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+ updated at 5:34 EST on Thursday, January 9, 2014

+ The Washington Post offers "Church shouldn't be this hard" by Tom Ehrick. Excerpt: "An assembly that should relax into the serenity of God’s unconditional love shouldn’t be so filled with hatred and fear." | Read it all

+ Love IS the answer. Sing Along!

+ Robert Reich offers "Why The Republican’sOld Divide-and-Conquer Strategy — Setting Working Class Against the Poor  — Is Backfiring." Excerpt: "Republicans told the working class that its hard-earned tax dollars were being siphoned off to pay for “welfare queens” (as Ronald Reagan decorously dubbed a black single woman on welfare) and other nefarious loafers. The poor were “them” — lazy, dependent on government handouts, and overwhelmingly black — in sharp contrast to “us,” who were working ever harder, proudly independent (even sending wives and mothers to work, in order to prop up family incomes dragged down by shrinking male paychecks), and white." | Read it all 

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+ “Religion Beyond the Right" by Frank Bruni is an outstanding NY Times Op Ed column pointing out that there really are a lot of biblical values associated with the Left and the Center.  Bruni focuses on the controversy surrounding the Boy Scouts ban on gays. Excerpt: "'I find it perplexing the way the "moral values" phrase is used,' said the Rev. Mark Greiner... (a Presbyterian pastor)... 'Concern for the environment, concern for workers’ rights: those are moral values,' he told me. 'But the phrase ends up being limited to matters of human sexuality, as if Jesus was primarily concerned with what people did with their reproductive parts. It’s crazy-making.' Greiner wants the ban on gay scouts and leaders lifted." | Read the article 

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+ What a blog! (PS - It's not mine.) > http://livingstonesweb.blogspot.com/. I love what David Norling wrote on February 1.  Here is an excerpt: "I'm currently seeking to find out what it means to feel called to a ministry that doesn't exist, that is, Pastor of Listening. I made up the title and wrote my own job description, at the encouragement of God's spirit, as far as I can tell. I've sought counsel from several pastors. And while most could see the legitimacy of my vision and even my capacity to fulfill it, there seems to be a consensus that the programmatic nature of modern American Christianity can't conceive of the role that I seek to fill." | Read it all 

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+ updated at 4:51pm EST on Wednesday, January 16, 2013

+ My friend John Preston is among the authors of "Glimpses of Environmental Justice" offered by Unbound.

+ This is interesting: http://truth-out.org/news/item/13890-the-second-amendment-was-ratified-to-preserve-slavery

+ This is a fantastic course, the videos of Brother David and the study suggestions that go with them are simply divine. You can still catch up with the practice circle but that is not even necessary. Once you sign up, the course is yours forever.

Spirituality & Practice: E-Courses: Choosing to Love with Br. David Steindl-Rast

www.spiritualityandpractice.com

An Online Retreat on one of three Divine Virtues: love, which Br. David Steindl-Rast defines as the choice to say yes to what life brings us. Subscribers are able to view film footage from Br. David Steindl-Rast's talks during an Alaska cruise

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+ updated at 1:22pm EST on Friday, December 14, 2012

+ Robert Reich offers "Why is Washington Obsessing About the Deficit and Not Jobs and Wages?" Excerpt: "The job situation is still horrendous. Twenty-three million Americans can’t find full-time work. Less than 59 percent of the working-age population of the nation is employed, almost the lowest percent in three decades. 4.8 million Americans have been out of work for more than six months. The 40-week average spell of joblessness is almost three times the post-1948 average."

+ Huffingpost offers "Fox News War on Advent" by Diana Butler-Bass. She makes it quite clear that the so-called Fox News and its so-called "war on Christmas" is rather misguided since the first 24 days of December are not Christmas at all but Advent. And Advent for Christians is not about shopping madly and conspicuous consumption.  In many churches Christmas Carols wait until Chritmas Eve and the twelve days of Christmas which follow. So, its not "Mery Christmas" but "Come quickly, Lord Jesus." Tell Fox News. 

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+ updated at 5:36pm EST on Wednesday, December 5, 2012 

+ A new poll reveals that most Americans would blame GOP if we go over the fiscal cliff.

+++++++

Change.org|Start an Online Petition
 

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+ Faithful America is asking us to sign a petition asking Rick Warren to  Speak out against Uganda's anti-gay law.  Rick Warren has been instrumental in leading Uganda to become as homophobic as any place on earth.  He can make a difference but has been silent on this critical concern in recent days.  Here's what the petition says: "Rick Warren, it's time for you to again speak out against the Ugandan legislation that would make homosexuality punishable by life in prison or even the death penalty. Your history of associating with anti-gay extremists in Uganda means you have a moral obligation to work tirelessly to prevent this bill from becoming law."

+ Spirituality and Practice offers important reviews of some great new films and books.

+ The trouble with the rat race, says Lily Tomlin, is that even if we win we are still rats.

+ Robert Reich offers UNDERSTANDING THE FISCAL CLIFF (IN 2 MINUTES 30 SECONDS).  He believes the Democrats have a strong negotiating position at this time and must hold firm now and in the coming months.  If all goes well, the rich will pay something closer to their fair share of taxes, the safety net will be protected, middle class tax cuts will be preserved, jobs will be a priority and not deficit reduction for the time being, investments in our future productivity will be maintained, military and corporate welfare spending will be cut.

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+ updated at 12:52pm ESDT on Wednesday, June 20, 2012

+The Theological Wanderings of a Street Pastor offers "Religious Liberalism 101: A Book Review of Paul Rasor’s ‘Faith Without Certainty’"

+ I am taking a Spirituality and Practice ecourse on Practicing the Presence of God.  Here is what I shared today in the Practice forum:

2 Corinthians 12 is one of the great peaks of the Bible. Read it all when you get a chance. I was required to preach a sermon to my Presbytery before ordination in 1975. This was my text and it has always been close to my heart.

I think it's all about TRUST ... trusting the process ... trusting the here and now at all times, at this time, all the time ... trusting everything to work out beautifully, wondrously, miraculously, naturally. The Heavenly Council is working for us night and day. Now is the time to surrender, to rest in the "peace which passes all understanding," the sufficient grace which is offered so freely "not as the world gives" but in the mysterious and marvelous way heaven gives ... unconditional Love ... unlimited Love... uniting Love ... amazing Grace.

Breathe deeply. Breathe fully. Be still. Be silent. Be centered. Be grounded. Lighten up. Loosen up. Let go. Let God. Celebrate. Enjoy. Be glad all over!

+ Not yet 90 BUT the high humidity makes it feel like its 96 already (12:12pm). You could see how high it goes today at http://www.wunderground.com/US/NY/Whitesboro.html?bannertypeclick=bigwx

+ Almost 90 out now at noon.

+ As I just said (below), Shuck and Jive is always fascinating and provocative.  Read today's post.

+ I have to go inside now (11:44am ESDT).  It has been nice to be outside but the heat is starting to get unbearable for a Norwegian-American like me!

+ A lot has been happening (of course) since I last blogged here. Among other things ...

• Family and friends gathered in Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill, North Carolina in late May for a memorial service for my dad who died in on March 27, 7 weeks before he would have turned 100.  He was born on May 21, 1912.
• Mary, my wife, suffered a concussion during a short bus ride taking the University of Rochester Nursing School faculty to graduation at Eastman Hall on May 19.  Recovery has been slow and frustrating.  The symptoms seem to be lessening but she still has some bad days. 

+ The Theological Wanderings of a Street Pastor offers "The Garden of Your Mind" by J. Barrett Lee. Barrett likes being a posthumous colleague of Mr. Rogers.  I have always liked being in that company too, the company of fellow Presbyterian pastors.  I particularly like those who "think outside the box" as Fred Rogers did and Barrett does.  And, oh yes, John Shuck comes to mind, too.  Shuck and Jive is always fascinating and provocative.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "Are We Living in Sensory Overload or Sensory Poverty?" by Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat.

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+ updated at 3:06pm ESDT on Monday, April 23, 2012

+ Peaceworks offers "The Right Wing Self Designated Neighborhood Watch" by Alexandria Skinner. This blogger gets it so right as she affirms the ministry of John Shuck and criticizes the self-righteous, mightier-than-thou, thought police trying to bring him down in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Excerpt: "As our nation reels from the murder of Trayvon Martin by a self-designated Neighborhood Watch Vigilante, we observe another equally self-obsessed group of vigilantes within the Presbyterian Church, eager to take matters into their own hands to pass judgment on others they don’t want in their neighborhood. This time, the neighborhood of the Presbyterian Church. Claiming that the institutional mechanisms within the church don’t reflect Biblical truth, they would seek to have Shuck defrocked based upon their own view of the Gospel."

+ This is the Day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  And, It's a Beautiful Day. Shout it from the rooftops. 

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+ TruthDig offers “Where Were You When They Crucified My Lord?” by Chris Hedges. It begins: "The Occupy movement is the force that will revitalize traditional Christianity in the United States or signal its moral, social and political irrelevance. The mainstream church, battered by declining numbers and a failure to defiantly condemn the crimes and cruelty of the corporate state, as well as a refusal to vigorously attack the charlatans of the Christian right, whose misuse of the Gospel to champion unfettered capitalism, bigotry and imperialism is heretical, has become a marginal force in the life of most Americans, especially the young." READ IT ALL.

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+ Shuck and Jive offers "Sex and the Presbyterian Obsession" by John Shuck which now includes some interesting and informative comments including two by me.

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+ updated at 3:31pm ESDT on Thursday, October 27, 2011

+ I sent an e-mail to a Far Right organization called The Traditional Values Coalition which is leading an effort to cut the NIH budget by tens of millions.  Here it is:

Dear Friends at the Traditional Values Coalition:

Really sad to see that you have such misdirected priorities when it comes to a moral federal budget. We need to cut the bloated Pentagon budget. We need to tax the rich who are benefitting so much from living here. We need to make sure our poor and sick have a strong safety net. Read the prophets. Read Jesus. Believe me, they would not be Republicans protecting the rich while the Middle Class and Poor are increasinglly cut off from our economic system.

I am sure NIH is not perfect but the research they do is vital. Targeting the NIH is simply misguided when it comes to making our budget moral. It is not very moral but that's not the reason. Again, read the prophets. Read Jesus. Read James. Find out what Christians and other compassionate people should be concerned about. Economic Justice is ALWAYS the priority of people of faith. I will pray that you see the Light and turn your attention to that traditional value.

love, john + http://www.abundancetrek.com/ + “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

+ Sojo.net is featuring this quote:

I advocate military engagement when I think it’s necessary, but really you can get more bang for your buck from civilian programs than you can from military engagement most of the time. You’ve got to have more options than just dropping bombs on people.
– South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, on why he’s working to protect foreign aid from budget cuts. (Source: McClatchy News)

Think how much good will we would create on the planet if we would spend tens of billions on all kinds of basic human needs rather than on military campaigns.

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+ updated at 2:22pm ESDT on Monday, October 17, 2011.

+ In "America's 'Primal Scream," Nicholas D. Kristoff offers some important reflections on the Occupy Wall Street movement. He says it's resonating because most of us are quite aware of the growing income inequality here in the USA and elsewhere. 

+ In "A Movement Too Big to Fail," Chris Hedges offers some important reflections on the Occupy Wall Street movement. It begins: "There is no danger that the protesters who have occupied squares, parks and plazas across the nation in defiance of the corporate state will be co-opted by the Democratic Party or groups like MoveOn. The faux liberal reformers, whose abject failure to stand up for the rights of the poor and the working class, have signed on to this movement because they fear becoming irrelevant."

+ In his latest sermon, The Myth of the Call, John Shuck has some very profound thoughts about the call of Abram and how it relates both positively and negatively to our current movements for compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance.  Here is the conclusion of that sermon:

The myth of the call is rooted in patriarchal spirituality. The figure is Abraham. He gets the divine summons to leave what is familiar, to leave his comfort zone, and to be a blessing. The call to be a blessing is a source of power that we can tap into in our contemporary movements for justice and peace, such as the movement taking place around the country. That call to go out and demonstrate, to dream of change, and to act is a powerful and necessary thing.

The shadow of the call is fanaticism. Abram’s call involved a displacement of the Canaanites and the willingness to kill his own son for this vision. There is delusion, fanaticism, carelessness, and ruthlessness associated with this call. Abram needs a partner. He needs a strong Sarai. Before going off to sacrifice their son, he might ask her opinion first.

If there is a call, it is to all of us. It is a call to be as well as to do. The values of relationship, companionship, diversity, wisdom, partnership, nurturing, and compassion will make our movement for social and economic justice stronger, more sustainable, and will enlarge that circle of blessing.

+ It is high time for us Presbyterians to do what some courageous, prophetic Methodists are doing. Go to http://johnshore.com/2011/10/17/methodist-ministers-to-perform-gay-weddings-despite-ban/.

By the way, some prophetic and courageous Presbyterians are doing GLBT weddings but more are needed.

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+ Thanks to Spirituality and Practice, I discovered that Sojourners offers "How Should We Respond to the Death of Osama bin Laden?" by Jim Wallis. Excerpt: "We didn’t get bin Laden as a casualty of bombing raids or drone attacks on the city that harbored him; instead, this was the result of careful intelligence and a laser-like focus on the man most responsible for 9/11. Some of us believe that should have been the U.S. strategy from the beginning." Read it all.

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+ More Light Presbyterians offers "An Open Letter to the Presbyterian Church From One of Your Baptized Kids" by Michael Adee. I am including this in its entirety as the Presbyterian Church (USA) gets closer and closer to realizing the vision of More Light which so many of us have desired for so long:

Grace and peace to all of you. I was baptized as an infant at First Presbyterian Church, Billings, Montana. I was taught faith, Scripture, the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and confirmed at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sulphur, Louisiana. As a kid and teenager, I loved going to church and being part of a church family. I sang in our church choir with my Dad, loved our youth group of four and the all-church potluck dinners. I had Jesus' bumper stickers on my 1963 VW bug when I was in high school. I probably annoyed some of my friends in high school and college with my Christian zeal.

When I affirmed being gay in my late twenties, the Church was no longer a safe or loving place for me, so I left the Church. I give thanks to God for being loved back to faith by Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. I was ordained and installed as an Elder there. I've served as an Elder at Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati and First Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I began serving as a volunteer with More Light Presbyterians in 1991 and on staff since 1999. I would not be in the Presbyterian Church, or in any church, if not for Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church and their unconditional welcome and invitation to serve God with them.

I believe the 219th General Assembly's Ordination Amendment 10-A offers this kind of unconditional welcome and invitation to faith, grace, salvation, church membership and ministry to all of God's children, not just some.

I've put a lot of my heart, thought, reflection on Scripture, prayer and my life experience into why I wholeheartedly support 10-A and believe it is a gift for God for our Church right now. Our Church will more lovingly and accurately reflect God's heart with the approval of 10-A.

My Top Ten Reasons to Support Amendment 10-A

1. This amendment returns our Church to the historic Presbyterian way of focusing upon faith and character as qualifications for ministry, not martial status or sexual orientation.

2. This amendment honors God's call to ministry and the recognition of gifts for ministry given by God to people regardless of gender, race, marital status, sexual orientation or other human differences.

3. This amendment allows for local congregations to call ministers, elders and deacons who can best meet the needs within their own communities.

4. This amendment affirms the moral equality of all persons and ends discrimination based upon marital status or sexual orientation.

5. This amendment affirms God's diverse creation that we can see in Scripture and in our life together in community.

6. This amendment affirms the gift of love by God to persons not limited by gender or race; and it provides support for the beautifully diverse and sacred reality of love and faithfulness experienced by couples and families in our world today.

7. This amendment allows our Church the chance to shift from 37 years of debate, legislation and judicial cases about sexual orientation and to place our energies on mission, service and a hurting world that needs our care and ministry.

8. This amendment is a helpful solution to the 14 years of departure from the historic Presbyterian standards for ordination. It's time to be honest, G-6.0106b has failed our Church. This "fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness" requirement has brought nothing but hurt, suspicion, division and driven people away from our Church.

9. This amendment affirms that God's creation, God's love, God's grace and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are available for all persons, not just some.

10. This amendment affirms Jesus' commandment for us to love God, neighbor and self; and to recognize as Jesus' taught that all persons are neighbor in God's world, no exceptions.

Imagine, dream, pray and work with me for a new way of being Church and serving in our world with the passage of 10-A.

with hope and grace,
Michael

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+ updated at 11:12am ESDT on Friday, April 8, 2011

+ The New York Times offers "The Truth, Still Inconvenient" by Paul Krugman.

Excerpt 1: "So the joke begins like this: An economist, a lawyer and a professor of marketing walk into a room. What’s the punch line? They were three of the five “expert witnesses” Republicans called for last week’s Congressional hearing on climate science."

Excerpt 2: "For years now, large numbers of prominent scientists have been warning, with increasing urgency, that if we continue with business as usual, the results will be very bad, perhaps catastrophic. They could be wrong. But if you’re going to assert that they are in fact wrong, you have a moral responsibility to approach the topic with high seriousness and an open mind. After all, if the scientists are right, you’ll be doing a great deal of damage."

Read it all.

+ Christian Century offers "Climate Report" by the editors. Excerpt: "Many national leaders talk about cutting spending so as not to burden future generations with the deficits created by this generation. These same leaders seem to have no problem, however, burdening the next generation with an overheated Earth, nor do they mind letting the next generation be the one to invest in renewable and sustainable forms of energy."

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+ updated at 1:53pm EST on Wednesday, February 16, 2011

+ I have been gathering idea for what I am now calling THE NEW FAITH FOR THE NEW EARTH for many years.  I want to share these ideas as much as I possibly can and so I am now starting this new series of posts on THE NEW FAITH FOR THE NEW EARTH.  Your ideas are welcome.  Please share them in Blog Comments, on Facebook and Twitter, E-Mails, etc. I invite you to GO TO THE FIRST POST OF A SERIES ON THE NEW FAITH FOR THE NEW EARTH at The Abundancetrek Blog. 

+ EzineArticles offers "We Are Not Our Names, Our Titles, Roles, Religions, Bodies or Colors - We Are Spiritual Beings" by Maria Erving. Excerpt: To be enlightened is not reserved for only a few, it's for all of us; to connect with the light within and let it shine to the world.

I follow this wise woman on Twitter. Go to http://twitter.com/mariaerving

+ Inner Frontier offers Inner Work. This week's lesson is "Directed, Unitive Will: Love (Modes of Will: Part 6 of 11).

Excerpt 1: One form of actively directed will working with the unitive energy is compassion. We see another person or an animal suffering and we suffer with them, as if it were our own. We feel compassion. With the unitive energy, their suffering is our own. One natural response is the wish never to cause harm, because harming someone else feels like harming ourselves. That harmlessness radiates and elicits the same in others. When you meet someone whom you immediately sense as harmless, you more easily feel your natural kinship, your shared humanity. Harmlessness feeds back to compassion, because seeing another person’s suffering affronts your attitude of non-harming and invokes your compassionate response.

Excerpt 2: Self-acceptance opens the door to accepting others unreservedly. Aware of own inner challenges and struggles, we see the same in others. Aware of our own desires for meaning, fulfillment, service, peace, love, and fun, we see the same in others. We intuit that we are not as different as we appear. If I can accept my own challenges, limitations, and motivations, then I may be able to accept that in my neighbor. If I can accept who I am, then maybe I can accept my neighbors for who they are. Then acceptance can reach such a state that it disappears. The question of whether or not to accept vanishes. We just are, as we are: my humanity, your humanity, our humanity.

GO TO THE LESSON.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers THE 12s. So far, THE 12s features:

12 Spiritual Energy Boosters: When you have run out of energy and are feeling draggy and depleted, check out these spiritual practices. They are designed to boost your spirits and renew body, mind, and soul. GO TO THE 12s.

AND

12 Uplifting Quotes on Courage: Looking for some inspiration? Some encouragement in a challenging time? Here are 12 uplifting quotes about courage to help you step out into a fuller way of living. GO TO THE 12s.

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+ updated at 2:37pm EST on Wednesday, February 2

+ I appreciate this post -- http://www.evolvingchristianfaith.net/2010/12/trinitarian-calling-unity-in-and.html -- and made a comment.  More recently, this blogger offered "Introducing Slavoj Zizek."  I made a comment not published yet.

+ a RETWEET: For the last week, Democracy Now! has covered the protests in #Egypt closely. View all of our reports in our archive: http://ow.ly/3P0O1

+ Spirituality and Practice is offering a course on InterSpiritual Meditation.  It began Sunday.  Not to late to sign up.  I wrote the following on the Introductions and Intentions pages:

I believe we must work on creating a new faith for a new earth. The planet needs a new narrative, a compelling story we can all hear and enjoy and sing and dance to the beat. It has begun. Actually it began a long time ago. But we still have a long way to go.

A course like this which brings together people from different wisdom traditions is essential. I wouldn't miss it, even though it overlaps with the other S&P course I'm taking.

Sign Up!

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+ updated at 10:10am EST on Tuesday, January 18, 2011

+ My favorite Street Pastor said the following in "Jesus Goes Viral," his Sunday sermon: "Like John, Andrew, and Simon, I too have experienced Jesus as surprising, inviting, and revealing. Growing up in the Bible belt of the American south, I came to think of Jesus as a fiery judge. I was afraid of him. But as I grew to know him better through the Scriptures, I heard his stories of the lost sheep and the prodigal son. I saw him forgiving sinners and befriending the outcast. Like John the Baptist, I was surprised at who Jesus turned out to be. Like Andrew, I found him to be a warm and welcoming person who wants to be close to us. In time, I came to think of Jesus as my friend. Instead of fearing him, I grew to love him." Read the whole sermon.

+ "Prophet, Artist, Fisherman," John Shuck's sermon honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. is a real gem. Excerpt: "Prophetic energizing is imagination. It is the imagination of the artist. It is the imagination of the fisherman who discovers he is an artist. It is an imagination that looks to the future and sings we will overcome. The language of the poet is the language of the prophet. It is the language of hope." Read the whole sermon.

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+ updated at 2:13pm on Monday, November 30, 2010.

+ A new song for us to sing (like at the Joyful Noise Cafe this Friday night at First Presbyterian Church, Utica NY):

Presbyterians for Earthcare Hymn

"IN A ROUND WORLD"

Written by PEC Member, Manley Olson
To the tune, "Morning Has Broken" Presbyterian Hymnal #469

In a round world, no corners to hide in,
All life connected, part of the whole.
God made but one earth which needs protection.
We face this challenge, we claim this goal.

From space one sees a lovely blue marble,
A floating speck in the star-filled sky.
This was the insight told by the psalmist;
We are but dust, yet seen in God's eye.

Gone are the days when we could be masters,
Using earth's gifts for our selfish ends.
Our role today is that of God's stewards,
To be a church that speaks and defends.

Only our God can create a species.
Can we preserve what God has designed?
When we destroy life, we change the balance
In ways not thought of, with ends not seen.

It's time we alter our basic outlook
Renounce dominion, give up our pride.
Working with God, restoring creation,
In a round world with nowhere to hide.

Words by Manley Olson. Copyright 1995 (date), Manley Olson, used by permission.

The words of this hymn may be reprinted without special permission in a program or worship service bulletin for one-time use only, provided that the following statement is included:

For other uses please request permission in writing from Manley Olson, 1974 W. Summer St., St. Paul, MN 55113 Presbynet: MANLEY OLSON

+ The Diane Rehm Show offers an interview with Anne Rice promoting a new book but also speaking about other books and her commitment to Christ but not in any established church.

+ More Magic. Here is "Dig a Pony" by the Beatles on the rooftop on YouTube.

+ WallWritings offers "Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve" by James Wall.

+ Shuck and Jive offers "Thanks WikiLeaks" by John Shuck.

+ How about some Cars? Here is MAGIC on YouTube.

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+ updated at 11:36am EST on Wednesday, November 17, 2010.

+ TruthDig offers "The Man Who Shattered Our Economy" by Robert Scheer. It begins: "Rejoice, the housing market is back. Sandy Weill just picked up a humdinger of a wine vineyard estate in Sonoma, Calif., for a record $31 million, so the foreclosure crisis—which the former CEO of Citigroup did so much to create when he successfully lobbied then-President Bill Clinton to sign off on radical deregulation of the banking industry—must be over."

+ TruthOut offers "Rebooting the American Dream - Chapter One: Bring My Job Home!" by Thom Hartmann.  I often listen to the Thom Hartmann radio program.  He is as informed and compassionate and kind and respectful and gentle as any talk radio host can get.  He often debates Right Wingers.  Of course, he always wins! He has written many books.  Now you can read his latest at TruthOut.  Perhaps the Introduction which was published last week, is the best place to begin.  Go there.   

+ I just added the following comment to "Fox News, Fear Peddlers and Falsehoods Reshape Congress" by James Wall:

Maybe it is time for the Progressive Movement to focus on one thing and one thing only: getting the big money out of our politics. A constitutional amendment may be the only way. It seems impossible but miracles do happen. We the people need to take back our government from ALL special interests. The special interests with all that money are destroying not only US democracy but the welfare of the entire planet.