I was sad to read about the Walmart employee, Jdimytai Damour, who was trampled to death yesterday as an out-of-control crowd of shoppers rushed into the store at 5 a.m.
I doubt any of the shoppers went to Walmart thinking the bargain they sought was more important than a Walmart employee’s life. I certainly hope not. But it does seem like some of them at least didn’t think beyond their desire to get to an item before others got there. Also that people in the crowd seem to have incited each other to a level of impatience that contributed to the fatal outcome.
Crowds have scary amounts of power.
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I enjoyed this (my son found it on graphjam, a site where you can make and post your own graphs)
From the National Day of Listening website
StoryCorps is declaring November 28, 2008 the first annual National Day of Listening.
This holiday season, ask the people around you about their lives — it could be your grandmother, a teacher, or someone from the neighborhood. By listening to their stories, you will be telling them that they matter and they won’t ever be forgotten. It may be the most meaningful time you spend this year.
The site suggests questions to ask and makes it possible for you to record the story. You’ll get a CD of the story and another will be sent to the Library of Congress. As best I can tell there’s no charge for any of this.
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I was pleased to read this: Bob Jones Univ. apologizes for racist policies
Bob Jones University has apologized for racist policies including a one-time ban on interracial dating that wasn’t lifted until nine years ago and its unwillingness to admit black students until 1971.
The private fundamentalist Christian school that was founded in 1927 said its rules on race were shaped by culture instead of the Bible, according to a statement posted Thursday on the university’s Web site.
Here’s the statement on Bob Jones University’s site
(h/t Keep Believing Ministries)
Posted in General Conversation | 3 Comments »by Eliza
Well, I’ve managed to infiltrate an atheist organization. And they don’t suspect a thing! ;-)
For those who don’t know me, I’m actually a lifelong atheist – so “infiltrate” is the wrong word. However, I thought I’d report here, for your eyes only ;-) what it’s like to be inside such an organization (this one, at least).
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Good news announced in a fun way.
Posted in Videos | 2 Comments »I stopped going to church just over three years ago because church was no longer a meaningful experience for me. Just when I was thinking it was time to stop going the senior pastor resigned. I decided my last Sunday would be his last Sunday because I wanted to hear his last two sermons, but apart from that my decision to stop going didn’t have anything to do with him resigning.
Apparently it generally takes a church like my ex-church at least two years to find a new senior pastor. In this case it took almost three. In August this year I ran into a friend on the pastoral search committee who told me with excitement that they were very close to choosing a new senior pastor.
The congregation approved their choice and invited Todd to be their senior pastor. He and Katie and their three children moved here and Todd began actively serving as the pastor about a month ago.
I was happy for my ex-church that their search was over and that my friends were excited about the new pastor. I discovered Todd has a blog and started reading it.
I didn’t expect to meet Todd or Katie.That changed last week when I posted a comment on Todd’s blog. Todd responding by emailing me and inviting me to have coffee with him and Katie at his house this morning.
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They (homosexual activists) are coming to your town – but don’t worry, you can buy a video telling you what to do to prevent them taking over.
(h/t Hemant)
Posted in General Conversation | 9 Comments »
Maria Ruiz is one of CNN’s top ten heroes this year
El Paso native Maria Ruiz knows firsthand how different life can be a mere 30-minute drive south of her Texas home.
The sight of families living in homes made of wooden pallets pushed Maria Ruiz into action.
“Just by crossing the border, you’re in a Third World country,” Ruiz said.
For 12 years, she’s traveled several times a week to the outskirts of Juarez, Mexico, bringing aid to hundreds of impoverished children and their families.
read more about how Maria is helping people
Maria and her family are building a community kitchen with space to feed 500, an orphanage for 100 residents and a trade school. They work on the complex every weekend, and although there’s more to do, they’re hoping to be open this summer.
You can vote for Maria as CNN’s Hero of the Year.
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by Eliza
On Saturday, November 15th, people gathered in cities & towns all over the United States to protest the passage of Proposition 8 in California, & to advocate for equality of marriage rights for same-sex couples. (Scan down at the site linked to see photos & comments from many cities & towns.)
My 10 yr old son and I attended the rally & march in Seattle, along with 3000-8000 other people (depending on whose estimate you believe). I ran into ~20 people I know, from various arenas of my life: work, my son’s school, my UU church, and an atheist group I belong to. The mayor, the county executive, a state Senator, and our Representative to the U.S. House all spoke at the rally (proving how liberal this area is). It was a stirring demonstration of the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and it was upbeat and positive, yet it feels like it will be years before anything will actually change.
There’s a lot I could say. The observation I’d like to present is this: with ideas being communicated on placards and in chants, people distilled issues down to the features they felt were most important to communicate to others.
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