Saturday, September 25, 2010
Married Couples Dance Ministry
The name itself makes me happy. The video of any long-married couples dancing together is charming. To have a whole group of long-married black couples dancing together, cheered on by their church, is delightful in a larger context.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Grateful for the Health Care Reforms That Start Today
Some provisions of the health care reform act go into effect today.
Lifetime limits on coverage end. Insurance companies can no longer drop coverage without due process. You can't be refused insurance because of a pre-existing condition. Sick kids cannot simply be dropped. And one change that affects the Gruntleds directly is that children can stay on their parents' policies until they are 26, instead of 19. For the class for whom college is the norm, and further study is extremely likely, the years from 19 to 26 mostly mean no income to pay for insurance. This change is a real boon to our kind, and to all young people in a recession.
The health care reform was long overdue. It is not perfect - no bill that can pass Congress ever will be - but it contains many good improvements. Including those that start today.
Lifetime limits on coverage end. Insurance companies can no longer drop coverage without due process. You can't be refused insurance because of a pre-existing condition. Sick kids cannot simply be dropped. And one change that affects the Gruntleds directly is that children can stay on their parents' policies until they are 26, instead of 19. For the class for whom college is the norm, and further study is extremely likely, the years from 19 to 26 mostly mean no income to pay for insurance. This change is a real boon to our kind, and to all young people in a recession.
The health care reform was long overdue. It is not perfect - no bill that can pass Congress ever will be - but it contains many good improvements. Including those that start today.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Happy Nations Give More Than Merely Rich Nations
The Charities Aid Foundation did a world-wide survey of giving. The main finding:
CAF found that the link between happiness and giving is stronger than the link between wealth and giving.A secondary finding is that the heirs of the British empire lead the world in charity. Here is the top of the list in the 153-nation study.
World Giving Index | Country | % of population who have given money | % of population who have given time | % of population who have helped a stranger | Wellbeing score out of 10 |
| 1 | Australia | 70% | 38% | 64% | 7.3 |
| 1 | New Zealand | 68% | 41% | 63% | 7.4 |
| 3 | Canada | 64% | 35% | 68% | 7.5 |
| 3 | Ireland | 72% | 35% | 60% | 7.0 |
| 5 | Switzerland | 71% | 34% | 60% | 7.5 |
| 5 | USA | 60% | 39% | 65% | 7.2 |
| 7 | Netherlands | 77% | 39% | 46% | 7.6 |
| 8 | United Kingdom | 73% | 29% | 58% | 5.6 |
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Office Romance: Good for Married Knowledge Workers, Bad for Cheating Corporate Types?
Bloomberg.com has an interesting article by Spencer Morgan on how lawsuits are driving down office romance. Faced with ex-lovers filing retaliation suits, and co-workers of the boss' lover charging favoritism, some companies are establishing, and enforcing, no-fraternization policies.
On the other hand, other companies think that couples who work together are a good thing. They are more engaged in the company and are less likely to miss work.
Two things struck me about this article.
First, the author made no distinction between marriage, and the courtship that leads to marriage, on the one hand, and adulterous affairs on the other. I expect that married co-workers are good for a business, whereas cheating co-workers are very bad for office functioning.
Second, the list of companies that were in favor of office couples has a strong knowledge-class tilt: National Public Radio, Princeton Review, Pixar, and Southwest Airlines.
On the other hand, other companies think that couples who work together are a good thing. They are more engaged in the company and are less likely to miss work.
Two things struck me about this article.
First, the author made no distinction between marriage, and the courtship that leads to marriage, on the one hand, and adulterous affairs on the other. I expect that married co-workers are good for a business, whereas cheating co-workers are very bad for office functioning.
Second, the list of companies that were in favor of office couples has a strong knowledge-class tilt: National Public Radio, Princeton Review, Pixar, and Southwest Airlines.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Where Should We Study Religion in Kentucky?
I will be teaching my "Sociology of American Religion" course in our intensive Centre Term in January. This term is designed for field trips.
Last time we went to:
Southeast Christian Church (largest in the state)
Presbyterian Center (denominational headquarters)
Gethsemani Abbey (Trappist monastery most famous as the home of Thomas Merton)
Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse
Both synagogues in Lexington
The Creation Museum.
In addition, we met with informed Mormons and Muslims who came to our class. An eminent Hindu leader was honored during Founders Day, which we incorporated into class. We looked into the Buddhist retreat center at Furnace Mountain, but January was not an excellent time to visit.
All of these places and people are great.
There are also several other great places and people within a three-hour drive (about the limit of a day trip).
Some that I am thinking about:
Covington Cathedral
St. Stephen's Church, Louisville (largest black congregation in the state)
The Louisville synagogues (including an Orthodox synagogue, not found in Lexington)
Lexington Universal Academy (Islamic school)
Southern Baptist Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary
I am open to suggestions.
Last time we went to:
Southeast Christian Church (largest in the state)
Presbyterian Center (denominational headquarters)
Gethsemani Abbey (Trappist monastery most famous as the home of Thomas Merton)
Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse
Both synagogues in Lexington
The Creation Museum.
In addition, we met with informed Mormons and Muslims who came to our class. An eminent Hindu leader was honored during Founders Day, which we incorporated into class. We looked into the Buddhist retreat center at Furnace Mountain, but January was not an excellent time to visit.
All of these places and people are great.
There are also several other great places and people within a three-hour drive (about the limit of a day trip).
Some that I am thinking about:
Covington Cathedral
St. Stephen's Church, Louisville (largest black congregation in the state)
The Louisville synagogues (including an Orthodox synagogue, not found in Lexington)
Lexington Universal Academy (Islamic school)
Southern Baptist Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary
I am open to suggestions.
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