November Rains

It has been cloudy, cold and rainy for days now here in the heartland of America. People are by turns happy about the election outcomes, angry about the election outcomes or consumed with their own personal daily grind. I'm feeling introspective.

I for one am cultivating a wait-and-see attitude towards the likable and brilliant Mr. Obama ~ as I tell my Catholic traditionalist friends - three words: remember Tony Blair. After his liberal party came to power and stayed there a while, the first thing he did after leaving office was run out and join The Catholic Church.

The pressures of state on a complex and righteous man can turn him to God in a way that we shall just have to trust the archangels with. I mean for goodness sakes, after 8 years in power the so-called conservatives haven't changed the atmosphere regarding the sanctity of human life one iota. If anything it is worse than ever.

"The best political, social, and spiritual work we can do is to withdraw the projection of our shadow onto others."- Carl Jung

It has been rightly said that Barack Obama is the first postmodern American president. Thi sis nothing but good news for the genuine Christians amongst us, for in history the so-called "Dark Ages" of post-empire were not very dark at all, they brought about great changes in art, religion, science and agriculture. Think the Irish monks illuminating the Book of Kells, universities founded, the foundation for science laid, Gregorian chant and all the basis for Western classical music laid, Byzantium and its high Christian culture, algebra arrived from the East, amazing architecture, laws passed which were more just, greatly productive agriculture. So back to the future we go! Just as not all that glitters is gold, not all the looks bleak is.

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My Contribution to the "Honeymoon" Phase: Aretha and Fasting

His selection of Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff raised my eyebrows
pretty high. But rather than rush to judgement, I am
going to wait and see how the rest of President Obama's cabinet shakes out.

In the meantime, enjoy my little contribution to the
"honeymoon phase" of the new presidency. As someone who was raised yellow dog Democrat who remembers the stirring promise of JFK and Bobby and the oratory and bravery of Martin, I am fasting today for my country's new leader and praying that he is will be converted, like Tony Blair, to Catholicism.
Please join me. Especially if you are a Trad who has been bad-mouthing Obama. It'll be good for the country & good for your soul.

A song penned by Sam Cooke during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s after being greatly moved upon hearing Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1963."A Change Is Going to Come" was voted #12 for Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. This song has been covered by Bob Dylan, Tina Turner Aretha Franklin, The 5th Dimension (in a 1970 medley with The Rascals' "People Got to Be Free"), The Band, Al Green GreeneBilly Bragg, Solomon Burke, Terence Trent D'Arby, Gavin Degraw, the Fugees, the Cold War Kids, The Gits, Deitrick Haddon, Prince Buster, Morten Harket, The Neville Brothers, Johnny P, Otis Redding, Leela James, Tina Turner, and The Supremes. Arcade Fire has used the song in support of Barack Obama's nomination for President of the United States.

Enjoy.