Religion, Politics, and Me.

I speak as a Christian--one whose commitment to democracy is very deep but whose Christian conviction are even deeper....I do not want to be numbered among those who sold their souls for a mess of pottage--who surrendered their democratic Christian identity for a comfortable place at the table of the American empire while, like Lazarus, the least of these cried out and I was too intoxicated with worldly power and might to hear, beckon and heed their cries. To be a Christian is to live dangerously, honestly, freely--to step in the name of love as if you may land on nothing, yet to keep stepping because the something that sustains you no empire can give you and no empire can take away. This is the kind of vision and courage required to enable the renewal of prophetic, democratic Christian identity in the age of the American empire.

The personal wealth of the 225 richest individuals is equal to the annual income of the poorest 47 percent of the entire world's population.

--Cornel West

If only I could write as he does. Way to speak my mind, Cornel.

Thanks to Anna for doing her homework in reading this book, for thinking of me, and mailing it down.

Also, does anyone else find it strange you can be a "fan" of God on Facebook? And that he is classified as an "other public figure"? I wonder who runs that site, anyways.

I hope this brings on the comments!

Creativity

If you've read the previous posts, you've read things people have said about this blog, along with thing I think they should be saying. While some were flattering (the ones I thought people should say), others were not (like The News and my mother.) But, the quality, or lack thereof, of this blog spurned me wondering about creativity. That, and I watched a show starring a writer and guest starring a guy who wrote a book called "The Artist Within." And then I wanted to write a book.

I'm sure if I came out right now and I was writing a book, everyone would pour encouragement upon me, save the two people mentioned above, and I would have mucho successo or something of that sort, depending on their language of choice (I prefer uchmay uccesssay. Note to Apple: Add Pig Latin as a language for Spell Check to recognize.) I have always wanted to be creative. I was terrible at art, still am terrible at artistic things, a terrible writer of music (save one song) no good at poetry. Damn was I good at math, though. And my LSAT scores were admirable given that I didn't really mind to much the outcome. I'm what they call "left-brained" and a critical thinker. Thus, (see! I did it right there! I can't even WRITE without drawing conclusions!) I am more of a "critical thinker" and less of the "artsy type." Whatever that means.

So, no, loyal Daily Stick readers, there will not be a Daily Stick book like some other bloggers are attempting. Instead, aside from the radio show I may or may not get, this blog is and will continue to be the pinnacle of creativity that oozes from my delicious mind grapes. Some of the greatest have slipped into unbelievable substance addictions. I've considered that but for my health, safety, job and relationship security, and a plethora of other reasons, I will stick with my Twitter and Facebook indulgencs.

But, what does it take to be "monumental"? So I haven't done a novel, or a song, or a major work of art like that Chapel or a television show. No. A masterpiece of creativity can be a blog with 12 people following it. Wait until history writes itself. We'll see whose blog is left standing.