What TOOK you guys so long???

Progressive Christians decide to FINALLY wade into the political waters.

A group of progressive Christians in the US have launched a new political movement to counter what they describe as the power of the religious right.

The Christian Alliance for Progress aims to "reclaim Christianity" and influence the political agenda.

"We can no longer stand by and watch people speak hatred, division, war and greed in the name of our faith," said Patrick Mrotek, the Alliance's founder.

The body joins other liberal religious groups formed around the 2004 election.
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"We are here because the language spoken by the religious right is Christian - this requires a uniquely Christian response," Mr Mrotek added.

In particular, the Alliance hopes to speak out on issues such as stem cell research and abortion.

"Many Americans, especially people of faith, are ready to hear from Christians who are tolerant, and who understand the many ways that our faiths impact our views of public life," it says on its website.

The group based in Jacksonville plans to recruit members nationwide.

I'm not Christian, but I have been pretty disgusted by how the Far Right has commandeered Christianity, practically claiming it as theirs alone, and even suggesting that there has been a war waged by liberals against it. Mr. Mrotek is right, the only people who even have a chance at counteracting the rhetoric from the Christian Right among a certain segment of the population, are other Christians. It would've been nice to have a group like this around BEFORE the 2004 elections, but at least they may be able to help influence the 2006 midterms.

(Via The Republic of T.) I knew there was a reason I liked Drew Barrymore (beyond the whole cute, talented actress thing)...

When Drew found out that a 23-year-old girl was about to have plastic surgery to look like her, for MTV’s loathsome “I Want a Famous Face” show, the actress tracked down the young woman’s phone number. Drew begged her to reconsider: “You are beautiful just as you are, as yourself.”

Life & Style magazine reports that Drew was so convincing, so earnest in her plea to save this girl from unnecessary surgery, that the potential patient relented and cancelled her Drew-like transformation.

MTV has been going steadily downhill for years, but this show is a new low, even for them. I place it in the same category as Extreme Makeover (NON-home edition) and The Swan as the absolute worst, most deplorable shows on TV.

TWO MORE DAYS!!! (At my current job.) In FOUR MORE DAYS I start my new one!

It's baaaaaack...

Idiotic Quote for the Day: "I've never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I've never met anybody who does. He's never won anything, as best I can tell."--Dick Cheney, in an interview on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes," about Howard Dean.

Well, Mr. Vice President, he won no less than FIVE gubernatorial elections in Vermont between 1992 and 2000. He also won the election for DNC Chairman. Obviously someone, other than his mother, likes him. Perhaps you should try venturing out of your secret bunker a little more often.

The Coundown Continues...

Only ONE MORE WEEK until I start my new job!

Countdown

Only eleven more days until I start my new job!!! (As you can tell, I'm not at all excited.)

Quote for the Day: "I'm sure it smells great... really manly and all... problem is, you have to use a whole gallon of it every day to get it to work."--Dr. Dave, on the new Hummer cologne.

The debate over global warming just got a bit more interesting, as several big corporations and religious groups are jumping into the picture...on the side of science.

Don't look now, but the ground has shifted on global warming. After decades of debate over whether the planet is heating and, if so, whose fault it is, divergent groups are joining hands with little fanfare to deal with a problem they say people can no longer avoid.
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GE Chairman Jeffrey Immelt recently announced that his company, which reports $135 billion in annual revenue, will spend $1.5 billion a year to research conservation, pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases. Joining him for the announcement were executives from such mainline corporations as American Electric Power, Boeing and Cinergy.

Religious groups, such as the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, National Association of Evangelicals and National Council of Churches, have joined with scientists to call for action on climate change under the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. " Global warming is a universal moral challenge," the partnership's statement says.

And high-profile politicians from both parties are getting into the act. For example, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a reduction of more than 80% over the next five decades in his state's emission of greenhouse gases that heat in the atmosphere.

To be sure, many companies - most notably oil industry leader ExxonMobil - still express skepticism about the effects of global warming. And the Bush administration has supported research and voluntary initiatives but has pulled back from a multi-nation pact on environmental constraints.
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Nonetheless, the tides of change appear to be moving on.

"As big companies fall off the 'I don't believe in climate change' bandwagon, people will start to take this more seriously," says environmental scientist Don Kennedy, editor in chief of the journal Science. Companies aren't changing because of a sudden love for the environment, Kennedy says, but because they see change as an opportunity to protect their investments.

"On the business side, it just looks like climate change is not going away," says Kevin Leahy of Cinergy, a Cincinnati-based utility that reports $4.7 billion in annual revenue and provides electricity, mostly generated from coal, to 1.5 million customers. Most firms see global warming as a problem whose risks have to be managed, he says.
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Pressure for reforms may come most strongly from "socially responsible" investors. "We make bottom-line arguments to companies to make decisions in the interests of their shareholders," says John Wilson of Christian Brothers Investment Services, which manages $3.5 billion in investor funds. The firm advises 1,000 Catholic institutions, such as churches, schools and hospitals.

A Christian Brothers resolution in May asked ExxonMobil "to explain the scientific basis for its ongoing denial of the broad scientific consensus that the burning of fossil fuels contributes to global climate change." The resolution garnered 10.3% of shareholders' votes, representing 665 million shares worth more than $36 billion, despite the opposition of management.

"The future of energy is plainly moving away from fossil fuels and we want the companies (that) we invest in to explain how they plan to adjust," Wilson says.

Dooley, of the Battelle Institute, says: "We need a whole series of 'home runs' and maybe even a couple of 'grand slams' to successfully address this problem. More efficient refrigerators, better and cheaper solar cells, hybrid automobiles, fuel cells, power plants that capture and store their (carbon dioxide) deep below the surface and nuclear power. They all have important roles to play."

I've always thought the energy companies, especially the oil companies, were downright stupid for denying global warming, and fighting against conservation and investment in alternative energy sources. They SHOULD be LEADING THE WAY in alternative fuel research; climate issues aside, eventually the oil WILL run out, and they'll have nothing to drill for, nothing to refine, nothing to sell. How much further along in the search for alternative energy sources might we be, if they had taken the millions of dollars they currently spend lobbying AGAINST environmental regulations and alt. fuel research, and spent it ON alternative fuel research. If they were to make the breakthroughs in research and development of alternative energy sources instead of, say, the government, or the car companies, or other corporations, THEY would be the ones to profit from it first! I mean, "HELLO, McFly!" Why do I have to be the one to think of these things?

Best Birthday EVER

Thursday was my 30th birthday, and so far my 30's are treating me VERY well. From my friends Shawn and Lavinia, I received beautiful new wine glasses, a gorgeous homemade card, a fun night of dinner, drinks, and dancing at Boogie Fever in Ferndale, luscious cherry cheesecake (my FAVORITE!), AND $$ for our upcoming Girls Weekend in July. Oh yeah, I have AMAZING friends! Thanks Shwankie and Lavi, I love you ladies!

So, it was already the Best Birthday Ever (after all that, how couldn't it be?) when, Friday morning, I got another present...a NEW JOB!!! I had interviewed for the position in late April and the interview process had been delayed a couple of times, once due to a hiring manager's family emergency. So, how amazing it was to receive the job offer the day after my birthday! The job is in corporate fitness, so I'll finally be getting out of the desk job I've had for the last three years, and the pay is better than what I'm making now as well. I start three weeks from today, and I can't wait!