Mary's Musings

I am not a "merry man"... or, rather, woman. Anyone who has been paying even the slightest attention to the news recently is very much aware of the huge spending bill that Congress is debating. Read about it on CNN or even on BBC's website.

Senator John McCain, presidential candidate and party hopeful, has poised himself for a real knock-down-and-dirty fight to the White House this fall. By selecting Sarah Palin for his VP runningmate, McCain is serious about reaching out to the female voter, many of whom feel left behind after Democrats presented an all-male ticket. Make no mistake... Senator Obama is NOT the candidate for reform. He is NOT the candidate for mainstream, intelligent, moderate voters.

One word. Wow. The whole family sat and watched "Martian Child" starring John Cusack last evening. The story was compelling, the acting superb, and the director successfully captured the hearts and minds of the audience as we laughed, and were deeply moved by a story of belonging, loss, and isolation.

For many teens and 20-somethings, the internet offers a lot more than Myspace, Facebook, Photobucket, email and shopping. There is a phenomenon that is sweeping college dormitories and keeping young people online for a lot longer than ever before. This is the MMORPG. Massively multi-player online role-playing game. For some, these games offer an occasional diversion and allow players to interact with other players from around the world. This interaction is in the form of a "player-character" who is human in appearance but often has qualities that human beings lack.

I was not watching TV, nor did I see the ad. For most Americans, this was the first time we had heard of any controversy surrounding the record of Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. But, the real truth of the matter may never be discovered. Because everything depends on who you believe.

When one visits campaign websites and reads what the candidates' positions are on issues, there is very little difference philosophically between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Both claim they have a pro-working-class agenda and want to increase aid to the poor. They both see education and health care, as well as bringing an end to the Iraq conflict, as top priorities.

The word "pub" often conjures up the notion of a "common bar". Well, Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub does have a bar. And it does serve alcohol to guests. But, with a proximity close to the Pike St Market in Seattle, WA... this is certainly a place to consider for lunch with the family.

As a Christian and a student of science, I must admit that the Theory of Evolution or, more properly titled, "The Origin and Development of the Species" is scientifically sound. It does not seek to answer the question of "cause" or the deeper question of "why". This is left for theologians to grapple with. The theory only deals with "how", "what" and "when". For centuries, mankind misinterpreted certain passages of the Bible contending that the Earth was the center of the Universe (or at least the solar system). This has been proven not to be the case.

I am willing to accept that border security was and remains a problem, especially at our nation's seaports. Ships enter the U.S. and bring goods and passengers from other countries. We have two areas that have not been handled well. The first is the careful documentation of everything and everyone coming "to" the United States from abroad. Goods and people get smuggled in, and there needs to be a tighter observation and accountability of "stuff" that gets unloaded from commercial vessels. Land and sea. 

And I thought I was tough. Victoria, my 15-year-old daughter, and I were having a conversation about "kids these days". From clothing to the music kids listen to, cell phones, internet... it all came down to this: If parents would all just collectively stand up to the garbage that we're fed about "having" to be accepting of the newest fashion trends... then they wouldn't stay fashion trends for long, would they?