Quote of the week: ''I have never had a drink by myself in my life. I drink in crowds. When I was younger I thought whiskey made me charming, and bulletproof Once, in a bar in Birmingham, I drank so much I took a pistol away from a man. But I never, ever drink alone. I am afraid I will like it too much. I am afraid it will numb me and warm me and soothe me and ultimately seduce me. I am scared to death that it will take the pains and doubts and the fears away, that it will make me like myself just too damn much. I fear, mostly, I would find in it the absolution that people on both sides of my family have found, for generations. It is a thing in my blood, in my genes, like blonde hair and blue eyes. And once you embrace it, behind some closed door, you will never escape it. I believe it made my daddy not care, that it made him leave her without milk or money or a way to live, or to see a doctor. I believe it because whatever weakness he had in him, whatever devils rode his back, a man just don't do that sober.'' All Over But The Shoutin', Rick Bragg
''We will rid the world of evil.'' -- George W. Bush. Sounds good. I assume he specifically means we will rid the world of evil terrorists? Still, a daunting task. I hope he doesn't mean we will rid the world of anyone who doesn't ''believe'' the way we do? That would not be good. If he means we will rid the world of the evil Osama bin Laden, I would better understand what he means, but would not necessarily agree, not if it means killing him in any way, at any cost. By meeting violence with violence, you are doing what the enemy would have you do. You are being pulled down into hell, where evil is evil, whatever name it goes by. If Osama bin Laden is behind these atrocities, which it would appear he is, an attempt should be made to apprehend him and bring him to trial. Killing him, assassinating him, or otherwise blowing him to smithereens may be more satisfying, but it is not civil, nor democratic. Some violence may occur in apprehending him, but at least it would not be random. These matters are not simple, and cannot be drawn down to such simplistic suggestions that we are fighting good vs. evil. Otherwise, we'll all end up dead.
Little known facts:
--1 in 2 people are not sure whether they are male or female.--
It is possible to wear two right-footed shoes and still write left-handed.--
The price of gas goes up when the price of anything else goes up.--
Women are smarter than men, which isn't saying much.--
Half of your life you spend wondering what happened to the other half.
Hell may not be so bad:--
The Osmonds wouldn't be there.--
There's not a lot of snow shoveling to be done.--
''Just Did It.''--
It's a dry heat.--
Property is cheap.
You know, I'm afraid if I get rid of my bad habits, there won't be anything left.
Living off the backs of the poor: Many non-profit organizations have lost their way. Today, they try to emulate their for-profit brethren, who, when it comes right down to it, will stick out their hands for a donation faster than a salvation selling tent minister. The new slogan is, ''We need money to do good.'' This plays itself out in numerous ways. The Salvation Army, for instance, takes our donated items and sells them to the poor. This has been an unusually profitable endeavor. In the counseling field, we want people to pay something for our services so that they feel some kind of investment in the ''therapeutic relationship.'' Or so that we can eat. I never heard any talk about such stuff in graduate school but I did in management. I don't know, I suppose I'm just a terrible businessman. They should do away with non-profit corporation status. It is a dinosaur that has been devoured by corporate America. There is nothing charitable about charity any more. We expect something in return. We have forgotten how to beg. Or give.