Church & State

“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must
be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an
irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. If the church does not participate actively in the struggle for peace and for economic and racial justice, it will forfeit the loyalty of millions and cause men everywhere to say that it has atrophied its will.

But if the church will free itself from the shackles of a deadening status quo, and, recovering its great historic mission, will speak and act fearlessly and insistently in terms of justice and peace, it will enkindle the imagination of mankind and fire the souls of men, imbuing them with a glowing and ardent love for truth, justice, and peace. Men far and near will know the church as a great fellowship of love that provides light and bread for lonely travelers at midnight.”

—Martin Luther King, Jr.,
A Knock at Midnight

Filed under: Church, Government, Jr., Justice, Love, Martin Luther King, Peace, Quotes, Truth

Thanks Sam

Didn’t quite use it to stimulate the economy though…

Filed under: America, Credit, Credit Cards, Dave Ramsey, Debt, Economic Stimulus Check, Economics, Economy, Government, Money, Recession, Spending, Uncle Sam

Random Links

I usually like to save up random links for a post such as this. Most of the time others blog on the topics before I get a chance to gather enough to make a full post. Some times I just get bored of the topic. Today, however, was a rare instance where I landed on enough cool random links in a single day that I just couldn’t pass it up. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

The Chris Farley Show — The Chris Farley Show is the official, authorized biography of the late actor and comedian Chris Farley. Fans knew Chris as Saturday Night Live’s sweaty, swaggering, motivational speaker; as the irresistible Chippendales stripper; and as Tommy Callahan, the underdog hero of Tommy Boy. His family knew him as sensitive and passionate, deeply religious, and devoted to bringing laughter into others’ lives.

How I Spent My Stimulus — In January, Congress approved $152 billion in economic stimulus checks for millions of American households, intended to boost the economy and avert a recession. Just how this money will be spent remains to be seen. We hope this website helps shed some light on where the stimulus money is going.

Free Dunkin Donuts Coffee — Dunkin’ Donuts is celebrating Free Iced Coffee Day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. next Thursday, May 15. Customers can walk into any participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant throughout the country and receive a free 16 oz. cup of Dunkin’ Donuts’ premium regular, Berry Berry Iced Coffee, which combines the seasonal tastes of blueberry and raspberry with Dunkin’ Donuts’ award-winning coffee, or many other delicious flavors.

First Look at Oliver Stones ‘W’ — Entertainment Weekly goes inside the director’s dark, comic, and already controversial movie about George W. Bush’s rise to power, starring Josh Brolin.

Britain’s War On Chewing Gum — Every year, 935 million packs of gum are chewed by 28 million Britons, leaving millions of sticky, inconvenient lumps in their wake. The globs can only be removed with high pressure steam hoses, expensive freezing machines, or corrosive, environmentally unfriendly chemicals, costing taxpayers £150 ($300) million per year. The desperate state of affairs has attracted millions of dollars of research into non-stick chewing gum, but the country is desperate for a quicker solution.

Barack Obama Podcast — Barack’s greatest hits and most significant policy speeches on iTunes in both video and audio-only formats.

23-6 — 236.com is a co-production between the gigantic, vaguely Death Star-like IAC, and The Huffington Post, a progressive news hub where outraged people go in order to get more outraged before going to have dinner at Nobu.

Marblehead Blog — Marblehead, a marketing and design company that my buddy works for, created this blog to show off their work, share their opinions, and pass on industry news.

Filed under: Barack Obama, Blogs, Britain, Chris Farley, Design, Dunkin Donuts, George W. Bush, Government, Gum, Humor, iTunes, Links, News, Oliver Stone, Randomness, Spending

Digital Converter

Time is running out to take advantage of the coupons the government is offering as a consolation for forcing us to switch to digital. You need to go to www.dtv2009.gov or call 888-DTV-2009 to sign up, and you’ll receive two coupons towards the purchase of an eligible converter box.

I’d say the majority of my readers don’t use rabbit ears for their television experience anymore, but you might know someone like my in-laws that just can’t give up that snowy experience. Or perhaps a sweet old lady in your church who could use one and doesn’t know to get the coupons (I’d use my grandma for an example, but she’s rocking some cable).

So go ahead and get those coupons and help someone out. And if it’s you that you’re helping out, go get you some cable or dish already!

(ht: Wise Bread)

Filed under: 1923, Coupons, Culture, Digital, Government, TV

Economic Stimulus Checks

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

That’s what they always say, but honestly I don’t even know what that means. I hate sayings that I don’t know the meaning behind.

This isn’t meant to be a gift-horse-mouth-viewing post, but it is meant to encourage people to be wise with these economic stimulus checks the government is about to be sending out.

1. Don’t Spend The Checks. Crazy I know, but the fact that we spend so frivolously is what got us into this problem in the first place. The thought that they are only encouraging this behavior to “stimulate” the economy is just poor vision. So don’t go buy a new big screen TV with these checks. Don’t put a down payment on a new (or even used) car with these checks. Take this check and pay off debt. If you’re lucky enough to be without debt, take this money and invest it wisely. Let’s be smarter than our government with this money.

2. These Aren’t Free. Most people are unaware that these checks are actually an advance on our next years returns. I’ve found very little information available online about exactly how this will work. It’s possible the tax code will be altered to adjust for this check, making it indeed a wash. But the way I’m reading it, if we were meant to get a $2000 refund next year on our taxes, we’ll only receive $500. With so many people I know counting on their tax returns every year, I think this is something worth looking into. Ask your accountant for an explanation of exactly how this will effect you next year.

With all that said, my check can’t come fast enough. Tonia and I have started an aggressive plan to rid ourselves of our student loan nooses, and these will surely help!

Filed under: Debt, Economics, Etymology, Government, Investing, Spending, Taxes

Gangsta Right Lean

Have I ever mentioned that I don’t like politics?

I still don’t, but this go around I’m in the middle of becoming a better steward in all areas of my life. And that includes my vote.

It’s a good time to toss my thoughts into the mix. There are no incumbents, and no givens. It’s a new day for a new direction with new ideas.

I should probably state up front that I am neither a Republican nor Democrat, but I have voted with a right gangsta lean the last few elections. However in the last few years I’ve come to find myself a little more centered. Mostly because I listen to people that make sense on both sides (like my friend and new blogger Jessica). I think it’s great fun that my brother thinks I’m a lefty, and the ladies at work think I’m a righty. I’d say that puts me squarely in the middle, eh?

So I’m looking to familiarize myself with all of the new blood. Barack Obama is the most intriguing to me. I checked out his book, Audacity of Hope, from the library last night, and look forward to seeing what he has to say. My gut instinct tells me that he’s going to be the man on the Democratic ticket. There’s some rumblings that an Obama/Edwards ticket will be a formidable foe for whoever comes out of the Republican side.

If there’s anything you can say about the Obama campaign, it’s that his logo is disgustingly good (great article here). And if Billary Clinton hates his guts, he just might be on to something. (I love the 12th comment down!)

Filed under: Barack Obama, Billary Clinton, Democrat, Government, Politics, Republican, Voting

Go Blue?

Michigan governor threatens shutdown amid budget talks.

Granholm’s threatened action could shutter government offices, idle road construction and close Detroit’s downtown casinos. Prisons and state police patrols would remain in operation …

Michigan’s unemployment rate was 7.4 percent in August, the highest in the nation. Home foreclosures in Detroit, the state’s largest city, are running at five times the national average …

Granholm said Michigan had been hit by an “economic tsunami.”

We call that tsunami ‘Jennifer Granholm.’

Filed under: Government, Jennifer Granholm, Michigan