Pheasants and The Brau Haus

I'm toward the end of a hunting break and I've stopped at the Brau Haus in Lucan. The beer is brewed in town, the service is great, and an old friend lives nearby.

Maybe it's time for Barkley

With Coleman and Franken smearing eachother maybe it's time for an indepenent


Independent voices could bring sanity about the over and above the din of two candidates and their allies smearing each other while not facing the issues.

Still Waiting for a Bank Holiday

There's little doubt that the bear market of late has happened as a result of private sector conduct and the public sector's failure to oversee the private sector. The question for the next president will not be if their administration should act in response, but how it should act. I asked for a bank holiday for the whole financial services sector in this blog in March. It clearly hasn't happened yet.

My question today is what comes next. Government involvement proposed thus far hasn't amounted to any real benefit at all (beyond psychological benefit); it's just to early in the game to see if the money allocated for future spending will be spent in the right places and in the right amounts.

I'm curious as the plan to move forward takes shape if it will focus on jobs as well as the reform of financial institutions. There's no question that the New Deal had some real shortcomings; but for all its shortcomings Roosevelt's plan was more comprehensive than the current plan because it dealt with both the needs of the unemployed and and the crisis in the banking sector. If politicians learn anything from history let it be that the whole nation has been effected by the financial crisis and that its not enough just to create jobs or just to pump money into FDIC insured banks and uninsured institutions that act like banks to keep them afloat.

The New Deal drove the economy of the working class for most of Roosevelt's first term; but it wasn't enough; banking and investing needed reform. Still after all is said and done even the New Deal alone wasn't enough to rebuild the national economy. Roosevelt created his own mini depression by trying to end the New Deal in his second term. Unemployment rose because the private sector wasn't able to employ those who had earlier been employed through the New Deal. History has many lessons to teach our next president if anyone is ready to help him listen.

Published simultaneously at Unlikely Banter on Newsvine

Studs Terkel Author and Socal-Historian Dead at 96

One of the great students and story tellers of American Social History died this week. Mr. Terkel's books have told the stories of working class Americans and social activists for the last half century. He never hid his politics or passion for justice and truth in his writings or in his interviews of people who might never be interviewed by the mainstream media.

Stud Terkel's books have been found on many a night stand and have allowed our nation glimpses of our diverse culture, life-styles, and experiences. His taped interviews allowed people not just to be described but to tell their own story and use their own words to make sense of the often challenging dynamics of our nation. He will surely be missed both as a literary figure and a key social commentator committed to telling untold stories in creative and interesting ways.

published simultaneously at Unlikely Banter on Newsvine.

Was it Realy a Rally in the Market

In the past two weeks we've seen two major days of gains in the Dow each in the neighborhood of 900 point. It seems logical that someone might come out to buy as prices fall. It also makes sense that as stocks are sold off at loss they have to sold to a party ready and willing to buy them on the way down.
The question remains until the losses stop when will the bottom come and who will be lucky enough to buy in at the absolute bottom. One days gains can quickly disappear as confidence and the will to risk scarce capital diminish. It seems sad to watch a little money put into the market a few weeks ago shrinking; but the losses of the last week don't compare to the losses of the last month. It just leaves investors and would be first time investors with a little cash to start saving with when is the right time to start.

No pheasents 2 bluebirds & 2 eagles.

Teddy, the American Water Spaniel, joined me in a long nature walk today. I went, 12-guage in hand, looking for tasty birds to eat but found none at any of our 3 stops: Spring Valley WMA, Upper Iowa WMA, and Beaver Creek WMA. We did spot a fox, several mice and gophers, 2 bald eagles, and 2 bluejays.

2 Churches then homeward bound

Sunday morning on vacation is always a moment of decision for me; as an active pastor in a church. 48 Sundays a year I'm committed to be present in 1 congregation of 1 specific denomination. On Sundays when I'm on vacation there's a surprising moment of decision. Where to worship? This morning I visited 2 different churches.
I went alone to my first pick, ST JOSEPH Ukranian Catholic Church, located at 5000 N Cumberland Ave, Chicago, IL 60656. It was a quick drive from our hotel. The 8 a.m. mass was in Ukranian (sung parts) and English (spoken parts readings, prayers, sermon). The sermon was top notch and scriptural. The preacher held up Jesus' story in the gospel text about Lazarus and the rich man in Luke as an invitation to both care for the poor and to live with humility if we live in plenty.
I was greeted in Ukranian on my way in and out of church. On the way out I had a good conversation with the cantor.
We went together as a family (along with my beloved's dad and his girlfriend) to the UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST Church of Elgin located 39W830 Highland Avenue Elgin, Illinois. The order of service allowed time for sharing of joys and concerns, had adult and youth leaders, a variety of music (some prerecorded) .
Chilren were ushered out for snack and story while the adults received a presenation about "reclaiming the word god" from the minister. It was a thoughtful reflection on the nature of the divine but I couldn't help wondering throughout the presentation just how the congregation and its minister would have reacted durring the response time if the Apostle Paul had stood in their midst and delivered his same sermon that he shared on Mars Hill in Acts 17 :16-34. I'll email their minister and ask his response.