Wrong and Wright views

Much has been said in the MSM, talk radio, and the blogosphere about Senator Barack Obama and his former pastor Jeremiah Wright. I won't add anything here, except to point you to some posts which I think are worth reading and pondering.

First, read a more secular view of the brouhaha at Balloon Juice, and mind the language, please. (HT: Masson).

Now, read the perspective of another black minister, Thabiti Anyabwile. (HT: DJP)

Then, go here for some thoughts by a Lutheran pastor, Mark Daniels.

visiting Graceland

So here it is, definitive proof that I did indeed walk around Elvis' place. I didn't see him in person, just his gravesite. His parents are bured beside him, as well as one of his grandmother's (his father's mother, I believe). Did you realize that Elvis was outlived by his father and his grandmother (who also outlived her son)?

We were one of the last visitors to tour the house, so I was able to take several unobstructed (read: no fellow tourists) shots. The house, by no means small, isn't as large as I had imagined it would be. I've seen many homes in Carmel and other expensive spots around Indy that are much larger. Then again, Elvis came from very humble beginnings and he was 22 years old when he bought the place, so it must have seemed absolutely huge to him.

After you walk into the house and turn to the right, you see the living room. Obviously, Elvis was a fan of peacocks. That's no suprise, given his use of dramatic and detailed jumpsuits later in his life. Velvet - not suede - ropes keep visitors from walking through the living room.

in Memphis

I'm in Memphis right now, blogging from the hotel computer. Which means, I don't have any pictures I can put up yet, since my laptop is at home. When I get a chance, I'll give you a peak as to what we did. For now, I'll just tell you that we (1) went to Graceland, (2) walked around Beale Street and avoided zombies, (3) saw where MLK was assassinated, and (4) ate BBQ at the Neely's place.

don't cut, don't paste

I don't often agree with Ingrid Schlueter's assessment of things because she's so prone to write with overblown hyperbole, but I agree with her on this.

who does John Mellencamp want to be the Democratic nominee?

I live in Indiana, so quite obviously, I must listen to John Mellencamp and be obsessed about him and what he is doing and thinking and feeling. He is playing at an Obama rally in Evansville this evening, where the junior senator from Illinois gave a Pennsylvania concession speech (which didn't really sound like a concession to anything). Brian Williams has said on MSNBC that Mellencamp is going to play at a Clinton rally sometime in the future.

Is John confused? Why is he peforming for both? What is he thinking? How will he vote? Perhaps John, just like the Pennsylvania voters, wants this race to go on and on.

Earth Day 2008

Be excellent to the earth today. After all, it's our home. While you're being excellent, Watch this video promo for Discovery channel. It's earth-centric!

"25 Biggest Real Estate Mistakes"

I'm watching a show on HGTV, called "25 Biggest Real Estate Mistakes." Although it's pretty cheesy (sprinkled with advice from reality and HGTV personalities), the program has some good tips. Here are just a few:

1. Buying a house for its decor.
2. Not providing easy access for showings.
3. Not researching the neighborhood. (Remember: location, location, location)
4. Thinking auctions equal a good deal.

Go here for the rest.

"Continue reading the Bible."

That's always good advice, but this comes from Carlton Cuse, executive producer for Lost, on how the show will finish its fourth season. In a telephone conference with Cuse and fellow producer Damon Lindelof, a reporter asked about what books should be read to prepare for the final two seasons. If you like Lost, then you should definitely read the article, but be forewarned that there are spoilers.

Lost returns next Thursday, April 24, at 10:00 PM EST.

Chickengate

I've listened to Ingraham and Hannity and Levin on the radio this past week - you know, just for kicks. They're all talking about Obama's bitter comments and Rev. Wright and Hillary's Bosnia sniper fire. Why aren't they discussing this serious issue?

Updated: I should have realized it. Duh. HE'S THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE. They're not going to say anything critical of him, now that he's the nominee.

For your consideration......

Read about young evangelicals who, like me, are not as tied to the GOP as they once were.

Peruse this list of the 10 greatest Christian rock songs.

You've heard of Intelligent Design - now read about intelligent paint.

Learn about the ESV Study Bible, available October 2008.

Read about Obama's fall to earth.

Watch and listen to Jackie Chan discussing a fight scene in The Forbidden King, a film costarring Jet Li.

Go here for information on earthquake activities. The site includes a map of recent earthquakes, and you can see the 5.2 earthquake that epicentered not too far from my home (which I did NOT feel, BTW).

Learn how sherpas work. (HT: Doug Masson)

Check out a list of the top 20 "feel bad" films of the past 20 years.

Read and see if you agree as to whether there is too much profanity on this season's Top Chef (which, I think there is).

Ponder how to make a summer reading list - you've still got some time.

Read and hear Michael Savage say, in effect, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

From a listing of 24 myths and misconceptions about evolution, find which one you've heard the most (or possibly, even used).

which movie ruined science fiction?

My answer to that question is, so far, the number one response in this poll.

"There is a Religious Left in this country, and I'm not a part of it."

Christianity Today looks at Jim Wallis in two separate articles: Where Jim Wallis Stands and The Elusive Middle.

Walker's mental illness

Legendary American footballer Herschel Walker has revealed his struggle with a rare type of mental illness: dissociative identity disorder (DID). He won the 1982 Heisman Trophy and claims not to have remembered it. DID is thought to form after periods of extreme childhood trauma, usually involving some type of abuse.

Here are a few sites where you can find information on dissociative identity disorder (DID):

• Mayo Clinic
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• WebMD

the latest polls

It's not looking too good for Hillary. The latest polls show she's losing the strong lead she had, not just in Pennsylvania but in my home state of Indiana, too. Many people have said that Hillary should pull out of the race if she doesn't "win big" in the remaining primaries. What will happen if Obama wins Penn, Indy, and North Carolina? I'm guessing Hillary will stay...

I've seen several Obama ads on the telly, but none for Clinton. Have any other Hoosiers seen any Clinton ads?

What was the #1 song the day you were born?

Taking a cue from a well-known blogger, I'm checking out the #1 song the day I was born. Actually, there are two songs (I'm guessing an A/B sided record?) that were #1 that day, both by Carole King - "It's Too Late"/"I Feel the Earth Move." These songs seem diametrically opposed - one about the physical joys that can come with a relationship, the other about the ending of a (the same?) relationship - so it's humorous that they'd be on the same record. I seriously doubt this song was playing in my house at the time - my siblings were all young, and my parents didn't listen to Carole King.

Go here to check out your birthsong.

Ten tidbits, v. 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. Can you understand this blog?

TV Reviews

Huckabee's next move

What could it be?

Vending machine art

They have the coolest machine at the Eiteljorg Museum. It's called the Art-o-Mat, a retired cigarette machine that has been converted to dispense art. There are only two machines in Indiana, this one and one at Accents Design in Goshen.

You insert a $5 dollar bill into the machine. You make your selection, you wait a few seconds, you pull the handle, and out pops artwork. Nothing unhealthy. Beneficial for both body and soul.

I selected a collage print by Jordao. I had no idea what I would receive. I opened the box and beheld my artwork.

Pretty nifty, eh? Do you have one of these in your neighborhood, and if so, did you put $5 in the machine?

From the accompanying paper explaining the piece:

You have purchased a mini-print of an original collage. This piece is one of fifty one-of-a-kind collages in circulation as part of the Ubu Series, each signed and numbered by the artist. Each collage consists of intricate steps of tearing, assembling and gluing. The original pieces range in size from large to small. To keep all the artwork consistent, the original work has been scanned and reduced in size to 2" X 3" for this project. Please note there are only two prints of each original collage. One print the artist keeps on file and the other print you now own. Please be assured that the print you have purchased is an original art piece and will not be mass-produced. The original collages are available for sale; prices range form $50.00 - $250.00 each (unframed).

wait until August, you must

Will they have catfish on the table? Will there be gospel in the air?

Not this coming weekend but the next, I'll be like Marc Cohn and go walking in Memphis. The Wife and I have a wedding to attend. I'm rather excited because this will be my first trip to the illustrous Southern city. We're planning on visiting Graceland (if you're in Memphis, how could you not?), and we'd like to stop here and eat here. We will be staying far away from the law offices of Bendini, Lambert, & Locke.

Anybody have any suggestions about any other stops? Mind you, my time is extremely limited.