Ten tidbits, v. 13

01. She may seem like a simple cartoon character with a monkey as a sidekick and a fox , but much thought went into creating Dora the Explorer.

02. Highly intelligent but completely stupid - that pretty much sums up the minds and behaviors of one of the more brilliant husband-and-wife teams, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.

Their private lives were wildly experimental. Simone de Beauvoir had affairs with both men and women, while Sartre, despite his stunted stature and ugly squint, was always surrounded by adoring muses happy to pamper his genius. When he died in 1980, 50,000 people turned out on to the Paris streets. But that was not the end of the story. For their influence continues to this day - often with disastrous consequences. For this luminous pair, who were at the peak of their fame just after World War II, arguably legitimised the Godless and permissive society in which we now live.

03. It doesn't look like we men have to leave it all up to the woman anymore. We can now take a pill.

04. Why do people read blogs? A group at the University of California-Irvine decided to study that question, and they drew some interesting conclusions.

What they found is that reading blogs has become a habit integrated into Internet use for many people, akin to instinctively checking e-mail. Several of the blog readers described it as simply a way to pass the time, using terms like "wasting time" and "doing nothing." One of them described it in terms of addiction: "I don’t really look forward to cigarettes anymore, but it's something that happens through the course of the day that I feel like I might need to do. It just becomes habit, I guess."

05. Movies boiled down to just three lines (or less) of dialogue.

06. It's Tax Day, so feel free to humm any song that mentions taxes. (HT: ALOTT5MA)

07. Do you take medicine that helps keep you alive? It may cost you.

08. "I'm on television, but I'm just like you, really." Paul Waldman has an interesting article on all those white guys on political shows who want to seem like they're just part of the masses.

09. The NFL released the 2008-09 schedule today. It looks like the Colts will have a tough year, and the Patriots an easy one. Of course, winning all your regular season games doesn't translate into Super Bowl success, as the Patriots know so very well.

10. Can you understand this blog?

TV Reviews

Ten Tidbits, Film Edition

01. A history of the Academy Awards, examining the 2007 nominations as well as past shockers, curses, and odd moments


02. Ten Star Wars toys that look like other celebrities


03. Sure, we have a long history of "teachable moments" courtesy of our past presidents, but about lessons learned from the faux presidents? I think what the president in Superman II taught us is most important.


04. Did you start watching a movie but for some reason had to stop so you missed the ending? Are you wanting to know if the conclusion to the latest thriller is inspired or just plain silly? Check out Movie Spoiler.


05. The Hollywood sign has been around for some time. If you already know it's history, then you realize that four letters are missing:

The Hollywood Sign stands four stories high, each letter running 30 feet at its base along the rugged terrain of the Hollywood Hills. Up close, it's massive, but to those who have been around since its birth, something is missing. Actually, four somethings. Following the familiar HOLLYWOOD that still greets pilots and tourists arriving in Los Angeles today, there once stood more letters: L-A-N-D.

For Morning Edition, Special Correspondent Renée Montagne investigates the origins of the sign. Since its construction, the sign put up by the Hollywoodland Real Estate Group may have undergone a small amount of cosmetic surgery, but then again, what in L.A. hasn't? After all, doesn't the most famous billboard of all time deserve a little pampering?

06. No doubt you'll have some opinion about the 100 best film soundtracks

07. Speaking of film soundtracks, I should mention that today, February 8, is John Williams' birthday. He composed the scores for such films as The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, Heartbeeps, and Monsignor, as well as little known films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan.

08. Unhappy with several aspects of the film version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (which I must admit, I was unhappy with several things as well), Devin Brown shares his hopes for Prince Caspian. He has five requests: (1) characters' apologies for wrong-doing; (2) an awesome Aslan; (3) a grousing Susan; (4) the consequences of choices; and (5) a good ending.

09. Nine ways Star Wars can save you money

10. Was 2007 the year the bad boys reigned in Hollywood?

''The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted,'' D.H. Lawrence once declared. He shoulda been a movie critic.

Mr. Lady Chatterley's Lover was writing in the 1920s, but let's face it, he might have just emerged fresh from a visit to today's multiplex, his fingers still buttery from a double feature of No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. And he might have been left shaken, as so many of us have, after encountering two of the hardest, most morally isolated and stoic killer-dillers in contemporary movies — Javier Bardem's implacable, Beatle-cut annihilator Anton Chigurh and Daniel Day-Lewis' misanthropic oilman/bowling aficionado Daniel Plainview.

At the conclusion of this year's Oscars, Day-Lewis may well take home the award for Best Actor, and Bardem a matching statuette for Best Supporting Actor. By any measure, it was an awfully good year for awfully-behaved characters. Whether we're talking about Johnny Depp's demon barber in Sweeney Todd, the up-by-his-bootstraps hoodlum Denzel Washington portrayed in American Gangster, Russell Crowe's sketch-pad-wielding Western baddie in 3:10 to Yuma, or the serial killer in David Fincher's Zodiac, evil is artful in some of the best recent American movies.

Ten Tidbits, v. 11

01. The biggest subject that 2007's book of the year, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, had to address (other than how You-Kn0w-Who would meet his end) was the character and motivations of Severus Snape. Although we all know the answer to that question now, it's worthwhile to read Orson Scott Card's considerations of Snape's statements and behaviors in Years One through Six.

02. I was saddened to learn of the death of 25-year-old actor Brad Renfro. His most notable appearance was in the film adaptation of John Grisham's novel The Client, as a witness to a mob lawyer's suicide; he acted in the film with two Oscar winners, Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. I consider The Client to be my favorite Grisham book.

03. I'm back in the world of the college student, which means that I have to purchase textbooks for classes. I've always questioned the great expense of textbooks, and I'm not alone. FYI, my anatomy textbook was $160.

04. Tom Cruise: Scientology Proselytizer. "We're the authorities on getting people off drugs. We're the authorities on the mind. We're the authorities on improving conditions." He's also become an authority on how to make a movie no one goes to see.

05. Yet another Hollywood marriage has ended, this one after two weeks. I was in Target yesterday and saw some magazine showcasing pictures of the supposed marital bliss, which apparently soured minutes after the "I do's."

06. The musical Rent will close on Broadway this spring. I've never seen it, but I have seen my fair share of musicals on tour, including The Producers (in Chicago), Miss Saigon (Cincinnati), and Phantom of the Opera (Columbus, OH).

07. Reasons to love Apple. Truly tempting.

08. Jon Ferguson lets you know when you're not leading.

09. Justin Taylor interviewed Scott Klusendorf about current pro-life issues.

10. If you really must know where Brownie attends church services, it's here.

10 Tidbits, Jolly Old Elf Edition

01. A Visit from St. Nicholas, more commonly known as Twas the Night Before Christmas, was first published anonymously in 1823. This poem and Thomas Nast's illustrations are largely responsible for how we envision Santa Claus today.

02. Yes, Virginia, there really was a St. Nicholas. Find out more about him here.

03. Santa Land purports to be the "first Christmas site on the Internet," founded in 1991.

04. Rudolph, who replaced Comet as Santa's favorite reindeer after a particularly nasty snowstorm, was created for a department store.

05. A good place to learn all about Santa's dwelling place is here.

06. There are many things in this world that are perfectly fine on their own but achieve legendary status when paired with something else. Among these things are chips & salsa, chocolate & peanut butter, and Santa & Coke.

07. Who's your favorite cinematic Santa Claus? He's been played by such actors as Edmund Gwenn, Tim Allen, Ed Asner, Tom Hanks, former wrestler Bill Goldberg, and most recently, Paul Giamatti.

08. Did Santa and the misses retire to Rancho Peñasquitos?

09. NORAD will track Santa tonight.

10. Although The Wife balks at the idea, I plan to take The Sweet One and The Cute One to this place, located in Santa Claus, Indiana.

10 Tidbits, Special Christmas Edition

1. Twenty-five Christmas movies we love. (HT: The Anchoress)

2. The Barna Group conducted a poll which revealed 75% of Americans believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. The poll doesn't reveal how many of those same Americans actually live as if it is true.

3. Brent thinks everybody loves Santa Jesus.

4. Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, says that there were no three kings that came to the inn in Bethlehem. Oops! Ben Witherington says there was no inn in Bethlehem.

5. Should the Advent move to November?

6. Have you been to one of these? The top ten holiday light shows.

7. Have you visited Frankenmuth, Michigan? It's the home of Bronner's, reportedly the world's largest Christmas store. They've got a spot on their site where you can put up on a map pictures of your decorated home. Of course, some people don't know how to decorate well.

8. Timmy Brister points to a non-Christmas song that is actually about the first time the God-Man came to eath - and the second.

9. You can read Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol online.

10. For The Wife:

Ten tidbits 8

1. 25 skills every man should know. I already know how to do #'s 10, 12, 14, 15, and 17. (HT: The Presurfer)


2. Did Hillary express that she doesn't really have any "experience?"


3. Megachurches across the country. (HT: Smart Christian)

4. Tom Neven has a series on "Godless Hollywood": 1, 2, 3, and 4.

5. What is your RoeIQ? Test your knowledge of Roe v. Wade. (HT: Joe Carter)

6. "Honestly, Honey, I shouldn't be drunk. I only had one glass of beer."

7. Golden Compass vs. Narnia: the box office results. Dollar signs, not theological ideas, are what Hollywood cares about.

8. Kim Fabricius: Ten propositions on Richard Dawkins and the new atheists

9. A blog for fathers - Dads are Disciplers (DAD) (HT: Jonathan Moorhead)

10. "Electron Ban Structure in Germanium..." {Warning: language!} (HT: In the Agora)

Ten Tidbits 7

1. How many NFL games do you see like this? The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Miami Dolphins by 3 points, but just saying that doesn't tell you the story. The score was 3-0. The Steelers didn't score those points until the 4th quarter with 17 seconds left to go.
2. Phil Johnson believes there is no turning back from the apocalypse.
3. Did you realize that you are shortening the timespan of the cosmos?
4. Polls don't always say the same thing. A new poll by Zogby International shows Hillary trailing five Republican contenders in a general election matchup; the contenders are Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, McCain, and Huckabee. Gallup, however, gives the edge to the Democrats.
5. I don't know how much a publishing company would pay for my memoirs, but the money probably wouldn't be $8 million.
6. Abraham Piper appeals to the better angels of our Calvinism. (HT: JT)
7. The top 10 IT disasters of all time (HT: Presurfer)
8. Dan Kimball blogged about giving a sermon on Hell: "Not an easy thing to tackle or understand or figure out how to balance a belief in eternal hell but balancing it with the beauty of the gospel for this life and the life to come." And, yes, I have to add this: Kimball's hair is truly remarkable.
9. Mark Daniels offers a one-stop post with links to his "How Christians Might Think About the 2008 Presidential Election" series. It's truly worthy of your time.
10. Joe Carter's "33 Things" series is the inspiration for my "Ten Tidbits," so I am compelled to point you to this - "Thirty Three Things Special Edition," which lists the #1 item from his first 33 "33 Things."

Ten Tidbits 6

1. USA Today has what appears to be images of Abraham Lincoln on his way to deliver his three minute address in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
2. The sun is no longer (at this time, anyway) the largest single object in the solar system. A comet is. (HT: Betsy's Page)
3. Even a three-year-old can be a Calvinist.
4. Alan Kurschner believes there are five good reasons to own a gospel synopsis.
5. There's never been a better year for gift cards. Are you going to buy them? (HT: In the Agora)
6. Justin Buzzard reports on Rob Bell's "the gods aren't angry" tour when it stopped in San Francisco. From the pictures, it doesn't look like Bell wore any flowers in his hair.
7. Think twice before you order a cake from Wal-Mart.
8. Pay close attention when you're flipping the breakfast pancakes. If you see an image on Jesus and Mary, you could get $338 for the pancake on Ebay. I made waffles for my girls last night, but alas, no images.
9. If you haven't heard, I've got a new nephew. Here are the pics.
10. Shirt Woot offers a new T-shirt daily for $10. You have to be quick, though - today's shirt is already sold-out.

Ten Tidbits 5

01. Here's something for when all the bookshelves are filled: Bookinist," a mobile reading chair, with enough built-in storage to hold 80 of your favorite books nearby."

02. Ronald Reagan: A Graphic Biography (HT: Joe Carter)

03. Want to really impress the guests at your next dinner party? Learn 27 different ways to fold a napkin.

04. How to write consistently boring scientific literature (via Metafilter)

05. Ann Althouse has a great picture of New York City from this past Patriot's Day

06. Here he is, Ladies and Gentlemen! The pocket piranha! (via Neatorama)



07. Apparently lost for fifty years, the skinny gene has been found.

08. If you need this to help you remember, you have some serious memory problems.

09. If you believe in Open Theism, I guess you wouldn't have a problem when this kind of thing happens.

10. One of the most perfect endings to a TV show:

Ten tidbits 4

01. Matt Schmucker asks an intriguing question: Is the idea of eternity and the believer's ultimate end simply lost to the modern church?

02. Does Jesus want us to have universal healthcare? J.P. Moreland says no.

03. Can't get enough of Starbucks? Go here to get the gossip. Really, no one can get enough these days. Even if you can't stand the hot viscous stuff, you've certainly been inside a Starbucks at least once in your life. Don't lie and say you haven't...

04. Daniel Pulliam at Get Religion examines a story by Eileen Flynn on the emerging church.

05. What not to name your blog. For the record: I have only been called "Brownie" a few times in my life - a college roommate tried to give me a nickname, but nothing stuck. Does it qualify as something "not to name your blog?" That's for you, dear reader, to judge.

06. 2008 Presidential Election Candidates on the Issues.

07. How do you become a better writer?

08. Pastor John Piper believes the prosperity gospel to be deceitful and deadly.

09. Back to the future, new urbanism style.

10. Joe Carter, whose regular postings of "33 Things" are the inspiration for my "Ten Tidbits," is getting a book published. It's on my list!

Ten tidbits 3

01. Joe Carter is a sanctified jerk. He said so himself.

02. Who's that in your rear-view window? It's God.

03. Phil Johnson discusses Benny Hinn, a person who makes any topic more interesting than it was before.

04. I'll do a cameo in Ugly Betty for far less than what Posh Spice was paid.

05. The Daily Mail asks, Won't anyone stand up for God? They refer to books on the best-seller lists, one of which is Christopher Hitchens' God is Not Great. I believe Pastor Mark Roberts answers the DM's question.

06. Dan Edelen argues for the church to teach to mastery.

07. The best headline. Ever.

08. Finally! Men and women are seen as equals. When they talk.

09. After his father's death, Pastor John Piper went through his papers and found these words of wisdom.

10. Are you single? Looking for someone? Check out this map. (TY, Doug Masson)

ten tidbits 2

1. Andrew Rilstone examines Richard Dawkins' best-selling book The God Delusion. (TY, In the Agora)

2. Christianity Today picks up the story on the split in Great Britain regarding the concept of atonement. Brit blogger/psychiatrist Adrian Warnock (he's a friend on Facebook - I don't even know the guy, and he invited me to be a friend! how great is that?) gives a quote for the article.

3. Some physicists are saying there was a time before the Big Bang.

4. Newsweek asks, are the major religions essentially alike?

5. LaShawn Barber denounces the liberal left's interpretation of "black pride."

6. Lemming is reading Nancy Drew books, and loving it.

In Chapter One, a pigeon crash-lands in Nancy's yard. A humantarian, Nancy is concerned for the creature's physical safety and well-being. OK, I buy that - pigeons may be public annoyances, but neither do I wish death upon such creatures. Nancy, as a compassionate being taking care of defenseless creatures sets a good example for the impressionable readers, fine.

Following a quick examination of the bird (Nancy somehow knows that no bones have been broken) her first reaction is, and I quote: I'll wire the International Federation of American Homing Pigeon Fanciers and give them the number stamped on the bird's leg ring.

OK, so the idea of sending a telegram is quaint and now impossible - the book was written in 1933, revised in 1966, so that's a nice historical moment/touch for 21st century readers. At the same time, WHAT eighteen year old knows to contact such a group? Knows what their ID badges look like? Even knows that they exist? Combines this with an in-depth knowlege of botany?

7. Two posts on why Evan Almighty, which seemed targeted to a Christian audience, flopped, by Denny Burk and Tim Challies.

8. You heard about this bit of news, correct? For an example of the reactions from the Left (cries of shock, outrage, and protest) and the Right (moderately pleased), see respectively here and here.

9. I was a fanatic - confessions of a former radical.

When I was still a member of what is probably best termed the British Jihadi Network - a series of British Muslim terrorist groups linked by a single ideology - I remember how we used to laugh in celebration whenever people on TV proclaimed that the sole cause for Islamic acts of terror like 9/11, the Madrid bombings and 7/7 was Western foreign policy.

By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair's bombs" line did our propaganda work for us.

10. Goodbye, Beverly Sills.

Ten tidbits

1. In honor of the upcoming Father's Day, the NY Times has a great article on sperm (yes, really!):

Human sperm are extremely compact, and they’ve been stripped of a normal cell’s protein-making machinery; but when cast into the forbidding environment of the female reproductive tract, they will learn on the job and change their search strategies and swim strokes as needed.

2. Adrian Warnock switched to an Apple Macbook.

3. Just like me, Pastor Mark Daniels just doesn't care for Tony Soprano and his families.

4. Joe Carter, inspiration for this ten tidbits post, is promoting the ONE Vote '08 campaign, an off-shoot of the ONE campaign. Among other things, he believes they have an actual plan and the right priorities are in place.

5. Pastor John Hay plans to ride his bike to work twice a week this summer. I'm glad he can do it, but it's a little more difficult for me. I work the midnight shift, and I occasionally need my car to drive to other hospitals.

6. 50 tips for grocery shopping.

7. If there are Christian churches, why does America have orphans?

8. Michael Spencer sees a dire situation in the Southern Baptist Convention, which is meeting this week:

It is safe to say that at no time in Southern Baptist history has there been less confidence in leadership, and the infighting among leadership shows no sign of abatement. In the era following the so-called conservative resurgence, conservatives are now sub-dividing over theology, style, labels, speaking in tongues, discount landmarkism and, of course, Calvinism.

9. Like Oprah, Cindy Swanson is promoting a book club.

10. Hitchens vs. Hitchens.