On Voting

*Betsy steps up on soapbox.*

Ahem...Ok, so the midterm elections (do I have that right?) are coming up on November 7th, exactly two weeks from today. This year, I'm frustrated by the elections and here's why.

Since Government class my junior year in high school, and probably before then, I have heard that it is not only my right, but my responsibility, to vote. I agree with this. I do think it's important to be involved in our democratic government, and I know that a lot of woman participated in the suffrage movement so that I could vote.

The reason I'm leaning towards not voting is that I am a completely uneducated voter. I'm sure part of the reason is that I don't pay much attention to local news. But it seems like there are two things that politicians running for office are spending money on. The first thing is nice bright signs with their names on them, and possibly what they are running for.

The second thing is completely worthless political ads on TV. For the past month or two, I've been doing everything I can to tune these ads out. Then I realized that I'm not fulfilling my civic duty, so I've started paying attention. So, I know a bunch of names of Iowa politicians now: Nussle, Culver, (who are both running for governor), Hogg, Braley, and Whalen (I don't know what they're running for).

Here's what I've learned so far. Nussle practically worships Bush, (which is bad, of course), and Hogg pronounces his name "hoe-g." Braley is an evil trial lawyer who is single-handedly driving up my medical expenses, so I should vote for Whalen. Whalen believes in Social Security privitization and he's clearly wrong WRONG WRONG so I should vote for Braley. And I can't remember anything about Culver except that his last name is the same as a fast food chain in town that serves really good ice cream...mmm, ice cream.

Is this supposed to help me make an informed decision? Is anyone else frustrated with this?

*Betsy steps down.*

Book Review

I just finished reading a book that was a surprisingly good read. The book is Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner. I checked this book out expecting to skim through some parts, and ended up reading it from cover to cover. It was remarkably honest, and a bit like reading someone's diary, or even her blog.

The author was an Orthodox Jew before she became Christian. The book is organized by church seasons (Advent, Pentecost, etc), and she parallels most of these seasons with the Jewish traditions taking place at the same time. She also talks about her current struggles. While I don't necessarily agree with everything she says, it was very refreshing reading. Honestly, I'm struggling to remember another book that would be filed in the Christian or Religious section of Barnes and Noble that I have been able to relate to quite as well. Also, she partly credits becoming a Christian to the book At Home in Mitford, which has long been one of my favorite series to read. (She says she's "always felt faintly embarrassed about the role Jan Karon's Mitford novels played in my conversion." I, however, am not embarrassed - these books are always fun to read.)

If I started listing the insights she related that struck me, this would be a long post. The one that's freshest on my mind is this: She quotes a character from an old British novel as asking a Christian, "What I want to know is do you believe in it the way you believe in Australia?" An interesting thought, to be sure, but Winner points out that the Christian life is about a promise to believe even when we have trouble wrapping our heads around this huge thing called Christianity.

Thy Strong Word

I have a love-dislike relationship with contemporary praise and worship music...No need to get into it now except to say that the new stuff has really deepened my appreciation for hymns.

Today in church we sang "Thy Strong Word." This hymn is written in a minor key, has six long verses filled with King James language, and is basically a good example of what some people hate about hymns. But the words are poetic and rich. Read them a couple times. The fifth verse especially never fails to convict me, and notice the description of the Trinity at the end.

Thy strong Word did cleave the darkness;
At thy speaking it was done.
For created light we thank Thee
While thine ordered seasons run
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia without end!

Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness,
Dark as night and deep as death,
Broke the light of thy salvation,
Breathed thine own life-giving breath.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia without end!

Thy strong Word bespeaks us righteous;
Bright with thine own holiness,
Glorious now, we press toward glory,
And our lives our hopes confess.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia without end!

From the cross thy wisdom shining
Breaketh forth in conqu'ring might;
From the cross forever beameth
All thy bright redeeming light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise to Thee who light dost send!
Alleluia without end!

Give us lips to sing thy glory,
Tongues thy mercy to proclaim,
Throats to shout the hope that fills us,
Mouths to speak thy holy name.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
May the light which thou dost send,
Fill our songs with alleluias,
Alleluias without end!

God the Father, light-creator,
To Thee laud and honor be.
To Thee, Light from Light begotten,
Praise be sung eternally.
Holy Spirit, light-revealer,
Glory, glory be to Thee.
Mortals, angels, now and ever
Praise the Holy Trinity!

Little Suggestions for a Happy Life

The monthly "Windsor on the River Apartments" newsletter arrived yesterday, with this helpful little blurb on the front cover:

Little Suggestions For A Happy Life
*Go on a hayride
*Evaluate yourself by your own standards, not by someone else's.
*Lie on your back and look at the stars.

How quaint. I would offer, however, as a response:

Betsy's Suggestions for Happy Residents:
*Don't wait a month to fix the washer that you're already charging me $1.25/load to use.
*Don't tell me you can't waive the late fee when I've (stupidly) forgotten to pay the rent because I'm white (yes, this actually happened).
*Don't try to charge me $10 a month more in rent when I re-sign my lease just because you think you should be able to, then complain about me calling to tell you I'm not paying any more rent because I don't think I should have to.
*Find a way to stop the chain smoker living below me from smelling up my apartment when I have my balcony door open.
*Do something about the occasional shootings in the complex. (This makes it sound like I live in the ghetto...I really don't.)

*Sigh* Maybe someday I will be a proud, penniless homeowner.