Interracial Couple Banned From Church Membership

I am not sure what to even say about this except that apparently racism is indeed alive and well in some areas of our country. That is if this story out of Kentucky is to be believed. Thankfully, my church in Las Vegas has a different view.

What's Your Problem?

Sometimes in our zeal to find a solution, we make a fundamental error that deposits us inside an imaginary house of mirrors with no obvious way out. Take politics for example. Both the left and the right in country are 100% sure that if the other side would just adopt their solution, then our country could again move forward and exit this economic funk we have been in since 2008. And so we find ourselves trapped, unable to convince the other side that one side has a better solution for what ails you. The truth is that no solution being proposed is likely to make much of a difference and has almost no chance of being embraced by the other side. Why? Because the problem is not the solution. The problem is the problem. Until we as a country can agree as to what the problem is, how can we possibly work together to find a solution? Is the problem the rich, fat cat Wall Street bankers who are literally swimming in money ala Scrooge McDuck? Is the problem lazy liberals who refuse to accept responsibility for their own actions and spend the day sitting around complaining about others instead of working hard? Or is the problem somewhere in between, with both sides being partially right, yet also partially wrong? Could it be true that a small percentage of people growing extremely wealthy while others in the country fall though the cracks might have a negative effect on our union? Could it also be true that government, in some case does need to get out of the way and let that good old American entrepreneurial spirit take hold? You see, there are a myriad of potential problems that may or not be addressed by the solutions currently being offered. But that’s why the problem is the problem. As any good businessman will tell you, we need to agree on that first, and then we can start to work together on some solutions.

Coffee Anyone?

If you open the doors to the smell of fresh coffee, look around and see yourself surrounded by handmade teapots, baseball cards, scarves and a wine bar, where are you? In the middle of Café Earth, a local coffee house that doubles as an eclectic small town emporium in the heart of downtown Silverton, Oregon. Silverton is perhaps most famous for Stu Rasmussen, the first transgendered mayor in the US. Stu stopped in while I was there and we had a nice conversation as he was waiting for his mocha. I must say the fire engine red platform heels, the midi skirt and the handcuff strapped purse were a stunning combo for the mayor. But while Stu is famous, I went in for the coffee and the local character of this downtown venue. I was not disappointed and knew I was somewhere special as soon as I opened the door of this 120 year old historic building. Too often a cup o’ joe has been reduced to a strip mall Starbucks, or perhaps in Oregon, Coffee People. But if you really want to get some local flavor, leave those behind and visit the non traditional places like Café Earth. Here you’ll find cards, cribbage boards, games and books to occupy your time and even a small living room alcove complete with HD TV. Once you add the fresh coffee from Silver Falls Coffee Roasters, you’ll think you are in heaven. Michelle, queen of the kitchen, makes sure her customers are happy, whether that means responding to a request from a customer for a specific lunch soup, like she did today, or putting the finishing touches on one of the daily vegetarian or gluten free offerings. Trust me on this. In an era of big box coffee retailers, a place like Café Earth, owned and operated by locals Monte and Michelle Fenney is a welcome throwback to an earlier time. You’ll like it, you can talk to the owners, and in this case, if you visit in the afternoon, you can even taste some wine from the Pudding River Wine Cellars. And who knows, maybe Monte will even point you to the famous murals of Silverton, Oregon.