I can relate to this line of thinking because as a child, I had to endure being a bridesmaid for a cousin I disliked intensely. (My mother made me.)

With that said, Amy, I suggest you go for your sake. Sorry to say, I am a believer in keeping up appearances because your absence will unfortunately present you (in the eyes of your relatives) as both petty and envious. What's a couple of hours, anyway? 

Go to the wedding and then leave this particular church.

I completely agree with this and one of the things I would urge all voters to do is to examine the personal family background of a candidate before voting. It does give one a sense of the psychological and emotional temperament; see William Clinton if you don't believe this is important.

 I always thought you were about quality, not quantity. :)

Please don't make me post yet another lecture on the morality of capitalism.

Funny thing about the good stuff, UF and all you Pachelbel critics; it has a tendency to be played over and over again!
Full disclosure: I did walk down the aisle to Canon in D and I'm not in the least bit ashamed. 

Red, I continue to quote my main source on all such matters, Ayaan Hirsi Ali: "The word Islam translates into English as 'submission' and that alone makes it incompatible with Western Civilization."

Before Chief Roberts' ruling on Obamacare as a "tax," I would have voted for the Supremes.  Scalia and Alito continue to remain my heroes, but I agree that partisanship has infected every branch of the federal government.

I will continue to encourage a more engaged interest in state and local elections; especially as we are able to vote here in Florida to renew terms of State Supreme Court judges.

The whole was truly greater than the sum of its parts.

McCartney took the edges off the earlier radical ideology; Lennon put some musical gravitas behind the insipid pop melodies. George Harrison added both depth and originality to the songwriting and Ringo was just cute!

Never will there be a more prolific or successful collaboration than the Fab Four.

Better be careful Doc; he'll post a gang of Black Panthers in front of your home after they get off duty from manning polling places.

And yet a third vote for Jarrett. She knows more about the shenanigans of this administration than even the wife. Besides, she is quoted as saying to Obama in Game Changer, "I love living your life." Pheew!

I agree with you Casey but am still bowled over by the genius. They never stopped growing as musicians.

Ok, so shoot me because my second favorite movie of all time Almost Famous features this song in a wonderful scene on the tour bus. :)

And at least he wrote one good song, Tiny Dancer.

I would add that life in a Newark/South Bronx/ East L.A. community is not an enviable one. People with any common sense (leaving moral sensibility aside) realize that criminal life creates a haunted and hunted existence that truly doesn't pay in the end.

BTW, Pseudo, New York City has become far too expensive for criminals. Only the uber-wealthy can afford to live there and the Michael Bloombergs of the world have every intention of protecting the taxpayers who fund his progressive programs. Crime has never been lower in NYC, even under the venerable Giuliani.

And don't forget about Mother Nature. Good post (!) and a topic we should all be discussing.

Even Israel, that has been at the forefront of this issue (due to necessity), would agree with us.