Would someone please unplug this woman from FOX?

Seriously. What can she be thinking?

Whatever your political proclivities, this boggles the mind.

And now, for something completely different...

Trust Monty Python to provide the antidote to a gloomy news cycle...

Well, THAT's cheerful news

Available here.

Lighting a candle...

...instead of getting stuck in worry about all the bad stuff in the news that I can't control. I've written about local musician Peter Mayer before, and the wisdom in his lyrics. If you're worried about the news of the last week...or for any reason, really, here's a moment of reverence for you:

When I was a boy, each week
On Sunday, we would go to church
And pay attention to the priest
He would read the holy word
And consecrate the holy bread
And everyone would kneel and bow
Today the only difference is
Everything is holy now
Everything, everything
Everything is holy now

When I was in Sunday school
We would learn about the time
Moses split the sea in two
Jesus made the water wine
And I remember feeling sad
That miracles don’t happen still
But now I can’t keep track
‘Cause everything’s a miracle
Everything, Everything
Everything’s a miracle

Wine from water is not so small
But an even better magic trick
Is that anything is here at all
So the challenging thing becomes
Not to look for miracles
But finding where there isn’t one

When holy water was rare at best
It barely wet my fingertips
But now I have to hold my breath
Like I’m swimming in a sea of it
It used to be a world half there
Heaven’s second rate hand-me-down
But I walk it with a reverent air
‘Cause everything is holy now
Everything, everything
Everything is holy now

Read a questioning child’s face
And say it’s not a testament
That’d be very hard to say
See another new morning come
And say it’s not a sacrament
I tell you that it can’t be done

This morning, outside I stood
And saw a little red-winged bird
Shining like a burning bush
Singing like a scripture verse
It made me want to bow my head
I remember when church let out
How things have changed since then
Everything is holy now
It used to be a world half-there
Heaven’s second rate hand-me-down
But I walk it with a reverent air
‘Cause everything is holy now

Stay grounded, friends. :-)

I'm feeling impish today.

Found this in the Pundit Kitchen:

Amen, Sister.

Anna Quindlen hits it out of the park...

Oh, snicker. Maureen Dowd, too...

Media round-up: election edition

It's been an interesting morning in the "papers." The debacle on Wall Street, the hurricane in Texas and the train crash in California--well, prayers underway for all of those situations, all sad and scary. Today, the interesting thread (the only one in which I really have a voice, small as it is) seems to be the election!

Thomas Friedman's onto something here, I think.

My, what a harrowing idea Dahlia Lithwick's had.

And I'd like to give a shout-out to Fareed Zakaria for pointing out the striking difference between McCain's perspective on the world and Obama's.

And, for good measure: Life imitates art.

Peace, friends.

A reading from the book of Cohen

This is good. Sad, but good.

Horrible

HORrible. No words.

UPDATE: Well, THAT story didn't stay on the Star Tribune site very long. Sorry, folks. It was about five Pakistani women who were beaten and then buried alive. Their crime? Three of them wanted to choose their husbands. The other two were trying to help make it happen.

I can't believe this is still happening in the 21st century. I don't care WHAT culture you're a part of; that's just WRONG.

Wow.

I'm speechless. That takes some doing.

Choralgirl news feed

This will be a quickie. Our lives have been absolutely insane for the last week or so, but we are getting a break!

Tomorrow, I'm going with Most Excellent Protege Pal to the St. Olaf Conference on Worship, Theology and the Arts. SO looking forward to it. Great worship, food for the soul, and I'll run into lots of friends there. FUN.

And then we're taking off for a few days. We're going to S&J's cabin (of honeymoon fame), to stare at the trees, hear the waves, read in the hammock, do a jigsaw puzzle, play cards...all the lovely, lazy summer things that have been mostly lacking thus far this summer. Words cannot express my gratitude for the opportunity.

So I'm going to be away from the computer 'til next Tuesday. Meanwhile, two important things about this week:

• Tiny Singer Child was born yesterday to some of our choir friends. Welcome to the world, baby girl! Blessings to this lovely family.
  
• MR could use a prayer for an inconvenience in her health.

Remember them in your prayers tonight, would you? :-)

And, since I'm going to be gone awhile...I'll post my 100th post for your amusement. And I'll tag anyone who's interested!

Traveling mercies, friends. See you next week!