sweatshops

I’m looking for my social justice friends to help me out here. I’ve been in the market for a new hoodie for a couple of weeks. Evaluating why I buy the clothes that I do, I’ve been a bit more selective in my shopping. If I find a sweatshirt I like, the first thing I do is look at the tag. I usually see that the sweatshirt has been made in somewhere like China, Bangladesh, etc and consequently hang it back up. Why? I’m not entirely sure other than I just assume it was made by some kid in a sweatshop.

Ben informs me that sometimes it has more to do with the brand than it does with the place that it comes from. So I guess I need to find a list of textile producers that are part of winning team. So here is my real question. Are sweatshops bad? I’m told that Jeffrey Sachs says in his book on poverty that, in some cases, not purchasing items from some sweatshops will only make the situation worse. And that certain sweatshops, be they imperfect do give women (in particular) chances that they would not otherwise have.

But let’s just say that sweatshops are bad like the one I wrote about on May 21, 2007 (if you care to look in the archives). Is the logic that by me not purchasing the item from them, that they will go out of business? My follow up question then is this? Why are the sweatshop workers working there? It strikes me that if they are working there then they would rather be doing so than not doing so.

Now I know that the logic of some is…”don’t buy from the sweatshop because then we will force the sweatshops to increase the average wage paid to sweatshop workers” I guess I would just like to know if this is working or has worked. Does anyone have a success story they can point me to?

one year old and counting

My son is a year old. Not a one “years” old as my wife repeatedly reminds me. I want to write something significant about how my life has changed over the course of the last year. I’ll come at from a peculiar angle. I was reading a blog this evening and a certain theologian, whose name I’ll leave anonomous, because his groupies tend to track every time his name is written in digital form and write an absolutely uncreative dissertation type theological canned response to anyone who disagrees with him…and I don’t want that. Anyhow, a particular someone picked on this particular theologian and one of his groupies did the anticipated responding.

It reminded me of a past life I had. The one where my ambition to do Ph.D. work was bore out of. One that was both invigorating and yet often full of dissolution. One that is full of incredibly intelligent people who do a lot of work that effects the few who are exactly like them.

I had a coversation with Gideon at the Crowder/Claiborne concert. We talked a lot about what we read etc. and I noted his comment that he distances himself from the academic and emergent worlds not because of any particular dislike, but rather because neither seem to do much to really help people.

I do think correct theological tenets are important, but to be honest I think often the pursuit and sparring that goes on to get to these tenets leave people hurt and confused and does little to help starving children in Africa or broken marriages in America.

I think my son has helped bring this change about in me. That is one way in which my world is a lot different this year. I spend less time thinking about penal substitution and subjective atonement theories and less time about exhaustive definite futures and human freedom and more about how crazy it is that God loves humans more than and more perfectly than I love my son.

Thanks Roy

Lillian Rae Carney

an hour till the madness begins

In about one hour they will announce the pool of 64. I predict you will see Memphis, UCLA, Carolina and Kansas emerge as the one seeds pending a Kansas victory. It has been a good championship week for me. Of my four teams only one (Wisconsin) looks to claim a conference tourney title. They are up by 18 with four minutes to go. I'd love to see the badgers make some noise and win the whole deal, but I'm not sure they or anyone in the Big Ten has the depth to do it. I'm hoping by some miracle Baylor makes it in, but with a loss to a slumping Colorado team in the first round of the big 12 tourney things are looking bleak for the bears.

Set List 4 DC*B (the final list)

1. Lark Ascending
2. I Saw the Light
3. Forever and Ever
4. Here is Our King
5. Can You Feel It
6. Thank You for Hearing Me
7. All I Can Say
8. All You Creatures
9. You are My Joy
10. Come Awake
11. Stars
12. God Where are You Now
13. The Glory of it All
14. You Make Everything Glorious
15. Surely We Can Change

POMO Bros

the other day I dressed roy and decided that I had the right clothes needed to match him. So I dug through the closet and came up with this outfit. I guess this is another step toward parenting nerdness.

who really won Texas?

I found this link on Tony Jones's blog.

the activity of social justice from the luxury of your office chair

Lindsay sent me this link. She also did the research to make sure it is legit. Apparently the advertisers pay for the food donated. Pretty cool!

Set List Three

U2 this is both the easiest and hardest one to do.


1. Where the Streets have no Name (Joshua Tree)
2. Gone (Pop)
3. An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart/Electric Co. (Boy)
4. the fly (Achtung Baby)
5. MLK (Unforgettable Fire)
6. Pride (Rattle and Hum)
7. Staring at the Sun (Pop)
8. Bad (Unforgettable Fire)
9. Running to Stand Still (Joshua Tree)
10. Silver and Gold (Rattle and Hum)
11. Love and Peace or Else (HTDAB)
12. Sunday Bloody Sunday (War)
13. Grace (ATYCLB)
14. Stay (Zooropa)
15. Yahweh (HTDAB)
16. Kite (ATYCLB)
17. One (Achtung Baby)
18. original of the species (HTDAB)
19. 40 (Under a Blood Red Sky)

Public Practice

I had a fairly significant happening in my life yesterday, but I didn't make mention of it because all respect and attention was due to Wisconsin's greatest legend.

For the few of you who might read my blog and not Craig's, the story is that he caught wind that one Kate (Addison Montgomery Shepherd) Walsh was going to be in Waco at Barack Obama's campaign headquarters. I made my way down to the headquarters and was one of fifteen or so that got a chance to meet Kate and get a picture.

A Sad Day in the Holy Land

There has been an outpouring of emotional support for me on this day from my Texas friends. For that I'm thankful. I was greeted by a number of concerned phone calls when the news broke this morning.

I was asked for my thoughts on a number of different occasions. I think the most articulated response that I offered was this, "Eventually Jesus ascended...this type of thing happens."

thanks for all the memories #4.



from his official website

Favre's top 10 career moments « Back

Source: ESPN.com, ESPN Research

Mar. 4, 2008

1. Super Bowl XXXI

Date: Jan. 26, 1997
Score: Packers 35, Patriots 21
Why it mattered: Favre passed for two touchdowns (54, 81 yards) -- including one on the second play of the game -- and ran for another in the Packers' first Super Bowl in 29 years.




2. Playing for his father

Date: Dec. 22, 2003
Score: Packers 41, Raiders 7
Why it mattered: Just one day after the sudden death of his father, Irv, Favre passed for 399 yards and four touchdowns on "Monday Night Football" in a blowout win.




3. The legend begins

Date: Sept. 20, 1992
Score: Packers 24, Bengals 23
Why it mattered: Favre joined Green Bay prior to the season and played in mop-up duty the week before as the Pack fell to 0-2. This day, he came off the bench to replace an injured Don Majkowski and threw the game-winning TD pass to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining.




4. Record breaking

Date: Sept. 30, 2007
Score: Packers 23, Vikings 16
Why it mattered: In his former house of horrors (the Metrodome), Favre throws a pair of touchdown passes -- his first being the 421st of his career, making him the NFL's all-time leader in that category.




5. Playoff bound

Date: Dec. 18, 1994
Score: Packers 21, Falcons 17
Why it mattered: Favre orchestrated a final drive, capped off when he ran for the game-winning touchdown with 14 seconds left against the Falcons to keep the Packers' playoff hopes alive. Green Bay ended up making the playoffs for the second straight season.




6. NFC Wild Card

Date: Jan. 8, 1994
Score: Packers 28, Lions 24
Why it mattered: Trailing 24-21 in Detroit, Favre threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe with 55 seconds left for the Packers' first playoff win in 11 years.




7. Tying Marino

Date: Sept. 23, 2007
Score: Packers 31, Chargers 24
Why it mattered: With the Packers trailing by four points late in the fourth quarter, Favre throws a 57-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings for the go-ahead score. It was the 420th touchdown pass in Favre's career, tying Dan Marino for the all-time record.




8. Medical marvel

Date: Dec. 24, 1995
Score: Packers 24, Steelers 19
Why it mattered: In a game the Packers needed to win to win the NFC Central, Favre came back after coughing up blood to throw a touchdown pass to tight end Mark Chmura.




9. MVP-bound

Date: Nov. 12, 1995
Score: Packers 35, Bears 28
Why it mattered: Favre returns just one week after severely spraining his ankle to toss for 336 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes. He would go on to win his first MVP that season.




10. MNF miracle

Date: Sept. 11, 1995
Score: Packers 27, Bears 24
Why it mattered: Favre tied an NFL record with a 99-yard touchdown pass to Robert Brooks in the second quarter on "Monday Night Football" -- and finished the game with 312 pass yards and three touchdowns.




Honorable mention

• Oct. 10, 1999: Packers 26, Buccaneers 23. Favre led his third fourth-quarter comeback in the first four games of the season against the Bucs on his 30th birthday (Favre also led late game-winning drives against the Raiders and Vikings in Weeks 1 and 2).

• Nov. 29, 2004: Packers 45, Rams 17. In his 200th consecutive regular-season start, Favre threw for three touchdowns on 18-of-27 passing for 215 yards against the Rams on "Monday Night Football."

love actually

When I was violently ill the other week with something like the flu I posed myself a question that might seem a bit weird to you, but perhaps not. The question went something like this. As bad as this is, would I endure it all again if I could take it away from my son who was recovering from the same bug. That may seem odd to you, but in midst of vomiting and experiencing the worst of it, I answered in my heart with an honest yes.

I’ve said I loved people in the past, but when you have your own kid you learn a lot about yourself and what it really means to love. When my dad was in the thick of cancer I was deeply disturbed. I did everything I knew how including offering up many prayers on his behalf. When I heard countless reports from my siblings about their sick children, I would pray for them and move on with life. In the midst of all of these and other less than stellar moments my friends and family and even my own life, I would pray, do what I could, but I never lost much sleep over their and my conditions.

Last night my son Roy woke up with something that sounded horrible in both his coughing and breathing. I thought it might have been the croup, but am not so sure now as he doesn’t seem to be displaying quite so severe of symptoms. Tonight I put him down and am guessing that he may be fighting an earache. And oh how it makes my heart ache for him. My sons problems, be they small or big arrest my life. They keep me up at night. They keep me exhausted but alert during the day and they keep me praying through all of it.

I’ve been warned that my life with Roy will fly by. I suppose that this type of information would cause me to generate many memorable moments. The kind of moments that love is built on. There is a silver lining to my son’s sickness. It is this. I am reminded how much I love him. I feel how much I love him. His pain is my pain and I can feel how deep the etching is in the many places where he has inscribed his life on my heart.

I wonder how it has gotten to be this way. I don’t think it is because of the moments like when he crawled for the first time or even when he accidentally blabbered mom or dad, while changing his diaper. I think it is this way because of the hundreds of diapers we’ve changed together. Even the really smelly ones. Maybe especially because of the really smelly ones. I think it’s this way because of all the times we tried and failed to crawl. I think it is because of the nights like last night when I stayed up with my son for two hours monitoring his breathing. Those are the reasons I believe things have gotten to be the way they are.