tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90662892011-08-01T12:30:49.456-04:00Thoughts about liberal religion (I'm a Unitarian Universalist), liberal/progressive politics, and increasingly more other subjects.Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.comBlogger10751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-87822826656931651322010-10-12T14:42:00.006-04:002010-10-12T14:48:01.522-04:00

The following quote is from a sermon given by the Reverend Danny Reed of the Unitarian Church in Charleston [SC], on October 10, 2010. It speaks as well as anything I've seen to what Unitarian Universalism is: For whom is my church? It’s for anybody who’s ever wept at a sunrise and felt the need to thank the universe for starlight and sea breeze. It’s for anybody who’s ever had a broken heart

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-44724833620094381052010-07-06T10:39:00.001-04:002010-07-06T10:41:37.998-04:00

I'd like to thank our South Carolina legislators and Governor for the work they do to making lower taxes their number one priority. First, on behalf of educators, I'd like to thank legislators for allowing teachers the privilege of teaching more and more students in each classroom. I don't know many teachers. However, I suspect that - if they're anything like those who get paid on a piecework

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-4532028252797943692010-05-11T19:03:00.001-04:002010-05-11T19:05:19.136-04:00

Want to see what's going on in the Social Justice area of the net? Check this out ... Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition » change_setup('300', 'Featured', 'all', '#1A3563');

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-78263000855063459072009-09-14T08:56:00.001-04:002009-09-14T08:56:35.192-04:00

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-66035660439482236392009-07-29T09:24:00.002-04:002009-07-29T09:29:16.429-04:00

I attended a talk by Peter Morales (the new president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations) at SUUSI this past week. He spoke about "the future of our movement". I wanted to pass along several thoughts he spoke about. We have around 150,000 members, and the best estimate is that we get about 250,000 visitors per year. Our growth problem, then, is not marketing - it's

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-79402935106718180652009-05-18T12:04:00.002-04:002009-05-18T12:27:09.624-04:00

This past Sunday, I was elected to serve on the Vestry (the governing body) of the Unitarian Church in Charleston (SC). Because we just moved to Charleston in late August of last year, I'm a quite new member. I expect my experience serving on the Board of Governors of United First Parish in Quincy, MA was one of the reasons I was honored with the nomination. On the previous Sunday, there was a

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-16863261485144425372009-04-30T19:31:00.004-04:002009-04-30T19:38:16.494-04:00

I had a job interview about a week or so ago. (As background, I have experience being a software developer using Oracle databases, but not as a Data Base Administrator, who works directly with the database itself.) The job had a number of technical requirements related to Oracle database work. I told the recruiter that I had experience with about 1/2 of them, and didn't have any experience

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-1441192066652960882009-04-27T14:36:00.004-04:002009-04-27T14:43:21.671-04:00

Doug Mudar, in a UUWorld article called Holding the Center, discusses James P. Carse's The Religious Case Against Belief in which Carse lays out a distinction between belief systems and religions: In a nutshell, belief systems provide the comfort of clear answers; religions provide a sense of wonder in the contemplation of mystery. By this definition, fundamentalism and atheism fall the

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-86054712080203412302009-03-20T13:45:00.002-04:002009-03-20T13:49:47.952-04:00

According to an article in Newsweek, some Christians are now referring to themselves as "followers of Jesus" because that phrase doesn't carry the apparent baggage that "Christians" does. You can wear it abroad, in Islamic countries, or at home with your Jewish or Buddhist friends, without causing offense. Second, it distances the bearer from the culture wars that have made American politics so

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-11707088212649208922009-03-18T12:44:00.002-04:002009-03-18T12:48:24.841-04:00

By Tal Ben Shahar, Author of The Pursuit of Perfect: to Stop Chasing and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life "The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men"-George Eliot We are constantly bombarded with perfection. Adonis on the cover of Men'sHealth and Helen on the cover of Vogue; women and men getting together on the larger-than-life screen,

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-26095041510476023312009-03-13T18:00:00.004-04:002009-03-13T20:53:58.437-04:00

Before I get to the point of this post, let me say that I'm the sort of person who on occasion speaks to a manager of a business to pass along my thoughts about it. Most frequently, that might be the manager of a restaurant, for example. I've told managers that the service I got from a waitperson was really great, that the food was really good, or that there was a little slippery spot on the

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-43455537935908314212009-03-09T14:40:00.002-04:002009-03-09T14:57:26.355-04:00

Back in the middle of February, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) took some time out his busy schedule to walk down the main street of the business district of the Park Circle area of North Charleston, SC badmouthing the stimulus bill. It got me to wondering: assuming that someone as busy as Senator Graham does nothing without a specific purpose, what was the purpose of this trash-talk walk? To

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-73997995568135877062009-03-09T10:34:00.002-04:002009-03-09T10:37:02.251-04:00

I ran into an interesting site called UpDown.com where you can practice your investment skills. They give you a virtual $1 million account and the people who beat the Standard and Poors 500 Index every month win money. Hey, you can't do much worse than than experienced investment bankers have been doing!

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-86775722909555642902009-02-22T15:50:00.002-05:002009-02-22T15:54:10.774-05:00

Here's where part of the banking bailout money is going ... 37-year-old Nigerian scammer Paul Gabriel Amos convinced Citibank officials to wire him $27 million belonging to Ethiopia. Rather than go with the usual Nigerian nom de plumes like prince or will executor, Famous Amos pretended to be an official with the National Bank of Ethiopia. Amos forged "official-looking" documents that confirmed

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-22063812543484066492009-02-16T13:21:00.003-05:002009-02-16T13:29:52.800-05:00

I've got my resume up on Monster. As those of you who know me know, I'm an IT (Information Technology) kinda of guy. (For those of you who don't know me, I'm also an IT kind of guy). So my resume is full of words and expressions like Oracle SQL, UNIX , and COBOL. Helps to use the right buzzwords. So I got a lead today from Monster - I was psyched! Somebody's hiring! Here's the email:

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-14187692007310471252009-02-06T12:39:00.002-05:002009-02-06T12:42:03.509-05:00

I found a great new word today: Apatheism. Wikipedia defines it as acting with apathy, disregard, or lack of interest towards belief, or lack of belief in a deity. Apatheism describes the manner of acting towards a belief or lack of a belief in a deity; so applies to both theism and atheism. An apatheist is also someone who is not interested in accepting or denying any claims that gods exist or

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-36455349624190200272009-02-05T12:36:00.001-05:002009-02-05T12:37:59.737-05:00

Since my favorite food store, Trader Joe's (which doesn't exist in South Carolina!) doesn't make TV commercials, someone made one for them:

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-81631400862313392702009-02-02T12:10:00.003-05:002009-02-04T09:58:16.614-05:00

In January 2009, the Unitarian Universalist Thomas Jefferson District held a Growth Conference. One presentation outlined which factors promote church group in UU congregations. Below are notes from that presentation, written by Rev. Peter Lanzillotta of the Unitarian Church in Charleston (SC) which sponsored the event. The notes are reproduced with permission. 1) Churches located in cities

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-35541820457828437162009-01-15T15:50:00.002-05:002009-01-15T15:57:56.333-05:00

I had the opportunity to see the film Bin Yah a few nights ago as part of a film series in Park Circle (North Charleston). It's a documentary presented by The ChasDOC Film Society that explores the potential loss of important historic African American communities in Mt. Pleasant, S.C due to growth and development. "Bin yah" is Gullah and it sort of means "been here (for a long time)". It's

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-6649378331711103522008-12-31T08:51:00.001-05:002008-12-31T08:53:26.959-05:00

A song by Joyce Dowling and Connie Coombs of the Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Maryland ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-47912428426801899452008-12-23T15:36:00.002-05:002008-12-23T15:39:56.689-05:00

If you're wondering how to get a handful or so of the billions of dollars the Treasury is giving to banks, here's the 2-page application (with instructions). The entire first of the 2 pages is name, address, phone stuff. No address - apparently they'll know where to send the check. Should take about 5 minutes for anyone with decent hand-printing skills to complete.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-25643588087477560372008-12-23T11:20:00.003-05:002008-12-23T11:30:03.930-05:00

I've been following the social lending concept for a few years. One of the older ones is Prosper, but that one is currently closed to investors because they're in a lender "quiet period" and going through a registration process. Another social lending site is Lending Club. Here's how they describe themselves: Borrowers with good credit can get personal loans at interest rates they find more

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-84311615515020777072008-12-15T19:17:00.000-05:002008-12-15T19:18:30.608-05:00

The President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, recently returned from a pilgrimage to Africa, offers his thoughts on our reasons for concern as well as hope in this season of renewal.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-21576948096685339612008-12-15T15:28:00.002-05:002008-12-15T15:43:34.807-05:00

Unitarian Universalist Minister/Blogger Known As Peacebang has written a piece called How To Write and Deliver a Sermon. I'm not a minister, of course, so I can't comment on most of her points from experience (although intuitively they make sense). The one I can totally agree with - from the perspective of someone who listens to UU sermons weekly is this: Sermons are not "talks" or lectures.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-34314358804423273662008-11-26T10:37:00.001-05:002008-11-26T10:40:37.046-05:00

Thanks to the Socinian for passing this song by The Righteous Mothers along.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-27230200148365626882008-11-25T14:52:00.003-05:002008-11-25T14:58:13.064-05:00

In case you think making a sandwich is easy, McDonalds has filed for a patent for a combination of a tool and methods for making a sandwich. The present invention relates to methods of making a sandwich. In one aspect, the invention relates to pre-assembly of sandwich components and simultaneous preparation of different parts of the same sandwich. In one aspect, the invention relates to one or

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-65928709257626438302008-11-17T13:16:00.001-05:002008-11-17T13:17:27.290-05:00

From James Ishmael Ford, senior minister of the First Unitarian Church of Providence, Rhode Island. God is a hole in the language into which we throw all our hopes and fears.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-8247489160773796792008-11-17T12:53:00.001-05:002008-11-17T12:54:29.671-05:00

A video by the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in support of gay marriage ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-40619561820918626392008-11-15T17:03:00.002-05:002008-11-15T17:08:36.131-05:00

A Fox Business interview with Noisette's John Knott mentions the Oak Terrace Preserve community in which I live. Knott discusses the $800 million that Noisette has already invested in North Charleston, and says that it's going to be up to $3 billion over 20 years.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-48750708725571149252008-11-13T10:17:00.002-05:002008-11-13T10:18:24.883-05:00

Here's the best thing I've seen on why voting for Prop 8 in California (against gay marriage) was so wrong ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-42960965377433108662008-11-10T14:51:00.001-05:002008-11-10T14:54:55.569-05:00

Here's what Obama had to say about his new Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel 3 years ago at a roast ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-36166052154785206252008-11-10T10:54:00.003-05:002008-11-10T11:14:07.947-05:00

This past Sunday, my church had a sermon/discussion entitled Reflections on the Election: Where do we go from here?. Our minister spoke briefly, and then turned the microphones over to the members of the congregation to share their feelings about the election. As expected, everyone spoke of what a wonderful thing it was that Obama won. As much as I agreed with what was being said, the

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-7257238977617744562008-11-06T14:26:00.002-05:002008-11-06T14:30:02.562-05:00

Check out this amazing story and video from Fox News via Huffingtonpost.com about how totally clueless Sarah Palin was. ... However, perhaps one of the most astounding and previously unknown tidbits about Sarah Palin has to do with her already dubious grasp of geography. According to Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron, there was great concern within the McCain campaign that

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-10128600966122627742008-10-31T07:59:00.000-04:002008-10-31T08:00:06.736-04:00

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-47550303491844796672008-10-30T09:05:00.000-04:002008-10-30T09:06:06.023-04:00

This is beautifully done ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-66577937943104751192008-10-25T11:36:00.002-04:002008-10-25T11:41:33.413-04:00

According to the U.S. Government, the nearly 2 out of 3 Americans who live within 100 miles of a U.S. land and coastal border can be stopped and searched without regard to the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, under which the American people are not generally subject to random and arbitrary stops and searches. The rationale for this is that according to the government, "the border" is

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-48401140417708474002008-10-24T15:23:00.000-04:002008-10-24T15:24:52.306-04:00

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-70960465755162651252008-10-24T13:35:00.002-04:002008-10-24T13:38:17.710-04:00

This from the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing. Thanks to Debra Haffner for the pointer.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-23249682704945574652008-10-22T13:05:00.001-04:002008-10-22T13:07:06.032-04:00

Here's the real scoop: The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August. ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-44502093727797438692008-10-15T10:55:00.002-04:002008-10-15T11:06:52.447-04:00

If you ever need any kind of service, one site I've always liked is Angie's List. Here's how they describe themselves: Whenever you need a plumber, roofer, electrician, auto mechanic, landscaper or any other type of service company, contact Angie's List by phone, fax, website or by visiting one of our chapters. You will receive the names and numbers of companies with which other members have had

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-51256954714059239462008-10-14T14:32:00.000-04:002008-10-14T14:34:05.047-04:00

When Obama has this kind of support.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-31188570306711847882008-10-02T10:59:00.002-04:002008-10-02T11:09:43.407-04:00

An article on the Unitarian Universalist Association website is entitled Sinkford Joins Fellowship of Reconciliation for Meeting with Iranian President. Among other things, Rev. Bill Sinkford, president of the UUA, said Our governments and our cultures are very different. Given those basic differences, I would like to hear from you how the U.S. and Iran can best work together to find non-violent

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-21510764847047633072008-10-02T09:33:00.001-04:002008-10-02T09:35:26.617-04:00

Consider Zimbabwe (as noted in a New York Times article). Inflation there is surpassing 40 million percent.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-20592968187258925572008-09-30T11:24:00.000-04:002008-09-30T11:25:24.008-04:00

Obama Runs Constructive Criticism Ad Against McCain

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-65595184981826518212008-09-30T10:57:00.002-04:002008-09-30T10:59:54.685-04:00

According to the Charlotte [NC] Observer Fort Mill Mayor Danny Funderburk says he was “just curious” when he forwarded a chain e-mail suggesting Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama is the biblical antichrist. “I was just curious if there was any validity to it,” Funderburk said in a telephone interview. “I was trying to get documentation if there was any scripture to back it up.”

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-79585467070670605332008-09-29T12:37:00.003-04:002008-09-29T12:42:51.265-04:00

In Massachusetts, when I went to vote I showed up, verbally gave them my name and address, they found it on a list, and they gave me a ballot. In my new state of South Carolina, I applied to vote when I got my new drivers license. In the mail I received a "State of S.C. Voter Registration Notification" (registration card) with my name, address, and what appears to be a registration number.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-40019175801766548432008-09-26T10:51:00.003-04:002008-09-26T10:54:53.890-04:00

Pittsburg Public Schools has a new way to keep students from despairing that they'll never be able to catch up in their classes: don't let teachers give scores of less than 50%. That way, they'll always be able to average up to a passing grade. Strangely, there are those who object to this practice. Judy Leonardi, a Stanton Heights resident and retired district home economics teacher, said she

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-859555944170160662008-09-18T09:53:00.003-04:002008-09-18T10:00:22.844-04:00

Unitarian Universalist Minister Rev. Fred L Hammond discusses what the terms liberal and conservative mean in religious terms. ...I believe it is safe to say that ... liberal religions read the Hebrew and Christian texts as the story of a people of faith who are journeying together learning who they are in relation to their world and to their God. These are humans who are applying what they

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-63692212249948068862008-09-12T15:27:00.003-04:002008-09-12T15:35:59.050-04:00

According to Wikipedia, The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president, serving out the balance of that presidential term no matter how much or little time remains in it. ... As designated by the Constitution of the United States, the vice

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-58597080065655892092008-09-10T14:26:00.002-04:002008-09-10T14:34:51.791-04:00

A blog called The Culture Beat reproduces an article from The Johnson City (Tenn.) Press about a couple who "travel[s] the country full-time, preaching and teaching a surprising message: Rather than threaten or undermine faith, evolution can sustain, inform and even motivate religious belief." Language is another bridge linking science and religion, according to Dowd. When we understand how

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-34451939417802182142008-09-10T11:34:00.001-04:002008-09-10T11:36:42.752-04:00

Pre-Game Coin Toss Makes Jacksonville Jaguars Realize Randomness Of Life

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-48890319596714944992008-09-05T19:18:00.001-04:002008-09-05T19:19:49.514-04:00

Thanks for my friend Jim Pratt for sending me this link to an article about Sarah Palin written by someone in Alaska who knows her personally. Definitely worth a read.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-58999271580879928552008-09-02T13:30:00.001-04:002008-09-02T13:31:52.664-04:00

If you're looking for a fundraising program for your church or other non-profit organization, you might check out FastTrack Fundraising. They offer a bunch of different programs.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-89475615452164613622008-09-02T10:04:00.001-04:002008-09-02T10:05:41.291-04:00

I guess it was only a matter of time, but Google is releasing their own brower called Google Chrome.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-10846296577515518602008-09-02T09:32:00.004-04:002008-09-02T18:56:14.918-04:00

In a terrific article in UUWorld Magazine, Doug Muder discusses why he believes that Unitarian Universalism has a class problem. ...Like our race problem, the class problem seems paradoxical to many UUs: We try to stand for all people, but when we look around, we’re usually standing with people like ourselves. We promote equality, but perversely, the less privileged would rather join

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-19469911672870112912008-08-01T14:41:00.004-04:002008-08-01T14:48:25.407-04:00

If the primary goal of art is to evoke a gut emotional response from the observer, I'd like to put up So You Think You Can Dance on the Fox Network as a purveyor of art. It's been through this show that I've learned about the art of choreography through the examples of many internationally renowned choreographers. And I've come upon my own personal favorite: Mia Michaels. Her work is

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-74709476225512289672008-07-24T17:29:00.004-04:002008-07-24T17:31:45.714-04:00

I'm a big fan of LinkedIn. If you're in the Charleston, SC area, I'd love to have you join my LinkedIn network so I'll have some contacts in the area when we move. Please send me an invitation (indicating "friend") and put something in the message about yourself and saying that you read my blog. Thanks!

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-3120316437375158172008-07-24T10:40:00.005-04:002008-07-24T17:33:30.828-04:00

Well, we're finally doing it. We've signed a Purchase and Sale agreement on our house in Quincy, MA and bought a house in North Charleston, SC. The developer of the massive project in North Charleston of which our community is a part is called Noisette. Our new community within the Noisette redevelopment is called Oak Terrace Preserve. It's a green community, and we're psyched to be part of it

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-34246731644518440212008-07-15T07:27:00.002-04:002008-07-15T07:31:04.484-04:00

Check out this great website: UUPlanet.tv - television for Unitarian Universalists. A heads up to Jim Sanders.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-9458197111934145362008-07-09T14:19:00.002-04:002008-07-09T14:22:39.157-04:00

From the Charleston, SC Daily Journal ... In the United States and Canada, only New York, San Francisco and Chicago are better than Charleston [where we're planning to move], according to Travel + Leisure magazine readers. They bumped the Holy City up two spots from last year in the World’s Best Awards 2008 reader survey. Three S.C. hotels also made the list of top 100 hotels in the continental

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-77671625758464645882008-06-30T08:00:00.001-04:002008-06-30T08:01:47.496-04:00

Here's Bill Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, speaking at General Assembly in Florida this year ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-82249485718245626342008-06-15T09:49:00.000-04:002008-06-15T09:50:13.116-04:00

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-10897572810274965062008-06-04T14:52:00.001-04:002008-06-04T14:54:38.515-04:00

Ever wonder what being (almost literally) joined at the hip with your partner is like? Watch this video (which may take several seconds to load).

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-9394189259569203242008-06-03T12:03:00.000-04:002008-06-03T12:04:26.209-04:00

New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-87863810597582748382008-05-26T07:28:00.001-04:002008-05-26T07:28:50.019-04:00

I can't help it. So throw stones at me ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-43442548663026199722008-05-18T07:53:00.002-04:002008-05-18T08:00:28.877-04:00

My sister is a big couponer. She tells me that she gets lots of stuff practically for free (or at sizable discounts) by carefully tracking coupons. The source of most of her information is a web site called RefundCents. If you're interested in saving some money and have a bit of time to invest in doing so, you might check it out.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-40982558948368218992008-05-06T10:49:00.001-04:002008-05-06T10:49:32.835-04:00

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-38509855343692893062008-04-22T19:11:00.001-04:002008-04-22T19:13:34.127-04:00

Broadcast April 21, 2008

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-23186718160063402902008-04-21T09:08:00.003-04:002008-04-21T10:45:02.077-04:00

The Rockridge Institute, a small California organization with which George Lakoff (author of a number of books on framing language from a progressive perspective) is associated, is closing up as of April 30, 2008. It's really too bad. They took on a massive task and did what they could given their limited resources. The Rockridge Institute was formed to address a set of challenges: The

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-44358427437488012272008-04-17T14:27:00.002-04:002008-04-17T14:33:06.859-04:00

Some people believe that a marriage/relationship between two heterosexual people is good, and that a relationship between two gay individuals is bad. Other people (many Unitarian Universalists among them) believe that a marriage/relationship which is kind, loving, and caring is good, and that a relationship where one partner physically or psychologically injures the other is bad. Perhaps that's

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-50686654698606761912008-04-13T16:12:00.001-04:002008-04-13T16:12:25.804-04:00

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-46648676505528884152008-04-13T16:02:00.000-04:002008-04-13T16:03:50.939-04:00

A video about Unitarian Universalism ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-54004080093777014572008-04-02T16:18:00.002-04:002008-04-02T16:19:12.844-04:00

If you think the people on American Idol have talent, see what Simon thinks of this 6 year old: Amazing SIX-Year-Old Singer - The best bloopers are a click away

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-40712924389938480012008-04-02T08:41:00.002-04:002008-04-03T09:22:14.684-04:00

About 3 years ago, my wife and I visited South Carolina and spent a couple of days in Charleston. We found it to be an incredibly charming city, with housing prices (in some of the 'burbs) significantly lower that in the Boston area. Because of things going on with my employer's IT organization, I wasn't feeling very confidant of my long term future, and we mused that it would be a good place

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-10172270492632383792008-03-26T12:30:00.002-04:002008-03-26T12:34:16.754-04:00

Wikinews says ... Wikinews has obtained 'Operating Thetan' (OT) documents of the Church of Scientology which were leaked via Wikileaks. Although some portions of the manual have been leaked previously, this is believed to be the first time the full unedited version has been leaked. It includes a description of 8 Operating Thetan levels, including The final level, 'OT8', you are to "have full

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-73873140744392453372008-03-12T20:04:00.001-04:002008-03-12T20:06:18.105-04:00

Watch the film to see one person's idea:

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-79015433279222986702008-03-05T12:27:00.003-05:002008-03-05T12:31:02.471-05:00

In the "Is nothing sacred" category, this press release: Gallagher Group International, LLC, in partnership with its affiliated company member HMA Ventures, a full service marketing and communications firm specializing in multicultural communications, was selected as licensing agent for images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint, to be sold in the United States. Portions of the

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-56236367870267548362008-03-03T09:31:00.001-05:002008-03-03T09:32:13.843-05:00

I just saw a movie called Jesus Camp. If you haven't seen it, check it out. It's incredibly scary.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-26132804488909727242008-02-28T11:16:00.003-05:002008-02-28T11:20:17.192-05:00

A recent edition of the New Yorker has a short article on the current trend to write six word memoirs. I've also heard it referred to as six-word stories. As an example, it's said that Hemingway wrote this: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn". Here's one memoir of mine: "Did computers. Lost job, new life."

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-36821143498494882302008-02-28T10:38:00.002-05:002008-02-28T10:44:43.107-05:00

The United Church of Christ website reports ... The Internal Revenue Service has notified the United Church of Christ's national offices in Cleveland, Ohio, that the IRS has opened an investigation into U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's address at the UCC's 2007 General Synod as the church engaging in "political activities." In the IRS letter dated Feb. 20, the IRS said it was initiating a church tax

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-15205986888593223252008-02-07T07:52:00.000-05:002008-02-07T07:55:10.030-05:00

Here's what the "official" Stephen Colbert thinks about Unitarians. A tip of the hat to Chalice Circle

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-63129654567158452522008-01-31T09:52:00.000-05:002008-01-31T09:54:47.068-05:00

George Lakoff, in a blog post called What Counts as an "Issue" In the Clinton-Obama Race? talks about the major issues dividing Democrats: First, triangulation: moving to the right -- adopting right-wing positions -- to get more votes. Bill Clinton did it and Hillary believes in it. It is what she means by "bipartisanship." Obama means the opposite by "bipartisanship." To Obama, it is a

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-46611975550887041702008-01-21T19:37:00.000-05:002008-01-21T19:51:18.886-05:00

If you have kids between kindergarten and 8th grade, know someone with kids between kindergarten and 8th grade, or sometimes like to act like a kid, you should definitely check out ProfessorGarfield.org. Its description: The Professor Garfield Foundation learning portal is a fun interactive online environment where children can safely explore, learn and creatively express themselves. The

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-35091203253837345222008-01-09T07:23:00.000-05:002008-01-09T07:27:19.508-05:00

I'm a big fan of a giver-of-advance on Salon.com named Cary Tennis. A recent column is entitled Our new friend is a racist -- should we dump him?. If your gut reaction to that question is anywhere close to "of course!", you might want to read the column.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-13422559443022872972007-12-27T14:46:00.000-05:002007-12-27T14:49:23.293-05:00

According to CNN World, Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests attacked each other with brooms and stones inside the Church of the Nativity as long-standing rivalries erupted in violence during holiday cleaning on Thursday [Dec 27, 2007]. ...

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-67638217782317293252007-12-25T09:35:00.000-05:002007-12-25T09:43:02.338-05:00

Bill Sinkford is president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-83923569143058954232007-12-12T09:27:00.001-05:002007-12-12T09:28:02.178-05:00

Of course. If (s)he were a liberal Democrat.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-45783519651173556102007-12-07T14:06:00.001-05:002007-12-07T14:07:07.065-05:00

Because if you fail, you might be courtmartialed.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-35905504545421104572007-11-29T10:24:00.000-05:002007-11-29T10:30:36.724-05:00

I've never read the Bible. I know, quite an admission. But it's true. Boing Boing has a short piece on badass Bible verses, including this one from 2 Kings 2 (New International Version): From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you baldhead!" they said. "Go on up, you baldhead!" He turned around,

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-33554235747495635062007-11-28T12:15:00.000-05:002007-11-28T12:23:04.611-05:00

Fellow blogger Peacebang, in a post called Fourth Principle: Free and Responsible Search For Truth and Meaning has a paragraph that paricularly struck me: It seems to me that UUs have yet to acknowledge the fact that while we have made it our "good news" to affirm and proclaim the essential harmony between world faith traditions, we have done so with little or no input or consultation with

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-44325974114284824162007-11-26T13:49:00.000-05:002007-11-26T13:51:00.662-05:00

Here's something that's floating all over the web, but which makes a lot of sense to me, no matter what level of praying you ever do ... Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-46344570102703385332007-11-23T10:13:00.000-05:002007-11-23T10:18:16.839-05:00

Jim Wallis, author of God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It says Christianity and Islam comprise the world's largest communities of faith - 2.1 billion Christians and 1.5 billion Muslims. If these two religious traditions cannot find ways to keep peace between themselves, the world will be in very serious trouble. As Brian McLaren posted earlier on this blog, a

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-83727920528389358872007-11-21T10:48:00.000-05:002007-11-21T10:50:26.201-05:00

In a new low for the U.S. government, The U.S. Military is demanding that thousands of wounded service personnel give back signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their commitments. To get people to sign up, the military gives enlistment bonuses up to $30,000 in some cases. Now men and women who have lost arms, legs, eyesight, hearing and can no longer serve are being ordered to

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-37436241946344453542007-11-09T08:27:00.000-05:002007-11-09T08:34:00.262-05:00

Grandfather Tree discusses a question I've always found fascinating: The problem that I have struggled with for a long time is to understand why folks on the "Christian right" have so adamantly and consistently fought against abortion, gay rights, and stem cell research, but are mostly silent on capital punishment, atrocities of war, and various governmental injustices. I just didn't make sense

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-50678433458231121972007-11-08T10:31:00.000-05:002007-11-08T10:36:23.047-05:00

I ran across A posting on Street Prophets, the idea of which is that the author wouldn't give space to someone who wants to talk about his/her book because it's "pimping". Personally, I think there's way too much "if someone is making money, it must be bad" attitude going around these days. If I see a book whose topic is somehow related to this blog, and I think it's a good book, I've got no

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-3508401201097004432007-11-05T14:31:00.000-05:002007-11-05T14:34:52.314-05:00

Peacebang (and others) are writing about a recent advice column which which a non-religious writer has a problem when people tell her they're praying for her. Personally, I think this is simply a matter of politeness. To me, it falls into the same category as receiving a gift or a compliment that perhaps I don't quite feel I deserve. My response? "Thanks you". Try it a few times, and

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-65250187349794620062007-11-02T07:04:00.001-04:002007-11-02T07:08:52.096-04:00

The recent Westboro Baptist Church lawsuit loss has me doing a Hillary. I'm an ACLU member, so I believe in everyone's right to free speech - especially if I disagree with it. That being said, down deep inside I can't help but be pleased that this lawsuit went against Westboro. Does that mean the ACLU is gonna demand my card back?

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-27776506722962301732007-10-25T11:25:00.000-04:002007-10-25T11:30:03.964-04:00

Harry Potter books have been banned by the pastor of a Catholic school in Wakefield, MA, saying that that the themes of witchcraft and sorcery were inappropriate for a Catholic school. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But why don't books of fiction about murder get banned? Murder isn't as bad as sorcery, I guess.

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-14585460476578462642007-10-17T19:44:00.000-04:002007-10-18T11:58:48.950-04:00

For those of you who equate Unitarian Universalism with political liberalism, I would ask that you read this blog entry entitled So Long UU. I understand where he's coming from. I'm politically a liberal, but I find it offensive when it's assumed that everyone in my congregation is also liberal. UUism is religiously liberal - I assume we'd all agree on that. But we shouldn't carry that over

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066289.post-45363427050372250332007-10-12T21:41:00.000-04:002007-10-12T21:45:09.440-04:00

Paul Wilczynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345851400121369359noreply@blogger.com0