Friday, May 28, 2010

Hither and thither 5/28/10

Again with the busy week, yet again with the borgaschmord for you, Dear Readers. Enjoy! And, fellow- Americans — remember the price of our national freedom, initial and ongoing.
  • Tone-deaf as usual to many Americans in general and to the military in particular, President Obama will be doing what few previous presidents have done: missing the commemoration of Memorial Day at Arlington. (Thanks to Gil for the link.)
  • Good news/bad news. On the one hand, WalMart is selling 16GB 3GS iPhones for $97. On the other hand... well, check out the name of their senior category director for wireless.
  • Now share with me an Om Nom Nom Moment:

  • Staying with the noms, BSIL saw a cool way to "force" some cookies to be even cooler.
  • Remaining with that theme, reader Mark Loftus found a bunch of cool Death Stars (or the like).
  • And again, reader JTW shows us what Darth Vader really sounded like at first.
  • Sidling slowly away from the theme, for those who like rocket ships and all, Fred Butler brings us a cool time-lapse film compressing three weeks of prepping and launching Discovery.
  • So, can I tell you something? You know I've liked the rock band Chicago since their second album was new. Well, over the years, I've had this occasional recurring dream-theme that somehow I'm on stage with them, singing or drumming or playing guitar or something. Well, here's a kid who actually lived that dream. Win or lose, I'd think that was pretty cool. (Thanks to DAOD for the link.)
  • You've probably seen how "Lost" really ended:

  • Like hummingbirds? My mother-in-law found a cute video of folks nursing a baby hummingbird back to health. Not high drama, but hey -- hummingbirds!
  • Ooh, Heart-Attack Manor.
  • Reader Barbara Jackson found that CNN has a religion blog. Golly... hope I don't lose you all to it....
  • Because of one leaking oil well, Obama has decided to cancel baby steps towards energy independence. Brilliant. Say... do you think if someone mentioned thousands of years of statist tyranny, he might cancel all his plans to explode the size of the federal government?
  • Nahh.
  • Elections Have Consequences: Part 213975. In the restless full-court press to legitimatize the perversion du jour, the House moves ahead on forcing the one governmental agency (if I can describe it that way) that functions fairly well to become its latest experiment in social engineering.
  • And now, three things not to try at ho... well, actually, not to try anywhere:

...and this

/
...and this:


  • Food that stares back. (Warning: there is one risque... er, salad, or something.)
  • Another Lost note: if you (like us) wondered at the significance of the final shots of the wreckage on the beach... there wasn't any. The network (not the producers) added them as an emotional transition to the news.
  • Who could do over 560 words on Bruce Waltke, Tremper Longman, John Walton, and evolution taught in supposedly Bible-believing schools — and still manage to say nothing of value or real interest? Why, that would be Christianity Today, of course. (Note the total red-herring title.)
  • Reader No Longer Blind found a sweet, effective British commercial promoting wearing seatbelts.
  • The ancient philosophical conundrum, visualized:

  • Some CA geeks might like this.
  • I just like this guy more and more. (After you read that, read this.)
  • It would be interesting to take the critics of this post at Pyro and ask them to see how Christianity Today wrote about the ending of Lost — and ask them if the Pyro post looks different afterwards.
  • I'm starting to wonder whether category five commenters at Pyro are my thorn in the flesh.
  • Investigators for insurance companies sometimes stage stuff like this:
  • Never thought butter was that funny, myself, but DAOD found this:


  • Bringing us all once again to....













29 comments:

Fred Butler said...

In that link to the Rita Wilson teacher really getting 86,000 a year, the comments under the report are outstandingly fun to read.

Neil said...

I don't understand why the name of the senior category director for wireless merits an "On the other hand..."

On the other hand, I really like the one of the guy who decides he doesn't need to rely on his crutches at all times.

DJP said...

Kim will explain it to you.

kateg said...

Your Friday offerings are always a great respite in my day...thank you. (#1) :)

Often I hear the master's degree argument with teachers, but I have been amazed by the dearth of actual knowledge required by (especially) elementary school teachers. I understand it is a difficult job, but consider what average people with masters in psych, sociology, criminal justice, social work, nursing, never mind M.Div., etc. are paid.

Sir Brass said...

About those iPod Touches, Dan....


It's a trap!!!!!

Gilbert said...

I'm surprised you haven't linked to the article where President Obama will skip the Memorial Day wreath laying ceremony. My goodness, I'm saying it. This guy is anti-American, and the fools who voted for him deserve everything they get! If you make government (or, much more accurately, anything else) your "god", you will destroy yourself, and your hearers.

I think I read that somewhere...

DJP said...

Send me a good link, Gil. I had it in mind, just didn't see a great essay or news story on it.

Halcyon said...

bugblaster:

Look at the picture to the right of the link. Who is that? What is his famous line?

(BTW, I am not "Kim")

Fred Butler said...

As to that link about Obama missing Memorial Day wreath laying, from what I understand, of the last 4 presidents, Regan missed it a couple of times, George I did it once and spent the other Memorial Days on vacation, and George II missed it a few times as well for one reason or another. Only Billy did it for 8 consecutive years. Amazing, huh?

Bill Honsberger said...

Dan - I have so lost respect for you. And it is almost to the point of questioning your ministry credentials - if not your salvation!!!
Everything Chicago did after the second album (which was already starting to show in that album) was complete bubble gum and an affront to CTA (the first album) and to music lovers in general.
Oh Lord how long...

DJP said...

< forehead slap >

Not THIS again!

That just tells me you haven't listened to 3 ("Free," "Man vs Man," "I Don't Want Your Money"), or 5 ("Dialogue," "Now That You've Gone"), or 6 ("What's This World Coming To?", "Feelin Stronger Every Day"), or....

I could go on, but you should be sufficiently embarrassed.

:^P

David Regier said...

Dan,

You were supposed to say,

"After all that we've been through, I will make it up to you, I promise you. . ."

Then again, that might make his point.

Bill Honsberger said...

I will give you "Feeling Stronger every day", but the rest of the songs truly are descriptive of the problem I mentioned.
Secondly should you not note that the rebuttal songs for the most part - never got airplay. Only the sticky sweet Cetera songs made it out - thus devaluing the name brand of a once powerful blues rock fusion into "if you need me now" ugh puke puke - can't believe I typed that.
I think you sanctification is still on the line here...

DJP said...

...and if they didn't get air play, whose fault is that?

If your point is that many of Chi's best songs were on the albums, never heard on air: agreed. But they can't make a living on songs nobody hears.

I blame the companies, the public, and you.

(c:

SolaMommy said...

My friend made those same cupcakes for her son's 2nd birthday party. They truly were "Om Nom Nom" :-)

Stefan Ewing said...

What if Cookie Monster were eating a Cookie Monster muffin?

What if that muffin in turn depicted Cookie Monster eating a Cookie Monster muffin, which in turn depicted Cookie Monster eating a muffin, which in turn...?

Rupert said...

DJP, in regards to Obama not attending Arlington:

George W. Bush did not attend in 2002.

George H. Bush did not attend at all.

Ronald Reagan did not attend in 1981, 83, 87 & 88.

Bill Clinton attended very year.

Obama will be honoring the fallen with a speech at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

DJP said...

Which is why I said: "what few previous presidents have done." Further, from the article, "Instead of speaking at Arlington, as he did last year and as most presidents have done...."; and this tone-deaf act "comes at a sensitive moment in the administration's relationship with the military."

Rupert said...

I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with the term 'few' DJP.

AMVETS are saying they don't have a problem with it. Obama is attending at a cemetery named after Lincoln.

It is a sensitive time, given the DADT debate and Obama's opposition to the Iraqi war but I disagree that it is a tone-deaf act.

But then we obviously have different political perspectives.

Anonymous said...

It's only appropriate that Obama is speaking at a cemetery named after one of our country's most infamous tyrants.

Bill Honsberger said...

I will give you the companies and public- who can imagine how much coke must have passed hands to play the cetera hits all those years. But I must take umbrage at even the possibility of taking any personel blame. First as a good fundie of the 70s, I properly shunned all chic/cetera/syrup as good examples of being outside of the gothardic umbrella of authority. Second I went to California public schools- I am a perpetual victim and incapable of accepting blame for anything!

DJP said...

Ah yes, Gothard. He had me throw all my Chicago albums away.

For a time.

SandMan said...

Sorry to go off topic, Dan, but were you seriously a gothardite? If so, I never would've spotted you...what with the facial hair and such. If you haven't already, can I make a request for a future post about your experiences there? (Of course assuming that you weren't being tongue-in-cheek).
I have some family members that have been hounding me with his stuff for years, and his name was consistently at the forefront of my mind during the legalism posts at Pyro this week. I would be truly grateful to hear your thoughts as an insider who came out of his camp.

DJP said...

Pretty hard to go seriously off topic in a HT meta. I wouldn't say I was an "ite," but I did go to a couple of seminars and was really impressed with a lot of his teaching. I'm not a Gothard scholar. I'd still say he had a lot of good to say, but was a little like someone who correctly touts (say) a good food, but goes too far and says it's the ONLY food.

Maybe I'll write more someday.

DJP said...

There's actually a reference to him in my Proverbs book.

SandMan said...

Thanks for the response. I am honestly not very familiar with him. I hear his name mentioned in passing with looks of disdain when family members find out that we actually allow our children to watch some Disney movies. Or, that I am a member of the Youth Group staff at our local church (not sure about Gothard, but the family is anti-youth group-- too much breeding ground for rebellion when you let teens congregate--ever). Anyway, I already planned to buy the Proverbs book when it hits the shelves, but you've added one more reason for me to anticipate it. I hope you enjoy your extended weekend.

Bill Honsberger said...

I was teasing - as a baby Christian my Bible College and church were pushing Gothard real hard - but it was the time of the My Lai (sp?) massacre trial and blind obediance to men's authority seemed so wrong to me - so I was the rebel.
If you want a GREAT read on the subject - try A Matter of Basic Principles by Don Veinot. Gothard has a slew of moral problems and a Catholic understanding of grace - it must be earned!!! How so many fundy pastors missed that I will never know.

Aaron said...

SandMan:

Your last post reminds me of the ongoing discussion at Pyro. Too many people telling us what we can and cannot do with our time and money. When those people sell everything they have and live like monks, then maybe I'll give them a moment of my time.

Keeping teens from doing anything, ever is inviting serious rebellion as soon as they hit 18, especially for a strong willed person. I wish somebody would tell these anti-youth group types that.

Aaron said...

I'm totally going to ask for my local museum to have Star Trek Exhibition. If they can have that abominable display of human remains, then how about Star Trek?