Giving Thanks-- Your Assignments for the Week

Hi folks--

I'm going to be in class all this weekend, and I've got family coming to visit all through next week, so expect light holiday blogging for a while, I'm afraid.

In the meantime, I am going to drop a couple of bombs on your brain. I am going to give you some lengthy but critically important reading assignments that are guaranteed to give you a wide new perspective on life. It's not light reading, to be sure-- but don't chicken out. Please read them. It matters so much that we all know and understand the world that we live in and the rules that govern it. At very least, these readings will give you something to pray about on Turkey Day besides "over the teeth and past the gums, look out stomach here it comes."

1. Your first assignment.

Start with this speech, and then spend some time getting to know the rest of this website. The information in it could save the world. Seriously. Make sure you stop here, here, and here. If you can handle the truth, here, too.

2. Your second assignment.

This is the full testimony given before the Congressional House Committee on International Relations on April 30, 2003, by Soon Ok Lee. Warning-- this is not for the feint of heart. But if you can force yourself to read it, as I did, your internal "give-a-crap-o-meter" will register a massive spike upward, and you'll definitely learn a new appreciation for why we all must do our part to recognize and confront evil in this world.

3. Extra-credit: Go see the "SpongeBob SquarePants Movie"-- you're gonna need some cheering up.


Here's giving thanks for all of you--

Much love,

Mookie