Sandra Bullock was last year's best and worst

She was the worst...



before she was the best...

Michael Spencer

I was very sad to read this news from Denise, the wife of Michael Spencer, whose blog I regularly read.

It is with a heavy heart that I bring my latest update on Michael. We have learned that his cancer is too advanced and too aggressive to expect any sort of remission. Our oncologist estimates that with continued treatment Michael most likely has somewhere between six months and a year to live. This is not really a surprise to us, though it is certainly horrible news. From the very beginning, both of us have suspected that this would prove to be an extremely bad situation. I don’t know why; perhaps God was preparing us for the worst all along by giving us that intuition.

The combination of the cancer and the chemotherapy is keeping Michael in a very weakened state. He is in bed all day, getting up once or twice only to eat a “meal.” His meals consist mostly of Ensure, with occasional mugs of soup, dishes of ice cream and milkshakes. He’s still taking fluids well, currently preferring Sprite and ginger ale. His tastes do change slightly from time to time, and I try to be ready to jump in whatever direction they seem to be moving. He is in no pain at all, for which I am unspeakably grateful.

Michael went through a period of depression, as I’m sure you would expect. He seems to have come through that now, for the most part. He knows he is dying, and he says he is at peace. Though he will still say with unashamed honesty, “I don’t want it to all be over at age 53!” he has the confidence of knowing that he has run the race God set out for him. He believes he has done the work our Lord intended for him to do, and if the last task God has for him in this life is dying, then he will do that to the best of his ability.

"By the way, what the heck is he doing in the congressional gym? He goes there to intimidate members of Congress."

There are buck naked politics, and then there are shower naked politics. Former congressman Eric Massa (D-NY) claims Rahm Emanuel accosted him in the congressional shower room last year. While both were wearing not one stitch of clothing. "Do you know how awkward it is to have a political argument with a naked man? ... It's ridiculous."

82nd Academy Awards

Usually I see only one or two Oscar-nominated movies before the awards are handed out, but this year is an exception. Thanks to the makers of DVD's and DVD players for making this possible.

• District 9 (Picture, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Adapted Screenplay)


• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Cinematography)


• The Hurt Locker (Picture, Director, Actor, Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Score, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Screenplay)


• Inglorious Basterds (Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Screenplay)


• Julie & Julia (Actress)


• The Princess and The Frog (Animated Picture, Original Song)


• Star Trek (Makeup, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects)


• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Sound Mixing)


• Up (Picture, Animated Picture, Original Score, Sound Editing, Original Screenplay)

Shall I compare thee to Strahov Theological Hall library? Thou art more loving and more literate.

Library love.

We're all going to age faster

The Chile earthquake may have shortened our days:

The massive 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile may have changed the entire Earth's rotation and shortened the length of days on our planet, a NASA scientist said Monday.

The quake, the seventh strongest earthquake in recorded history, hit Chile Saturday and should have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds, according to research scientist Richard Gross at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

"Perhaps more impressive is how much the quake shifted Earth's axis," NASA officials said in a Monday update.

The computer model used by Gross and his colleagues to determine the effects of the Chile earthquake effect also found that it should have moved Earth's figure axis by about 3 inches (8 cm or 27 milliarcseconds).

to sleep, perchance to dream of the white bear

Jonah Lehrer can't sleep because he can't get his insomnia out of his mind.

My insomnia always begins with me falling asleep. I’ve been reading the same paragraph for the last five minutes — the text is suddenly impossibly dense — and I can feel the book getting heavier and heavier in my hands. Gravity is tugging on my eyelids.

And then, just as my mind turns itself off, I twitch awake. I’m filled with disappointment. I was so close to a night of sweet nothingness, but now I’m back, eyes wide open in the dark. I dread the hours of boredom; I’m already worried about the tiredness of tomorrow.

You can find more from Jonah at his blog The Frontal Cortex.

"That investigation is now concluded and no criminality has been found."

The Brooklyn ACORN has been cleared of charges of advising prostitutes.

Brooklyn prosecutors on Monday cleared ACORN of criminal wrongdoing after a four-month probe that began when undercover conservative activists filmed workers giving what appeared to be illegal advice on how to hide money.

While the video by James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles seemed to show three ACORN workers advising a prostitute how to hide ill-gotten gains, the unedited version was not as clear, according to a law enforcement source.

"They edited the tape to meet their agenda," said the source.

I wonder what Rush and Hannity will say about this.

Happy March!

I am so very thankful whenever March gets here, because Spring is three weeks away!

And, of course, there's this:

2010 Vancouver

Like many Olympic fans, I will experience withdrawal this week. It seems strange to think that will be the case, since I usually don't watch people racing around a rink on skates or sliding down a hill on a board. But every two years, I tune into whatever station is playing the Olympics, and I settle down on the couch with much pleasure. And every two years, I suffer through the week following the closing ceremony, thinking, Now what will I watch?

Lots of stories, some winsome and some controversial, from Vancouver. The shocking death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. Apolo Ohno becoming the most decorated American Winter Games athlete. Queen Yu-Na living up to the pressure placed upon her by her native country. Shaun White proving he's still the champ of the halfpipe. Joannie Rochette skating through the pain of losing her mother to capture the bronze medal. Vonn v. Mancuso and Plushenko v. Lysacek stealing the drama spotlight usually reserved for S. Korea v. Ohno. Steve Holcomb driving the "Night Train" to golden glory. Canada dominating in hockey, curling, and... speed-skating?!? The U.S.A. winning the medals race.

Thanks for putting on a great show, athletes! See you in Russia in 2014!

UPDATE: Fantastic set of pictures from the Games.

"It gets the oxygen in and the nerves out."

Apolo Ohno answers the most puzzling question at the Olympic games: Why does he yawn before he races?

"It's like being in a play; I'm always in a play."

Temple Grandin, the subject of a recent HBO biopic, talked about living life among the "yakkity yaks."

Mostly, though, her advice is simple: It's about hard work. Young children need 20 or 30 hours a week of one-on-one time with a committed teacher or mentor. Money, Ms. Grandin says, should not be an obstacle. If you can't afford a professional teacher, find volunteers through your church or synagogue, she says. Parents need to teach 1950s-style social rules "like please and thank you, basic table manners, how to shop."

There have to be high expectations. She's worried about the "handicapped mentality" that she thinks is increasing. "When I see these kids with 150 IQ and their parents want to put them on Social Security [disability], it drives me nuts." These kids "will come up to the book table and start talking about 'my Aspergers.' Why don't you talk about becoming a chemist, or a computer programmer, or a botanist?"

She continues: "It's important to get these autistic kids out and exposed to stuff. You've got to fill up the database." Silicon Valley and the tech companies are like "heaven on earth for the geeks and the nerds. And I want to see more and more of these smart kids going into the tech industry and inventing things—that's what makes America great."

"With a more generous understanding of Genesis, evolution is not quite so abhorrent, because it does not insist upon rejecting the Bible..."

Joshua Sowin explains why he believes in evolution:

There are times in our lives when the scales fall from our eyes and we see something clearly for the first time. For me, it usually happens through reading books.

Looking back, the experience often seems instantaneous, but it always takes cultivation. Because of my experiences and reading I was at a place where it was possible for me to believe the earth was old. So when I picked up A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, I was in danger of reading it with an open mind.

As I read, my belief in a young earth crashed down. None of the arguments made sense anymore. There was too much evidence for an old earth. When did all those gigantic asteroids hit the earth (or the moon)? When did the mega-volcanoes (like Yellowstone) erupt? How could the fossil record be so consistently layered and dated? These sorts of questions finally led me to accept that the earth is around four and a half billion years old.

Twittering the Olympics

You knew people were going to do it.

A pregnant woman, due in 4 months, is playing in the 2010 Vancouver games

In this sport. Which, really, is the sport we can all imagine ourselves to compete in as an Olympian. Because we watch it and we think, Yeah, I could do that. I could wear crazy clothes, too. So if you want to go to the Olympics, here's how.

Put some excitement into your life

Because you really could die of boredom.

"Sarah Palin needs help."

So says Nate Silver at 538.

There's something which, if you've ever been in the business of trying to sell consulting services, you've probably grown accustomed to. It's what I call the "consulting paradox". Namely, it's the idea that the people who are most in need of help are often the least aware of it. Indeed, the range of potential clients who (i) aren't smart enough to solve all their own problems and (ii) are smart enough to know it ... is generally very narrow.

Sarah Palin needs help. So does almost every politician -- but Palin needs it more than most. She is young. She is inexperienced. She's not especially well connected. She's strong-willed and a little impulsive.

But Steve M. argues that it's working:

The "mainstream" (???) media operation for which Palin works, along with the rest of the tea party movement and GOP noise machine, has utterly rewritten the narrative. Almost nothing done by a right-winger now is considered "extreme" or amateurish, because the entire political spectrum, except for lefties/liberals, now accepts the notion that tea party activism is in the American grain and is therefore a good thing, a necessary corrective to the real "extremism" -- which is what's coming out of the Obama White House. Obama's agenda, deficits, bailouts, etc., are "extreme" and therefore everything his critics do is not extreme, no matter how many racist signs are waved, how many guns are wielded, how many conspiracy theories and lies are bandied about.

And as for amateurism, that's not bad, it's charming. Palin's non-slickness may grate on our ears, but that's because we're overeducated urban slicksters, just like those Chicagoans in the Obama White House. The tea parties are wall-to-wall patriotic kitsch and incoherent hokum, but incoherent hokum is new and hip. It's even OK that Palin chose to be an amateur after being a political pro -- she dropped out inarticulately and in a clumsy way, which makes it genuine, and thus very much in keeping with the tea party spirit, which is now generally conceded to be wonderful.

"I'm someone who made mistakes in my life. And look where I am. If I let you down I'm sorry."

Scott Lee Cohen has withdrawn his name as the Democratic nominee for Illinois lieutenant governor.

For days, the pawn broker-turned Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor was dogged over allegations he abused anabolic steroids, went into fits of rage, sexually abused his then-wife, got behind in child support payments and held a knife to the throat of a former girlfriend who is a convicted prostitute.

But Cohen was never convicted of a crime and said he'd moved on from the transgressions of his past. And after spending a couple of million dollars of his own money on his campaign, he initially refused to step aside.

Democratic candidate for governor, Pat Quinn, called Cohen's decision "the right decision" for the party. "Now we can continue to focus our efforts on putting our economy back on track and working to bring good jobs to Illinois," Quinn said in a statement.

Super Bowl 44

I lived in and around Indianapolis in two different time periods, totalling eight years and 2 months, so you can imagine where my loyalties lie for this game. And, of course, I look to Stampede Blue for stats and analysis.

5 arguments for God's existence

William Lane Craig responds to Richard Dawkins's book The God Delusion, which I've recently read.

ADDED: I believe Dawkins's basic arguments in The God Delusion can be whittled down to three.

1. God doesn't exist because I don't like him. Especially the God of the Old Testament. Yuck.
2. Question authority, especially religious "authority." Do this because I'm telling you to.
3. Evolution is the answer to everything. I know it's the answer to everything because if it wasn't, we wouldn't have an answer. Or we wouldn't eventually find out the answer. Because it will eventually answer everything, it is the answer to everything. It is this way because I'm telling you it is this way.
   

"Scott Lee Cohen... was arrested about four-and-a-half years ago and accused of holding a knife to a former live-in girlfriend's neck"

Cohen won the Democratic party's nomination for lieutenant governor of Illinois in Tuesday's primary. Yep, we sure know how to pick 'em here in this fine state.

Cohen -- who records show also had federal tax troubles that he says he has settled -- denied in a written statement that he ever hurt the ex-girlfriend or his family. Cohen disclosed his domestic violence arrest when he announced his candidacy, but the details about the knife and prostitution case didn't surface in the campaign, as Cohen was considered a longshot.

"It was a difficult time in my life. I was going through a divorce, and I fell in with the wrong crowd," Cohen said. "I was in a tumultuous relationship with the woman I was dating. We had a fight, but I never touched her."

He fell in with the wrong crowd. Is he talking about Chicago-style politicians?

Nope! No non-thin non-whites this year!

Vanity Fair tells us once again - it's a yearly habit, after all - which thin white pretty-young-things are the "New Hollywood" darlings.

"Lost," season 6

The end is near for Lost as it starts its sixth and final season tomorrow night. Many people are obsessed with Lost, and for good reason, for there's no other show on right now that tackles such issues as faith, science, time travel, philosophy, free will, and fate. And what other shows feature Taweret and Smokey? The show has had many mysteries both answered and unanswered (What's in the hatch? Why was that little boy taken by those scruffy-looking people? How can there be two Lockes - one alive, one dead? What has Claire been doing all this time?), and that's part of the appeal. I'm sure many people will be sad when Lost reaches its conclusion, but at least one person won't be.

Anyways, Lost has given us a great ride so far. Just like Alan, I can't wait to see how it all ends. If only to see whether Doc Jensen is right or not.

What is the "New York Times" telling us about the health care bill?

I read this headline - Decision Looms on Advancing Health Care Bill - and a word flashes through my brain: Doom. Putting together decision and loom, I get doom.

I read the first line:

Seeking to avert the collapse of major health care legislation, the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress face a crucial decision about whether to use a procedural maneuver that would allow them to advance the bill despite the loss of their 60-vote majority in the Senate.

Yep, sure sounds like doom for the health care bill.

When visiting Chicago, there are two things you must eat

A beef-and-cheddar croissant from Portillo's...




... and a slice of deep-dish pizza from the best pizza joint in Chi-town.

"Nobody in life gets what they thought they were going to get."

So said Conan O'Brien last night, his final turn as the host of the Tonight Show.

But I wonder: how many people get $33,000,000 to not be on a TV show? Of course, the money wasn't his dream - hosting the Tonight Show was.

Yes, but what kind? Polar? Black? Grizzly? Koala? Panda?

Great headline from Reuters: "White House says bears part of blame for Senate loss."

Scott Brown, Senator elect

A Senate seat long held by a Democrat has passed to a Republican:

Scott Brown, a little-known Republican state senator, rode an old pickup truck and a growing sense of unease among independent voters to an extraordinary upset Tuesday night when he was elected to fill the Senate seat that was long held by Edward M. Kennedy in the overwhelmingly Democratic state of Massachusetts.

By a decisive margin, Mr. Brown defeated Martha Coakley, the state’s attorney general, who had been considered a prohibitive favorite to win just over a month ago after she easily won the Democratic primary.

With all precincts counted, Mr. Brown had 52 percent of the vote to Ms. Coakley’s 47 percent.

What will this mean for the president, especially with the fall elections looming in the distance? What were the people of Massachusetts trying to tell America on the eve of Obama's one year anniversary as POTUS? Will a man who rode on the winds of change became change incarnate?

Killer movie

How many films have killed at the box office? We know of one for sure - Avatar.

"It is the paradox of the cyber era: A nation of exhibitionists demanding privacy."

A revealing article on the non-private thoughts of Michael Gerson:

The most interesting aspect of cyber culture, however, is not the quest for privacy but its disregard -- not the desire to protect private communication but the compulsion to make bra colors public.

The Internet is known for its milestones of exhibitionism. In 1996, Jennifer Ringley began broadcasting her entire life -- from brushing her teeth to making love -- on the Internet. In 1998, Elizabeth Ann Oliver delivered her baby live on the Web. In 2001, Josh Harris presented his breakup with his girlfriend and his nervous breakdown for Internet consumption.

But the real revolution of the Internet has been to make personal disclosure routine. Some, via Twitter, Facebook and the like, have taken to afflict others with a constant stream of their random thoughts -- an avocation that a columnist has no business to criticize. Less understandable to me are the revelations once reserved for the most
intimate friends.

If nothing else, we need wisdom in discerning what to keep hidden and what to reveal.

Scott Brown, candidate for U.S. Senate, was a "Cosmo" centerfold

Let us suppose that a physically attractive 50-year-old woman had posed for a magazine when she was in her early 20's. A magazine that was geared towards men. For this particular picture, she does not appear to be wearing any type of clothing, but her hands are modestly covering her "female parts." And let us say that this woman is now running for the U.S. Senate. What kinds of things might be said about her? How often would that picture be shown? What kinds of questions might she be expected to answer? If she was directly questioned about it, would she have a "meltdown?"

And now let us suppose that a man... Oh, we don't have to suppose. We have a man like that. A man who's running for the U.S. Senate. Who reportedly had a "meltdown."

Katie Connolly thinks there's a double standard:

Jokes aside, that this racy pic has been circulating for years and hasn't hampered Brown's career perhaps isn't that surprising. "It's a pretty tame photo compared to what you might see at an NFL halftime show," says campaign spokesperson Eric Fehrnstrom. "The fact is, when Scott was 22 years old, he was footloose and carefree." That may be so, but how would he be treated if he were a woman?

Although a nude centerfold might not kill a female politician's career, it would most certainly prompt questions about her character. Was she unacceptably promiscuous? Did she have a wild, compromising youth? While we scoff at the exploits of young men─they're allowed to be "footloose and carefree"─women are rarely afforded that luxury. For Brown, who just turned 50, it's a case of "boys will be boys." We can giggle at Brown's treasure trail and not think twice about how the sight of it affects his political career. But when Sarah Palin's head was Photoshopped on the body of a gun-totin', bikini-clad babe, it served as evidence for many of her unsuitability for office. Even when the photo was proved to be fake, it continued to haunt her. Palin's sexuality was at once titillating and threatening─for as many fans as she gained for being attractive, there were as many who used it in building the case against her. If Barbara Boxer had posed nude in her youth and declared her love for "buff boys," I predict her voters would be collectively horrified, and she'd probably never shake the crass jokes that would follow. As a culture, we simply don't like our female representatives to be publicly sexual.

(Via Althouse)

"One minute, Palin would be her perky self; the next she would fall into a strange blue funk."

The latest book-of-the-moment, Game Change, which claims Sarah Palin went into a "tailspin" following her infamous interview with Katie Couric.

And speaking of lives going into a tailspin...

Peyton's 4th MVP prize

He's done it: Peyton Manning has captured the NFL MVP title for a historic fourth time.

Only one other player, Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre, has been honored three times by the Associated Press’ 50-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Manning previously won the award in 2003, ’04 and last season.

The face and foundation of the franchise since being selected with the first overall pick in the 1998 draft, Manning has helped direct the Colts to a league-best 14-2 record, the No. 1 seed in the AFC and an eighth consecutive playoff berth.

Elvis' birthday

He'd be 75 if he were alive.

Almost two years ago, I visited his old home.

Bart Stupak

The kind of Democrat I like.

Now he is enduring more hatred than perhaps any other member of Congress, much of it from fellow Democrats. His name has become a slogan: “Stop Stupak!”

Scott Schloegel, his chief of staff, said wearily, “I can’t tell you how many New Yorkers have called me up and yelled at me about this Stupak guy.”

With final negotiations on a health care overhaul beginning this week, complaints about “the evil Stupak amendment,” as the congressman dryly called it over dinner here recently, are likely to grow even louder. The amendment prevents women who receive federal insurance subsidies from buying abortion coverage — but critics assert it could cause women who buy their own insurance difficulty in obtaining coverage.

Mr. Stupak insists that the final bill include his terms, which he says merely reflect current law. If he prevails, he will have won an audacious, counterintuitive victory, forcing a Democratic-controlled Congress to pass a measure that will be hailed as an anti-abortion triumph. If party members do not accept his terms — and many vow they will not — Mr. Stupak is prepared to block passage of the health care overhaul.

"If you can find a better deal, take it!"

I really don't know if Ann Coulter is a fellow believer, but I can see by what she's written that she gets the heart of the Gospel.

In a boiling rage, liberals constantly accuse Christians of being "judgmental." No, we're relieved.

Christianity is also the hardest religion in the world because, if you believe Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead, you have no choice but to give your life entirely over to Him. No more sexual promiscuity, no lying, no cheating, no stealing, no killing inconvenient old people or unborn babies -- no doing what all the other kids do.

And no more caring what the world thinks of you -- because, as Jesus warned in a prophecy constantly fulfilled by liberals: The world will hate you.

With Christianity, your sins are forgiven, the slate is wiped clean and your eternal life is guaranteed through nothing you did yourself, even though you don't deserve it. It's the best deal in the universe.

The Epiphany

Thanks, Rev. Paul, for today's history lesson.

The Epiphany of our Lord was, in the ancient church, a day that was set aside to commemorate not only the visitation of the Magi, but the Lord’s Baptism, and his first miracle. The season of Epiphany was developed to offer separate meditation and reflection on each of these events in our Lord’s ministry, so on this day, the focus is on the visit of the Magi. Many churches observed Epiphany last Sunday, using the custom of observing a major feast falling on a week day, on the Sunday immediately preceding it.

"dung good"

For some people, nothing says I love you quite like manure.

The Lost Supper

Much is being made over this picture.

10MillionWords

Tim Challies, one of Christianity's most prolific and well-known bloggers, has started his new project - reading every single nonfiction book that lands on the New York Times bestseller list.

My wife thinks I’m a little bit crazy, I’m sure of it. During eleven years of marriage I’ve done a lot of things that have led her to roll her eyes and sigh. I guess she is getting used to it, though, because even she is interested in what I am planning to do in 2010. I plan to read all of the New York Times bestselling books over the course of the whole year. Do the math and you’ll see that this will come in at somewhere around 10 million words.

While the project proper begins on January 1, 2010, in the months leading up to it, I will be attempting to read all of the current bestsellers to reassure myself that I can actually do this without losing my sanity. In so doing, I will be trying to “find my voice,” so to speak–finding the best way to deal with as imposing a project as this one, and looking for the cultural and worldview themes that I think will be so interesting.

I'm sure your wife isn't the only one, Tim, but good luck.

"Open", Andre Agassi

I really can't explain why I'm such a fan of tennis. I've never played a complete match, just a few games with a childhood friend. I've never owned a racquet - I've had to borrow one from others when I played. I can't remember the last time I was actually on a tennis court, other than to watch someone else play. I remember well that last match I attended. My wife and I obtained tickets for a night at the RCA Tournament in Indianapolis in 2003, to see Andy Roddick in his quest for that title. He won it, of course, and two months later he went on to win the U.S. Open.

But Andy wasn't my favorite player. Andre Agassi was. He had such style and flair, and an incredibly formidable return of serve. Pete Sampras may have been the better player, but he was boring compared to Agassi. I watched his career - and his personal life - go up and down. His joy at finally winning at Roland Garros. His marriage - and subsequent divorce - to the actress Brooke Shields. His relationship to one of tennis' brightest stars, Steffi Graf.

And now, he has written his life story for all to read. Open is truly one of the best autobiographies I've ever read. Agassi writes extremely well, and with refreshing candor. It seems that in many memoirs, people wish to gloss over or diminish the uglier parts of their personal history. Agassi refused to do that. He writes about his frustrating relationship with his father, who pushed him into the sport at a very young age. About his dalliance with crystal meth, and how it almost cost him his career. His doomed relationship with Shields. His hair loss. His disappointing losses. The fleeting and surreal characteristics of fame. Everything stays in the line, nothing is out of bounds.

Agassi states numerous times throughout the book that he hates tennis. He tells this to other people in conversation, but none of them really believe him. Not even fellow tennis player Brad Gilbert, who coached him for several years. "You don't really hate it, do you?" is the reply he often gets when he's willing to admit the truth to them. Only his wife Steffi understands this.

Open is an compelling look inside the world of one of sports' most beloved and charismatic figures.

"Tiger, turn to the Christian faith, and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."

That's Brit Hume, giving advice to Tiger Woods on the Fox News Channel earlier today:



As expected, there is a lot of chatter about this.

Update: A lot of non-surprising chatter. And, La Shawn is right, the Gospel is offensive to those who don't believe.

Happy New Year!

And here we are in 2010! Well, those of us on Central Standard Time, at any rate. Most of the world has been in this new decade for hours already. But here in Vermilion County, Illinois, we've just watched the ball drop (an hour delay) at Times Square in NYC. Yes, we watched Dick Clark here at Chez Brownie, because there really is no one else to watch. I mean, Carson Daly? You were great on TRL, but you're no Dick Clark. The Sweet One and The Cute One both stayed up to ring in the new year/decade, but The Wife had gone to bed.

And now, I'm shuddering with a single thought... Next year, I turn 40. Four-oh! Oh, man, now I need to go get a blanket.

The last day of the year, and of the 2000's, is finally here

It took a while, didn't it? It seems like January 1, 2000, was such a long time ago. What were you doing on this day, ten years ago? Working yourself up into a frenzy with all the fear about Y2K, or were you as calm and cool as Barack Obama probably was?

Anyway, here's to the 2010's! May you find them to be fun and adventurous. And you would probably do well to take the prophet Micah's advice: do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

"I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have."

This is from the first page of an autobiograpy I'm reading, entitled Open:

My name is Andre Agassi. My wife's name is Stefanie Graf. We have two children, a son and daughter, five and three. We live in Las Vegas, Nevada, but currently reside in a suite at the Four Seasons hotel in New York City, because I'm playing in the 2006 U.S. Open. My last U.S. Open. In fact my last tournament ever. I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have.

I know this word I'm about to say is way overdone, thanks to Keanu Reeves, but still: Whoa. Even though he played tennis spectacularly well, Andre says he hated it. He hated a game which brought him fame and fortune, and landed him into the history books and on countless magazine covers. A game that he played professionally for well over a decade. A game that gave him an Olympic gold medal. And it was this game he hated.

Okay, Andre, I'm hooked. Serve me up the rest of your story. No foot faults, please.

"Nine" to be pulled from theaters in numerous cities

Is Nine failing in spite of itself, or because of itself? It's a musical, which is always a risky business at the box office - for every Chicago that does quite well, there's a Rent that just doesn't. It has six Oscar winners - Daniel Day Lewis, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Dame Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, and Penélope Cruz. It's based on a Tony-winning stage production, which itself was based on the celebrated Italian film 8½.

So, why is it seen as a failure?

Dissing "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"

This guy makes it look easy. And it is, really.

We've just endured the shortest day of the year

Now, get ready for the longest night. Hopefully it will be nothing like this longest night.

everyone goes crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man

Wow. So Generation-Y men (or Generation Next, or the Millennials, or whatever they're called these days) are turning out to be natty dressers.

Today the well-off 55-year-old is likely to be the worst-dressed man in the room, wearing a saggy T-shirt and jeans. The cash-poor 25-year-old is in a natty sport coat and skinny tie bought at Topman for a song. Young men are embracing the “Mad Men” elements of style in a way that the older men never did, still don’t and just won’t. The result is a kind of rift emerging between the generation of men in their 20s and 30s and those in their late 40s and 50s for whom a suit was not merely square but cubed, and caring about how one looked was effeminate.

I guess that says something against my own generation - "Gen-X" - which is supposed to be full of slackers and sloppy dressers. Or maybe it says something about the baby boomers, since they aren't dressing much better these days. But it's difficult to tell from here in Vermilion County, Illinois, where the ghett0 and biker looks are prevalant. Maybe I'd notice more if I was further north, say, here.

Looking through Wikipedia, I discovered that my two daughters, who I thought would be part of the next generation after me and my wife, skipped over the fashionable Y and went straight to Z.

Be careful about where you attend to personal issues

Have you been licked by the spirit of the buffalo?

Poor Joe Lieberman

One liberal author wants him to shut up when he's just trying to work, while another liberal author demands that he lose his job altogether. What's an independent to do?

I suggest that the people of Connecticut boycott Michael Moore. Don't buy his books, don't read his website, and don't watch his movies.

Is Hannukah mentioned in the Bible?

Indeed.

Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

I think it's significant that Hannukah is referred to as the Feast of Dedication, and not eight crazy nights.

what is the church?

The church is not a theological classroom. It is a conversion, confession, repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness, and sanctification center, where flawed people place their trust in Christ, gather to know and love him better, and learn to love others as he has designed. The church is messy and inefficient, but it is God's wonderful mess - the place where he radically transforms hearts and lives.

Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change, pg. 116

Come they told me

"I found it compelling and very well done."

Stanley Fish on Going Rogue:

My assessment of the book has nothing to do with the accuracy of its accounts. Some news agencies have fact-checkers poring over every sentence, which would be to the point if the book were a biography, a genre that is judged by the degree to which the factual claims being made can be verified down to the last assertion. “Going Rogue,” however, is an autobiography, and while autobiographers certainly insist that they are telling the truth, the truth the genre promises is the truth about themselves — the kind of persons they are — and even when they are being mendacious or self-serving (and I don’t mean to imply that Palin is either), they are, necessarily, fleshing out that truth. As I remarked in a previous column, autobiographers cannot lie because anything they say will truthfully serve their project, which, again, is not to portray the facts, but to portray themselves.

The questions to ask then are (1) Does Palin succeed in conveying to her readers the kind of person she is? and (2) Does she do it in a satisfying and artful way? In short, is the book a good autobiographical read? I would answer “yes” to both.

You might be asking, who is this Stanley Fish guy? Answer.

He lives in a van down by Duke University

I wonder if Dave Ramsey would smile as he read about this guy.

known by the fruit

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Luke 6:43-45

"I think the public rightfully is still making it an issue. I don't have a problem with that."

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin apparently thinks that two wrongs make a right.

Speaking to the conservative talker Rusty Humphries today, Sarah Palin left the door open to speculation about President Obama's birth certificate.

"Would you make the birth certificate an issue if you ran?" she was asked (around 9 minutes into the video above).

"I think the public rightfully is still making it an issue. I don't have a problem with that. I don't know if I would have to bother to make it an issue, because I think that members of the electorate still want answers," she replied.

"Do you think it's a fair question to be looking at?" Humphries persisted.

"I think it's a fair question, just like I think past association and past voting records -- all of that is fair game," Palin said. "The McCain-Palin campaign didn't do a good enough job in that area."

McCain's campaign counsel has said the campaign did look into the birth certificate question and, like every other serious examination, dismissed it.

Palin suggested that the questions were fair play because of "the weird conspiracy theory freaky thing that people talk about that Trig isn't my real son -- 'You need to produce his birth certificate, you need to prove that he's your kid,' which we have done."

Wait a minute. Asking about Trig's birth certificate and parentage wasn't fair, but continuing to ask about Obama's birthplace, despite the existence of evidence showing that he was born in Honolulu, is fair? I guess not all conspiracy theories are created equal. Or maybe some are more equal than others.

hunting a tiger

CJ Mahaney offers some excellent words in response to unfolding drama of Tiger Woods' life.

As expected, the allegations of adultery involving a public figure are attracting a media pile-on. This is a big story with a big audience and it’s a story that will not disappear soon. Tiger Woods is being hunted by the media.

But let us make sure we do not join the hunt. A Christian’s response to this story should be distinctly different. We should not be entertained by the news. We should not have a morbid interest in all the details. We should be saddened and sobered. We should pray for this man and even more for his wife.

And we can be sure that in the coming days we will be in conversations with friends and family where this topic will emerge. And when it does, we can avoid simply listening to the latest details and speculations, and avoid speaking self-righteously, but instead we can humbly draw attention to the grace of God in the gospel.

7 ways to save

We just finished up Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at church tonight, but you don't have to attend all 13 weeks of that to learn some steps and improve your financial situation. Make your New Year's resolutions early and start saving now by using these methods. Sure, they are pretty much all common sense, but the thing about common sense is that it's usually pretty practical.

Jesus is hope incarnate

We cannot treat the Bible as a collection of therapeutic insights. To do so distorts its message and will not lead to lasting change. If a system could give us what we need, Jesus would never have come. But he came because what was wrong with us could not be fixed any other way. He is the only answer, so we must never offer a message that is less than good news. We don't offer people a system; we point them to a Redeemer. He is hope.

From Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands, Paul David Tripp, pg. 9

On every day, and not just Thanksgiving, we have something - Someone - to be truly thankful for: a Redeemer that came to lead us out from Darkness and into Light.

Climategate

And just when I was starting to really warm up to those adorably preachy kiddies, I read about this. And I weep, and I feel so cold. Because I just can't be skeptical of scientists, right? I mean, that would be sacrilege.

UPDATE: It's not a scandal if we ignore it, right?

Hey, married people: want to improve your sex life?

Land an airplane on the Hudson River, and have no fatalities or injuries. Then you can have "rock-star sex," whatever that is.

The Wife and I planned to attend this tonight, but...

see more Epic Fails

2/2/10

A day greatly anticipated.

Psychiatry vs. Talk Therapy

I've recently read an excellent biblical counseling book, Counsel From the Cross by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson. I think it's an important contribution for the Christian counselor, encouraging those who struggle with life to look to the cross of Christ for hope and redemption. I've certainly benefited from it in my counseling sessions with fellow believers.

But I do want to bring up one topic that Fitzpatrick and Johnson, as other biblical/nouthetic counseling writers have done, address in the first appendix (pp. 183-191). They make convincing apologetic arguments for the need of biblical counseling model when meeting with fellow believers. They briefly discuss some of the concepts of the major players of psychology, Sigmund Freud and Albert Ellis among them. Then they write the following paragraph on page 185:

Of course, in recent years all these therapies (and hundres of others like them) have been gobbled up by materialistic determinism and the pharmacological giant of biopsychiatry. The materialistic determinist's anthropology is very simple indeed: all you are is a bag of interacting chemicals, and all your problems can be diagnosed and solved by observing and balancing your chemicals. Talk therapy? Nonsense! Take the right pill and you'll feel better!

I received my master's degree in mental health counseling from Wight State University (Fairborn, Ohio) over fourteen years ago. I served at two different community mental health centers during my practicums and internship for my undergrad and graduate programs - both were in Ohio, located about 30 minutes away from each other. I worked for another mental health center after graduating from WSU, located in the same region as the other two MHC's. I was employed as a crisis counselor for a major hospital in Indianapolis at two different time periods, totalling eight years. I currently work for a mental health center in eastern Illinois.

During my career, I have either worked closely with or had contact with numerous psychiatrists. I'm guessing at least 75, but probably more. I have yet to meet one psychiatrist that would say, "All your problems can be daignosed and solved by observing and balancing your chemicals." I currently work with a doctor who graduated from Harvard, and he would tell you (as he has told me) that psychiatry must be combined with "talk therapy."

Perhaps there are doctors out there with that belief. I haven't met every single practicing psychiatrist in the world, so I wouldn't know. But I have worked in three states (so far), and I have yet to meet one who believes that.

35-34

Thanks, Bill.

It was the most improbable victory for the Colts (9-0) in their 18-game regular-season winning streak, which is now tied for the second-longest in league history with, of all teams, New England.

The Colts trailed by 17 points early in the fourth quarter. This marked the first time Belichick’s Patriots had lost when leading by at least 13 in the final period.

“When you see them going for it on fourth down, you get a little nervous, but our defense blitzed them, pressured them and got the stop,” Manning said. “It certainly changed our philosophy. In practice, we’re going 60 or 70 yards. So we figure we’re going to have to go five, six, seven plays. In the huddle, I said, ‘Obviously, we need a touchdown, but let’s not be in a hurry.”

The Patriots didn’t dare second-guess their coach, though everybody else did.

“That fourth-down play, that’s one of your best plays, and you go to one of your best guys,” Brady said. “We’ve got our offense on the field. We have over 450 yards of offense at the time. We’ve got a lot of great players on our offense. They stopped us.”

the Vikings have advanced

One of the nicer things about life in a small town is that community spirit can really shine. The town of Danville, the seat of my county, is cheering for its high school football team, the Vikings. They're heading for the semifinals.

With the victory, Danville (12-0) ties the school’s all-time win mark set by the state runner-up team in 1976.

“It means that we are going to semis,’’ B.J. Luke said of the win. “It means that we are back to being one of the top programs in the state of Illinois.’’

Up next for the Vikings are the No. 1-rated New Lenox Providence Catholic Celtics, a 44-14 winner over Crete-Monee.

“I don’t know if the Chicago Catholic League champion have ever had to come to Danville to get to the state championship,’’ B.J. Luke said. “We are fired up to have them and hosting their outstanding program. We know that they are a great program. We know they are the hands-down pick to win this thing, but they still have to come to Danville. I think my guys will be ready to play.’’

a voice, a chime, a chance sublime

I'm getting in the mood for Christmas music.



How about you?

And speaking of Christmas music, Christianity Today has their annual roundup of this year's new Christmas CD's. And if you want to know about last year's releases, too, then just go here. We usually buy one new Christmas CD a year, but last year we bought two: Faith Hill's Joy to the World and Casting Crowns' Peace on Earth. But I didn't like either of them as well as Relient K's 2007 release, Let it Snow Baby... Let it Reindeer.

76 years ago today, the first photograph of Nessie was taken

Here. Judge for yourself. Nessie is in the eye of the beholder.

I wonder if climate change will affect Nessie. No doubt some top scientists are debating that very issue.

"The world's top scientists agree that climate change is the most serious threat to ever face our planet."

All the top scientists in the whole world agree on this. There is no disagreement among them. None whatsoever. The top scientists - the top ones of the world, mind you - all agree about climate change. And they think that climate change is very, very, very, horribly rotten.

But don't take my word for it. I'm not one of those top scientists. For Mother Earth's sake, listen to the children.



I have a few thoughts about this:

1. I guess the scientists who would disagree about climate change being the most serious threat to ever face the earth are not top scientists. Because if they were top scientists, they would agree. Those scientists would conform their own personal beliefs with the idea that nothing - nothing! - is more serious right now than climate change. But because they refuse to conform, they can't be a top scientist. If only they would get on the bandwagon.... then they'd be top. Or at least, you know, pretty close to the top, anyway.
2. Are these the children of all those top scientists?
3. One child declares, "Droughts and floods and hurricanes are getting worse." What does this mean, exactly? I take it to mean that droughts, floods, and hurricanes have inflicted more destruction and damage than they have in the past, when people weren't burning fossil fuels and polluting the air and water. But do we have scientific evidence of this? Do we know conclusively that droughts, floods and hurricanes are much worse than they were 100 years ago... or 500 years ago... or 3,000 years ago?
4. If my children don't agree with these children, does it mean that they're not top children?
5. "Really cool animals like polar bears and walruses will lose their habitat." Pity all the uncool animals that lose their habitats. No one cares about them.
6. The children urge the American president to join with leaders of other nations for a meeting in Copenhagen ("That's in Denmark."). They tell us, "The rest of the world is ready," but then they only list eight countries. Hmm. I didn't know the world only had nine nations.
7. I think I'll change all my "global warming" tags to "climate change" tags. Then I'll become a top blogger.
8. Thanks, Anchoress.

Very few people in this world know the day and hour of Death's visit

John A. Muhammad is among those who knew. Unlike his victims, who had no idea that Death would be calling on them.

You know what I'd like to eat right now? A really good brownie...

What is God's favorite color?

I'm sure you've wondered about that. It's beige.

Waldenbooks is leaving Danville

Very sad news today for Vermilion County book-lovers. Dragon's Horde announced a few weeks ago that it would be shutting the door by November 20. And now it looks like Waldenbooks will be leaving the Village Mall.

The Waldenbooks at the Village Mall is one of 200 mall-based Waldenbooks stores that the Borders chain plans to close, according to an announcement Thursday. The Borders Group intends to close the stores in January, although the list of stores is not final and is subject to change, pending finalization of agreements in coming weeks, according to the company's news release posted on its Web site Thursday.

Cindy Compton, general manager of the Village Mall in Danville, said late Thursday afternoon she had not yet spoken with Borders officials and was awaiting their call to discuss the situation. "Our position is that we will see what we can do to convince them to reconsider our site," Compton said. "They have been a wonderful, valuable tenant."

"Since the start of the Afghan war in 2001... the base has also lost at least 75 of its soldiers to suicide."

Fort Hood in Texas, the scene of a horrific event earlier today, has had its share of tragedies.

The base's former commander, Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, used his tenure at the helm of the sprawling post to mount a broad campaign to reduce the incidence of PTSD and suicide among the soldiers on the post.

At Gen. Lynch's direction, the base constructed a new Resiliency Campus spread out over a series of buildings near the base's chapel. The new facilities include a Spiritual Fitness Center for soldiers to meditate, rest and think, and a Cognitive Enhancement Assistance Center that offers counseling and other life-planning services.

The base also houses the Army's Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program, which aims to help soldiers deal with stress and the return to peacetime life.

Despite the efforts, however, Fort Hood continues to be hit hard by suicide, PTSD and other related problems. Through October, 10 Fort Hood soldiers had taken their lives in 2009, the second-highest tally in the Army behind Kentucky's Fort Campbell, which had 16 suicides.

If you are a believer in Christ, please pray for the families of those who were killed, for those who were wounded, and for the alleged shooter and his family as well. It is a Christian's duty to do this.

"Clinton wishes he had left White House in a coffin"

That's the headline for this story, which I read and thought: Did Bill Clinton want to emulate JFK so much that he wanted to be assassinated while in office? But, no, it was just a silly headline.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said on Monday he would have preferred to leave the White House in a coffin because he loved being commander in chief, but signaled his political life was over.

"It's good that we have a (term) limit. Otherwise I would have stayed until I was carried away in a coffin. Or defeated in an election," Clinton said at a conference in Istanbul. "I loved doing the job."

10 Million Words

Uh, oh. Looks like somebody wants to join A.J. Jacobs and Julie Powell in the Let's-do-something-outrageous-and-write-a-book-about-it Club. I mean, I don't actually know if he'll write a book about his experience, but it's the kind of thing Jacobs and Powell would admire. I just wonder, how will he find time to spend with his wife and kids?

America’s bestselling books tell us, I’m sure, who America is, who her people are, at this time and place. Surely they will give me a glimpse into the world’s most powerful, the world’s most fascinating nation.

So why am I doing it? That is a fair question and one that does not offend me in the least. There are a few answers. First, I love to read and this project gives me an opportunity to read a lot. That, as I see it, is a good thing. Second, it is a challenge and I like to face a good challenge. I expect this project to involve at least ten million words of reading–break that down and you’ll see that it comes to at least three books per week over the course of an entire year. Third, I am interested in the cultural and worldview implications of all of these books. They will provide, I’m sure, a snapshot of where America is at as she enters a new decade. And for me, as a Canadian who spends a fair amount of time wandering the United States and who has family living in the United States, this stands to be particularly interesting.

Good luck, Tim.

For Halloween 2009, the Obamas were a "middle-aged dad" and a "leopard"

Halloween at the White House:

The first lady was dressed as a leopard, with a smear of eyeliner, fuzzy ears and a spotted orange-and-black top. The president was dressed as a middle-aged dad, with a black cardigan, checkered shirt and sensible brown slacks. Together they handed out treats on the steps of the north portico of the White House Saturday night, sending some trick-or-treaters into fits of shock and joy.

Isn't the president already a middle-aged dad? With the sweater, I'm thinking he looks more like Bill Cosby than some generic dad. I supposed the sweater would have to be really colorful to get the Cliff Huxtable look right.

We didn't have too many trick-or-treaters around here. Just two groups of kids, about ten all total. I guess a lot of people are opting for community events. Our church hosted what was called "The Switch," with games and candy - and a Gospel presentation, of course. Quite a few kids in ninja costumes this year.

"In many ways, he's sent from God because the world's a mess."

Sting identifies Obama as the savior of the world.

The British singer, who released the seasonal album "On A Winter's Night" this week, said he's fascinated by American politics, Obama, and also by Obama's opponents on the right.

"It's aggressive and violent and full of fear," he said of the backlash against Obama. "They don't want change, they want things to feel the same because they feel safe there."

Sting, 58, said he's hopeful that the world's problems can be dealt with, but is frustrated that "we seem to be living in a currency of medieval ideas."

"My hope is that we can start talking about real issues and not caring about whether God cares about your hemline or your color," he said. "We are here to evolve as one family, and we can't be separate anymore."

There's always a bigger fish in the sea

One great white is mauled by another. I guess the moral is this: if you think you're Big and Bad, there's probably somebody Bigger and Badder.

Why you playing with that, Levi?

You read this kind of thing, and you think, What has happened to his life? Is he a pawn? Is someone using him? Can a 19-year-old man think for himself, or is someone doing the thinking for him? Will he regret this ten years from now... five years from now... two seconds after he puts his clothes back on?

Rex Butler, a lawyer for the 19-year-old father of Sarah Palin's grandchild, says it is a "foregone conclusion" Johnston will pose nude for Playgirl and is now getting gym-ready three hours a day, six nights a week, working out with an Anchorage body builder, the Associated Press reports.

How long does it take to be fully and completely "gym-ready?"

Ah, I see I'm not the only one concerned about Mr. Johnston.

Hitch on the lessons of religious debates

Christopher Hitchens writes about what debating Christians in general (and Douglas Wilson in particular) has taught him:

I haven't yet run into an argument that has made me want to change my mind. After all, a believing religious person, however brilliant or however good in debate, is compelled to stick fairly closely to a "script" that is known in advance, and known to me, too. However, I have discovered that the so-called Christian right is much less monolithic, and very much more polite and hospitable, than I would once have thought, or than most liberals believe. I haven't been asked to Bob Jones University yet, but I have been invited to Jerry Falwell's old Liberty University campus in Virginia, even though we haven't yet agreed on the terms.

Wilson isn't one of those evasive Christians who mumble apologetically about how some of the Bible stories are really just "metaphors." He is willing to maintain very staunchly that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and that his sacrifice redeems our state of sin, which in turn is the outcome of our rebellion against God. He doesn't waffle when asked why God allows so much evil and suffering—of course he "allows" it since it is the inescapable state of rebellious sinners. I much prefer this sincerity to the vague and Python-esque witterings of the interfaith and ecumenical groups who barely respect their own traditions and who look upon faith as just another word for community organizing.

You can find information on the DVD Collision here, even if you don't see the point.

Them eyes

It is far better for you to look at them than for them to look at you. (Thanks, Instapundit)

Oh, no! It's THEM!

All Hallow's Eve

A very sensible view of Halloween. Thanks, TMH.

Mental illness, stigma, and Alex Forrest

Glenn Close has a great article for HuffPo on the stigma of mental illness.

Even as the medicine and therapy for mental health disorders have made remarkable progress, the ancient social stigma of psychological illness remains largely intact. Families are loath to talk about it and, in movies and the media, stereotypes about the mentally ill still reign.

Whether it is Norman Bates in Psycho, Jack Torrance in The Shining, or Kathy Bates' portrayal of Annie Wilkes in Misery, scriptwriters invariably tell us that the mentally ill are dangerous threats who must be contained, if not destroyed. It makes for thrilling entertainment.

There are some notable exceptions, of course -- Dustin Hoffman in Rainman, or Russell Crowe's portrayal of John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. But more often than not, the movie or TV version of someone suffering from a mental disorder is a sociopath who must be stopped.

Remember Balloonboy

(HT: BHT)

a balloon and his boy

If you're going to go on national TV and say that what happened wasn't a hox, be sure that everyone's in agreement about that. You could have trouble if they aren't.

Don't judge too quickly

Pastor Piper

Justin Taylor has an excellent little article on John Piper, pastor to Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis.

Could you classify Obama's presidency so far as an "Epic Fail!"?

It sure seems that way. Three of his big ideas - Cash for Clunkers, Chicago 2016, and healthcare - have all been busts. Healthcare is a work in progress, I guess. But he doesn't seem to have increased his support for overhauling the system since he gave his big speech to Congress.

What can Barack fail at next? Stay tuned!

Socialism wins!

In Greece! You know, the country that's, like, the birthplace of philosophy or something. Yeah, that Socrates dude must be proud.

With 88 percent of Greece’s 10 million votes counted, according to The Associated Press, the Socialist Pasok Party was leading with 44 percent of the vote to 34 percent for the center-right New Democracy Party, a margin expected to give the Socialists their largest victory ever and a comfortable majority in Parliament.

“Today we set off together to build the Greece we want and need. We have no time to waste,” the Socialist leader, George Papandreou, said in his victory speech. “We want it, we can do it, we will succeed.”

“Nothing will be easy,” he added. “But I will always be honest and upfront with the Greeks.”

And he'll stay away from the hemlock, I imagine.

"Hollywood has the best moral compass, because it has compassion."

This has to be one of the most hilarious - and saddest - statements I've heard that have come out of this whole Roman Polanski fiasco. And it's from a guy who blatantly pushes his films for Oscar nominations, just so he can rack up those little gold statues. Talk about superficial...

I really don't need to add anything to the discussion on Polanski's portal into perversion, but I've liked what I've read from these people.

• Allahpundit
• Marci A. Hamilton
• Glenn Harlan Reynolds

Twitter can be so surreal. I'm having a "conversation" with the son of this man and this woman.

Duran Duran should feel very happy about this.

If you live another 20 years, you could become immortal. I'll be 58 years old in 20 years. I don't think I'd want to look like I'm 58 for forever. Maybe 25.

Rob Bell wants his own definition of "evangelical"

Rob Bell, author of Velvet Elvis (my copy is currently resting, still unread, in a box in a storage facility with many other books), is defining the term evangelical in a new way. He said that he will "embrace" that word "if by that we mean a belief that we together can actually work for change in the world, caring for the environment, extending to the poor generosity and kindness, a hopeful outlook. That’s a beautiful sort of thing."

So, in Bell's mind, it really doesn't matter if a person is a confessing Christian, Muslim, Taoist, or Hare Krishna. Or even an athiest. As long as she wants to "work for change in the world," or she is "caring for the environment," or she has a "hopeful outlook," she is an evangelical.

Hmmm. Bell brings to mind someone else who saw differences in the meaning of words.



(HT: Pyromaniacs)

Was Eve the "Mother of Humanity"?

No, Ardi.

Ardi will be our Mother until the next discovery, that is. Then whatever that new discovery is, will be our Mother.

And we shall go on and on and on, lsearching for and finding our Mother in strange and new places.

Ken Burns' documentary on the National Park System is now playing on PBS stations

Is anyone watching this? I've tried to for the past two nights, but it's been so mind-numbingly boring that my interest quickly wanes. And it's a shame, really, because I have a great affinity for the parks. I've been to several of them, including this one and this one. But this one holds my affections above all others.