Campi, the EC, and McLaren

Christian recording artist Steve Camp has posted three articles (over at his blog Camp on This) by Gary Gilley, pastor of Southern View Chapel in Springfield, IL, on the emerging church. You can view them here: 1, 2, and 3. Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA, and a leader in the emerging church, has written a response to those posts, which can be found in the comments sections.

Whether this is a continuing series, I do not know, but Steve has written his own post on another of the leaders of the emerging church, Brian McLaren - read it here. In this post, Steve has some very strong words about McLaren:

Brian McLaren is without doubt the unprecedented leader and poster-child of the Emergent Church/Emerging Church ecumenical postmodern movement within evangelicalism today. He and his minions have challenged two thousand years of orthodox biblical Christianity on its most essential doctrines (the veracity and authority of Scripture; justification by faith alone; imputation of the righteousness of Christ; substitutionary atonement; the omniscience of God, Hell-eternal punishment, etc.) and is winning ground among some evangelicals with his heretical and aberrant beliefs.

In light of this, I would humbly submit the following question that no one in the entire EC ecumenical movement has ever addressed: Why hasn't anyone within the EC ecumenical movement (including conservatives like Mark Driscoll and Dan Kimball) publicly called for the church discipline (Matt. 18:15-20) of Brian McLaren for his aberrant and heretical theological error?

Steve asks an intriguing question, but I don't wish to discuss the merits of it here. My concern is more pragmatic. If some of the leaders of the EC movement did call for church discipline, how would that church discipline be carried out? McLaren is the pastor of the church, so would it be the responsibility of his congregation to carry out the discipline? If his congregation refused to do so, what would happen then?

An aside: If you decide to visit Pastor Gilley's website, you'll want to take note of the staff section of the web page (or just go here). You'll see that his son Brian is the youth pastor. I must admit, I'm always a bit leery of churches where the nepotism is so obvious, as in this case by having the senior pastor's son on the pastoral staff (excepting for churches where the senior pastor's wife is the secretary - I don't mind that). It seems like the pastor think that the church is his own, and he can decide to hire whomever he wants to for other pastoral positions.

Whenever I hear about this scenario, I generally imagine the senior pastor of the church saying to the congregation, "Folks, we've searched high and low for a good man to come and look after our youth, and I think we've found the perfect man for the job. He just so happens to be my direct descendant!" (loud clapping)

mental health crime link studied

The UK (via the BBC) is reporting on a study from Sweden where "18% of murders and attempted murders were committed by people with a mental illness."

Campaigners are split as to whether the number, published in an American Journal of Psychiatry study, is less or more than would have been expected. The study, carried out by researchers from Oxford University's department of psychiatry and Sweden's Karolinska Institute, looked at data from 1988 to 2000. They found there were 45 violent crimes committed per 1,000 inhabitants.

Of these, 2.4 were attributable to patients with severe mental illness, which also includes bipolar disorder (manic depression) and other psychoses. This means that 5.2% of all violent crimes over the period were committed by people with severe mental illness.

I've blogged about this before, way back in February about the tragic story of Jennifer San Marco (here) - that posting includes several more links about this topic.

from blog to TV

The "Anonymous Lawyer" has gone from a blog to a television series.

"Anonymous Lawyer" stems from a Blog Blachman started after a summer internship in New York. Content was fictional, but it caught the attention of publisher Henry Holt, which turned the Harvard Law School grad's Blog into a book.

Interesting that the article writer has capitalized "blog".... And if a blog becomes a book, shouldn't it be called a blook?

Anyway... just remember that if you have a blog, be mindful of what you write because you never know who'll be reading.

50 Films to See Before You Die

The folks at England's Sunday Mail gathered a panel of experts (including Chariots of Fire producer David Puttnam) to list the 50 Films to See Before You Die. The top five are Apocalypse Now, The Apartment, City of God, Chinatown, and Sexy Beast.

Best-of lists are almost always controversial, and this one is no exception. Where is Star Wars? What about Gone With The Wind? Where is The Godfather, or The Wizard of Oz, or The Lord of the Rings?

Of the films listed, I've seen the following: Apocalpse Now, Chinatown, 2001: A Space Odyssey, North By Northwest, Alien, Lost in Translation, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Erin Brockovich, The Breakfast Club, All About Eve, The Terminator, Manhunter, Raising Arizona, and Secrets & Lies. Thirty-five films to go...

.... from the "well, duh!" files...

A study (here) has found that children who watch TV while they do homework have much more difficulty retaining the information than those who do not watch.

The study, in Monday's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also provides a clue as to why it happens.

''What's new is that even if you can learn while distracted, it changes how you learn to make it less efficient and useful,'' said Russell Poldrack, a psychology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

That could affect a lot of young people. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation last year found third-graders through 12th-graders devoted, on average, nearly 61/2 hours per day to TV and videos, music, video games and computers.

Did we really need a study to tell us that kids who watch TV while studying have a more difficult time with retention? I guess sometimes you need a study to verify what appears to be common sense.

of mice and murder

There's a city in America that has had 33 homicides in 2006. With the year barely half done, this isn't encouraging news - they could be up to 60 homicides by New Year's Eve. The bizarre thing about this? This is happening in the town that most people associate with what is widely advertised as The Happiest Place on Earth - DisneyWorld.

Why are people killing each other so close to the land of Mickey, Goofy, and Donald?

"People can attribute crime to failing schools, failing families. There's a bunch of sociological things you can put your finger on," said police Sgt. Rich Ring, head of Orlando's homicide investigation unit. "All we can do as police is say the biggest things are drugs and robbery, and we're going to take action to attack those issues." (BrietBart)

This goes to show that even near The Happiest Place on Earth, there are plenty of people who are very unhappy - and apparently willing to kill.

"This is the only final besides the 2004 Wimbledon final that I can say I've played my best tennis and lost."

"Sure I'm disappointed now, but I'm sure I will look back at this week as a success. Hopefully this is a turning point."

Andy Roddick lost the RCA Championship tournament to James Blake in three sets. The tournament was held in Indianapolis, just down the road from me. This is Blake's first win in Indianapolis; Roddick won in 2003, the year he won the U.S. Open.

At age 23, Roddick has one Grand Slam win under his belt. If he isn't careful, he's going to be another Michael Chang - one and done.

this is news???

MSNBC has decided that former VP Dan Quayle walking out of a John Mellencamp concert because he didn't like what he heard is worthy of attention. See?

Isn't this kind of behavior exactly what people who are against censorship want to see? A person who doesn't like what he's hearing is exercising his right not to listen to it anymore. He's not pushing legislation to ban this kind of talk. He isn't standing up and shouting, "Shut up! You can't talk like that about the president!" He isn't attempting to get the speaker arrested. He isn't calling radio stations to ban all Mellencamp music.

No, Quayle was simply exercising his right to leave after he found something to be offensive. And for that, MSNBC thinks you should know all about it.

fashion advice for Pastor Mark Daniels

I'm not exactly a fashion guru, Pastor Mark, but you can't tell me that you won't be stylin' in this shirt.

taking your chances with "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

I saw POTC:DMC on Monday - by myself since The Wife hasn't seen the first movie and therefore has no interest in the second film of a planned trilogy. Although the film has received mixed reviews and some found the plot to be "incoherent," I thought it was a good piece of entertainment and the plot was plainly visible. I found the most interesting character to be not Captain Jack Sparrow this time around (although he certainly was the star of the film, and the most intriguing character of POTC:COBP) but Davey Jones, an amazingly developed CGI character voiced by the excellent British actor Bill Nighy.

There are conflicting stories about whether Davey Jones is the devil himself or merely a sailor. He is mostly known for his locker, which lies at the bottom of the ocean. In the Disney movie, Davey (pictured here) is not the devil himself but a cross between a man and an octopus. He does have mastery over the sea, however, and captains the Flying Dutchman. He offers dying sailors the chance to delay their judgment day by serving him for 100 years.

I did not see the broadcast on July 14, but I read a transcript of Bill O'Reilly's interview with Marc Newman about the film. Marc Newman is president of MovieMinistry.com, "a company dedicated to providing pastors and lay leaders with the tools necessary to use movies as a way of reaching out to others with the Gospel of Christ." In the interview, Dr. Newman discusses spirituality in the movie. The full transcript is here.

Mr. Newman correctly perceives one of the main thematic elements of the film to be the wagering of souls to delay judgment day. However, Mr. Newman makes some statments that are worthy of further discussion, so we shall take a look at this.

O'REILLY: All right. So I get it. None of the pirates wants to die because they think they're all going to hell so they're trying to delay the grim reaper. But there isn't any reference outright to Christianity, is there?

NEWMAN: Well, there's a wonderful scene very early in the film where a couple of the pirates are rowing in a boat. They've just escaped from jail. And they used to be these immortal ghosts from the first film, but they have been humanized, as a result of getting their treasure back and having their blood sacrificed, which happens in the first movie. And so the guy is looking at a Bible. Now, he's reading it upside down because he's illiterate. But the guy asks him, he says, "You know, we're not immortal anymore, so now we have to take care of our immortal souls."

O'REILLY: Now do you feel that this was purposely put in this movie? Or is it just, you know, somebody in the screenplay going, "How do I fill this screen?"

NEWMAN: You know, Bill, there's no way to really know, but one thing that I do know is that art has a tendency to transcend the intentions of its makers. And so I think that these stories are the kind of stories that resonate with people. You've seen a million movies where people get shot or cut or stabbed and it doesn't have nearly the resonance as it does when you look at bunch of people who are trembling over the idea of whether or not they're going to their soul.

O'REILLY: Is it their soul or their life? Because nobody wants to die.

NEWMAN: Oh, no, it's their soul. Because there's a great scene early in the film, when Davy Jones is looking at a man. And he's giving them all the opportunity to escape meeting their maker by serving 100 years before the mast on his ship. And one of the young men is holding a rosary in his hand with a cross clearly identified and he looks at him, and he makes the offer. And the guys says, "No, I'd rather take my chances". In other words, in the afterlife he feels secure. So of course, they cut his throat and throw him overboard. But the fact of the matter is, like many Christian martyrs in the past, would rather die than serve on a hellish ship.

I should speak first of the scene of Pintel and Ragetti discussing how they are no longer immortal due to the curse, and Ragetti believes that reading the Bible holds the key to caring for his soul. Think of it: a character in a movie is looking in the Bible for answers as to how to care for his soul. Have you ever seen a movie, that is not overtly Christian, in which something like this takes place? I can not think of one, so if you know of one, please inform me.

The scene with Davey Jones occurs after his ship has battled with a pirate ship, and of course the pirate ship has lost. Davey has offered the survivors (who are all dying) the chance to prolong their life and put off judgment day by serving him for 100 years. One man decided he will "take [his] chances" and die rather than serve Davey.

Inexplicably, Mr. Newman has labeled this man - this pirate - as a person with sense of security. I don't know about you, but it seems to me that a man who says he will take his chances doesn't sound very secure. To take a chance is to take a risk or to gamble. To equate this with security is nonsense. If a man is secure in his beliefs, this means that he knows or believes them to be true - he would not consider his belief as "taking a chance."

Let us consider 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (ESV), which gives a plain understanding of the Gospel:

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Isn't this fascinating? This passage claims that Jesus Christ died for our sins, so we can be certain that when we face God on our own personal judgment day, we don't have to say something to Him like, "But, but.... I was a good person! I gave to the Katrina victims, I didn't steal pens from work, and I never cheated on my spouse." We don't have to "take our chances." We can be secure in the knowledge that Christ died for our sins, and so God will accept us as His own because of what Christ has done.

GodBlogCon 2006

I won't be able to attend, but if you have the means and opportunity and you're a Christian who blogs, you should attend. It sounds like it will be a fascinating time. If only they had it in the Midwest...

a bit of perspective

Sure, Donald Trump must be feeling pretty big right now. He's had several seasons of a hit show, he's considered running for president in the past and may be considering that again, and he owns a lot of real estate. But, is he really that big?

These pictures put largeness - and smallness - in perspective.

(H/T: LaShawn Barber)

why I may have to start watching "24"

Unless you live like some Mennonites, several German Baptists, and a few others who eschew the idiot box also known as television (if you're Amish, you eschew electricity altogether, and you're probably not even reading this blog), you've no doubt heard of the (supposedly) engaging show 24. I say supposedly because, well, it hasn't engaged me. I'm not exactly particular about TV shows, mind you - even though Survivor is going through it's umpteenth season, I'll still be there every Thursday night to see who gets voted off.

24 just hasn't captured my attention. I've nothing against Keifer Sutherland, who plays the hero Jack Bauer. Some people have even compared Jack to Jesus Christ, which is stretching it to put it extremely mildly. I guess I'm put off by the tenseness that the show appears to exude. Now, I've only watched portions of a few episodes, so I can't truly make any blanket statement about the show as a whole. But, I can only take tension for two hours at the most, which is about as long as a typical movie lasts. I can't take it for a full hour, once a week, for twenty-four weeks - this is exactly what I perceive 24 would give me.

However, I have been given reason to pause and reflect on my conscious decision to avoid watching 24. I have heard report that actress Regina King will be joining the cast next season. The pop culture mag Entertainment Weekly calls her "glorious and underutilized," and I think that description is exactly right. I first noticed Regina in 227, one of my favorite TV shows from the past. She played my favorite character in this movie and in this one. Perhaps her best performance was as Ray Charles' lover Margie Hendricks in Ray, and it's a shame she wasn't nominated for an Oscar (she did receive the NAACP Image Award for this role).

I may just have to turn in to Fox TV in the fall...


Somewhat unrelated: Speaking of TV shows that star Marla Gibbs (like 227), did you know that Isabel Sanford, who played wife Weezie Jefferson to Sherman Hemsley's George Jefferson on The Jeffersons, was over twenty years older than Hemsley? He was born in 1938, she in 1917. Hemsley was recently on a season of The Surreal Life, but Sanford passed on in 2004. If you watched The Surreal Life, you'll know that Hemsley is the complete opposite of his George Jefferson character.

"We don't have clones we can interview - but we do have identical twins."

Scientists speculate that cloned humans would deem themselves to be "individuals."

Scientists drew their conclusions after interviewing identical twins about their experiences of sharing exactly the same genes with somebody else. The team said the twins believed their genes played a limited role in shaping their identity. The UK/Austrian research will shortly be published in the journal of Social Science and Medicine.

Co-author Dr Barbara Prainsack, from the University of Vienna, Austria, who worked with Professor Tim Spector, from the Twins Research Unit, St Thomas' Hospital, London, said: "The birth of Dolly the sheep triggered many questions about what it would be like to be a clone. We don't have clones we can interview - but we do have identical twins." (BBC)

I believe I know what Dolly would say to all this: "Baa, baaa, baaa, baaaa, baa!"

I'm not a nerd. this proves it

See? No matter what anyone says, I know I'm not a nerd....



(H/T: Doulogos)

Why does it say that I despise nerds? I don't despise anyone, least of all nerds. Tolerate, yes; despise, no.

Two new shows

I have done something this week that is a genuine rarity: I've watched shows this week that don't have the words lost or c.s.i. or survivor in their names. One show is a new series on the Food Network, and the other show is the third season of a breakout hit on Bravo.

Road Tasted, Food Network

Paula Deen's sons, Jamie and Bobby, are the hosts of this show. As the title suggests, the two brothers travel around from state-to-state, looking for unique places to eat. (Two of the show's original titles were Two for the Road and Good To Go.) Road Tasted is very similar in style to two other shows on the channel, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and Food Finds. On RRTT, Rachael visits several restaurants in specific cities (e.g., Atlanta, Boston) or locations (e.g., central California), offering her opinions on the quality and affordability of the food. On FF, Sandra Pinckney looks for specialty foods in small-town stores, restaurants and vendors; she offers information on how to order products as well. Road Tasted seems to be a blend of these two shows, or at least it does in the first episode, which was filmed in northern California. The brothers ate wine-grape pie in Napa Valley, sampled taffy on the Santa Cruz boardwalk, and tasted cioppino at Phil's Fish Market. New episodes of the show air on Tuesdays at 10:00 PM.

The brothers are very likeable (yet, they are borderline annoying), they interact well with each other and the people they meet. However, I'm not sure how this show stands apart from the two from which it seems to take its cues: RRTT and FF. Do we really need another travelling food show, especially since it seems Alton Brown will soon air one?

Some links about the Deen boys:

• The Lady & Sons
• 'Deen boys earning name for themselves'
• 'Flagstaff House Restaurant Featured on New Food Network Show Hosted by Paula Deen's Sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen'
• 'Sons of Food Network chef Paula Deen bring their new show to Seattle'

Project Runway 3, Bravo

The third edition of PR kicked off last night at 10:00PM, with a casting special that preceded it. The casting special was fun to watch, especially seeing the contestants who were told to leave before they could show their clothes. The first episode gave a great design challenge: the contestants were to trash their apartment, searching for materials to use for their first gown. Kate Spade was one of the judges (my wife received her black baby bag is a shower gift when The Cute was born). It's hard to tell who to root for at this point, but I will definitely not be rooting for Malan - Malan Breton.

Some links:

• Pinking Shears at 20 Paces
• The Tour: "Project Runway'' runs to NBC
• A chat with Tim Gunn of 'Project Runway'
• Ready - to where? (life after the show)
• Ann Althouse's take on the first episode

Barnard Hughes

Actor Barnard Hughes, winner of the Emmy and Tony awards, died at the age of 90 (here).

Hughes died Tuesday at New York Presbyterian Hospital, said Chris Boneau, a spokesman for Hughes’ family.

The actor, along with wife Helen Stenborg, were veterans of the New York stage. Hughes made his Broadway debut in “Herself Mrs. Patrick Crowley” in 1935, but it was “Da,” some 43 years later that made him a star and won him the best-actor Tony. He also starred in the 1988 film version of the Tony-winning play. (MSNBC)

I know of Hughes mostly by his role as "Grandpa" in the film The Lost Boys. The Lost Boys is one of those classic '80s films, much like The Breakfast Club and Say Anything. It's a keynote movie for several reasons: it's a combination of comedy and horror; it features the first - and best - pairing of "the Coreys" (Haim and Feldman); it was the first big role for Kiefer Sutherland (even though he was in Stand by Me, that film didn't put him on the map like Lost Boys).

"You want to have gay sex? Be a female bishop? Change God's name to Sophia? Go ahead."

This piece by Charlotte Allen, on the effects of liberalism in the church, is really quite marvelous.

Even Dr. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, thought so.

ESV "To Do" Bible

At his most excellent blog Purgatorio, Marc Heinrich has given a good example of how to use the ESV Journaling Bible.

Marc lists two of his favorite movies as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Big Trouble in Little China. Ahhh.... a man after my own heart.

Blogger gets house by trading from red paper clip

This story is from the "Why didn't I think of that" files.

Taking a paper clip and turning it into a house sounds like a cheesy magic trick or a phony instance of resourcefulness on the 1980s TV show "MacGyver."

Kyle MacDonald, however, has pulled it off.

One year ago, the 26-year-old blogger from Montreal set out to barter one red paper clip for something and that thing for something else, over and over again until he had a house. (MSNBC)

(Picture by David Boily/AP)

Michael Moore's "Sicko"

I belonged to the G.O.P. for many years. My parents are both Republicans, but neither vote straight down the party line. Although I don't know for sure, I believe that all my siblings and their spouses are Republican, or at least Republican-sympathetic. With the exception of her maternal grandfather, The Wife's family votes Republican.

After several years of disillusionment with elephants, I switched sides and joined with donkeys back in 1999. We were living in Indianapolis at the time (our first time living in Indiana, actually), and the mayoral race was gearing up. I didn't like what I saw of the Republican ticket, so I voted Democratic in the primary. Thus, I became a Democrat. The Wife did the same thing as well, but in 2004 she switched back with the Republicans while I did not. So, I remain a Democrat - not because of a conscious decision to do so, but out of pure laziness, really.

Okay, it's a little more than laziness. I'm in the mental health field, which has historically found more sympathy from Democratic party policies. I can't ignore that. I also opposed the Iraq War initially and continue to do so, and many more Democrats than Republicans agree with me on this. BUT - I'm not exactly joining with Jim Wallis and all the Sojourners (not you, Brad W.) in thinking that the government is the second coming of Christ.

I wrote all this to say: since I'm a Democrat and a thinking person, I can't really ignore Michael Moore. I think he's full of himself and I think he manipulates facts to present his own theories. However, he can't be just swept under some rug - it's like when Alex Forrest tells Dan Gallagher, "I'm not going to be ignored, Dan."

I'm anxious, though, to see his latest movie Sicko. The movie is supposed to focus on healthcare and its discontents. Moore gave an update on the movie in his most recent letter to his devotees (which I am not, BTW, but I do peruse his site once in a while).

Nurse practitioners

Thinking of changing careers? If you're a "caring" person and you're in a "helping" profession, then becoming a nurse practitioner may be just the thing...

Nurse practitioners first appeared about 40 years ago in pediatrics, and quickly expanded into obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, and adult primary care.

They can perform many of the duties of primary care doctors such as performing physical exams, diagnosing and treating common health problems, prescribing medications, ordering and interpreting X-rays, and providing family planning services. (Indy Star)

It certainly has me thinking.

Related: Hospitals emphasizing nurse training to fill vacancies

Congratulations!

To you, Italy!

To you, Roger Federer! (Four Wimbledons in a row! Amazing!)

To you, Amelie Mauresmo! ("Nervous" no more...)

Kos, "the Keyboard Kingpin"

Kos, the biggest Democratic blogger of them all (sit down, Atrios! You're only a Mortal Human!), seems to have a new foe in David Brooks, writer for the New York Times and author of one of my favorite books that I've read this year, On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense. Brooks wrote an article highly critical of Kos in the June 25 issue of the Times, titled "Respect Must Be Paid."

Brooks had more to say about Kos on last Friday's "NewsHour." Noel Sheppard provides the link to the video and adds some commentary of his own (here).

At the water table

The Sweet (the older daughter) and The Cute take time to check out the "Playscape" section of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. The Cute really enjoyed her time here. It worked out well that no other children were around at the time, because they would have been splashed with water.

Some bold words

Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle and author of Confessions of a Reformission Rev, gave an interview to Christianity Today.

A tasty morsel:

The two hot theologies today are Reformed and emerging. Reformed theology offers certainty, with a masculine God who names our sin, crushes Jesus on the Cross for it, and sends us to hell if we fail to repent. Emerging theology offers obscurity, with a neutered God who would not say an unkind word to us, did not crush Jesus for our sins, and would not send anyone to hell.

Numbers

These numbers on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art make me think of time, for some reason. Maybe it's because two numbers put together - "38", "29" - look like someone's age.

Psalm 62:8 - "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah."

the "recent" big story I have no interest in bloggin' about

This. The whole Star-Barbara "feud."

If you want to do it, Jan, you go right ahead.

$55,500,000

That's how much Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest took in on its opening day on Friday, July 7.

It made that much on a single day. Not the whole weekend, which would be impressive enough. A single day.

The movie with the second highest opening day tally is last year's blockbuster Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. It made $50,000,000. Apparently, people were more eager to see the return of Jack Sparrow than they were to see the "birth" of Darth Vader.

Update: POTC:DMC had the biggest opening weekend ever. $134 mill.

Crawling through a tunnel...

Do you ever feel like this?

You're in a tunnel. You've come too far to turn back, but you can't see the light ahead. You feel torn, confused... What do you do?

Visiting Indy's Children's Museum

Several weeks ago, The Wife's place of business had an evening outing to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. The CMI is the largest children-oriented museum in the country, and it is certainly one of the many bright spots in the city. (The first thing that usually comes to people's minds when they hear 'Indianapolis' is this.) We renewed our family membership, so we've been to CMI several times already. However, this night was particularly enjoyable because the outing was held after the museum had closed to the public, so only people from The Wife's place of business were allowed. It was nearly like having the museum to ourselves, and I can't tell you how absolutely pleasurable our time there was.

Here's a shot of The Wife and The Sweet sauntering up the ramp to the third level:

What you see on the left side of the picture is part of Dale Chihuly's Fireworks of Glass, the largest permanent blown glass sculpture. The tower is 43 feet tall and has over 3200 pieces of glass. You can see the whole tower here.

Let's take a closer look at the tower:


Beautiful, isn't it? It's pretty seeing it in a picture, but it's much more impressive when viewed in person. I'm stunned by Chihuly's talent and creativity. He doesn't do this alone, of course; he has a team that assists him.

You can access Chihuly's personal website from here.

Just so you know: There's a sign in the museum which reads that a person is allowed to take pictures of his work for educational or non-commercial purposes.

Senator/Former-First-Lady isn't part of "Washington Establishment" ???

I read David Sirota's blog from time to time. He's much less crazy/volatile than Kos and his Kossacks, and Sirota usually has some intriguing and on-point things to say.

Sometimes, he says things like this (on his blog here):

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) today said that, unlike some other senior Democrats, she is going to support the will of Democratic primary voters, and support the winner of the Democratic Party primary in Connecticut between turncoat Sen. Joe Lieberman (R-CT) and challenger Ned Lamont (D-CT). She should get a lot of credit for coming out and making this announcement. Yes, I know - it is a pretty low bar to give Democratic Senators credit for saying they will support the Democratic Party Senate nominees. But the dynamic of this race is shaping up to be the Washington Establishment vs. The Rest of Us and Clinton is firmly taking the side of The Rest of Us. That’s a good thing, and a major step forward for her. She should be applauded and, moving forward, she should be encouraged to continue in this kind of direction in other policy areas.

Read it and notice this bizarre sentence: "But the dynamic of this race is shaping up to be the Washington Establishment vs. The Rest of Us and Clinton is firmly taking the side of The Rest of Us." (emphasis and italacs are obviously mine)

Apparently, Sirota believes that Senator Clinton isn't acting as part of the Washington Establishment when she says I'm only supporting nominated Democrats. Even though she's been active in her husband's political life for many years, even though she was First Lady for eight years, even though she's been the junior senator from New York for six years now and she wants to keep that job.... She says she won't support Senator Lieberman if he fails to win the Democratic primary race, and suddenly she's part of The Rest of Us????

Sorry, David, but that's like saying "W" campaigned in 2000 as a political outsider. It just doesn't make any sense.

Happy Independence Day!

This flag was painted on the side of a building in Broad Ripple, north of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Can Starbucks bring happiness?

Apparently in Kandahar it can.

"I wait so eagerly for the coffee shop to open every evening so I can meet my friends," said one, Abdullah Shehwar. "It is so wonderfully quiet and only the educated come here. We can talk to our heart's content."

More.

Coffee houses as places to exchange thoughts and ideas. What an utterly old idea.

Especially for my friends at the V.B.T.

Read this and tell me what you think.

I'm not saying that everything written in the article is accurate. All I'm wondering is, what evidence shows that the King James Version of the Bible is the only version of the Bible? If you're going to make such a strong statement, you better have some good evidence.

"I’ve spent much of my youth and adult life being embarrassed by Christians."

Pastor John Hay argues that if you're going to call yourself a Christian, you need to act like Jesus Christ. Read more here.

Quite a few Christians have given up on being like Jesus. They are settling for respectable religion. Many are getting into culture Christianity, which is, in fact, civil religion--and insidiously idolatrous. Others unwittingly use Christianity and the church to maintain family traditions and “values” without being measurably moved by the call to radical faith. And in myriad ways folks keep trying to fit Jesus into their secular lifestyles, world-shaped agendas, family plans, career interests, personal priorities, and unholy purposes. None of this reflects the Jesus of Scriptures or the costly grace that makes godliness in this life possible, clear, and accessible. For all our resignation or misguiding, the Scriptures nonetheless describe Christlikeness or godliness (use these terms interchangeably) as the way and the goal of being fully human.

He concludes with four questions to answer:

1. "What have I done intentionally in the past 7 days that reflects the character of Jesus Christ?"

2. "What am I doing/can I do with purpose and discipline each week that cultivates Christlikeness in me?"

3. "How am I challenging or countering the routines, influences, messages, and patterns that tend to squeeze me into the world’s mold?"

4. . "Am I ready and willing to put myself in the places where God’s grace can form me into the likeness of Jesus?"

"You would do far more good if you just preached the gospel of Jesus rather than trying to get rid of Third World debt relief."

Stephen Baldwin has a point. Giving food and drink to those in need is a physical manifestation of the Gospel. You are helping those in need, which is essentially what Christ did for us. We have a need for reconciliation with God because of our sin - Christ became that reconciliation for us.

If you give food and drink to those in need but do not also preach to them the Good News of Christ's work of salvation, have you truly helped them in the light of eternity?

Instapundit wore an itsy-bitsy, teensy-weensy, yellow polka-dot....

I thought Glenn Reynolds ran his website as a "family friendly" place. If he in fact does, he seems to have forgotten it with this post.

Be warned. Don't look.

I told you.

Making a living in Yap

You get paid in stones. Imagine how big the purses Prada would have to make to sell there.

I know what you're thinking: how does a straight man know about Prada? I'm married, don't forget. The Wife knows her fashion when it comes to accessories. Not that we have tons of cash to spend on them, mind you - she just knows how to read magazines.

hunka, hunka burnin' flag

The Senate did not approve a vote on a constitutional flag-burning amendment. I have to say that I like Doug's sentiments on this.

I've always thought it funny, though, that people argue the act of burning the flag is something that is protected as free speech. I guess that burning the flag is a symbolic way to protest something, and is stronger than just saying, "I don't like [insert here] about America!"

Added:

Wow. I'm shocked. I've posted what is probably my explosive thing to date, and no reaction from any kind of Peanut Gallery. Maybe I need to make a clearer statement: While I myself have never participated in flag-burning and would never do it, I think it's patently ridiculous that some Americans believe it is patriotic to make a constitutional amendment against flag-burning.

There. Let's see if anything happens now....

"American V: A Hundred Highways"

I'm truly excited to hear that Johnny Cash's final "American" recording is being released on July 4. Entertainment Weekly reveiwed the disc and gave it an A-. You can read the review here.

The review mentions that Cash seemed to be very cognizant of his impending death. The album is said to be "contentedly bleak."

More:

• Buy the CD here
• The Pop Life: Johnny Cash's Legacy of Emotions, On CD
• Johnny Cash's "American V" is Canadian, too
• Cash's Final Song to Appear on "American V"

2 to die in final "Potter" book

More deaths to come to the world of Hogwarts....

Author JK Rowling has said two characters will die in the seventh and final Harry Potter book, but she has been careful not to reveal which ones.

She told the Richard and Judy show that she had long known how the series would end, because she had written the last chapter "in something like 1990".

"One character got a reprieve, but I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die," she said. (BBC News)

Any guesses? It's pretty certain that You-Know-Who will perish in the final book, so I don't believe this is who Rowling is referring to. I would say that Snape (who will be revealed as actually a good guy) and Hagrid will perish, both in a sacrificial manner.

I also believe that we haven't read the last of Dumbledore. You may recall that Dumbledore has a strong association with phoenixes. And what do phoenixes do? When they die, they burn up but are resurrected from their own ashes.

Did you hear that Rowling received an honorary degree from Aberdeen University in recognition of her contributions to the research of multiple sclerosis? Yep, she did. Her mother lost her battle to the disease.

What was the best-selling book of 2005? You don't have to guess... do you? You should know it's this one.

Brownie takes on a classic novel

I've recently been spending some of my hard-earned cash on classic novels. The gigantic bookseller Barnes & Noble currently has a collection of classic novels in small, hard-cover editions. These books are, in a word, cheap - most cost around $6.00, which is quite a thing for hard-cover books. For the past week or so, Barnes & Noble has given these books what can only be called the Wal*Mart treatment - the price has been knocked down by 20%. Needless to say, I have been taking advantage.

I've been able to get some great titles....

• Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre
• Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
• Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter
• Herman Melville's Moby-Dick
• Robert L. Stevenson's Treasure Island

..... to name a few. As you can see, those are some great books there. Both Moby-Dick and The Scarlett Letter are in the running for consideration as the quintessential American novel. Treasure Island and Alice in Wonderland have been made into Disney movies, although I have to say that I wonder what Carroll would think of the animated version of his tale (he'd probably want to throttle Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum).

First up to read is Fyodor Dostoevsky's masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov. This seems a daunting task, no? After all, it's a meditation on family, murder, morality, redemption, and God. One of the more famous lines from the novel is this: "If you were to destroy in mankind the belief in immortality, not only love but every living force maintaining the life of the world would at once be dried up. Moreover, nothing then would be immoral, everything would be permissible, even cannibalism." It's intimidating and it's not for the faint of heart, but I'm up for the challenge.

I'll keep you posted on how far I've gotten with it and what I think about it. If you've read it, don't hesitate to tell me what you think.

Related: No, I haven't forgotten that I once posted about purchasing this book and wanting to evaluate it. I still haven't read it, but it's on my list for the summer.

Also related: If you're a "Lost" fan, then you'll know that Brothers Karamazov gets a mention when Locke offers reading materials to NotHenry.

Answer: He's the "Jeopardy!" champ with a website

Question: Who is Ken Jennings?

See? Right here.

Ken's site contains a list of appearances, some FAQ's, a blog (yeah! a blogger!), some writings, and a promo for his book Brainiac.

the most popular noun in the English language

Can you guess what it is?

A hint: it waits for no one.

Kos, Ann Althouse, and La Shawn Barber never have this problem....

Click on the strip if you need a larger image to read better. The strip is "Pearls Before Swine," which is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

"Homosexuals were created by God to love people of the same gender."

The U.S. Episcopal Church has elected a new leader in Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. Evidently, she has realized that it's quite a thing to be both a leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church and a woman at the same time, so she has made statements that would raise the eyebrows of only the most Puritanical of persons.

Interviewed on CNN, Jefferts Schori was asked if it was a sin to be homosexual.

"I don't believe so. I believe that God creates us with different gifts. Each one of us comes into this world with a different collection of things that challenge us and things that give us joy and allow us to bless the world around us," she said.

"Some people come into this world with affections ordered toward other people of the same gender and some people come into this world with affections directed at people of the other gender."

Oops. Okay. Maybe she has made statements that would raise more eyebrows than just those of the most Puritanical.

More on Jefferts Schori's election here.

Gays in the church seems to be a popular thing right now:

A Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) national assembly voted Tuesday to create some leeway for gay clergy and lay officers to serve local congregations, despite a denominational ban on partnered gay ministers.

A measure approved 298-221 by a Presbyterian national assembly keeps in place a church law that says clergy and lay elders and deacons must limit sexual relations to man-woman marriage. But the new legislation says local congregations and regional presbyteries can exercise some flexibility when choosing clergy and lay officers of local congregations if sexual orientation or other issues arise. (Christian Post)

Sharp words from Mark LaRoi regarding Jefferts Schori: "Her teachings are a cancer eating away the life that remains in that church, and if she remains as it's head, those who follow her will follow her to destruction." Ouch!!

Riff is the newest F.O.B.

He's the newest Friend Of Barney, that is. He's "hip," listens to raggae and jazz, and dines on celery with cheddar cheese and raisins.

My oldest daughter is six-and-a-half years old now. I thought she'd be beyond Barney by now, but now and then she asks to rent one of his videos from Blockbuster or the library.

We'll see if this energizes those kids that Barney hangs out with. They've been pretty lethargic lately.

Related: If you go to Barney's page on the PBS Kids website, you'll see the following slogan: Let's have fun with manners today.

Now, I've gotta tell you: I've never thought that good manners were fun. Good manners are important, good manners are an example of what sets us apart from animals (have you ever heard a cheetah say to a zebra, "Excuse me for what I'm doing, but I'm only eating you because I haven't had a thing to eat for a week and I'm utterly famished. Plus, the missus would totally put me in the doghouse if I didn't bring her something. So, please give me your leg so I can chow down - I have a fork and steakknife and everything."), and good manners are what every child should have.

But are they fun? No. Fun would be wrestling with my daughter, or kissing my wife, or going bowling. Fun would be riding the Beast at Kings' Island at dusk. Fun would not be making sure that you use the proper fork to eat your salad.

Silly Barney. You should know what fun is - and isn't.

Does anyone really care?

About this, I mean. The whole NBA season seemed so blah this year. I guess I feel that way because my Pacers had a struggling year and they were out in the first round of the playoffs, but I can't help but believe that it's not just me that thinks this way.

I'm sure that the good people of Miami are happy, and there will be much celebration tonight. But, then again, it's Miami... they usually don't find much trouble in coming up with reasons to party.

For you Floridians who visit the blog (and I know who you are), are you happy that a team from your state won? Would it have been better (or worse) if the Magic had won?

pursuing gratification

If you took the time to peruse through the little blog here, you would discover that many posts touch on (in some fashion or another) pop culture. You will probably be able to tell that I derive no small form of amusement - and sorrow - from what our culture values. What a specific culture values will naturally change from time to time, and it seems at this stage that we, collectively as Americans, value what Francis Schaeffer identified as "impoverished" values: personal peace and affluence. Personal peace concerns our regard for our own lives, and our desire to be left alone so that we can live our own lives in the manner we see fit.

A large part of affluence is having what we want, when we want it. We want to make sure that we are doing well (at the very least) in our lives, and that we have enough money (and all that goes along with it) to sustain our level of wellness. It doesn't matter that we didn't work for it and we didn't earn it - we "deserve" it just the same, and so you must give it to us... now. We become like Gollum, clamoring after our own precious and screaming, "We wants it! We must haves it now!"

I had never heard of columnist Suzanne Fields before today. I've no idea whether she has ever made a statement or profession of faith. What I do know is that she discusses the very thing I'm talking about here - check it out.

how celebrities eat

If nothing else, this site reminds you that in one very important way, celebrities are just like you. Once you've checked it out, come back here.

You back? Okay. Well...

Did you find it even slightly fascinating? If so, why? It's just a bunch of pictures of famous people eating. Something that they do every day - and so do you. Would it have been less fascinating if the pictures were of non-famous people eating? If you think that it was fascinating, what does that say about you?

For the record, I'd rather look at pictures of my daughters' stuffing their faces with hot dogs than of Uma Thurman doing the same thing.

Emerging Church books

Andrew Jones has listed his top 10 books on the emerging church. If you are a fan of the emerging church movement/conversation, then by all means pick these up. If you aren't a fan, you should also read through these because the emerging church movement/conversation appears to be a force with which to reckon.

His top 3:

1. Emerging Churches, Eddie Gibbs & Ryan Bloger
2. Shaping of Things to Come, Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch
3. Out of Bounds Church, Steve Taylor

Related: The new Southern Baptist Convention president, Dr. Frank Page, answers some questions about (among other things) the emerging church. Read here.

taboo and the arachnid

Spider-Man has done the unthinkable. He has outed himself (no, not that way).

What is the world coming to?

teary-eyed at the local cinema

I am man enough to admit it. I have cried before while watching a film - maybe not out and out blubbering, but I've shed a few tears. I find Hoosiers to be incredibly touching. When I first saw it, I was very emotional at the end of LOTR: ROTK. I refuse to watch Brian's Song because I fear I would go through a box of kleenex.

It happened again yesterday. And I was watching X-3: The Last Stand, of all things. No, I'm no fanboy when it comes to X-Men - I was into the Archie comics as a youngester, basically because I thought that Betty and Veronica were both very fine. But, I have greatly enjoyed the X-Men movies and I own the first two on DVD.

The movie did pack some genuine emotion, something I wasn't expecting from a movie directed by Brett Ratner. I was expecting some overblown action sequences, and of course they were there. I was expecting quick pacing and a poor use of the editor, and that was there. But, I did not expect emotion. If you've seen the movie, you'll know there's a scene in particular that I'm referring to. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it.

I'm adorable

It's true. I AM adorable. NZ Bear has done his computations, and the TTLB ecosystem says so. Sure, I'm small and gerbil-like, but I am adorable.

Now, what I don't get is how TTLB can say that I have 142 links, and Technorati (go to the >Blogs that link here section on the right) says that I have "247 links from 219 sites." Apparently, some sites are linking to me several times, and I have a ranking of 8,235 on Technorati. As you can tell, there is a discrepancy between the number of links in TTLB and the number of links in Technorati. 142 clearly doesn't = 247. 142 doesn't = 219, either.

I used to be marauding. Once upon a time, I was even large. But, I should be thankful that I used to be flappy, and slithering, and crawly, and flippery, but I am not anymore. I don't believe I was ever slimy or lowly.

"I want to live again.... I want to live again..."

I will be out for the better part of this evening, so I won't be able to watch the latest list from the American Film Institute - this year, it's "100 Years, 100 Cheers." AFI examines the movies that have been deemed the most inspiring - 100 films culled from 300. I'm betting that Rocky, Shawshank Redemption, and It's a Wonderful Life will be near the top.

Here are the past "100 Years..." lists, and the #1 film for each (starting at most recent):

• ... Quotes - "Frankly, my dear...", from Gone With the Wind
• ... Songs - "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz
• ... Heroes & Villains - Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird & Dr. Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs
• ... Passions - Casablanca
• .... Thrills - Psycho
• ... Laughs - Some Like it Hot
• ... Stars - Katharine Hepburn & Humphrey Bogart
• ... Years - Citizen Kane

I'm sure that Ann Althouse and the crew from ALOTT5MA will be live-blogging the show.

Update: Well, Ann apparently had other shows to watch, but Adam at ALOTT5MA did indeed see it.

The top five:

1. It's a Wonderful Life
2. To Kill a Mockingbird
3. Schindler's List
4. Rocky
5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Although I'm not a Hoosier myself (I'm a Buckeye), I was pleased to see Hoosiers make it in at #13. I was surprised that Shawshank only made it as high as #23 - I thought it would have cracked the top ten.

Good Brownie said he would buy the flowers himself...

You're Mrs. Dalloway!

by Virginia Woolf

Your life seems utterly bland and normal to the casual observer, but
inside you are churning with a million tensions and worries. The company you surround
yourself with may be shallow, but their effects upon your reality are tremendously deep.
To stay above water, you must try to act like nothing's wrong, but you know that the
truth is catching up with you. You're not crazy, you're just a little unwell. But no
doctor can help you now.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

"Did you watch the Weather Channel? What does the Weather Channel say?"

Hurricane Katrina may have hit American shores last year, but the children who were affected by it continue to suffer the effects.

Ten months after Katrina, its emotional effect on children is proving to be long and lasting. Two studies of children affected by the hurricane have found high rates of depression, anxiety, behavioral problems and post-traumatic stress disorder.

A Louisiana State University mental health screening of nearly 5,000 children in schools and temporary housing in the state found that 96 percent saw hurricane damage to their homes or neighborhoods, 22 percent had relatives or friends who were injured, 14 percent had relatives or friends who died, and 35 percent lost pets. Thirty-four percent were separated from their primary caregivers at some point; 9 percent still are. (WaPo)

An 8-year-old girl expresses belief that a category 8 hurricane will hit on June 15. Two boys who lost their father during a bus crash that occurred while evacuating the city still won't speak about what happened.

No doubt these children will keep mental health clinicians in New Orleans and the surrounding areas busy for the next several years.

"It’s so wonderful to hear that song again, he grabs more and more items – cookies, an organic soft drink, he’s a retail psychologist’s dream."

Richard writes about songs in the supermarket.

Speaking of which, what song do you like to hear somewhere - maybe flipping through a radio or in some store - that you wouldn't necessarily put on your iPod? For me, one that comes quickly to mind would be "Hear I Go Again" by Whitesnake.

the suicides at Gitmo

Three detainees at the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, hanged themselves in their cells yesterday morning, the first inmates to die at the remote island prison since it opened in early 2002, according to military officials.

Guards found the three men unresponsive and not breathing in their separate cells in Camp 1 shortly after midnight yesterday, according to Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, who heads the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, and Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., who commands the Guantanamo Bay prison. The detainees had apparently used their clothing and sheets to fashion makeshift nooses in what military officials believe was a coordinated suicide pact. All left suicide notes written in Arabic, the officers said.

Military officials were not releasing the names of the detainees yesterday, but said two were Saudi Arabian nationals and one was a Yemeni national. Harris described them as having close ties to terrorist organizations in the Middle East and said their suicides were "not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetric warfare against us." (WaPo)

The folks at Kos and other liberal/progressive/leftwing blogs will tell you that the suicides are just another result of the Bush administration's perceived (mis)handling of the war in Iraq in general and the horrible conditions at Guantanamo Bay in specific. There is a report that these suicides were part of an effort gain attention.

"This is a determined, intelligent, committed element," Craddock said. "They continue to do everything they can . . . to become martyrs."

More reporting on this story here, here, and here.

Mental illness & diabetes

One in five persons with a mental illness will develop diabetes. Needless to say, this is of great concern.

For decades, psychiatrists have worried primarily about patients' mental states, making sure they did no harm to themselves or others because of unrelenting voices or a smothering depression.

Far more of the mentally ill, however, die today from diabetes and complications like heart disease than from suicide. Given that mental health specialists are often the only doctors a mentally ill diabetic ever sees, some have begun to debate the customary limits of psychiatric practice, deciding to pay much more attention to physical ailments.

In particular, psychiatrists must confront the fact that diabetes, marked by dangerously high blood sugar, is often aggravated, if not precipitated, by some of the very medicines they prescribe: antipsychotic pills that have been linked to swift weight gain and the illness itself.

"It's bad enough that these people have mental illness, and then they take treatments and they bring on diabetes," said Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, chairman of the psychiatry department at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Treating the diabetic mentally ill can be formidable. The regimen of blood testing, dieting and exercise that controls Type 2 diabetes is often beyond the attentions of the mentally ill. For patients, the task of taming two debilitating illnesses can haunt their lives. Michael Schiraldi, 44, a Manhattan man who has both schizoaffective disease and diabetes, said his mental illness, now stabilized, was the lesser of his concerns.

"I can't really control the diabetes," he said. "I might die from it." (NYTimes)

Blogging "for God" in Indiana

Christian bloggers from the great state of Indiana get a mention in today's edition of the Indy Star, which you can peruse here. One of those interviewed for the article is John Hays, senior pastor of West Morris Street Free Methodist Church - his blog is called Bike Hiker, and it's linked to the right over there under the heading Indiana Bloggers.

Neil Cox of Indy Christian (check for the link on the right!) was also interviewed for the article. He gave five reasons to "blog for God."

1. Everyone else is doing it.
2. My pastor mentioned the 'B-word' from the pulpit.
3. Marketing professionals are recommending that CEOs should blog.
4. Anti-abortion bloggers now are a well-networked and powerful group.
5. Urban pastors are suddenly empowered if they can quickly and easily put up a Web site.

For you Christians out there that stop by here, I'll let you think about what's missing from Neil's list and give an opportunity to add your own in the comments. If you are of another religion and you blog, feel free to leave a comment as well.

Okay, I'll just say it: anyone can leave a comment. However, I'm especially interested in hearing from Christians on what they think this list leaves out.

By far, this is the most fascinating stretch on the information highway right now

This.

Well, it's probably fascinating only if you're a rabbit, like the evil bunny in my backyard that pretends to be cute but eats my freshly planted posies.

the perfect men's final at Roland Garros

It's what the fans have been wanting.

Federer vs. Nadal.

No. 1 vs. No. 2.

I'm giddy.

Nadal beat Federer at Roland Garros last year in the semifinals, but Bud thinks Federer has the edge this year.

Federer has his own website. Nadal has one, too.

Update: Congrats, Justine! Quite an accomplishment, winning three French Open championships of the last four years.

Update 2: Congrats, Rafael Nadal, for your great defense of the championship. Of course, Federer's poor play made it easier for you, but you are nevertheless held in great esteem. Your humble words at the award ceremony speaks volumes about you. And, no matter what Bud Collins says, you haven't ruined tennis this year by denying Federer's attempt at getting a Grand Slam.

Three series to check out...

Dan Edelen completes his series, "Unshackling the American Church."

Pastor Mark Roberts has a continuing series on The Da Vinci Code.

iMonk and centuri0n play Q&A about Christian retail on both their blogs - go here for iMonk and here for cent. (Links to both of them - they should be happy)

What is the only true justice?

Harvey "Two-Face" Dent would say it's the random toss of the coin, but a Florida federal judge says it's a simple game of rock, paper, scissors.

"The winner of this engagement shall be entitled to select the location of the . . . deposition," he ruled, so long as it was within Hillsborough County.

"I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much."

Oh, Ann.

Ann, Ann, Ann.

I think we've had enough of your antics. You started out well - really, you did - with your book about the Clintons. But as time has passed, your statements have become increasingly full of vinegar and bile. You may have some useful and constructive things to say (like this, which is spot on), but it's hard to overlook all the crazy statements about your desire to see people tortured and hauled off to Gitmo. And now, we have this. All because you have a new book out, which you made no bones about in this bizarre piece. You have Hillary talking about you - but maybe that's been your goal all along, to get important people to talk about you. You even went on Today - which is now without Katie "Eva Braun" Couric - and called Matt Lauer "testy"! (Don't you know that he's not testy but "glib?" Go talk to Tom Cruise and he'll set you straight...)

Allow me to humbly offer some bit of advice.

You seem to have a respect for - if not downright love of - the Bible, and that is to your credit. You quote from it, and that's good. However, the better thing to do would be to abide by what the Bible says, not just recite what it says. Maybe you should peruse over Ecclesiastes 3, and pay special attention to what the Preacher says in verse 7 about there being a time for silence.

That might work for you, too. Heaven knows you've been talking enough lately.

More on Ann:

• Ann Coulter Trashes 9/11 Widows on Today Show (Video)
• Long-legged looker is a model of meanness
• Ann Coulter: Ho-Hum
• Coulter overwhelms her message
• Haven't we all had enough of Ann Coulter?
• Ms. Right (Coulter made the cover of Time in April 2005)
• L’Affaire Coulter (Jonah Goldberg on Coulter's departure from National Review in October 2001)
• Deadly Intent: Ann Coulter, Word Warrior

Thinkin' 'bout Brownback

What strikes you as the most intriguing thing mentioned in this WaPo article about Kansas senator Sam Brownback?

• He has no problem talking about his faith. It has become somewhat fashionable these days, but of course many would talk of their faith and then say something like I won't let it affect my political decisions, which is total "bill tush" because they can't help but allow personal opinions to affect policy matters.
• He thinks that having surgeries to remove some melanoma "was a great season in life."
• He grew up in a Methodist church, attended a nondenominational evangelical church for many years, and recently became Catholic.
• He attends church twice on Sundays - once to Mass, once to the same nondenom church where his wife is still a member.
• He talks about his desire to love somebody instead of judging them.
• He calls WaPo a "primarily liberal publication" to its face and totally gets away with it.
• A "divine intervention" caused him to push for an African American history museum in the Smithsonian complex.
• Reading the Koran has deepened his appreciation for his Christian faith.
• When talking about running for president in 2008, he says nothing about believing that God wants him to be president.

The article concludes this way:

Brownback says he imagines future generations walking the halls of Congress and nobody knowing who he was. He imagines people passing a "Brownback Room" and someone saying, "Who was he?"

Perhaps someone else might answer that Sam Brownback was a complicated man, who thought himself a servant and a potential president at the same time, who imagined his life forgotten even as he dreamed of a room named after himself.

Surviving 06.06.06

Well, I did it.

Did you?

Two of yesterday's "obligatory" posts: Jollyblogger & Mark Daniels

Also: What's the likelihood of there being more people like this grandfather? Great quote: "I don't believe the world is going to end because I have 12 years left on my mortgage. I don't think the bank would allow it."

"I am the Mona Lisa. My true identity is shrouded in mystery."

Leonardo Da Vinci's famous painting speaks!

Dr Matsumi Suzuki, who generally uses his skills to help with criminal investigations, measured the face and hands of Leonardo da Vinci's famous 16th century portrait to estimate her height at 168 centimeters (5 feet, 6 inches) and create a model of her skull.

"Once we have that, we can create a voice very similar to that of the person concerned," Suzuki told Reuters in an interview at his Tokyo office last week.

"We have recreated the voices of a lot of famous people that were very close to the real thing and have been used in film dubbing."

The chart of any individual's voice, known as a voice print, is unique to that person and Suzuki says he believes he has achieved 90 percent accuracy in recreating the quality of the enigmatic woman's speaking tone.

Speaking of M.L., I've always enjoyed this song, sung by the incomparable Nat King Cole.

In the comments: I've been asked to explain my love for NKC's "Mona Lisa." I guess it's because of the haunting melody and the line "do you smile to tempt a lover, or is this your way to hide a broken heart." I've done that - smile when my heart hurt, that is. I've only had my heart broken by a woman one time, and that was in college (and, no, it wasn't by The Wife).

Something is (not) shocking in Amsterdam!

The Netherlands has probably the most liberal social policy of any country on the planet. They allow use of recreational drugs on the streets, open prostitution, and gay marriage. However, something seems to shock even the Dutch:

Dutch pedophiles are launching a political party to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and the legalization of child pornography and sex with animals, sparking widespread outrage. (Reuters)

Come, now. This really isn't shocking that this would happen, is it? I mean, I don't want to step onto a slippery slope here, but still...

ADHD and social disinhibition

Once again I shall post another little paper for my class on diagnosing mental disorders. This one is on ADHD, a highly controversial subject to be sure.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that typically appears during the individual's early childhood years and has an enormous impact on interpersonal and social functions (Hersen & Van Hasselt 2001). Approximately 2% to 4% of children will develop symptoms of ADHD, although some estimate that it can occur from 3% to 5% of children (Goldman, Genel, Bezman & Slanetz 1998). The primary symptoms of ADHD are hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. Although initially diagnosed in childhood and usually before age seven, individuals can continue to exhibit symptoms of ADHD well into adulthood. These primary symptoms can be greatly impacted by secondary symptoms of the disorder, which may include a low tolerance for frustration and emotional lability (Hersen & Van Hasselt 2001).

One secondary symptom that can impact the individual's behavior is social disinhibition, or the inability to control oneself and act appropriately in social situations (Hersen & Van Hasselt 2001). Social disinhibition affects all three major symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness. Children with ADHD may have great difficulty cooperating with the wishes of teachers or other perceived authority figures because they disregard established rules (Butcher, Mineka & Hooley 2004). Children who are able to follow class rules may react negatively and look down upon those who seem unable to keep the rules. Children with ADHD have difficulty working on school projects in groups with other children because they may talk loudly or make inappropriate comments. Teachers may have to give extra attention to these children, which may stir jealousy in other students. The child with ADHD needs near-constant reminders to stay focused and to diminish impulsive behaviors.

Gaining and maintaining friendships is a particular problem for the child with ADHD (Wodrich 2000). These children miss the normal social cues and competencies that children without a mental disorder are able to develop. These children typically fail to get along with other children who are able to focus on quite and/or time-consuming activities. The child with ADHD may speak loudly and talk incessantly or out of turn, thereby dominating conversations. "Although social immaturity is not an inherent characteristic, because of these children's inability to concentrate on social cues, it becomes increasingly problematic. The sense of social isolation often makes these children try harder, which only serves to perpetuate the problem "( Moss & Dunlap 1995, p. 24).


References

Butcher, J. N., Mineka, S., & Hooley, J. M. (2004). Abnormal Psychology (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Goldman, L.S., Genel, M., Bezman, R.J. & Slanetz, P.J. (1998). Diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. JAMA, 279(14), 1100-07.

Hersen, M. & Van Hasselt, V.B., Ed. (2001). Advanced abnormal psychology. New York: Springer.

Moss, R.A. & Dunlap, H.H. (1995). Why Johnny can't concentrate: coping with attention deficit problems. New York: Bantam.

Wodrich, D.L. (2000). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: what every parent wants to know. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

2nd season finale of "Lost"

So many things to consider now:

1. Were you as confused as I am by the last 15 minutes or so? It's nice to see that life is still going on beyond the island, but man... what's with the Portugeuse guys?

2. I guess NotHenry actually DID push the button that one time, considering what happened in the finale tonight.

3. Clair is soooooo doomed now that she and Charlie are apparently going to get cozy.

4. Are Michael and Walt going to really leave the island? Is Michael going to ask, like any normal person would, what Walt meant by "they're not who they say they are," and if he can really be at different places at night? And what exactly did The Others glean from Walt?

5. What's up with the statue and the four-toed foot?

6. Ole Smoky didn't show - I'm upset.

7. Is NotHenry "Him"?

8. When will Kate's horse reappear? How about another polar bear? And was that flying thing that croaked Hurley's name a pterodactyl, or this?

9. Need a job? Consider applying here.

10. Do you plan to add this book to your summer reading list? Maybe you should...

To: Brownie's family

Yo: to those who occasionally leave comments for me. Are you seriously kidding me with the paltry few that you leave? You totally need to write more. I'm posting good stuff here. I'm talking about Madonna and the Naked Cowboy, for heaven's sake! What more do you want? Doug Masson was kind enough to leave two comments for me in the same post - two! And he's not a blood-relative... (Thanks, Doug!)

Yo: to those who have never left comments for me. I know who you are.... I KNOW. You think you can sneak peeks in here and just leave? Ah, no.... That's right, Jessica - I'm talking to you.

Yo: to those who ain't Brownie's family. Thanks for stopping by! Please pardon my little family admonition. If you leave a comment, I promise I'll be nice. If you don't leave a comment, I'll still be nice, but I'll be a little sad.

Yo: to those who think I sound completely desperate and ridiculous. If you ask my family, they'll tell you that I'm often one or the other.

Rumble of the Godbloggers

Yo, check it. Joe has messed with a hornet's nest.

More: Oh, yes, Joe has more - and it's even more important than what he wrote the first time.

[Blank]'s faith worries [Blank]

You know whose name goes in the first [blank], right? I mean, there's almost no question as to who it is. You know it's not going to be John Kerry's name or Hillary Clinton's name or Dennis Hastert's name - heck, it's not even Tom Cruise's name. You know FOR CERTAIN that it's not going to be Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's name there, although that is certainly a cause for worry. You also know that even though he is reportedly a Christian, Tony Blair's name isn't going to be in there.

Okay, I'll say it. It's George W. Bush - but you knew that already. Now, the next issue is, what "faith" is being talked about here? Is it Bush's faith in the power, power, wonder-working power in the faith and goodness of the American people? No. It's the faith that always seems to be causing concern these days. I'm not talking about Islam here. I'm talking about Bush's religious faith, Christianity. Someone is worried about Bush's Christianity - how it affects him, what he thinks about it, how it guides him. You can be sure that when person A worries about person B's religious faith, and there's some article in the media about it, that faith is going to be identified as Christianity - not Islamofascism, not Scientology, and not whatever-those-Heaven's-Gate-people-actually-believed.

The second [blank] is Madeline Albright, AKA the second Secretary of State under Clinton. She's written a book, see, and it's called The Mighty and the Almighty. She's expressing her concern about Bush's Christianity. She recalls with fondness the days of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, and how their personal religious views never influenced their political actions (although I believe that there are certainly arguments to be made that those two individual's religious views DID affect their political actions).

"President Bush's certitude about what he believes in, and the division between good and evil, is, I think, different," said Albright, who has just published a book on religion and world affairs. "The absolute truth is what makes Bush so worrying to some of us." (CNN)

Yes, Madame Secretary, we should all be worried about absolute truth. Our only safety is in relativism. We certainly don't want a president who identifies what is good and what is evil in this world. Better to be completely uncertain about what to do...

Martin Luther thought WHAT??

As you can probably tell, I talk a lot about pop culture 'round here. Sure, it's not the only thing I talk about and I don't obsess about it in my non-blog life, but I do try to keep up. I have gotten better, though - I used to slavishly read Entertainment Weekly, but I dropped my subscription a year ago and I haven't really missed it like I thought I would.

However, I do stop by the EW website from time to time. I was greatly interested in their review of the movie that was #1 this past weekend. The review is here and it contains this interesting line: "Yes, a soupçon of research reveals that the Priory of Sion is a hoax invented in 1956, and surely it can't be proved that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were ever intimate (though Martin Luther believed so)."

Yes, my jaw dropped when I read that line. Huh?!? Luther believed Jesus and Mary Magdalene were "intimate?" I had never heard of that! How could I have missed hearing that from my profs in my college Bible courses?

Well, I had never heard of that in my church history courses because Luther didn't believe that. I'll let Mollie explain.

Pick's on the brain

Once again I shall post another of my little papers for my class on diagnosing mental disorders. This one's on Pick's disease.


Pick’s disease accounts for 5 per cent of all the dementias, is more common in women than men, and is generally diagnosed when the person is between ages 40 and 60 (Kemp and Rosellini 2004). The shrinkage of brain tissue in the frontal and temporal lobes, and the presence of brain cell abnormalities (Pick’s bodies), generally confirm the diagnosis of Pick’s disease. Pick’s disease, the cause of which is unknown, generally progresses at a slow rate and is irreversible. Pick’s disease is sometimes known as primary progressive aphasia, or frontotemporal dementia (Sheth 2005).

It differs from Alzheimer’s disease in that it only affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, and Alzheimer’s can affect any area (Sheth 2005). Another noticeable difference from Alzheimer’s disease is that while Alzheimer’s primarily affects memory, Pick’s disease appears to affects an individual’s personality. A person who is normally extraverted may become withdrawn, and vice versa (Kemp and Rosellini 2004). Just as someone who is intoxicated may lose his or her inhibitions, someone with Pick’s disease may become rude, make inappropriate comments, or become sexually uninhibited (this is not to say that a person with Pick’s disease acts as if drunk, although he or she may increase alcohol intake; this is only to say that the person can lose inhibitions). The person also experiences abrupt mood changes, difficulties with maintaining attention span, and language problems (e.g., echolalia, mutism, aphasia).

A CAT-scan or MRI may be helpful in diagnosing Pick’s disease (Butcher et al 2004). However, there appears to be at this time no known cure. Speech and occupational therapists may help with some of the symptoms, but there is nothing to address the total aspect of the disease (Kemp and Rosellini 2004). Behavior modification may help with some behaviors, but formal therapy sessions may not show improvement. Much like the person with Alzheimer’s disease, the person with Pick’s may digress to the point where 24-hour care is required.


References

Butcher, J., Mineka, S. & Hooley, J. (2004). Abnormal Psychology (12th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Kemp, Gina and Rosellini, Cara. (2004). Pick’s Disease: Symptoms and Prognosis. Retrieved on May 22, 2006, from http://www.helpguide.org/elder/picks_disease.htm

Sheth, Keith. (2005). Pick’s Disease. Retrieved on May 22, 2006, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000744.htm