"I'm what the world considers to be a phenomenally successful man. And I've failed much more than I've succeeded. And each time I fail, I get my people together, and I say, "Where are we going?" And it starts to get better." - Calvin Trager
Monday, October 11, 2004 Scattershooting at 1:25 am...
Debatefest at Wash. U. was pretty surreal. The police in riot gear with attack dogs outside Rockwell House was a definite highlight. Saw a bit of DNC chair Terry McAuliffe at Kayak's, but he didn't say anything that wasn't predictable. After the debate, Lindsay, Jen, Pete, Laurie and I went down to the Hardball set outside Graham Chapel where I picked up a Kerry sign and joined the throng of folks waving signs and whooping when the director told us to. So I filled my quota of doing at least one debate-related thing....
Speaking of the debate, I really think I watched a different debate than everyone else. It's entirely possible I'm just blinded by my political leanings, but I really thought that Kerry did superbly and that President Bush came off as kind of repetitive, whiny and mean (esp. when he ran all over Charlie Gibson). In terms of substance and just making sense, I thought Kerry had it all over him. But everyone seems to think that it was a tie. Is it just incredibly low expectations for Bush or do I just value different things or am I just fooling myself. As Fox News would say ... YOU DECIDE...
Even though I like the Twins, I am just thrilled to have another Red Sox-Yankees ALCS. I think the Red Sox have the better pitching and thus the better shot ... but if they lose, it will still be great in the way that crushingly painful baseball things are painful. In the NL, the Astros scare me so I'm really pulling for the Braves. If the Cards make it to the series, you either get Cards-Red Sox, which is great because even if the Cards lose, the Red Sox win which is cool in its own way (esp. for Manny and my other Boston friends) or you get Cards-Yankees, which is great because if the Cards lose, you get to hate the Yankees even more. Oh, and gotta love the web access on my new cell phone for following the playoffs from anywhere...
Thinking of going to the Sudan in April. Both Bishop Smith and Bishop Bullen Dolli have invited me ... plus I have two students interested in going. Robin thinks I should definitely go. Can't think of a really good reason not to go at this point. It seems to be the trajectory my life is being drawn into....
Had coffee with Beth Maynard and Mark Dirksen on their way through town on Thursday. Just a fabulous time. Wish they lived closer. They are on a sabbatical pilgrimage around the Eastern U.S. looking at emerging church communities ... then they'll probably do 3 months in South Africa doing HIV/AIDS work. Beth is one of the editors of the U2 book.
EGR resources and connects the church to embrace what one person, one congregation, one diocese and one church can do to make this mission of global reconciliation happen.
Want to find out more ... check our our website at www.e4gr.org.
"Christ's example is being
demeaned by the church if they ignore the new leprosy,
which is AIDS. The church is the sleeping giant here.
If it wakes up to what's really going on in the rest
of the world, it has a real role to play. If it doesn't,
it will be irrelevant."
- Bono
Episcopalians for 
