Golden Globes, SAG and more

The Golden Globes, the awards doled out by the Hollywood Foreign Press, has two listings for its nominees in film: Drama and Musical/Comedy. On the Drama side: A History of Violence; Brokeback Mountain; The Constant Gardener; Good Night, and Good Luck; and Match Point. On the Musical/Comedy side: Mrs. Henderson Presents; Pride & Prejudice; The Producers; The Squid and the Whale; and Walk the Line. Winners will be announced on Monday, January 16. While once viewed as little more than an excuse for movie stars to have some good wine and a nice dinner, the Globes have increased in prestige and Oscar-predictability.

The Screen Actors Guild has given its list of nominees for 2005. The films fighting for the top honor (Outstanding Performance by a Cast) are the following: Brokeback Mountain; Capote; Crash; Good Night, and Good Luck; and Hustle & Flow. Winners will be announced on Sunday, January 29.

The Directors Guild has given its list of nominees for 2005. In the running for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film are the following: George Clooney for Good Night, and Good Luck; Paul Haggis for Crash; Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain; Bennett Miller for Capote; and Steven Spielberg for Munich. Winners will be announced on Saturday, January 28. More often than not, the winner of the Directors Guild goes on to win Best Director for the Oscars.

The Writers Guild gives out its 2005 awards for both original screenplays and screenplays adapted from other works (e.g., novels, plays). On the Original side is Cinderella Man; Crash; The 40 Year-old Virgin; Good Night, and Good Luck; and The Squid and the Whale. On the Adapted side is Brokeback Mountain; Capote; The Constant Gardener; A History of Violence; and Syriana. Winners will be announced on Saturday, February 4.

Several films with a political edge (including the two that feature George Clooney) have received nominations. It's also been a good year for films that focus on various aspects of sexuality, with characters seeking their first sexual encounter, wrestling with their sexual identity, committing adultery while trying to be seen as a tragic figure, and attempting to leave sex-based professions. Several films focus on "famous" people, whether they be singers, writers, newscasters or terrorists.

All of the above awards are nice, but they pale in comparison to the biggest prize: going to the Academy Awards and having Oscar come home with you to stay. From the looks of things, three movies will be nominated for sure: Brokeback Mountain; Crash; and Good Night, and Good Luck. It's hard to speculate on the last two, but I'll guess Capote and Munich.

Of all the movies listed, the only one I've seen is Crash. The movie clobbers you over the head with the whole racism-is-really-bad sermon, but it makes many important points about the dangers of looking with blinders on. Characters behave in a dispicable manner in one scene, then act with compassion in the next. I was delighted to see Tony Danza, Loretta Devine, and Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi on "ST:TNG") in the film. My favorite character would have to be Terrence Howard's TV director - I loved watching him every second he was on screen. If you've seen the movie, did you guess about the kind of bullets that the store owner's daughter obtained for the gun?

a Christian horror writer

Maurice Broaddus, an Indiana native who reviews movies at his site and occasionally for Hollywood Jesus, writes horror stories. He is also a Christian. He writes about a "theology of horror" here and here.

Maurice mentions something that I never knew before: Wes Craven, director of the horror classic "A Nightmare on Elm Street," attended Wheaton College - he obtained a bachelor's in psychology and education. Isn't that intriguing? I wonder if he ever returns to visit during alumni events.

Sorry, Cincinnati

I wish you could have beaten those evil Steelers and gone a little further into January, but it wasn't meant to be. Hope Carson heals quickly.

Don't worry - the Colts will take care of them.

50 greatest gadgets in 50 years

How many of these did/do you own? My personal faves are #7 and #27.

ABA gives Samuel Alito its highest rating

This should make things more interesting in the Senate hearings. How much you wanna bet that Kos and Atrios won't be mentioning it...

78th Academy Awards Host

Will it be Jon Stewart? It seems so.

Evangelical Women of 2005

Concerned Women for America has a list of women deemed outstanding for their achievements. One of the women is blogger Dr. Charmaine Yoest (she's on my blogroll to the right), vice president of external relations for the Family Research Council.

"I am 31 years old and I am slightly ashamed to admit that I dig comic books."

My nephew-in-law Dusty Leggs reconciles the seeming conflict of silliness and seriousness between his love for comic books and a respect for historical figures.

I don't really read comic books or graphic novels these days, but in my youth I was a big fan of Archie. Some of the Archie comics I read were published by Spire Christian Comics - in these comics, Archie and most of his friends are Christians. I believe I still have some of the comics at my parents' home - I haven't looked at them in years, but I know for sure that I have this and this.

UPDATE: I want to qualify the first sentence by saying I believe that (1) graphic novels can touch upon serious issues and (2) some historical figures were downright silly, or at least they dressed that way.

the origin of the seeker-sensitive and mega church

Bob DeWaay, pastor of Twin City Fellowship in Minneapolis and publisher of Critical Issues Commentary, argues that it all started with this man, who recently passed his pastoral mantle to his son.

Predictions for the Christian Blogosphere in 2006

The folks at blogs4God have 'em.

"So even though a manatee is 3 times your size and 20 times your weight, you want to get into the water beside it."

Natalie Angier writes in the New York Times about how levels of attractiveness affect our response to things, like pandas, manatees, and clothing styles. It's called the Cute Factor.

New studies suggest that cute images stimulate the same pleasure centers of the brain aroused by sex, a good meal or psychoactive drugs like cocaine, which could explain why everybody in the panda house wore a big grin. At the same time, said Denis Dutton, a philosopher of art at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, the rapidity and promiscuity of the cute response makes the impulse suspect, readily overridden by the angry sense that one is being exploited or deceived.

"Cute cuts through all layers of meaning and says, Let's not worry about complexities, just love me," said Dr. Dutton, who is writing a book about Darwinian aesthetics. "That's where the sense of cheapness can come from, and the feeling of being manipulated or taken for a sucker that leads many to reject cuteness as low or shallow."

A person's idea of cuteness (or any level of attractiveness, from the magnificently beautiful to the obscenely grotesque) is cultural to an extent. Many young American girls think that Hello! Kitty is a cute thing, but in Japan, "truck drivers display Hello Kitty-style figurines on their dashboards." I haven't seen that here in American truck drivers but maybe I need to look more closely at their dashboards.

There are some identifiable physical features that help in determining if something is cute or not: small round nose, eyes facing forward, wrinkled skin, to name a few. These features helped America in 1982 to qualify E.T. as "cute," rather than as some ugly alien dude that loved Reese's Pieces.

the final Petra concerts

Oh, to have been here...

*sigh*

Victim's families will confront the killer nurse

This could be the week that Marie Romero finally gets to look Charles Cullen straight in the eye and tell the former nurse and admitted serial killer how much pain he caused by killing her sister. Romero's sister, Catherine Dext, was killed with an injection in June 1996 at Hunterdon Medical Center, where she had been admitted with a ruptured spleen.

"She's going to talk about how this deprived her of her sister and (how) it was a totally senseless, pointless death," said her lawyer, Anthony Macri.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin Thursday for Cullen, who pleaded guilty to 29 murders and six attempted murders during his 16-year nursing career in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. (CNN)

I think this is the most frightening sentence of the article: "The former critical care nurse was able to move from hospital to hospital, despite suspicions he was killing patients, because the institutions did not report their fears to authorities." Who knows how many more nurses like Cullen are out there?

Michael Moore & "Sicko"

You intently watch the trailers when you catch a new flick. You peruse through the Internet Movie Database only to find scarce info about it. You check on the director's website (he won an Oscar - surely you remember that, don't you? - if not, he'll remind you) for updates, but he hasn't mentioned it in over a year. You walk into your doctor's office with trepidation, wondering if he's going to pop out and confront your physician and that irritating chick at the reception desk.

All your efforts are in vain. You sink into your couch and you moan aloud (as if Michael would hear you), "When is 'Sicko' coming out?"

Don't worry.

... reports have said that Moore is using hidden cameras in doctors' offices to expose corruption within the drug biz. And a person close to the project says the helmer was most recently in Miami shooting at a weight-loss clinic.

Bob and Harvey WeinsteinHarvey Weinstein are expecting big things from the film. According to an early draft of the Weinstein Co.'s business plan, generated to drum up investment in the company, the brothers plan to roll out "Sicko" in September, and they anticipate about $40 million in domestic [box office]. (Variety)

14-2

The season wasn't perfect.

It was marred by a terrible tragedy, the death of the coach's son by suicide.

But - the final game was an emotional win.

Five days after burying his oldest son, 18-year-old James, Dungy watched Jim Sorgi throw two touchdown passes and got the goal line stand he needed -- thanks to a replay reversal -- in the final seconds to give the Colts a 17-13 victory over Arizona.

"I know those guys wanted to win the game for me and wanted to do it for a lot of reasons," Dungy said. "But I think they wanted to win it for me, and they came up with the effort to do it. It was special." (SI.com)

RELATED: Sorry, Cincinnati. Good luck against the Steelers - I'm sure you'll beat them again.

The First Day of 2006

What did I do? Let's see if I can break it down for you.

12:00 am - Walk in to work - I get to start the year off at work! Fortune's wheel has turned my way!
2:00 am - Meet with an 11yo girl whose parents brought her in kicking & screaming
2:01 am - Meet with the girl's mom since the girl refused to talk to me
2:50 am - Watch the parents as they leave with their girl
3:45 am - Take several mini-naps, even though I'm tryin hard to stay awake
7:00 am - Watch a severely mentally retarded man come into the hospital almost completely nude (him - n0t me)
7:04 am - Admit the guy into a hospital
8:30 am - Leave work to go home
8:35 am - Notice that the streets are nearly empty for a Sunday morning
9:00 am - Arrive home to find everyone asleep
9:45 am - Children wake up - I feed them breakfast since wife still sleeps
11:00 am - Wife awakens from her lair (our bedroom)
11:50 am - Pick up ingredients from grocery store since wife in mood to make buckeyes
12:00 pm - Pick up ordered food from TGI Friday's (thank goodness they're open today!)
3:00 pm - Lay down for nap while 1st daughter watches cartoons
5:30 pm - Awakened by 1st and 2nd daughters - stay awake to spend more time with them
6:00 pm - Return to bed - and to sleep
10:08 pm - Wake up, realize that alarm was set but never turned 'on'
10:59 pm - Leave for work
11:20 pm - Arrive at work to lobby packed with patients

I can't remember the last time the wife and I 'celebrated' on New Year's. I believe we went to an actual party one time, but that was ages ago. After we started having offspring, we've usually spent the evening at home. One year we feel asleep hours before the Waterford crystal ball dropped at Times Square. Ah, well, p'raps next time...

UPDATED: It would probably help you to know that I work as a crisis therapist at a hospital in central Indiana. I typically see persons who are suicidal, but occasionally see someone with psychotic symptoms.

My momma told me to shop around...

But I don't think she meant churches when she said it.

An increasing number of people, especially youths, are attending services at different churches. Some say it is "consumerist," while others say it reflects the value of choice and a search for the "authentic." Older teens are leaving the churches of their youth - and their parents - to find another house of worship.

Why is this occurring? Jose Zayas, director of teen evangelism for Focus on the Family, may be onto something about these worshippers: "They gravitate to where they feel a connection. They're more pragmatic than their parents' generation. They look at what works for them. I think it's healthy."

Best Quotes of 2005

WaPo has a list, including this gem from Barbara Bush after she visited Katrina evacuees in the Houston Astrodome:

"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. So many people in this arena, here, you know, were underprivileged, so this is working very well for them."

NewsBlues lists the best quotes by newscasters and reporters. This by NBC's anchor Brian Williams is easily the best of the bunch:

"I don't have a therapist. I have my blog."

More quotes: Media Research Center, Sify Sports, '40 most obnoxious quotes' by Right Wings News, Media Channel

My personal favorite quote of 2005 is what the president said of a former FEMA director - you know the one.

Happy 2006!

Celebrate and make it a great one! (Did you wait an extra second before you celebrated?)

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you shalom.
- Numbers 6:24-26

how to channel Ferris Bueller

Jump on a plane and go to Iraq without telling your parents.

Mr. Belue would be proud

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

(H/T: Rev Mike)

Do you think the film version of "The Da Vinci Code" will be big??

The editors at Newsweek seem to think so - the film adaptation directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks made the magazine's front cover. The trailer can be seen here.

"Seek the truth" is apparently one of the movie's taglines, but you certainly won't find much truth in the novel or the film. The only thing the tagline does is remind my of the one for "The X-Files" - The Truth is Out There.

Christianity Today has many links to articles about the book.

James White has been blogging about the book: (here are the articles, so far)

• First Objection: It's Fiction, Dummy
• Heads Up, Folks. It's Coming
• The Da Vinci Code Part 1
• The Da Vinci Code Part II
• The Da Vinci Code (Part III)
• The Da Vinci Code (Part IV)
• The Da Vinci Code (Part V)
• The Da Vinci Code (Part VI)
• The Da Vinci Code (Part VII)
• The Da Vinci Code VIII
• The Da Vinci Code IX
• The Da Vinci Code X
• The Da Vinci Code XI
• The Da Vinci Code XII
• The Da Vinci Code XIII
• The Da Vinci Code XIV
• The Da Vinci Code XV
• The Da Vinci Code XVI

The War on Chanukah (?)

From the Denver Post:

The Chabad Jewish Center of Northern Colorado wanted to display the menorah on city property in Old Town Square, but city administrators denied the request, despite a precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1989 that likely would allow the display.

The compromise highlights the work of a newcomer rabbi and a mayor wishing to promote Fort Collins as a city that embraces diversity. But it also means that the menorah will not be allowed to remain on city property throughout the eight-day Hanukkah celebration, which began Sunday.

Instead, it will grace the square for a ceremony tonight at 6, to be attended by Mayor Doug Hutchinson, and then be moved back to the privately owned patio of a brewpub that offered to display the nine-branched candelabrum when word of the controversy hit the local paper last week.

No more "time to make the doughnuts"

Actor Michael Vale died from complications due to diabetes. He was 83.

Vale's long-running character, "Fred the Baker," for the doughnut maker's ad campaign lasted 15 years until he retired in 1997.

Canton, Massachusetts-based Dunkin' Donuts said in a statement that that Vale's character "became a beloved American icon that permeated our culture and touched millions with his sense of humor and humble nature." (CNN)

Probably the most well-known film he was in was "The Marathon Man," which starred Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier - Vale played a jewelry seller. He also sat down for an interview in 1999 on "The Howard Stern Radio Show."

It's in the history books now

Bill Clinton's impeachment makes it into school textbooks.

The impeachment is portrayed in the context of his two-term tenure, a milestone event, but not one that overshadows how Clinton handled the economy, crime and health care. The most commonly used texts give straightforward recaps of Clinton's toughest days, with some flavor of how it affected the nation. (CNN)

What's missing from the textbooks: "Yet at all levels, the salacious details of the Lewinsky affair are nowhere to be found." Good - as if our school-age kids need to read about all that.

Depression and the holidays

Post-holiday depression is one of those things that seems true and feels true but isn't actually true.

Despite the notion that the holiday season is filled with joy, psychiatrists have long argued that the time can also be fraught with stress, expectations that go unfulfilled, depression and, for some, loneliness. But for all the talk, studies over the years have found little evidence that depression rates actually climb around Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's Eve. Researchers have looked at patterns of suicide rates and psychiatric emergency room visits. (NY Times)

What about seasonal affective disorder?

One form of depression, seasonal affective disorder, is tightly linked with winter. But the treatable condition has more to do with the short, dark winter days than with holiday stress, Dr. Saltz said.

Should Christians "celebrate" Kwanzaa?

Christian blogger LaShawn Barber gives her opinion here. If you want the quick-and-skinny on her posting without having to go to her site, then read:

Kwanzaa is not an innocuous celebration of black history. It attempts to spiritualize that history, replacing Christ-centered theology with pagan principles. For Christians, the only principles by which to live are found in God’s word, the Bible.

Pagans have argued that Christ was not born on December 25. Insignificant. While no one knows exactly when Christ was born, the fact remains that He was born. Christmas is a time for Christians to celebrate this joyous fact.

Christ became a man to save men, not to lift up one race or culture in worship. As with any man-made religion, Kwanzaa is just another attempt to make gods of men. All Christians must be discerning when faced with these false doctrines.

The Fall of Man was the direct result of our determination to become gods. The pagan ritual of Kwanzaa is merely the old Lie wearing a new disguise.

UPDATE: Religion Link offers more links about Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa has an official site.

"They went right for the bun."

When Bob Bernstein arrived at his coffeehouse to assess the scene of an early Christmas morning break-in, the one thing he noticed missing was the cinnamon bun that bears a striking likeness to Mother Teresa. Bernstein said he believes that the culprit is someone angry over the shop displaying the world-famous pastry, which has been preserved with shellac. A jar of money next to the Nun Bun was not stolen. (Chicago Tribune)

Check out the Bongo Java website, which has a link to the Nun Bun. Bongo Java is located in Nashville, TN, and was featured on Food Network's "$40 a Day" (the episode will air tonight at 10:00 PM).

I don't know what is more sad - that someone would steal a bun just to destroy it, or that people would revere images in food.

It's beginning to look a lot like Kitschmas...

Ship of Fools is listing the covetable gifts for Kitschmas. Christmas is over, but you can always plan for next year - or dole them out as New Year gifts.

I'll be giving these to my daughters and making them wear 'em until the day I die.

UPDATE: Forget those T-shirts - they're too immodest. I'll be buying clothes from this company from now on.

Video game legislation, brought to you by presidential contenders

Three Democratic senators, two of which are likely to be presidential contenders in 2008 and one of which was a vice-presidential candidate in 2000, have introduced a bill:

In a noontime press conference Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) introduced federal legislation designed to protect children from inappropriate video games. Today's move represents the formal filing of the Family Entertainment Protection Act (FEPA) announced by Clinton and Lieberman on November 29th. (Live Journal)

Note Senator Clinton's concern about families as she leaves a message on her senatorial site:

“The holiday season is a particularly important time to raise awareness of this issue. Video games are hot holiday items, and there are certainly wonderful games that help our children learn and increase hand and eye coordination. However, there are also games that are just not appropriate for our nation’s youth,” said Senator Clinton. “This bill will help empower parents by making sure their kids can’t walk into a store and buy a video game that has graphic, violent and pornographic content.”

You know what will also be "hot" in the coming years? The presidential race. Clinton and Bayh had to have that in mind as they introduced this legislation. They'll both want to bring up their concern over family values when they're wandering around the country in a couple years, and they will surely point to this as an example. Bayh will talk about having Hoosier values, and Clinton was say this is an example of being active in the village.

Entertainers of 2005

Pop-culture mag Entertainment Weekly has unveiled its list of entertainers of 2005. Here they are in order:

1. The cast of "Lost"
2. Steve Carrell, actor (starred in the film "The 40-year-old Virgin" and TV's "The Office")
3. Naomi Watts, actress (starred in "King Kong")
4. Kanye West, musician (released album "Late Registration")
5. Felicity Huffman, actress (Golden Globe-nominated for "Transamerica," Emmy-winning for Desperate Housewives")
6. George Clooney, actor/director (directed "Good Night, and Good Luck," starred in "Syriana")
7. Vince Vaughn, actor (starred in "Wedding Crashers," appeared in "Be Cool" and "Thumbsucker")
8. Gwen Stefani, musician (released solo album "Love.Angel.Music.Baby")
9. "Harry Potter" Wiz Kids (book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and film "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" both released this year)
10. Terence Howard, actor (Golden Globe-nominated for "Hustle & Flow", starred in "Crash")
11. Shakira, musician (released two albums, one Spanish and one English)
12. Jodie Foster, actress (starred in"Flightplan," will appear in the forthcoming "Inside Man")
13. "Entourage" Posse Cats
14. Alan Alda, actor (Oscar-nominated for "The Aviator," Emmy-nominated for "The West Wing," author of "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed")
15. Sarah Silverman, comedian (featuered in the film "The Aristocats," participant in Pamela Anderson's roast)

Most Blogged-About Books of the Year

New York Times has a listing with links to the blogs.

How many have you read and blogged about? I've read three of the top twenty - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The DaVinci Code, and The Chronicles of Narnia. I've blogged about Harry.

I only got one book for Christmas but it's good one - this.

Don't worry...

...if this made you upset. (Dusty Leggs, I'm obviously not writing to you)

Repeat after me: "Nothing matters until January... nothing matters until January..."

RELATED: In a showing of sympathy and solidarity, the entire Colts team will travel to James Dungy's funeral in Tampa tomorrow (Tuesday).

Is her blog male or female?

Julia Sweeney, an alumnus of Saturday Night Live whose most famous character was the androgynous Pat, has her own blog. It's on Blogger, no less, which means she's not paying a cent to keep it going.

Thrifty, she is. And, she's no longer a believer in God with a one-woman show to prove it.

Happy Chanukah!

To all who celebrate Hannukah and find their way to my little blog, may you have a truly joyous Festival of Lights!

For those who don't celebrate and would like to know what Chanukah is all about, here's a little info on the holiday.

What's with all the different spellings? Click here to find the answer.

Merry Christmas!

We're skipping church this morning to prepare the dining room for our meal. Turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, and other goodies. You know, the traditional Christmas meal. One year, though, my parents had chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce for Christmas - that was certainly something different for us, since we're usually quite traiditonal in our holiday meals.

Doesn't feel quite like the holidays this year since I'm working at the hospital so much. I didn't take any time off and I picked up extra shifts. How very Ebeneezer Scrooge of me!

Christmas with the in-laws

I finally made it to Danville, Illinois, to join my wife and daughters as we celebrate Christmas with my in-laws. We're having Monical's pizza for dinner (mmm... so good to drizzle Monicals' own French dressing on a slice of pepperoni thin-crust), and then we'll go to an uncle's home to consume even more food. We have usually gone to the Christmas Eve service at April's grandparents' church, but we won't make it this year due to her grandmother's poor health. We'll spend the night in Danville, then travel home sometime tomorrow afternoon. Santa's already delivered his gifts to our home, so my eldest daughter should be surprised when we return.

May you have a safe and joyous Christmas! Remember that the child born and laid in a manger did not remain a child, but grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. He died on the cross and was resurrected so that we might be with Him in eternity. Praise God for His unspeakable gift!

"I did it."

An apparent confession of guilt on a high schooler's blog leads to a DUI manslaughter plead.

Blake Ranking was a Eustis High School senior and still aching from a horrible crash three days earlier when he posted those words on blurty .com, a site for Web logs.

"It was me who caused it. I turned the wheel. I turned the wheel that sent us off the road, into the concrete drain . . .," he wrote as his best friend, Jason Coker, 17, lay in a coma at Orlando Regional Medical Center. "How can I be fine when everyone else is so messed up?"

Coker never awoke from the crash Oct. 3, 2004. He died Jan. 11. Although Ranking later retracted his words -- deleting them from the blog and penning an explanation -- they came back to haunt him, forcing him Monday to plead guilty to DUI manslaughter. He could have been sentenced to 15 years in prison. But defense lawyer John Spivey and Assistant State Attorney Julie Greenberg recommended five years in prison, 10 years of probation and a permanent license suspension. (Sun-Sentinel)

"Harry Potter books seem to protect children from traumatic injuries."

Reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince may keep your kid out of the emergency room.

When we last left Harry Potter his life was in mortal peril from Lord Voldermort and his Death Eaters, but the teen wizard was still able to cast a Protego spell to keep muggle (non-magical) kids from harm.

That's the opinion of researchers here, who found that when the latest installments of the Harry Potter books came out, the number of kids showing up in the emergency room with broken bones, sprains, scrapes and bruises went down significantly. Apparently, kids were just so wild about Harry that they didn't have time to ride a skateboard down a flight of stairs, or weave a scooter through heavy traffic. (MedPage Today)

Intriguing stuff, but I still think I'll encourage my daughters to spend some time outside when the weather is warm. Reading is important but so is physical activity.

Wanna tell the kiddies there's no Santa Claus?

Just don't tell this guy about it - you DO NOT want to get him riled up.

Tracking Santa Claus

Go here on December 24 to see Santa's progress in doling out toys and coal.

"I did not and never would have supported giving authority to the president for such wiretaps."

Former senator Tom Daschle (you remember him, right?) tries to show America that he's still around by writing an op-ed in today's WaPo discussing wiretapping. In case you are unsure about his opinion on this, I will offer the following:

All Americans agree that keeping our nation safe from terrorists demands aggressive and innovative tactics. This unity was reflected in the near-unanimous support for the original resolution and the Patriot Act in those harrowing days after Sept. 11. But there are right and wrong ways to defeat terrorists, and that is a distinction this administration has never seemed to accept. Instead of employing tactics that preserve Americans' freedoms and inspire the faith and confidence of the American people, the White House seems to have chosen methods that can only breed fear and suspicion.

"...it was just a job."

Martha Stewart talks about her show "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," whose finale aired two days ago. It will not return for any further seasons due to lackluster ratings. Martha discussed her displeasure with the show and its cast in a recent issue of Business Week.

A big part of your reintroduction to the public has been two TV shows that launched this year: The Apprentice: Martha Stewart and Martha. Which has been more satisfying to you?
It's unusual for me to take a job like The Apprentice, and it was just a job. I got paid a fee. I have no participation in the show. Generally, we're the originators. But I did it because I knew it would be a jump-start, and it would get attention.

You're getting close to the conclusion.
Yeah, we're getting close to which of those inappropriate contestants we are actually going to have to hire. I can't believe people behave like that. They're exhibitionists and opportunists, those kids. I did not choose them either, by the way. I just want you to know I had nothing to do really with the choice of the contestants. That's part of reality television.

Read the entire interview. Her comments about daughter Alexis reveal more about their historically rocky relationship than I think she intended. Martha also says that her pick for president in 2008 is this person.

I only watched the first two episodes. I stopped watching it because it went up against the best show on TV right now, and apparently everyone else stopped watching for the same reason. I heard that the contestant Dawna won, and she will work for Martha's new magazine. I wonder how long Dawna will actually be at MSLO...

"The Rainbow Christmas"

Forty elementary school students at The Inter-national School at Dundee yesterday performed "The Rainbow Christmas," a play that promotes tolerance and diversity. Debbie Kendrick's second-grade class and Gene Schmidt's fourth-grade class performed the play in front of a schoolwide audience. The message of the play coincides with the school's values of fostering a society of acceptance among people of different beliefs and cultures, Schmidt said. (Greenwich Time)

The play is implying that Christmas-time is here so we can all learn to just get along. Funny, but I thought that the meaning of Christmas was Immanuel coming to earth to save His people from their sins. God became flesh to dwell among us.

RELATED: Steve Camp on the reason for the season.

Indy Colts coach Tony Dungy's son found dead

Terrible news.

James Dungy, the 18-year-old son of Colts coach Tony Dungy, was found dead today in his apartment near Tampa, Fla., and apparently took his own life, a local official said.

“It is an apparent suicide,” said Dick Bailey, operations manager at the Hillsborough County (Fla.) Medical Examiners Department. “We don’t know the
motivation (for the suicide),” Bailey said.

He said an autopsy, scheduled for tomorrow, would have to be completed before an official cause of death was announced. Vida Morgan, a spokeswoman for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department, said the cause of death would be released after the autopsy and that no foul play was suspected.

Sympathies and prayers go to the Dungy family.

Numerous papers are reporting the news, from the Chicago Tribune to the Orlando Sentinel to the Seattle Post Intelligencer (all got their info from the AP).

a tragic reality for the homeless

Pastor John Hay of Indianapolis writes about attending the homeless memorial service at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Indy.

Sadly, the names of 37 homeless neighbors who died while homeless or from the impact of homelessness were read, a higher number than usual. I recognized the names of several with whom I worked while directing Horizon House. The church bell tolled 38 times--37 times for known neighbors and one time for those known only to God.

"If people want to see it, I try to be nice to them."

The trials and tribulations of living in a Frank Lloyd Wright house include leaky roofs and gawking students. But the biggest problem of all is how to furnish a home built by a master of architecture.

If the Cretellas have one problem with the house, it's that much of their furniture and art - including Santa Fe-style pottery, Victorian antiques and red leather chairs - doesn't really complement Wright's architecture. "Our old house was completely different," Mr. Cretella said, explaining the mismatch. But even experienced interior designers have trouble knowing how to furnish a Wright house. So it's no wonder the Cretellas are hesitant about redecorating.

"We're attacking it, piece by piece," Mr. Cretella said. (NY Times)

I lived in Oak Park, Illinois for nearly a year in 1997 and 1998. The city is graced by quite a few Frank Lloyd Wright homes, and his former home and studio still stands as a museum. Visitors are able to purchase maps to walk around the city and view the homes, and each spring there is a tour inside of some of the privately owned homes. I could never imagine living in such a home. My problem would be the same as the Cretellas - how do I furnish it?

what to do when on trial for genocide

Claim to have been tortured by your captors.

On a day when three witnesses recalled the terror dispensed by Saddam Hussein's intelligence apparatus, the former Iraqi president said that he and his co-defendants have been beaten and tortured by their U.S. military jailers. Hussein's accusations came during a theatrical exchange Wednesday as he and his seven co-defendants stood trial for the 1982 massacre of 148 people in the Shiite village of Dujail. The attack purportedly was launched in retaliation for an assassination attempt on the dictator.

"Yes, we were beaten by the Americans," Hussein said during a meandering monologue that came during a period when he and the other defendants were offered the opportunity to question witness testimony through queries addressed to the court. "We were tortured one-by-one." (Chicago Tribune)

Bad Santa(s)

Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert wrote a song titled "Please, Daddy, Don't Get Drunk This Christmas," and it's been performed by John Denver and Alan Jackson. Perhaps Bill and Taffy should have addressed it to St. Nick.

Drunken Santas on a rampage in New Zealand, armed German robbers in Santa disguises, a British St. Nick wanted for flashing, and a Swedish vandal in a Santa outfit are giving the big man in red a bad name this year. Reports of "Bad Santas" breaking the law or otherwise wreaking havoc have been circulating around the world. (Yahoo! News)

My brain told me to eat all these brownies!

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a "pleasure spot" in the brains of rats that may shed light on how food translates into pleasure for humans. The spot in rats' brains makes sweet tastes more "liked" than other tastes, biopsychology researchers Susana Pecina and Kent Berridge found. (Yahoo! News)

Did she forget to read her husband's book?

If she had read it, she would make every day her best day as part of her best life now.

Houston Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, his wife, Victoria, and their two children boarded a Continental Airlines flight from Houston to Vail, Colo., Monday. The plane's door had been closed when Victoria Osteen and a flight attendant had a disagreement.

"She failed to comply with the flight attendant's instructions, and they were asked to leave the flight," FBI spokeswoman Luz Garcia said without elaborating on the disagreement. The FBI reviewed a report from Continental after the incident, Garcia said. No charges will be filed, she said. (Yahoo! News)

UPDATE: Believe it or not, I struggled with whether I should publish this post or not. I have no intention of using my blog to take cheap potshots at people or (to borrow a phrase from the gents at In the Agora) to point at something with outrage (aka, PASWO), and at first I thought this was exactly the kind of thing I'd be doing if I commented on this article. I realized, however, that Osteen has styled himself as a leader in evangelical Christianity, especially since he pastors a megachurch and has written a best-seller called "Your Best Life Now." If he is going to write a book about utilizing principles that he himself supposedly uses to live his best life, then it should be expected that his own wife would do the same. Getting into arguments with flight attendants, whatever the reason, doesn't seem to me to be a good way to live your best life now.

100 Spiritually Significant Films

The Arts & Faith website has a listing of the top 100 spiritually significant films. Go here for the list.

It should be noted that "The Passion of the Christ," Mel Gibson's film that made waves in the Christian community in early 2004 and was utilized in many church lesson plans, comes in at #35. I still haven't seen it.

Martin Scorsese's controversial "The Last Temptation of Christ" is #70.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," a film that I expected to hate but ending up loving, is #98.

Bush should be impeached for listening to my grandma without a court order!

The next time someone makes some similar statement to you, tell them the following:

"Bill Clinton did it." - Byron York has more about it here.

"Jimmy Carter did it, too."

Related: "Your call is important to us"

Cyclothymia

The vast majority of people whom I interview at my hospital have some form of affective disorder. Most have some form of depression, whether it be a major depressive episode or a depressive 'spiral' of bipolar disorder.

On occasion, I will see someone who has cyclothymia, a milder form of bipolar disorder but problematic nonetheless to those who suffer from it. WaPo has a good article discussing the symptoms and treatment options - go here.

The American Psychiatric Association estimates that 2.2 million U.S. adults have cyclothymia, about half as many as those with bipolar disorder. But as bipolar disorders have gained visibility in the clinical community and popular culture, cyclothymia is being identified and treated more often.

Visiting the National Christmas Tree

It's bright around the White House, isn't it?



The tree dwarfs the Washington Monument

There's even a Nativity scene!! What "war on Christmas" are John Gibson and Bill O'Reilly talking about??

Walking around the Jefferson Memorial

Yep, ole Tom appears to be in there

"K" examines history

The American Sphinx himself

Click here for my thoughts on visiting the memorial.

a primer on the five points of Calvinism

If you ever heard someone mention something about John Calvin and a tulip, and you wondered what hath a flower to do with theology?, then read this.

My daughters' Christmas tree

Woody Allen's new love

No, he hasn't left Soon-Yi for an even younger woman. He fell in love with London's weather while filming "Match Point."

"The weather was absolutely superb for photography," Allen said. "Gray skies photograph beautifully, the light it casts is very soft. Filming in New York can be so hot in the summer but here it was perfect for my melancholy spirit." (Yahoo! News)

Santa at the salon

They come to Joyce Beisel's salon as regular men with plump bellies and long, stringy hair. But in four to eight hours, she transforms them into their fantasy--a jolly white-haired Santa ready to ascend a gilded throne at a shopping mall or to hand out gifts at a Christmas party. For 30 years, Santas have traveled from all over the country, and perhaps as far as the North Pole, to sit in Beisel's swivel chair and let her work her magic with a concoction of bleach and dye, scissors and a blow-dryer. It is a complicated, time-consuming process, but Beisel has it down to a science, giving each Santa, and sometimes Mrs. Claus, a treatment that makes them appear authentic. For these men, and thousands of others around the country, being Santa Claus is not just a seasonal job. It is a lifestyle. (Chicago Tribune)

Is Santa Claus a metrosexual? Maybe so when you consider this:

"It's a lifestyle because you always look the part when your hair is natural," said Tom Hartsfield, a co-founder of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, a group of 670 Santa professionals who advocate a natural look rather than the wearing of wigs.

a shocking discovery

On a whim, I decided to "Google" some of my former college roommates - five roommates over four years - to see if there was any current information I could find on them. I was stunned to find that one of them was charged, just a little over two years ago, with soliciting online a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl but was actually a police officer. He is now a registered sexually oriented offender.

I have no idea what to make of this or what to do with this information, except to pray for him. Perhaps that's all I can do at this point. There is certainly no way that I can contact him and say something like, "Hey, just wanted you to know that I found some intriguing info about you on the Internet..." He graduated the same year as my wife, but something tells me that he didn't go to his 10-year college reunion last year - we didn't go either, but only because my wife was weeks away from giving birth to our 2nd child.

I lived with him for two quarters, or approximately 21 weeks, of my sophomore year; he lived next door to me the next year. During that time, and the subsequent times that I saw him around campus, I saw nothing that would lead me to think that he'd be interested in underage girls. This just serves to prove that you can't truly know everything about the people that you meet (and with whom you sometimes live and share breathing space).

Bono, Jesus, Mohammed, and the Jews

It is being reported at recent U2 concerts that lead singer Bono has started to wear a head band with the word "COEXIST" written upon it. The "C" is the Islamic crescent moon, the "X" is a Star of David, and the "T" appears to be a cross. While wearing this headband, Bono has said something like this to the crowd: "Jesus, Jew, Mohammed - all true sons of Abraham."

There is, of course, much speculation as to what this all means. Bono seems to have espoused Christianity as The Truth in the past, but is he now advocating some sort of universalism? Is he perhaps saying that all religions (or at least Judiasm, Islam, and Christianity) have a valid pathway to God? What does he mean by "all true sons of Abraham?"

The COEXIST website can be found here. The following is the "concept" behind the company:

COEXIST was founded behind the concept of the COEXIST design logo. Combining the three monotheistic symbols to spell "coexist" suggests a lifestyle of creative consciousness. COEXIST embraces life first. We design the possibilities of enjoying it together because we are all at the interface of what is and can be. We aim to expose the distraction of discrimination, while promoting the vitality found in "collective." COEXIST expresses global beauty in all ways of life through the lens of fashion and design.

Much can be said about the "concept," beyond all the New Age jibberishness that it invokes. Really - so religion is all just a way to express fashion and design? You mean, I truly can go and worship at the House of Gucci? If this is true, then buying a T-shirt from COEXIST is a way to live out my faith.

Musician Tara Leigh Coble writes in Relevant about her experience at a U2 concert, in which she left feeling deeply disturbed.

I’ve heard the urban legends of amazing things Bono has said about his faith, I’ve read the books, and I’ve peered deep into everything he’s said hoping to find something that makes his beliefs clear. For years, I’ve adored him and clung to the notion that he is believer, too. After all, he identifies himself with Christianity, doesn’t he?

When he stated that lie so boldly, it devastated me. It was, without question, the most disturbing experience of my life; I felt like I’d been covered in bile. As I looked around, I saw all the people standing and chanting with him-it was disgusting and beautiful all at once. Unity can be so enticing. It made me think of the one world religion and how that will probably look benign and beautiful from the outside, too. I even started to wonder if universalism just might be poised to be that religion. All these things were running through my head.

Craig Dunham at TwentySomeone discusses how "respect is the new indifference."

More about Bono and his headband/scarf here, here, and here (in the comments).

Remember -
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." -- John 14:6 (NKJV)

“How do you pick up the Blessed Mother and smash her on the ground?”

A nativity scene in Londonderry, New Hampshire, is destroyed. (HT: Wizbang!)

Of the seven toppled figures standing outside, nearly all were damaged. One wise man seemingly mourns over the loss of the left side of his body, his arm laying in the snow in front of him. Another wise man has been broken almost in half. Mary’s missing her head and Joseph is missing the lower part of his body, Farrell said. The shepherd and the sheep were unharmed, as was the crib.

Baby Jesus, however, was safe inside waiting for his time to join the other figures. “We keep baby Jesus inside until Christmas day,” John Farrell said.

Is the nativity destruction part of this?

JibJab & G.W.B.

Hysterical - Bush's year in review

the rocker, the geek, and the geek's wife

Bono has to share the cover of TIME with Mr. and Mrs. Gates.

What do you think of the cover itself? I think that Mrs. Gates should have worn glasses as well - maybe a nice shade of green or blue to offset Bono's chardonnay-coloured shades.

"We must never forget the persuasive power of wonder."

Pastor Rich Vincent analyzes "The Polar Express," and sees a parable.

Favorite Christmas Songs

A few posts back, I wrote about Christmas songs that I don't care for. This time, I will write about the songs that I always enjoy hearing in December.

• "Joy to the World", Mariah Carey - Ms. Carey brings the emotion to the song that it deserves. With her in the lead, I could repeat the sounding joy over and over again.
• "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", Brenda Lee - Ms. Lee wrote the song, and nobody does it better.
• "Tennessee Christmas", Amy Grant - Some of my family roots are in Tennessee, so I guess that's why I have an affinity for this song. The melody is so appealing musically that I imagine being wrapped up in a blanket and laying by a roaring fire, watching the snow fall on the mountains outside.
• "The Christmas Song", Nat King Cole - If you're thinking of putting out a Christmas album yourself, don't even think about making your own version of this classic. Mr. Cole puts all other renditions to shame.
• "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman", Phil Keaggy and Kim Hill - Ms. Hill's alto voice is perfect on this performance.
• "Winter Wonderland", Steve Taylor - Yes, Avalon has a very nice version of this song currently playing on the radio, but Mr. Taylor gives his performance such a playfulness that it's hard to listen to anyone else sing it.
• "Do You Hear What I Hear?", Whitney Houston - You know the line that goes "with a voice as big as the sea"? Ms. Houston's voice comes awfully close.
• "Mary, Did You Know", Michael English - I know that Mark Lowry is co-writer of this song, and he has performed this himself. That being said, he doesn't have the voice of Mr. English.
• "Christmas-Time is Here", Vince Guaraldi - Yes, it's from that classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Better in December than in January

So the (almost) fabled quest for perfection by the Indianapolis Colts has ended. They were foiled in their attempt by the San Diego Chargers, losing 26-17. The Colts are now 13-1, and the Chargers survive to make the playoffs (they would have been out if the Colts had won). Well, if the Colts were going to lose, better this month than the next.

My much older sister will be happy about this, and my 3-years-younger-than-me nephew-in-law about this.

John Spencer, RIP

I generally don't experience any kind of feelings when I hear that a certain star/celebrity has expired, other than a vague feeling of sympathy for their families and co-workers (if they were working at the time). I do not know these people on any personal level, so why would I feel any true sense of loss when they are gone? When Richard Pryor recently passed, I felt no sort of emotion that was associated with his death.

However, there have been a few times when I have felt a certain sadness when a star has passed. I have felt sad when a TV star, whose show I watched on a regular basis, died - I was disturbed for several weeks when Jerry Orbach, a veteran player on "Law & Order", lost his battle to prostate cancer nearly a year ago. Detective Lennie Briscoe is one of my favorite TV characters of all time. I felt sadness when Phil Hartman was murdered - I loved "NewsRadio," and he was one of the best SNL regulars ever (his performance of Bill Clinton may have been more celebrated, but I thought his Frank Sinatra was brilliant).

I had the same feelings again after I learned that actor John Spencer died of a heart attack several days ago. I thought that his White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry was the most interesting character on "The West Wing." I haven't watched "West Wing" as closely as I had in the first several seasons, but I've caught a few episodes this year. I wonder how his story will play out, especially since his character was the V.P. pick of one of the nominees for president.

"Of course the bill is laughable, unconstitutional, and will never be approved."

What bill, you ask? Why, the bill that makes it illegal for someone in the town of Biritiba Mirim, Brazil, to die. It appears that there are no more available gravesites in the cemetery.

The bill states that "offenders will be held responsible for their acts". However, it does not say what the punishment will be. (BBC News)

Let's assume that it won't be capital punishment.

With whom is Bono discussing AIDS in Africa?

You'll never guess. No, don't even try. It's him.

"You can not simultaneously prepare for and prevent war."

Richard L. Cohen takes Einstein to task for one of his worst 'quotes.'

10 worst foods of 2005

I receive periodic emails from ediets.com, usually from the editor-in-chief who goes by the name Mr. Bad Food. He has picked what he believes to be the ten foods that would wreck anyone's healthy eating. See how many you've consumed.

1. Burger King's Triple Whopper Value Meal
2. Burger King's Enormous Omelet Sandwich
3. Ruby Tuesday's Ultimate Colossal Burger
4. Hardee's Monster Thickburger
5. Lunchables Mega
6. Swanson's Hungry-Man XXL Hearty Breakfast
7. Marie Callender's Chocolate Satin Pie
8. Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino Blended Creme with whipped creme
9. Pepperidge Farm Original Flaky Crust Roasted Chicken Pot Pie
10. Anything with hydrogenated fats

Did they really think Castro would let them leave?

A group of Cuban women known as the Ladies in White are not allowed to leave Cuba to obtain a human rights award. Are you surprised by this?

Christmas at the White House

When I was in Washington, I stopped by the Christmas Tree in front of the White House. Just so you know that there is no confusion as to what holiday is celebrated, there is a Nativity scene near the tree. Smaller Christmas trees from each state and U.S. territory encircled the larger tree. When we arrived at the tree, the presidential motorcade was leaving to go to the 'Christmas in Washington' concert at the National Building Museum - the program airs tonight on TNT.

I didn't go inside the White House to see the decorations, but you can view them here.

"Narnia": allegory, or not?

Are "The Chronicles of Narnia" allegories, or just stories with some inspiration from biblical themes?

Jared at Mysterium Tremendum says 'no' to the allegory arguments.

Musician Steve Camp doesn't think they are allegories, either.

Thinking about Tookie

Like most of America, I was intrigued by all the drama surrounding the execution of Stanley 'Tookie' Williams, one of the founders of the notorious L.A. gang the Crips. There was much talk about his "redemption" over the years, primarily because he wrote children's books denouncing gang violence.

Williams had some high-profile friends to enlist in his effort to avoid execution, especially in Mike Farrell from TV's "M*A*S*H" and Jamie Foxx. Foxx played Williams in a movie.

Mark Daniels has some great thoughts about Tookie.

Related: How to start your own gang.

An aside: When I was in Washington on Sunday, I partially expected to see Jesse Jackson holding up some sign while standing in front of either the White House or the Capitol Building. But I learned from the news that night that the media hound was at Tookie's deathwatch.

Time's Person of the Year

The annual issue of Time, with its Person of the Year cover, has yet to come out, but you can beat it to the printing press. Go here and put your own picture on the cover.

the Jefferson Memorial

I was here, at one of Washington's most picturesque sites, just two nights ago. It may not get as much respect as the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Monument, but it is my favorite. April parked the van to feed "L", who was in no mood to be a tourist, while "K" and I went up to the memorial itself. The sun had set, so we walked in darkness through the pedestrian plaza, past the cherry blossom trees, and around the memorial. "K" asked to step down and look at the waters of the Tidal Basin. We gazed across the water at the Washington Monument. I bent on my knees and pointed out the White House to explain that the statue was directly facing the presidential home.

We walked up the steps to the memorial itself, the dome reminiscent of Jefferson's own home. Scaffolding was around much of the structure but it didn't take anything away from the majesty of the place. The air was very still, and there was no one around save for "K", me, and a police officer at the bottom of the steps. I looked up at the towering statue and the top of the dome. I took photographs of the panels inscribed with some of Jefferson's most famous and celebrated writings, including the preamble of the Declaration of Independence. I read the words that encircle the rotunda: "I have sworn up the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

And I felt a chill that was not from the night air.

13-0

If you don't know what the title is referring to, then never mind.

Support Rupert's Kids

A few items about the "The Chronicles of Narnia" film

Roger Ebert gives three-out-of-four stars:

This is a film situated precisely on the dividing line between traditional family entertainment and the newer action-oriented family films. It is charming and scary in about equal measure, and confident for the first two acts that it can be wonderful without having to hammer us into enjoying it, or else. Then it starts hammering. Some of the scenes toward the end push the edge of the PG envelope, and like the Harry Potter series, the Narnia stories may eventually tilt over into R. But it's remarkable, isn't it, that the Brits have produced Narnia, the Ring, Hogwarts, Gormenghast, James Bond, Alice and Pooh, and what have we produced for them in return? I was going to say "the cuckoo clock," but for that you would require a three-way Google of Italy, Switzerland and Harry Lime.

The folks at Rotten Tomatoes offer a host of links to reviews, both positive and negative.

Disney downplays the Christian aspect of its marketing campaign:

Mark Johnson, the producer of the film who has also worked on Rain Man, has responded to claims suggesting that "the church is being used by Hollywood" by revealing that only 5% of the marketing budget has involved religious organisations. Disney has appointed US evangelical publisher Outreach to promote the Christian message of the film in churches and, according to reports, the Christian radio station Premier has been urging churches to hold services based on the theme of the film. (Brand Republic)

A mostly positive article from Village Voice:

Certainly, post-Passion, the Christian demographic is more important than ever before. "The audience and network for attracting and organizing said audience is very much there and the apparatus, from marketers to grassroots teams, has gotten way more developed and sophisticated," says Mark Urman, head of theatrical distribution for THINKFilm, which next Easter plans to release The Big Question, a documentary about the existence of God shot on the set of The Passion of the Christ.

John Lennon, 10/9/40 - 12/8/80

25 years ago today, John Lennon was shot while entering the hotel in New York City where he had been staying. Several hours previously, he signed an autograph for the man who shot him, Mark David Chapman.

I was nine years old when Lennon was killed. I don't remember much about it the way that I remember when President Reagan was shot or when the Challenger exploded, but I remember that everyone at school was talking about it the next day.

Newsweek looks back: "I just shot John Lennon."

Chapman remains in Attica, having been denied parole in October 2004. Some chilling words: "I felt that perhaps my identity would be found in the killing of John Lennon."

Were the Beatles about to 'come together' again? Some interesting news:

It would have been the sensational return of the Fab Four. But the bullet that killed John Lennon 25 years ago today destroyed plans for a Beatles reunion, according to new claims. Lennon was making secret plans to record an album with the other former Beatles when he was killed, Jack Douglas, the producer who was working with him until minutes before his death, told The Times.

He said in an interview in New York: “He and Paul planned to play on a Ringo album and that’s how they were planning to do it, and George had not come aboard yet.” The sticking point, however, was with Harrison. “George was already in a lot of hot water with John because of George releasing his autobiography and not really mentioning much of John in it,” Mr Douglas said. “But I think they assumed that George would come along as soon as the thing got going.” (Times Online)

If he doesn't attend the trial, can he skip the execution?

Saddam Hussein decides not to attend his own trial.

Saddam Hussein's trial resumed Wednesday after a delay of several hours with the deposed Iraqi leader absent from the courtroom. Chief Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin opened the session at 3 p.m. (7 a.m. ET), about four hours late, and called the first witness.

Hussein's chair sat empty at the front of the dock, and his chief lawyer thanked Amin for continuing the proceedings. Amin said Hussein would be told about the proceedings taking place in his absence and that judges would meet with the defense team after Wednesday's session to discuss the lawyers' security situation. (CNN)

Would Allah have wanted Saddam to use this language?

"I will not be in a court without justice. Go to hell, all you agents of America," Hussein told the court.

"If you're fishing, and you don't catch fish, change bait."

Here is an article about Ultimate Christian Wrestling, a group of pro and semi-pro wrestlers based out of an Athens, Georgia church that travels to other churches in order to entertain audiences with wrestling and preach the Gospel.

Witness [Rob] Fields (aka "Rob Adonis"), a 6-foot-4, 285-pound package of ministerial menace, getting trounced by Lee "Lover Boy" Thomas, with a succession of choke holds, chin blasters and a thunderous flying leg drop from the top rope. When Thomas and his manager, Mr. Evil, gang up on the hapless Adonis, pounding him and stealing his UCW belt, we have to wonder, is the first going to be last tonight?

What would Jesus do?

I'm not quite sure what He would do in a wrestling ring, but I can't imagine Jesus would dress up in skin-tight briefs and then clothesline some guy so that He can give His Sermon on the Mount to an adoring crowd.

Tully Blanchard, a former partner of pro-wrestler Ric Flair, is now an ordained minister and has joined with this group.

Tully Blanchard .... offered his own testimony during a break in the Holly Springs match and stood ready at the altar call — a regular feature of UCW events — to counsel any new believers. Though none approached the ring that evening, wrestling, he said later, can win souls that conventional worship can't. "If you're fishing, and you don't catch fish, change bait."

Funny, but I thought that God, not wrestling, brought people to Himself. Jonah 2:9 reads, "Salvation is of the Lord."

Ultimate Christian Wrestling has its own site, complete with a prayer board, some photos of the wrestlers, and merchandise link.

SomethingCool News conducted a recent interview with Rob Adonis.

More Christian wrestling sites: Christian Wrestling Federation, Christian Wrestling Alliance, Extreme Christian Wrestling

RELATED: Some pro-wrestlers use steroids? I'm shocked, shocked, I say!

a Washington insider weekend

This weekend, my little family will be traveling to Washington, D.C. Hopefully there will be no more winter storms and we'll make it through Pennsylvania without any issues. I feel like we're going to be Washington insiders this weekend since (1) we are going to a surprise birthday party of a friend whose husband works for the CIA, (2) we may be able to meet up with a friend whose husband works in the White House, and (3) while my wife and I are at the party, our children will be cared for by an FBI agent.

Absolutely horrible Christmas songs

My wife will tell you that I'm a big fan of Christmas music. I love singing the traditional carols in church, like "Silent Night" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." I enjoyed being in the Christmas pageants at the church I attended as a child/adolescent - I was a donkey one year, a wise man another year, never Joseph. I've great enjoyed singing in church Christmas concerts as an adult - I even had a solo one year. I play nothing but Christmas music between the day after Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. I listen to the local station that plays nothing but Christmas music (this one if you must know)

Having said all that, I must say that there are some Christmas-themed songs that I absolutely, positively can not stand in the least. Here they are, in no particular order:

• "The Christmas Shoes", NewSong - Do you want to get all teary-eyed during the Christmas season? If so, listen to this. It's manipulative as all get-out. Not only do I find the lead singer's gravelly voice extremely irritating, I do not want to hear about some kid's mother dying when I'm trying to trim the tree. No, no, no.
• "Jingle Bells", Barbra Streisand - Babs, whose voice does not sound like 'buttah' the more it ages, appeared to have been in the manic phase of her bipolar disorder when she recorded this. The music is so jumpy that I immediately jump to another station when I hear it.
• "12 Days of Christmas" - Doesn't matter who sings this or how it's updated - the sheer repetitiveness of it annoys the heck outta me.
• "I Saw Three Ships" - I dislike this for the same reasons as "12 Days," but I do find it barely tolerable when Nat King Cole sings it.
• "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town", Bruce Springsteen - The Boss sounds like he severely strained his voice just before he sat down in the recording studio. The track he laid down isn't pretty.
• "Santa Baby", Madonna - Only Eartha Kitt has the voice for this song. Back, Esther, back!
• "Feliz Navidad", Celine Dion - Okay, here's a French-Canadien woman singing a supposedly Latin-flavored song. Bad all the way around.
• "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time", Paul McCartney - What's with so many Christmas songs having lines repeated incessantly? Sir Paul does it here, and he uses a cloying synthesizer to boot. John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" is light-years better.
• "Please, Daddy, Don't Get Drunk This Christmas", John Denver - Nothing is better than a dysfunctional holiday, so raise your glass and we will all have a cup of 'Christmas cheer'.

The folks at Lean Left say their peace, and I'm surprisingly in agreement with many of them (considering that I don't lean left) - and, their comments about each song are spot on.

More lists can be found here, here, and here. Wow, everyone's hating on NewSong.

Ouch! That review hurt!

I occasionally watched the MTV show upon which this movie was based, but I have no plans to see the movie itself. I've decided that it's no loss at all, looking at these reviews.

Internet addiction

It's an addiction that only technology could create.

These specialists estimate that 6 percent to 10 percent of the approximately 189 million Internet users in this country have a dependency that can be as destructive as alcoholism and drug addiction, and they are rushing to treat it. Yet some in the field remain skeptical that heavy use of the Internet qualifies as a legitimate addiction, and one academic expert called it a fad illness.

Skeptics argue that even obsessive Internet use does not exact the same toll on health or family life as conventionally recognized addictions. But, mental health professionals who support the diagnosis of Internet addiction say, a majority of obsessive users are online to further addictions to gambling or pornography or have become much more dependent on those vices because of their prevalence on the Internet.

But other users have a broader dependency and spend hours online each day, surfing the Web, trading stocks, instant messaging or blogging, and a fast-rising number are becoming addicted to Internet video games. (NY Times)

Best...

We humans (especially we Americans) love to look at and debate about lists. Whether they involve books, CD's, movies, plays, or shopping locations, we love to give a rank ordering of subjects and talk about what should (or not) fits in and where it should place.

The end of the year is nearly here. Many magazines and newspapers will no doubt trumpet their lists of "The Year's Best." I know that I will be picking up my copy of Entertainment Weekly - since I'm no longer a subscriber - for it's 2005 review. (Speaking of EW, I have no clue as to who the 'Entertainer of the Year' will be, but I'm guessing Harry Potter will be somewhere near the top since a new book and new movie came out this year)

The New York Times already has out its list of the "10 best books of 2005." I haven't read a single one - perhaps someday...

Time names its picks of the 50 best websites (including a blog category!) in 2005.

Metacritic gave its list of top 30 albums in 2005 - and no, neither the Stones nor McCartney made the cut. The top honor goes to "Illinoise" by Sufjan Stevens.

Greener Cars gave out its list of best cars in 2005. My Kia Sedona didn't make it. :(

Favorite animated, Christmas-themed shows

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas - What else would be at the top? It's timeless! Plus, you're a money-maker, too.
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Who's up for some roast beast?
3. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer - "Why am I such a misfit? I am not just a nit-wit."
4. Olive, the Other Reindeer - Drew Barrymore does a great job giving voice to a dog that wants to be part of the big scene.
5. Frosty the Snowman - "Happy birthday!"
6. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas - A little on the cheesey side (and not just because of the mice), but sweet nonetheless.

"He is real. He worked miracles. He is the Son of God!"

Anne Rice talks about the re-awakening of her faith and her new book, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt.

I haven't read the book, so I won't comment on it here. But, I shall allow those who have read the book to share their opinions in this forum.

• The Grey Lady notes the attention to detail, the lack of scandal that sets the book apart from The Da Vinci Code, and the increasing enlightenment of Jesus about Who He Is.
• Frank Turk, blogger and Christian bookstore retailer, gives his thoughts in a three-part series: 1, 2, 3.
• Pastor Rich Vincent "loved" it.

the death of a blog

SwineBass is no more. It's no longer linkable because it has left the blogosphere as if it had never existed. (Well, not quite. It still shows up in the TTLB ecosystem.)

I've put quite a few postings from SwineBass onto the Good Brownie site. I have included the five days from my Florida trip that I managed to blog about - just look in the July 2005 archives if you are so inclined. Five days is all I managed to get in before I became consumed with other things.

Colts 35, Titans 3

You already know what I'm going to type... but I'll type it anyway.

Still perfect

Oh, yes - congratulations, Bengals, on beating the evil Steelers. (Happy I mentioned them, Joy?)

blogging styles

Mister Snitch discusses seven distinct blogging styles to generate traffic. I would say that I'm more or less #1, with a dash of the others thrown in.

Want to look like Saddam?

A military uniform said to have belonged to deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is being offered for sale by a US auction website. The green uniform, with epaulettes bearing the mark of Saddam Hussein's rank in the Iraqi army, has a starting price of $5,000 (£2,900). A US soldier found the item during the assault on Baghdad airport in 2003, according to the website, Manions.com. (BBC)

You'll be the envy of every costume party you go to if you buy it. Too bad that the uniform wasn't for a sale 1 1/2 months ago, in time for all those Halloween parties.

The Emerging Church

The latest movement/obsession/conversation/rage/organization in Christendom appears to be the Emerging Church Movement (sometimes called "E.C.," sometimes called "E.C.M."). Many hail this is a better way to worship and to live out the faith in light of a 'postmodern world', while others contend it is nothing short of heresy and a diminishing of the Gospel. Whatever your view of E.C.M., it is very much like the character of Alex Forrest in the film Fatal Attraction when she says to her rejecting lover, "I'm not going to be ignored, Dan."

Several 'prominent' members in the E.C. movement have blogs:

• Brian McLaren, author of "A New Kind of Christian" and "A Generous Orthodoxy" and pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church near Washington, D.C.
• Dan Kimball, pastor at Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA
• Andrew Jones
• Doug Pagitt of Solomon's Church in Minneapolis, MN

To become more informed on emergent, you can leave your home and go to either a village or a planet.

Karen Ward is 'webmeister' to a site that reads the following on the front page:

the emerging church of the 21st century may have more in common with the church of the apostolic era, than with the church of the 20th century.
many ancient practices of faith and ways of being communal are being re:booted and morphed for the needs of the future church. as leonard sweet writes, "our faith is ancient. our faith is future. we're old-fashioned. we're new-fangled. we're orthodox. we're innovators. we're postmodern christians."

Here are some of the more popular emergent churches:

• Jacob's Well - Kansas City, MO
• Mars Hill Bible Church - Grand Rapids, MI
• Mars Hill Church - Seattle, WA
• Mosiac - Los Angeles, CA
• Solomon's Porch - Minneapolis, MN

Blogger Justin Taylor has written some helpful posts in discussing a dialogue with the E.C.M.: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10.

Phil Johnson (Pyromaniac), blogger and executive director of Grace To You, is certainly an outspoken critic of E.C.M. He has written several posts discussing his concerns, and you can read just a few here and here.

Ingrid Schlueter has also written numerous critical posts on her site Slice of Laodicea. Much of what is on her site is criticism of ECM and of Rick Warren and "The Purpose Driven Life."

Keith Drury writes about E.C.M. resistance from baby boomers.

Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, discusses his thoughts here and here.

D.A. Carson has written a book on E.C.M. titled "Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church." Here is an adapted article.

McLaren, Kimball and several others have given a response to criticism. This response mentions an essay written by Dr. David Mills, a professor at Cedarville University (I knew Mills when we were both students at Cedarville) - Mills wrote his essay after listening to Carson discuss his thoughts during the Staley Lecture series at Cedarville in 2004.

John Hammett of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary wrote a paper entitled "An Ecclesiological Assessment of the Emerging Church Movement."

UPDATE: Are you emergent without knowing it? Check here to see if you are.

World AIDS Day

Today has been designated as World AIDS Day.

From the website:

World AIDS Day is about people getting the facts about HIV and AIDS. It's a day for people to get involved and there are many ways in which you can do so. We have a listing of events where you can search to find the ones that suit you, or if you are organising an event, you can add details of your event. If you would like to get involved in other ways, we have some great ideas for you!

Here's another site with info - it's connected to the ONE Campaign.

Evangelicals are getting involved - read about it here.