3rd Blogoversary

Three years ago today, this little blog started with one post. Three years later, I still enjoy writing for it, and I still enjoy reading other blogs.

The Final Four

We now know the four teams that will play for the NCAA basketball championships - the #1 seed from each section. North Carolina will play Kansas, and Memphis will play UCLA. I was hoping that Davidson, this year's Cinderella, would make it through to the end, but it was not to be. San Antonio plays host to the games this year.

Oh, be careful little feet, where you go

Because of four reasons, I want to mention this story about a pastor who went to strip club over 400 miles from his home:

1. The pastor reportedly told his wife that he was going to Best Buy, and then proceeded to be gone for four days. What story did he think he would be able to tell his wife when he eventually returned home?
2. The strip club is located in my hometown of Dayton, just down the street from where I attended grad school. And, no, I've never been there.
3. The pastor was taken to Grandview Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. My wife, my sister, and I all used to work there.
4. Whatever problems this pastor has, they didn't begin when he told his wife he was going to have their computer checked and he left the house. There are deeper issues at work. According to this article, the pastor's wife loves him and wants to "work on whatever it is [that's wrong]." That says a lot about her and how she views their marriage, so hopefully they can find reconciliation.

"Why We're Not Emergent"

Lots of different people are reading Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be. Check out the reviews:

• Tim Challies
• Andrew Jones
• Jonathan Leeman
• Dan Kimball

speed test

83 words

Speedtest

"I remember landing under sniper fire."

Much has been made of Senator Clinton's recent statements about her 1996 Bosnia trip. She recalls one thing, while the videotape shows another.


It might be helpful to go to pages 342 and 342 of her book Living History, in which she describes her trip to Tuzla:

I spent the hour-and-forty-minute flight wandering around the cavernous metal belly of the huge transport plane, chatting with the crew and members of the press corps, who were strapped into benchlike jump seats. It was like touring the inside of a blimp, but louder. The pilot, then one of just four female C-17 pilots in the Air Force, kept the plane cruising high over the devastated countryside, above the reach of surface-to-air missiles and sniper fire. As a reminder of the dangers that remained despite the official cease-fire, each of us was required to wear a flak jacket on the plane, and the Secret Service moved Chelsea and me up to the armored cockpit for the landing, Above the airstrip, the captain dipped a wing and made a near-perpindicular landing to evade possible ground fire.

Security conditions were constantly changing in the former Yugoslavia, and they had recently deteriorated. Due to reports of snipers in the hills around the airstrip, we were forced to cut short an event on the tarmac with local children, though we did have time to meet them and their teachers and to learn how hard they have worked during the war to continue classes in any safe spot they could find. One eight-year-old girl gave me a copy of a poem she had written entitled "Peace." Chelsea and I presented the school supplies we have brought, along with letters from seventh-grade children at Baumholder whose parents and teachers had initiated a pen pal program. We were then hustled off to the fortified American base at Tuzla, where over two thousand American, Russian, Canadian, British, and Polish soldiers were encamped in a large tent city.

(The emphases in italics are mine, of course.)

I guess it's easy to confuse reports of snipers with actual snipers.

Indy's empire

Empire magazine has some photos and info on one of 2008's most anticipated films, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The photo at right is of George Lucas, the film's producer. You'll note that he's standing by the Ark of the Covenant (a replica, NOT the real one), and there are rumours that it does figure in with the new film.

as the credits roll

Peter at Cinematical asks an important movie-theater-viewing question: do you watch the closing credits of a film? Some people like to remain in the dark with their thoughts, mulling and chewing over what they had just witnessed. There are films certainly demanding that kind of thought, and I suppose Atonement (the film the post mentions) is one of them. I haven't seen the movie, but I read the book, so I know how it ends. I don't think it's giving away too much of it to note that Atonement falls in line with so many love stories - think of Casablanca or Titanic - but with a unique twist. From what I understand, the twist of the movie is the same as the book.

Anyway, back to the question at hand. For me it's a matter both of my company (is she ready to go now, or what?) and of the film itself. Some films offer final scenes after the credits have run. The Pirates of the Caribbean films certainly utilized this trick. I don't know of any indie/art house type films that have done this, or they haven't done it memorably enough if they have.

the dance of worship

Los, who has been on my blogroll for a while now, gets a link from Andrew Sullivan for this post.

Dyngus Day 2008

I almost forgot to ask - how was your Dyngus Day?

2008 James Beard Foundation Nominees

Two of my favorite blogs, A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago and Feed Me/Drink Me, are talking about the nominations. Indianapolis is within the same region as Chicago, so this explains why there are no Indy chefs representing or Steven Oakley would surely be among their number.

Garfield without Garfield

This is one of the best examples of the mentally ill mind that I have ever seen.

more on Collin Bowen

Ten days ago I mentioned my coworker Carolyn's son Collin, who recently passed away from injuries sustained from a bomb explosion in Afghanistan. He was there to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Here is an article and a collection of photos of the memorial service held last Thursday, March 20. I wasn't able to attend the service, but I did go to the viewing. It was very moving to read the notes that several schools had sent to him, offering their support as he struggled to survive. Talking with Carolyn was as difficult as I expected it to be. I can not imagine the pain of losing a child.

Collin's body will be interned at Arlington National Cemetery tomorrow, March 25, at 1:00 PM.

will it last for 40 days?

Check out the headline for this article on flooding in the state of Arkansas - Forecasters warn of flooding in Ark.

There's no mention of a dude named Noah, or if a large number of exotic animals has been spotted in the area.

4,000

The AP is saying that we've reached another milestone - 4,000 - in the number of American soldiers who have died in Iraq. Did these soldiers die in the name of freedom, or did they die needlessly? How you answer the question says more about you than it does about our government.

Mii Jesus, I love thee, I know thou aren't mine

I was sitting around the other day, thinking, There just aren't enough video games where I can pretend to be Jesus. I see a church has solved my problem. They're blogging about it, too.

(HT: Brant Hansen)

accent beats hat

In the battle of the information blogs, it seems Arianna Huffington has beaten Matt Drudge.

According to data from Nielsen Online, for example, the Huffington Post’s traffic–as measured by monthly unique visitors in the U.S., at home and work–has more than tripled since February of 2007, when it had about 1.1 million unique visitors; by February of 2008, unique visitors had risen to 3.7 million. In that same month, the Drudge Report had 3.4 million (it had 2.75 million in February of 2007).

Arianna has a lot of help from guest bloggers who provide color commentary on the news. Drudge's site is just filled with links and no direct commentary. I'm sure this is happening because it's a presidential election year, so it will be interesting to see if it keep up this year and what happens in 2009.

Good Friday

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.”

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

The above is the entire text of Matthew 27, English Standard Version.


A perfect song for today, when Christians celebrate an extraordinary day in history.

proof that the "Terminator" movies were much closer to the truth than we thought

"Child killing is a messy business."

LaShawn Barber posts about the Nation Education Association hosting abortionist Dr. George Tiller. He said that it's "just sloppy medicine" when a baby that's supposed to have been aborted is instead born alive. Secretly taped footage shows that one of the babies Tiller aborted had three arms. Did the appearance of three arms cause Tiller to think abortion was necessary? What other imperfections would he find as acceptable reasons for child killing? If you go to LaShawn's site, you'll see a picture of Tiller wearing glasses - if only his parents had known he'd have imperfect eyesight, he could have been aborted.

We've come a long way from the Hippocratic Oath, which includes the following line:

I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.