretend to be disinterested and intellectually honest.

The Event - The Vote

Last Saturday my sister sent picture's of her, her mom and daughter voting early; she entitled the pictures 3 generations for Barack Obama. In some of the pictures they are smiling and standing proudly all dressed up. I really didn't think anything of them voting on a Saturday, dressed up, until I saw African American Political Pundit's post about a 106 year black woman voting in Atlanta, she was dressed up too. I do not know if many people dress up to vote, but I do feel the vote is worthy. It isn't even necessary to single out this election, it is always a historical event. Me? I'll trudge in before I go to work, probably looking like a ragamuffin, since the work I do, its best not to wear something that could get ruined; but then, what is important is that I have voted and it counts.

I need a hugh platform

Yesterday I head this woman interviewed about whom she would vote for. One of her reasons as to why she would vote McCain/Palin, she said she could not vote for someone who was named Obama; that his mother was an atheist, his father a Muslim and his Christianity was not in the Bible. I felt like she wrapped up all the stereotypes in that one name.

This made me want to shout from the world stage, that if the African slave had kept their real names, Barack Hussein Obama would be as common as Andrew Jackson. Also that many versions of Christianity had justified slavery and Jim Crow and had created schools in Virginia to subvert desegregation.

The story where I saw the interview was broadcast last night on PBS' NOW called Virginia's Vote, the lady's comment comes near the end of the segment.