Sunday Sermon : Mistakes & Double Standards

Everybody makes mistakes. To err is divine, or so the general consensus believe until somebody they don’t like “errs”…. Then it is non-forgivable.

At the postal service when I was a scheme examiner part of my duty was to randomly check clerk’s sorting mail accuracy. They legally were allowed a 5% error ratio. If I found they missed more than that then I would have to work on that with them.

When I worked in the time keeper’s office I remember one time a lady name Catherine, who was being groomed for a supervisor, on the payroll section she was assigned, had a 4% errors and management gave her a cash superior accomplishment award for only having 4% errors. However, when another person did the same section payroll and had 3% errors they tried to suspend him. He had 1% errors less than a person that received an award for not having least amount of errors. When the union representative brought this to management attention they quietly drop the charge against him – but didn’t give him an award.

It matters who makes the mistake whether it is acceptable or unforgiving or not.


When George W. Bush was in the Whitehouse he made many mistakes and the Republicans explained away, covered up, or forgave his blunders while the Democrats jumped up and down screaming bloody murder. Now, the shoe is on the other foot and Obama is making mistakes it is the Republicans are jumping and up and down and screaming bloody murder and the Democrats are on the defensive.

As CBS Sunday Morning Show last week pointed out not all mistakes are bad. The America Continent was discovered on a navigational mistake…. Other great places or things were either discovered or invented on miscalculations.

With that in mind let us think about all the grammar and spelling mistakes have I made on this blog. An’t I divine?

People Will Believe Anything

It would be funny if – well, heck, it is funny. It is funny because it is so ridiculous. The two men running for the United States Senate here in Georgia are turning half-truths about each other into slanderous lies. Both of them, the Republican incumbent Chambliss and the Democrat opposition Martin are throwing mud balls with rocks packed inside.

Both of them are tossing mud at each other that is just not true. And several investigated reporters and political reporters have pointed the real facts out that they are both lying. – even though “I approve of this message.”

The race is neck and neck. So, it will get more personal and bloodier.

And they know their gullible public will swallow anything.

And thanks to fellow blogger Kenju – who I swiped the picture from.

Democratic Convention and Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton gave a speech last night. At first he had to wait until people quit cheering and clapping. Each time he started to speak, they would go into a roar again.. I think he had rather for them to shut up so he could get on with his speech. He has a way of speaking in a candid manner which comes off as candidly honest and sincere.

Last night at the Democratic Convention Bill Clinton said that John McCain, the Republican soon-to-be nominee, is an honorable man. He is. Clinton said McCain loved his country as much as the Democrats. I believe he does. He reminded us that John McCain had to go through a long painful endurance ordeal as a POW in Vietnam. My hat is off to McCain. I cannot even imagine what he went through.

He also pointed out that John McCain wants to stay on the same path with Iraq and our economy as Bush. That is the difference.

Clinton said in so many words you can respect a man and praise him for his service to his country, but if his “leading a country” philosophy has been proven wrong by the present president - then you have a choice to make.

I think Clinton was also saying in so many words, “lets not throw mud at our opponent”.

I think Obama can win with a positive campaign.

I wonder who is going to throw the most mud and make whom the butt of their forwarding slanderous e-mail jokes.

Different Set of Standards

It is interesting to see what a high set of standards people set for their adversaries and opponents then look the other way when their cronies do worse.

For instance we have a man in our neighborhood that I have mentioned more than once that has been to prison a few times and he appears to always be doing something underhanded or not up to snuff.

However, on some things maybe he just appears to be doing worse but isn’t. Just about every summer we have drought conditions here in Georgia and burning is banned. The person I am talking about burns anyway. He burns openly, so I wonder if he is even aware of the law.

The neighbors don’t like it and say they are afraid he is going to burn down the neighborhood and the nerve of him openly breaking the law like that.

And yet other men in our neighborhood who are more in the clique burn too, but burn at night so no one can see the smoke. The same neighbors laugh and chuckle about how clever the burners are to wait until after dark so the fire and police officials cannot see a cloud of smoke.

I heard on the news this weekend. John Edwards admitted having an affair in 2006. The lady he had an affair with has a baby and there is speculation whether the child is his or not. When asked, he said absolutely not, he loves his wife. So, if he loves his wife, how could it be his child?

Hmmmm… something doesn’t make sense. He already admitted having the affair. He offers as proof the reason it cannot be his child is because he loves his wife and has loved her for over 30 years. I’m confused… does non-love sex sterilize one?

Anyway, what I was getting at – a few years now it has the Republicans getting caught in sex-scandals… playing footsies in airport men’s restroom stalls; trying to meet up with young male pages; regular heterosexual affairs and so on. Here the Republicans set their own double standards, because they always claim to have a franchise on the pro-family values.

But now the Democrats proved they can do a little hanky-panky and be two-face with family values too! Not only is there John Edwards, but there was Bill Clinton, JFK, FDR – four Democrats that I know couldn’t keep it in their pants – and I am sure there are more Republican and Democrat lovers in the House and Senate.

Honesty is another thing the Republicans have claimed the only franchise on. What is the name of the Republican Senator from Alaska that has just been indicted? There are not only crooked money-under-the-table Republicans there are also crooked money-under-the-table Democrats.

I just find it interesting that each party holds such higher standards than even themselves for the other party to live by. That must be the ultimate complement.

The Big Guy Is Deflating

Georgia’s Democrat Governor Candidate Mark Taylor (“The Big Guy”) I think is losing his strength. On the other hand, it appears Governor Sonny Perdue is gaining strength.

I think what it boils down to is charisma and the warm big-hearted look… which, in the back ground probably boils down to acting coaching and who has the better advertising agency.

Lately in the ads Mark Taylor has been wearing dark suits, which he might be wearing to conceal his bulky weight, but in a way that is trying to deceive people of his nick name “The Big Guy”. What do they call him for short, “The”?

And, with his suit on he looks a bit too formal, not sleeves rolled up working kind of good old guy. And also in his commercials it appears he has a 5 O’clock shadow, which from cheap old black and white westerns to Richard Nixon we have learned that people with 5 O’clock shadows are not to be trusted.

On the other hand Sonny comes off as warm sincere person with a twinkle in his eyes who “just wants to do the right thing.”

And the fact that Sonny pulled the old Republican hat-trick of lower taxes, or no taxes for the elderly, and more expenses (tracking down and severely punishing sex criminals) so his sweet lovable wife can sleep at nights doesn’t hurt him at the polls either.

Mark Taylor and Sonny Perdue are saying they will be ruthless on criminals – which, of course everybody wants to live in a safer environment and who are going to criticize that? The criminals? Probably just one lawyer at a time.

Mark Taylor does not have a warm sincere smile. He has a greedy smile. He may the warmest and kindest person in Georgia politics but it does no good if he can’t convey that look to the public.

Mark Taylor will probably get my mote but I think he needs a new advertising agency or a public relation team to get enough to win.

Lady Sings the Blues - Georgia's 4th Dist Election

Well, we won’t have Cynthia McKinney to push around anymore.

Or will we? I bet she is not through yet. She has plenty of gumption left and she will use it.

I heard that some Republicans were secretly wishing she would win. They were hoping she would win because she was very good at embarrassing the Democrats.

However, things like that can backfire. Look at Bush, who I think is a an embarrassment of the Republican Party. Both people have been out of control while in office.

I have to Cynthia credit for her early critiques of Bush and his handling of Iraq. She was accusing him of handling it wrong long before anyone else dared to. I think she deserves a thumbs up for that.