Don't apologize for this being late, though. I went bird-watching with my youngest, recent birthday-boy Jonathan this morning, did a movie and Peet's with my son Josiah, got some necessaries for my dear wife Valerie... and now here I am with your weekend fun.
- Wellsir, September is Phillips Birthday Month. Milestones have already been marked by Jonathan and DAOD (happy birthday, dear ones!).
- Mine's coming up.
- Breaking News! In 2008, guess which political party received 88% of the donations from TV network execs, writers, and reporters working for CBS/ABC/NBC? Go on, guess? Can't? Here's a clue: "Duh!" Yep. You guessed it.
- Traffic in Sacramento is bad. But not this bad. (Thanks to Matt Kleinhans for that link.)
- One honkin' big hailstone. Not the biggest ever, however.
- Want some powers-of-observation games? Reader Pastor John found some.
- The time to buy stocks for this is now.Another reason to like the GOP generally: unions don't.
- Video games concern me, period. Absolutely they can be fun, but they are also addictive, as folks pour hours and hours (and dollars) into them that they are not investing in the Lord and in people and in real life. This story that reader Susan found, about lonely men in Japan "dating" virtual girlfriends, does not reassure me.
- But then again, Fred Butler found the sort of thing Fred Butler finds.
- "Dots for Jesus"? Actually, more interesting than the title sounds.
- Hunh. And those survival shows make starting a fire look so hard. Maybe now they'll start carrying a golf club.
- So the Ground Zero Mosque is supposedly an outreach by moderate Muslims to show compassion and all for everyone else. Uh huh. Do you notice a pattern, as I do, that so often when one scratches a "moderate" Muslim, you get a... not-so-"moderate" Muslim? (Thanks to reader Robert for the link.)
- Merrilee Stevenson found a hat for the man who can't grow a beard.
- Know who's doing pretty darned well, even in this economy? Lego, for one.
- Friend and reader Pastor John pointed out one of the oddest lawsuits I've ever heard of, courtesy of the Mormons.
- So many levels of irony. An author writes a book titled Almost Christian, developing the thesis that many "Christian" teens are actually devotees to a sort of "moralistic therapeutic deism," where God is mainly devoted to fueling their self-esteem. Ooh, we say. Right on. The author also faults them for superficial commitment, and for superficial understanding of doctrine that leaves them articulate on money and sex, but incoherent about the Christian faith. Yeah, we say. Preach it!
- Except the author/critic is a female "minister" (i.e. pastor) and professor at Princeton. Thus, one inevitably wonders what being a real Christian would be to this lady. Evidently not anything in which Luke 6:46, John 10:35 and 17:17, and the Pastorals figure with much real authority. (Thanks to reader David Achilles for the tip.)
- In further irony, a bunch of pastors (?) insist that Obama should get a special pass on the Lord's axiom that a tree is judged by its fruit. Which pastors? Leftist tool Jim Wallis, false teacher T. D. Jakes (who's wobbled similarly in the past), Usual Suspect Ron Sider, Brian Maclaren, and others. (Thanks to Kate G for that lead. Paula found another analysis as well.)
- Normally we advise against exercise of all kinds. But if you're going to take a morning run, reader Gil Sebenste found a good example of how to do it up right.
- And now, similarly, more Adventures in Unmarketable Skills:
- Berry Davis found an interesting story about a journalist who loaned (!) credit cards to what I think is probably an unrepresentative handful of homeless folks.
- Berry also found a little help in selecting seats on a jet.
- Completing a trifecta, Berry also found a chart with some grim stats on lotteries.
- Jules found just the thing for all of you who were asking the ageless question: How do I massage my opossum? Wonder no more. You'll also learn how to manage the chakras (a word that, before AlGore, I don't think I'd ever heard), and sweep out the aura.
- I notice that the same woman who did Proper Opossum Massage also did Proper Opossum Gourmet Cooking.
- It's not what you think, though.
- Finally:
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15 comments:
Oh, my. You owe us ALL a deep apology for being so late. We had to shut down our office until it was released. Well, that's our story for an unproductive office on the day before a holiday; I didn't say you did it, I'm just saying I'm blaming you. ;-)
Seriously, as always, it's worth the wait. I guess those of the liberal political persuasion think it's all about money. If not God, then money is your God. I wonder who came up with that concept?
And nicely done on the fam time. Thanks for being an example, and a good one at that!
Oh my word! I thought she was going to turn into the woman from Fatal Attraction and chuck that rat into the blender!!! As a 13-year zoo volunteer I have sat through serious presentations almost exactly like that. Except the zookeepers are usually not so well-coiffed.
Wellsir, I think the Pastrix gots a point about church for many teenagers being "moralistic therapeutic deism." But why she limits it to teenagers, I know not. It's rampant throughout evanjellycalism. Except, maybe it's more like moralistic therapeutic me-ism.
OFFTOPIC: Anybody got any ideas for fund raising? My dear 8 year old daughter has won an all expense paid (by the parents) trip to Chicago to participate in the National Bible Bee. In November. She must LIKE to study hard.
Nice smorgabord, Dan :D
Not sure if I should let the little grasshoppers see the "our morning run" clip!
How's the grandson? No pictures for awhile! And H.B. to your boys,
Julie
That possum woman isn't one of those possum horders is she? They can be as bad as the weasel horders.
The opposum lady and the title of her video reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode called "How To Serve Man".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WudBfRa0ETw
OTOH, why would anyone want an opposum for a pet?
Salutations DJP. Do you mind if I ask how old you will be?
Questions for folks: how come half of the believers are saying they will pray for Hitchens while the other half say he has brought it on himself and will go to hell? What is the basis of the differing approaches?
You mentioned the amount of TV etc. folk who contributed to Obama and the Democrats. Do you feel anger against those people? What about the people and organizations who contributed to the Republicans, does anyone have a right to sneer at that? (not having a dig, just want to clarify your attitude)
I just realized DJP. It sounds like Christmas is a very happy time in your clan :-)
It's my partners birthday tomorrow (Sunday here) and many in her family have birthdays in early October. Must be those long, hot, lazy summer holidays in January for her clan.
Christmas is indeed, but why did you realize it?
God willing, the math tells me I'll be at least 55 on the 23rd.
As to Hitchens, you're asking me to read people's minds, which Scripture cautions against (Matthew 7:1; 1 Corinthians 2:11).
I haven't read or heard one Christian, anywhere, who says that Hitchens brought cancer on himself. But he will deservedly go to condemnation and ultimately Hell when he dies — as would we all — unless he repents and believes in Christ. It's for that that I pray, as all Christians should.
I realized beacuse it's my partners birthday and I remembered the family jokes about birth dates.
OK, I just thought you would have read something that explained why some are saying he has throat cancer because of the words he has spoken yet others are happy to pray for him. He has asked that people do not pray for him. He seeks no redemption and does not believe in Hell.
Morning Run? Pshaw. It is how I get to work each day.
On another note. I thought I was having a heart attack today because I took an inspired run yesterday morning, and think I tore a ligament in my rib cage.
DJP:
"Video games concern me, period."
Hater. 8^P
Verification word: impsery; noun: an impish mystery
Rupert,
I'm puzzled. Why did you bring up something so anecdotal as "half the Christians saying he brought the cancer upon himself.". (just as an aside Michael Douglas admitted he brought his throat cancer on himself by his drinking and smoking).
Rupert,
God will keep sustaining his life as long as He sees fit whether or not he chooses to believe in Him or Hell. Christians should not cease to pray for the lost or else we are being cold-hearted and are not following the example that Jesus set for us.
Hi CR, I just wanted to get an 'insiders' viewpoint as to why some Christians have said they would pray for Hitchens while a few have said he has brought it on himself because of his behavior and that he will go to hell. I don't know what the ratio is but it is notable.
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