I've been wearing the same clothes for weeks now and I really see no problem with it. ;)

Actually I do believe people can change. I personally believe that groups such as twelve-step groups provide a good model for people wanting to recover from addictions. These meetings generally involve a person becoming vulnerable with other people and ane learning to depend on a "Higher Power". As 1 Peter 5:7 says, "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."

This reminds me, I think I'm late for my Xanga Anonymous meeting, but they'll understand. 

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Also, here are the results of a quiz I posted two years ago. Just thought I'd repost it...

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a creative hotbed of artistic talent. You're always making pictures in your mind, especially when you're bored. You are easily inspired to think colorful, interesting thoughts. And although it may be hard to express these thoughts, it won't always be.

I'm the tired guy rapping and making myself look like a fool.   But ah well, it's true that the guys in my band are much cooler than me. Anyways, check out this podcast from a couple of months ago when my band played out in West Virginia. Happy Valentine's Day! Pete

"Midwest Blizzard"

Snow fills the frigid air,

Swirling past city lights,

Falling where it may.

Carried by the blustery wind,

Snowflakes hurry,

Silently,

Like the people walking,

On this cold winter night.

I'll probably be voting for John McCain on "Super Tuesday." Why? There are several reasons but it really comes down to the issues and I find that I agree with his positions more than most of the other candidates. But it also comes down to the overall consistency of his message. Unlike some other presidential candidates (Romney, Hillary, etc.) he hasn't come across as somebody who has changed his core positions on a regular basis. Here are some issues where I agree with John McCain.

Immigration - Contrary to popular conservative opinion I believe that McCain actually sided with Ronald Reagan on the issue of immigration and that Reagan was pro-amnesty in some cases. As Reagan once said, "The legalization provisions in this act will go far to improve the lives of a class of individuals who now must hide in the shadows, without access to many of the benefits of a free and open society. Very soon many of these men and women will be able to step into the sunlight and, ultimately, if they choose, they may become Americans" (link). I respect McCain's consistency on this issue though it has made him the political enemy of people like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

Bipartisanship - McCain has had the rare ability to reach beyond party lines as he has been endorsed by both the New York Times (link) and Joe Lieberman (link). This will make it difficult for him to win the Republican nomination but will help him during the general election.

Torture - Since McCain is the only politician running for office who has actually been tortured I think it gives him additional credibility. McCain is strongly against using torture during interrogation techniques and I agree with him on this issue. As he states, "The abuse of prisoners harms, not helps, our war effort." (link).

Economy - The U.S. Congress has spent over $70 of pork since 2005. However, McCain actually has not sponsored any earmarks since he's been a Senator (link), setting a fiscally conservative example for a financially indulgent Congress.

Iraq - Should we have gone into Iraq to begin with? Honestly I don't know. The war may have been based on faulty intelligence or a heightened amount of fear after 9/11, but either way both Democrats and Republicans voted on the intelligence they saw, and both parties chose to send our troops into war. To argue that only one party believed that Saddam had WMD's to me is misleading. For example, in 2002, Al Gore said, "We know that [Hussein] has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country". Also in 2002, Sen. Ted Kennedy said, "We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction" (link). 

Now that we are in Iraq, is an immediate pullout a good idea? I personally don't think so. Iraqis are used to having some sort of powerful figure govern over them - be it Saddam Hussein or the United States - and I tend to think that leaving Iraq would create a vacuum that an ill-intending group like Al Qaeda would love to fill. A good friend of mine is currently serving in Iraq and I believe that our military is filled with good people like him who continue help in the protection of Iraqi citizens, the training of the Iraq army and the building of the Iraq democracy. 

As Joe Lieberman puts it, "There are many fine people running for President. Many of them are good friends of mine. But I have concluded -- and I hope you will, as well -- that John McCain is the candidate who can best reunite our country and lead us to victory in the war against Islamist terrorism" (link).

Who will you be voting for this election?

I was reading about Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee recently and found a surprising fact. According to exit polling, Huckabee won 48% of the African American vote during his last election for Governor of Arkansas, which for a Republican is very high. While exit polling can be inaccurate I do think that for some reason his message tends to resonate with the African American community - at least in Arkansas. "I do believe that the facts will bear out that Huckabee went beyond (Clinton) in employing key African-Americans on his staff and administration and also in appointing them to boards and commissions," said Stacy Williams, a Little Rock based political consultant (link). At work yesterday I was talking with two friends I work with who happen to be African American, one of whom a month ago was supporting Obama, another who is a Republican. I asked them both a few days ago what their thoughts are on the election and they both told me they like Huckabee - at least at this point.  I personally appreciate Huckabee on this issue though I'm not fully committed to a candidate at this point.

Why do Democrat politicians usually receive a higher percentage of African American votes?

I tend tohave the belief that nobody is beyond hope or forgiveness and that hope and forgiveness can ultimately change a person, so long as that person is sincere in their repentance. This comes mostly from my belief in a forgiving God. For example, we've all probably heard thestory of the prodigal son in which a man abandons his father, squandering his inheritance. His life is ultimately ended in ruins and he humbly returns to his father, fully expecting to be thrown from his presence. But his father surprisingly had a different reaction. As Luke 15:20 states, “So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” I can only imagine that this changed the son's perspective of his father and that it ultimately had an influence on his own actions. But he first had to realize that he was in the wrong in order to fully appreciate this father's response. So in conclusion I think that if a sex offender fully realizes his orher actions and is sincerely repentant, that person can be forgiven and has hope to change his or her ways, providing he or she is willing to follow a recovery plan.

edit - While I do believe nobody is beyond change I also believe there are some people, including sex offenders, who are beyond trust. If somebody is a convicted sex offender I tend to think that person should not be granted the same societal privileges as a law abiding citizen.

Do you believe a sex offender has anyhope of change?

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To what extent do celebrity endorsements influence how you vote?

This question is a bit hard for me to answer because I often focus on my weaknesses as a person. But one thing I do like about myself is that I generally try to be compassionate with people who seem to be hurting. In highschool for example I often tried to befriend the kids that were made fun of. Of course there is more I could have done and still can do as far as standing up to bullies, but overall I think I usually try to stand up for the little guy, having felt like an outsider myself at times.

Is it easier for you to focus on your strengths or your weaknesses?

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I have some personal experience with this as I was was wrestling with depression and decided to take an SSRI during my early 20's. While the antidepressant initially helped I eventually found myself becoming more depressed over time, even more depressed than I was before I started taking the medication. Shortly after this the FDA came out with a new statement about antidepressants, stating that they can potentially lead to "...increased risks of suicidal thinking and behavior, known as suicidality, in young adults ages 18 to 24 during initial treatment..." (link). 

After weaning myself off of the medicine I found some great success with different supplements and essential vitamins, specifically Omega 3 essential fatty acids. The Stanford University website states, "Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids necessary for human health...They are termed 'essential' because they cannot be produced by the body, and must therefore be obtained from the diet" (link). The University of Maryland Medical Center adds, "Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include extreme tiredness (fatigue), poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation" (link).

While I think that most people in the health system have good intentions, I also believe that some drug companies are more concerned with gaining financial wealth than actually helping people. And since a lot of the medications that are prescribed are new and therefore relatively untested, I think a healthy dose of skepticism may be just what the doctor ordered.

*edit* I didn't mean to come off anti-medication in this post. I mainly just think that medications are sometimes prescribed too early before trying other routes. I actually keep a lot of my clients accountable to taking their medicines on a daily basis. My problem is when a client is on a cocktail of five or six different meds to "balance" out the side effects of each other. Thanks to everyone who read this! :) Pete

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I wrote this song a few weeks ago on a retreat with my parent's church. It's basically about God's grace and forgiveness. Thanks for listening. Pete

edit - now with harmonies