Obama vs. McCain: Who Loves Jesus the Mostathon '08

Is anyone else as excited as I am about the McCain/Obama "I'm more Christian than you" faceoff? Actually, I really am very interested in seeing this. My interest in the presidents extends to their faiths. The faiths of our presidents intrigues me greatly, but it has absolutely no bearing in my decision on which candidate I will vote to elect as our Commander-in-Chief.

When a very popular email was circulating that purported that Obama was secretly a Muslim who may be the anti-Christ, I realized two things:

1. Our Nation is full of idiots who have somehow figured out how to hit the "forward" button.
2. Religion really is the main criteria to become President of the United States.
   

My roommate Eric was the first person to bring this email to my attention. He had forwarded it to me at work, so that we may share in laughing at its absurdity. Eric had received it from someone he knew. When Eric replied to the sender with the comment, "this is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever read," the sender fired back with "What is so ridiculous about it?"

The most ridiculous thing that I found in the email was that it claimed that every piece of information in the email was fact and could be verified at http://www.snopes.com/. It even went as far as to give the link. I clicked on the link and snopes.com actually rebutted the email almost entirely.

I brought up the absurdity of the email to other people and was not met with the same agreement that I found with my roommate. Many people believed that Obama is Muslim. In fact, the Pew Research Center recently found that 12% of people polled thought that Obama is Muslim.

When the Muslim claim rears its ugly head, I always start by making the same two points:

1. Obama is not Muslim.
2. Even if he was Muslim, who cares?

Point #2 is always met with a disagreement. I really would not care if Obama was Muslim. I don't know why anyone would, except for insecurity or ignorance. Insecurity would cause someone to think that his religion is somehow diminished if someone of a different religion makes it to the White House. Ignorance would take care of the other 999 reasons someone would have a problem with a non-Christian being President (Note: non-Christian does not = evil).

The President is not preaching to us on Sunday in our church, and he isn't giving last rites - so, why does it matter what religion he is? Seriously, if anyone has a logical answer to this question, I would love to hear it in the comments section.

I would suspect that a person might argue that he wants the President to have the same morals as he has. Well, a Muslim can have the exact same morals that a Christian has.

The person then might say that he wants the President to have the same beliefs as him. Well, I can understand the desire for the President to have the same political beliefs because that effects legislation, but why is it necessary to line up religiously? It isn't necessary.

Going back to my assertion that being a Christian is the #1 criteria for becoming President, I truly believe that a reformed bank robber who had been released from prison 12 years ago would have a better chance of being President than a Muslim (Actually, I don't think that the Constitution allows for ex-cons to be President, but I'm just giving an example...get off my balls).

Recently, I read a book, The Faiths of Our Fathers by Alf J. Mapp, Jr. In the book, Mapp delves into what many of our founding fathers did, said, or thought regarding their own spirituality. I got the book in the bargain bin at Barnes & Noble, and it was just a mediocre read. I suspect that there has to be a better book written on the subject and would take any recommendations. Nevertheless, I was intrigued by the beliefs of many of our founders.

George Washington was quiet about his personal religious beliefs and was never seen taking communion. Benjamin Franklin kind of made up his own religion. He believed in a Supreme Being with subordinate gods in some strange hierarchy of solar system gods. Franklin was also believed to be a Deist at certain stages of his life, believing that a Creator made the universe and hadn't interfered with man since.

Thomas Jefferson is a very interesting character as well, but his religious beliefs changed at different stages of his life. He dabbled in Deism and was a big proponent of reason. He also enjoyed Christian teachings but disregarded the mystical components. Whatever he believed at whatever stage of his life, Jefferson always seemed to portray a strong affinity for religious freedom.

In the chapter on John Adams, Mapp uses a quote that I love from Rt. Rev. William A. Brown, an Episcopal Bishop in Southern Virginia. A Calvinist clergyman was chiding Brown about some foibles of the old gentleman's flock, and Brown replied, "A Presbyterian will do anything an Episcopalian would. He just won't enjoy it."

I guess tomorrow night will give us an interesting glance into the beliefs of our presidential candidates, but it shouldn't be used in making a decision on how you will vote. We shouldn't pass judgement on one man's beliefs or the other's because as John Locke said, "The care of every man's soul belongs to himself."

Kermit for Dinner

I've decided to cook more this week. I found some wild-caught jumbo shrimp for half off at Kroger, so I made shrimp grits yesterday. It was pretty good, but I'll know next time to make the grits a little creamier.

Searching for some new flavors in the seasonings aisle at Kroger, I ended up spending about 20% of my grocery bill on seasonings. One good find was Chef Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic. I used it with the shrimp and it was dee-lish.

Today, I decided to fry up some frog legs and squash. Surprisingly, Kroger sells frog legs, at least in Mississippi. I used a wet mix first by combining Tony Cachere's, Louisiana Hot Sauce, half & half, lemon juice and Mrs. Dash's Garlic and Herbs spice. Marinating the frog legs in the wet mix, I then dredged them in my dry mix made up of soy flour and Famous Dave's Country Roast Chicken Seasoning. I didn't see a Country Roast Frog Seasoning, so I guess Ol' Dave is ignoring that demographic.

I used the same method for frying the squash, and it didn't work quite as well; nevertheless, the squash ended up tasty all the same.

The frog legs turned out quite well, as you can see from the pic above. If you haven't ever had fried frog legs, they really are very tasty. Everyone uses the chicken comparison for every other meat, so I guess I'll use it as a jumping off point. The frog legs are white like chicken, but a little chewier in texture and less greasy. My roommate describes them as somewhere between chicken and duck, but I don't know if I would use that as my ultimate description.

All in all, I was simply pleased that I didn't screw it up. The last time I fried anything was three years ago and I caught my mom's kitchen on fire and came away with 2nd degree burns. Just fyi...if you fry anything, do it on a low heat. Don't get frustrated if the oil isn't heating up fast enough and turn up the heat to the highest level. I've found that the oil can suddenly burst into flames and spread very quickly. No fun. Luckily, I have a mom that was just happy I wasn't more injured than I was and didn't care about her kitchen. My sister, on the other hand, chose to laugh at my predicament.

Moral of today's post: Kermit tastes good.

Bernie Mac Died

Bernie Mac died on Saturday. I'm sadder than a mother fucker. Think of all of the white people who will now have to find a new black comic to not understand.

Brett Favre

Being that I share an alma mater with Brett Favre, I feel compelled to throw in my two cents about the events that have unfolded over the last month or so. I am surprised at many reactions of people regarding this fiasco.

My friend, Kevin, lives closer to Green Bay than anyone else I know, so I asked him to take the temperature of Packer Nation. Surprisingly, he said that many of the Packer fans he has talked to are siding with management. They think that Favre is ruining his legacy by coming back and can't stand to see him in another jersey.

This baffles me. First of all, can Favre really ruin his legacy? No...he may be able to diminish it, but who is to say that he can't improve upon it. Anyway, who cares? Let him play because he wants to. In an age where we lament over the professional athletes of yore who played for the sheer joy of their game, here we are ridiculing a man for doing just that. Favre was offered $25 million to stay retired! Favre was offered $25 million to stay retired! And yes, I meant to type that twice. His response was basically "Screw it, give me a football to throw."

The second Packer fan complaint was that they hate to see Favre in another team's jersey. Well, why are there Packer fans siding with management then? In my opinion, the Packers basically did everything short of hiring a hitman to prevent Favre from coming back. They could have made it easy for everybody by just going to Aaron at the beginning and saying, "Hey kid, I know we promised you the starting position this year, but there is this guy named Favre who wants to throw until his arm falls off and due to what this organization owes him, we're going to let him do just that."

I saw Ben Roethlisberger interviewed on ESPN, and I loved his remarks on the Favre situation. I am paraphrasing, but he basically said, "He's Brett Favre...he can do whatever he wants. I mean, it sucks for Aaron, but it's Brett Favre." Doesn't that sum it all up?

Why can Favre do whatever he wants? Well, because he's Brett Favre. What does that mean? Being Brett Favre means that you are one of the greatest natural talents in professional sports. It means that you play with childlike enthusiasm and zest for the game that is unparalleled. Being Brett Favre means that your arm gets compared to a cannon, while your charisma and charm levels are off the charts.

I have a friend who played an extra in a Wrangler commercial with Brett Favre. He said that Brett was really laid back and hung out to shoot the shit with the extras between takes.

I was on the phone with a client the other day and he said that he shares hunting land that Favre uses. He said that he has run into him and Favre spent a good 25 minutes talking to him about whatever. I guess we all love Favre because he is so down to earth. You know...he is just the real sodium chloride of the 4.54 billion year old oblate spheroid with an iron inner core.

You gotta love Favre for who he is and what he represents, so forgive him for whatever transgressions you believe he committed against the game and let's enjoy him for however long we can. He just so much damn fun.

What is Wrong with Politicians?

Should we even care what our elected officials do with their free time? I don't want to care, but I do. Hanging on to some childhood notion that politicians should lead by example, I want my Senator or President to be honest, ethical, and a good human being.

I guess it goes back to a trust issue. I never trusted our current Prez, and so I never voted for him (okay, even if I trusted him, I probably wouldn't have voted for him on account of the mild retardation thing). My affiliation isn't with one political party or another, but I lean more to the left on many issues. Even so, I still wouldn't and didn't vote (primary) for Hillary Clinton because I simply don't trust her. Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush are the same person. They don't line up anywhere on the political spectrum, but both will do anything it takes to get what he/she wants.

Recently, John Edwards admitted to having an affair in 2006. I'll concede the fact that Edwards is much better looking than his wife. But just because the car I drive looks like a piece of shit doesn't mean I should go out and steal a BMW - that would be wrong. I'll also concede the fact that the previous analogy doesn't really work.

What he did was wrong. He lied, cheated, and proved that his moral compass is skewed. He lost some of my trust. If he wasn't married and had slept with a 22 year old working on his staff, that would get alot of media attention as well, but I wouldn't have a big problem with it. Adultery is a big deal, and I don't want an adulterer deciding what is right or wrong for my country.

Do I care that Larry Craig is gay? No. I do care that he has been living a lie for years and was asking for knob jobs in a Minnesota airport bathroom (Sidenote: I've been to Minnesota and I couldn't even get a "hello" from anyone on the street, so I am amazed that he could get "mouth hugs" from strangers in a bathroom). Anyone like that has no place making decisions that effect other people's lives.

Does it matter that Elliot Spitzer boinked a hooker? Okay, that one was wrong from all angles.

In closing, I think John Edwards said it best in reference to Bill Clinton in '99:

"I think this president has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter. It is breathtaking to me the level to which that disrespect has risen."

Top 5 Songs You've Never Heard...

I love finding a new band or song that is unapologetically magnificent. In true High Fidelity fashion, I have assembled the top 5 songs you've never heard. How do I determine whether you have heard something? Well, I am relying on the laws of probability, and the only criteria that I have set is that the musician has to have less than 5,000 friends on MySpace. I doubt you can find a better list with the same criteria. Here it is...

5. "Around the Sun" - Ryanhood: Ryanhood is a new generation's Simon & Garfunkel, if they married the Gin Blossoms and had kids named Ryanhood. Huh? That didn't even make sense. This is my favorite song they perform, but they do quite a few good originals mixed with some killer covers. They do a fun blend of a previously mentioned duo's "Mrs. Robinson" with Outkast's "Ms. Jackson". They also do a great Beatles cover of "Dear Prudence". MySpace Friends = 3,209

4. "She's In My Head" - Friday Night Gigolos: Fun and energetic, this band from the Mississippi Gulf Coast brings the party back to town. MySpace Friends = 1,602

3. "Meet Me in the Garden" - Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele: Had to add this one because Dent used to play with my brother back in kindygarten. Five degrees aside, he really is talented and has a pleasantly mature voice. MySpace Friends = 4,721

2. "Jellyroll" - Cary Hudson: Man, he is talented. I could put his song, "Snow in Mississippi", at this slot and be just as content. Cary doesn't fit into any kind of easy mold or template for good music. He does a little rock, a little blues, a little bluegrass, and a lot of kickin' ass. I guess I would describe his music as folksy bluesgrass rock. He plays harmonica in a Neil Young or Dylanesque fashion. Check him out! MySpace Friends = 3,170

1. "uva" - the persians: In the top spot, I've got to represent Mississippi (I think Starkville counts). I just think this is the most fun song. Everytime I hear it, I find myself playing air drums, beating my knee, and singing along. The song's title is an acronym for "unrequited visual affection". If you can find one other person that has either heard of this song or band, then you shoud be given a cookie (not a sugar cookie though). MySpace Friends = 220

Why write a blog?

What inspires a person to scribe his opinions, inner thoughts, and general musings on a blog for anyone and everyone to see? Is it ego, boredom, a just cause, or the need for a psychological release? For me, I find myself processing more these days and figured that this will be just one more outlet. Writing provides an excellent instrument to chew and spit out a thought, and if I'm going to write it down, someone else might as well read it. You're welcome.

Don't get me wrong...my motives aren't completely benevolent. I've always had a desire to entertain, so I hope that this fulfills some of that need. Well, I hope it evolves into something interesting, and I know that it's all about the smiles and cries.