I'll make this short. We can't forget about Houston like we did about New Orleans. The hurricane is gone, but the need is not. CNN reports that the Houston Food Bank is completely overwhelmed with requests. To add to the problem is that a lot of agencies that the food bank normally works through are either wiped out or shut down because of the storm.

So, give if you can. Money if you aren't close, food and time if you are.

http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/

Damn, do I find this funny.

Currently, there is a House of Representatives Subcommittee investigating the incidence of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and rape of female personnel in the US military. Sadly, I first became aware of this reading the Doonesbury comic strip rather than from any of the usual media sources. I'll skip the usual histrionics that "I'm appalled that the media would overlook...." I know, it's an election cycle and all eyes are on the Presidential candidates. Though, it would be nice for some to take a cue from the election scare tactics and brow beating about supporting the military and avoiding sexist attacks on current or former candidates, and focus on something that supports both women and the military. Namely, making the military safer for women.

This isn't a partisan issue, because I don't believe either presidential candidate has mentioned anything about this. Important points to note:

1. The Associated Press reported in July that of all the women who have visited a VA facility after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, 15 percent of them screened positive for military sexual trauma.
2. Dr. Kaye Whitley, the director of the defense department's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office was subpoenaed to appear before the committee on July 31, but was ordered by her superiors to not show up. A cover up of the issue by the military is alleged, but she is scheduled to testify this week.
   
3. According to a Government Accountability Office survey, 103 servicemembers reported being sexually assaulted within the previous year, and 52 did not report the assault.
   

Here's a news article from ABC news on the topic, and a recently published GAO report on the topic. It's definitely not thrilling reading, but it is important. Remember, not every soldier that comes home will have visible wounds. There may be efforts to avoid "friendly fire" when we are at war, but the military has a long way to go to protect it's female soldiers from some not so friendly comrades in arms.

And now, a break from the political commentary, for the religiously absurd. I wonder how this would preach?

To add to the political videos on here as of late, here is an awesome clip of Rage Against the Machine in St. Paul Minnesota. After the police shut down their public address system, they went out with a bullhorn, and performed acapella, to show that no one can silence free speech.

I'm sitting at home, having just watched the first part of Barack Obama's interview on Bill O'Reilly's show. Not surprisingly, I found the double standards and the hypocrisy of the show astounding. My temperature rising, I come to check my email, and find this gem of a video from the Daily Show. I intend to use this in many political debates to come. Again, how is it that the comedians can do what the politicians and the media cannot? Maybe it's true, the jester can say things to the king that no one else can.

Hey all, after a couple of weeks back from my vacation, I'm finally collected enough to post pictures and give an overview.

First, here's a link to my flickr page with all my pictures.

Overall, the trip was great. I took an Amtrak train from Chicago to East Glacier, Montana. It was about a 30 hour ride, and it was quite enjoyable. I saw a lot of the country I hadn't seen before, and I got some good pictures shooting out the window.

My first day in Glacier I took a tour with the Going to the Sun tour company, a tour company run by the blackfeet tribe. After that, I took hikes to Cobalt lake (which almost killed this flatlander, who forgot to factor in elevation to his hiking plans), St. Mary Lake, St. Mary falls, Virginia falls, Twin Falls, Two Medicine lake, and got a good amount of relaxing and thinking in as well. I saw or hiked along Sinopah Mountain, Rising Wolf Mountain, Triple Divide peak, one of the few places in the world where water will eventually flow to three different oceans. I met some really cool people, and really relaxed.

After Glacier, I headed to Spokane Washington to visit a friend from seminary. What I had not counted on was catching giardia, or beaver fever, which made for an uncomfortable train ride. But, one visit to the nearest Emergency Room and a full day of sleep later, I was doing alright. We drove out to a retreat center in Idaho, and just hung out.

It was a great vacation, and it helped me focus on what I'd like to do next. I'd like to work at a retreat center, either as director, or in operations. It is a good melding of my seminary training, my natural inclinations, and my current work. So, the next couple months are going to be spent looking into job possibilities.

Glacier Park was a wonderful place, and somewhere I intend to visit again soon.