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November 30 
Reverend Billy performing a cash register exorcism
"I just spent $700 in Macy's. That's not good," one Black Friday sale shopper said.
This holiday season, Americans are expected to spend nearly half a trillion dollars.
Some consumers think they are just doing their part for the economy by spending during the season.
Each year, many Americans shop themselves into debt. Personal bankruptcies are on the rise, the national savings rate to below 1 percent.
But one man says now is the time to stop shopping.
"Now every Christmas has become that we're supposed to save the economy by shopping ourselves to death. No! There are other ways," said Bill Talen, an anti-shopping activist.
And there's a new movie about him called What Would Jesus Buy?
ABC reporters caught up with Billy on Black Friday, imploring shoppers to not shop on one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
"We were singing 'stop shopping!' 'stop shipping!'" he said. "We're gonna slow that consumption down."
When asked "did you dissuade anyone or more people from shopping," Billy replied "I believe we did. I think we saved some souls this morning."
Americans are bombarded with two contradictory messages: you should save and you should spend.
"In economics it's called the paradox of thrift. Savings are a very good thing, but if everybody did it at the same time economy would be in big trouble," said Mark Vitner with Wachovia Bank.
According to Billy, society is already in trouble. But during this holiday shopping frenzy, what he's preaching can be a tough sell.
When Billy asked two holiday shoppers "would you ever consider buying nothing," one woman said "no."
LOL! Reverend Billy, doesn't mind making a fool of himself. He is happy to throw himself on the floor in a fit of religious ecstasy, perform cash register exorcisms or go caroling with the 35 members of the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, singing such favorites as "Fill the Malls With Wealthy People," to the tune of "Deck the Halls." He does all this and much, much more in the new documentary about him and his Church of Stop Shopping, What Would Jesus Buy?
Although I disagree with the Rev's methods, I agree with his overall message, folks need to stop spending their hard earned money, not only just for a holiday but throughout the year. A half trillion dollars?! The only ones who benefit from all of this spending are businessness and credit card companies with their high interest rates while consumers start the year languishing in debt. But you can't blame businessness though. Their goal is to make money.
A few years ago, my family decided to start pulling names every Christmas instead of buying gifts of everybody. Christmas is an opportunity to spend time with family, and we're tired of the emphasis on "shopping" that the media rams down our throats. Plus, with all this subprime crap going on, it's time to save, not spend. November 25
NBC Nightly News series coming up on Monday, November 26. I did a Google and found this:
Throughout the week of November 26, "NBC News With Brian Williams" will take a look at the issues facing African-American women across our nation in a new series "African-American Women: Where They Stand." The series will cover a wide-range of issues from their role in the '08 Presidential race, to the increased health-risks that they need to be concerned about.
Monday's installment will discuss African-American women's progress in the education field. Nearly two-thirds of African-American undergraduates are women. At black colleges, the ratio of women to men is 7 to 1. And that is leading to a disparity in the number of African-American women who go on to own their own businesses. Rehema Ellis will talk to educators, students and businesswomen about why this disparity exists.
Tuesday, Ellis will look at relationships within the African-American female community. Many agree the gender disparity in education and business among African-Americans is having an effect on relationships that African American women have. Some even say the implications could redefine "Black America's family and social structure." In the past fifty years, the percentage of African-American women between 25-54 who have never been married has doubled from 20% to 40%. (Compared to just 16% of white women who have never been married today). Ellis sits down with the members of a Chicago book club and talk about this difference and how it impacts them.
Dr. Nancy Snyderman will discuss the increases risks for breast cancer for African-American women on Wednesday. Mortality rates for African-American women are higher than any other racial or ethnic group for nearly every major cause of death, including breast cancer. Black women with breast cancer are nearly 30% more likely to die from it than white women. Premenopausal black women are more than twice as likely to get a more aggressive form of the disease. And, not only are African-American women more likely to die from breast cancer, but they're less likely to get life-saving treatments. Dr. Snyderman will profile one of the only oncologists in the world who specializes in the treatment of African-American women with breast cancer.
On Thursday, Ron Allen will take viewers to South Carolina -- the first southern primary state -- and ask the question: Will race trump gender or gender trump race? In South Carolina , black women made up nearly 30 percent of all democratic primary voters in 2004. This year, polls show a significant number are undecided, torn between choosing the first African-American or first female Presidential candidate. Allen talks with the undecided, as well the state directors for the Clinton and Obama campaigns, who happen to be African-American women.
To close the series on Friday, Dr. Snyderman will raise the frightening statistic that African-American women are 85% more likely to get diabetes, a major complication for heart disease. And, like breast cancer, more black women die from heart disease than white women. Dr. Snyderman will profile a leading expert and a unique church-based outreach program in South Carolina that seeks to spread the word about heart disease risks to black women congregants.
Mara Schiavocampo, Digital Correspondent for "Nightly News," will address two hot topics in the African - American community: interracial dating and the impact of hip hop music on black women (For those of you who attended NABJ this year, Ms. Schiavocampo won the Emerging Journalist of the Year Award). Interracial dating is a growing trend in the African - American community. An Essence.com poll found that 81% of participants approved of black women dating non- black men. According to a U.S. Census Bureau report in 2000, 95,000 black women were married to white men. In 2005, that number increased to 134,000. Schiavocampo will talk to experts about the trend and discuss how this defines the "Black family" of the future.
Schiavocampo will convene a panel of leading black men and women from the hip-hop industry for an engaging discussion on whether hip hop lyrics and videos positively or negatively affect black women. The roundtable also will address how these portrayals are affecting relationships between black women and black men.
A news series devoted to black women? Especially considering that we're deemed last on the totem pole in U.S. society. I think I will have a wait and see attitude to this series. November 16
They are the casualties of wars you don’t often hear about - soldiers who die of self-inflicted wounds. Little is known about the true scope of suicides among those who have served in the military.
But a five-month CBS News investigation discovered data that shows a startling rate of suicide, what some call a hidden epidemic, Chief Investigative Reporter Armen Keteyian reports exclusively.
Parts 1 & 2
Your can read the entire article here.
Our veterans risked their lives in a war that they believed was righteous, they believed that their government was on their side and they thought that they will come home to a hero's welcome.
But they came home and find out that they were fighting under false pretenses.
Some came home, maimed.
Many end up homeless with no job, mentally and emotionally scarred and needing serious therapy only to find out that they don't have nor can they get VA benefits.
They don't come home to any welcomes or thank-yous, only ungrateful citizens who are angry because they went there in the first place. And it seems that the government gives a rat's ass.
Do you blame them? November 13 
I knew that this was coming. I knew that pretty soon that racists assholes was going to use Senator Obama's name to associate him with Muslim extremists (terrorists).
It's a shame. November 12 
Donda and Kanye West
Kanye West's mother Donda has died after suffering complications following a plastic surgery procedure.
Donda West, who was 58, died on Saturday night in Los Angeles but the cause of her death has not been released.
A publicist said that Donda had passed away "as the result of complications from a cosmetic surgical procedure". A spokesperson later said: "The family respectfully asks for privacy during this time of grief."
My heart and prayers goes out to Kanye and his family. Donda was his *girl*
November 11 
Bush's bishops: Exit Iraq now
President Bush's church, long at odds with him on matters of public policy, called on the United States and its partners today to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq immediately.
The Bishops of the United Methodist Church approved a resolution calling on Bush, Congress and leaders of the other coalition partners to begin the "immediate safe and full withdrawal" of all troops, declare that there will be no permanent military bases in Iraq, increase support for veterans of all wars and initiate a reconstruction plan to address the humanitarian, social and educational needs of the Iraqi people.
(snip)
In issuing the call, the bishops said their position is based on the denomination's belief that "war is incompatible with the teachings and examples of Christ," and on the call of Jesus Christ for "his followers to be peacemakers."
"Every day that the war continues, more soldiers and innocent civilians are killed with no end in sight to the violence, bloodshed and carnage," the bishops said in their resolution.
I admire The United Methodist Church's courage to finaly stand up for the examples and teachings of Christ, sadly, it a day late and a dollar short.
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