Legos, cats, polar bears, Democrats, sobs, moans, groans and laughs — what can it be but another installment of Hither and Thither? (Check the
constants.):
- You know, sometimes it's just better if you let the expert take over.
- So, remember the story of Ted Williams, the homeless guy with the "golden throat?? Remember how I voiced some questions last week? I'm sure some folks thought I was being (no pun) uncharitable. Nor would I have entirely blamed them.
- Well, since then, we learned Williams isn't the real hero; the real hero is the wife he left to raise his children (including the one he had with his mistress). Then we read that a loud argument with his daughter has brought in the police. Williams' daughter says Williams is drinking hard. And now Williams is reportedly entering drug/alcohol rehabilitation program. Maybe I wasn't being so uncharitable after all?
- Here's the point: helping the disadvantaged is one thing, and a good Christian thing it is. But enabling the wantonly irresposible wastrels who pock-mark the streets of this prosperous, aid-riddled land is another, and I see no moral imperative for it. So pray Williams finds Christ for real, and begins walking with Him in truth, in productive sobriety.
- Good news! What's that on the horizon? The prospect of at least two million well-educated, well-adjusted, independent-thinking leaders!
- Boy, now here's one that will seriously mess you up. It is an essay titled Why Chinese Mothers are Better. We may have to revisit that some day in a more focused way.
- One less pro-abort Republican in the Senate is a good thing — if she's replaced by a real-live Constitutional conservative.
- That might be likelier if Michael Steele is replaced by a conservative who's all about leading, not all about himself. That would be a good thing.
- I'm not even sure he reads this blog; but just in case, this one's for Pecadillo:
- I hate it when that happens.
- Mood-change-alert. OK, now, to grimmer stuff.
- Did you love the liberal vulture-palooza over the Arizona shooting, suggesting without even a hint of evidence that conservatives in general (and Sarah Palin / Rush Limbaugh in particular) were to blame?
- Well, Michelle Malkin reminds us where the truly vile and violent hate-speech generally originates — but I warn you: this is liberals sharing their hearts, so the language is repulsive. Click advisedly. (Not sure whether I saw that first, or Paula; but now you have, too!)
- The Media Research Center put out a briefer collection of violent liberal rhetoric.
- Reader Phil Baiden found a UK writer's bottom-ten list of liberal elite idiocy related to the shooting.
- On the other hand, how does a Democratic leader describe the mass murder in Arizona? As a "tragic accident." You think I kid? Check the link.
- Chances are fair that the bitterly partisan Democratic sheriff who tried to blame conservatives, Palin, Limbaugh — is trying to deflect attention from something.
- BTW, on the "insanity" diagnosis everyone's throwing around regarding the murderer? His former girlfriend says no way — he's faking.
- In the meanwhile, the New York Times has completely lost its mind — and James Taranto calls them on it.
- Now, a BibChr Public Service Announcement: remember to exercise caution when ingesting grapefruit:
- ...though I'm pretty sure my lady readers will put that one on the dad.
- So, a museum has been devoted to a particular sexual perversion. Guess which perversion, and which city? Aw, go on: guess.
- I know my readers have varying feelings about clowns. If you're a woman who's a hater (or fearer), consider the awe and mystery of... embryo pep-clowns.
- For that special someone: say it in Legos:
- And, in a bank-shot off a Chris Carney link: Lego Camaro.
- Sad news: Major Dick Winters, best known through the book and mini-series Band of Brothers, has passed away at 92. He was a remarkable man and a remarkable leader, of the sort of character now in short supply. The book alludes to his Christian faith, but there is nothing specific enough to give certainty.
- In that same mood, brace yourself — seriously — before reading the absolutely heart-breaking narrative by a wife who lost her husband two days before Christmas. If you don't need a handkerchief or Kleenex in the course of reading... yikes. (Via Challies.)
- Lighter mood commences in three... two... one....
- Heh. Charlie Brown as Luke Skywalker.
- I say: don't follow this cat.
- But you can (and should) check these out:
Posts
41 comments:
(First to comment, maybe? This wasn't planned. I fell asleep hours before dinner. Just had dinner.) :P
Wow, I'm still trying to process the account of the woman losing her husband two days before Christmas. My heart goes out to her. The one thing that blazes prominently in my head is, "What now?" (The "Why???" is somewhat stifled, even though it's there.)
So not clicking on the clown link.
Love kitty Aslan, although considering The Last Battle, perhaps I shouldn't.
You called that Ted Williams story. I was a bit more "charitable." I was giving him maybe two month before he fell off the wagon.
Polar Bear thoughts:
A) Didn't you hope at one point, when the bear appeared to be swimming really close to and towards the camera man, that maybe the real end of this scenario was going to be different.
B) It seems to me that fast-acting seals are the real cause of the supposed decline in polar bears.
C) Or perhaps he actually didn't take into account wind direction accurately enough.
D) The bear probably miscalculated the exact distance because he had to switch from American to Metric System in the 1980s and messed up a simple calculation using 25.4 or 1.083.
"Parent 1" and "Parent 2" is only one step away from "Thing 1" and "Thing 2".
Who wudda thunk that Dr. Suess was so ahead of his time?
What? Opening a 'memorial' with a pagan blessing isn't H&T worthy?
Kitty Aslan almost made up for it, but still...
That King county death tax is not new. I had to pay that for my 24-week-old son last year. The mortuary gave me a very deep (almost free) discount, but apparently King county needs its $50 for "investigating cause of death" for a child who never breathed air. Takes a special kind of legislature for this kind of tax.
Happily laboring here to produce two of those 2 million well-adjusted, well-educated independent thinkers. Good to know there are so many of us.
The narrator of the bear video sounds a bit like Alistair Begg. Like Kirby, I wondered if the bear's target was going to change midway through the video!
James Joyce: "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" are where you write your children's names. Duh. :)
Nice to see that the media is trying to represent true Christianity by putting a good Christian pastor on reality TV.
/sarcasm
Again, I/we shouldn't be surprised by this...I think we should come to expect more and more of this so that people can hold up a false teacher/nominal Christian and use that person of an example of how bad Christianity is. I have been writing back and forth on a facebook post with a guy who tries to say that not all Christians are pedophiles and not all muslims are terrorists. The world doesn't understand that a true Christian is not a pedophile. A pedophile can become saved and stop practicing pedophilia by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but it doesn't work in the opposite direction.
I loved the baby tasting grapefruit - i so know that feeling!
I had a fun afternoon reading this, thanks.
Turns out the “memorial” service was delayed waiting for the polling data to come out and the tee shirts to be printed. Clintonest flimflam. Native Americans are good for a pep rally, pastors not so much.
The lady who lost her husband writes so very well. That only added to my tears. Harrowing stuff. Makes me want to love my wife a little more... just in case.
The UK is a little behind in the homeschooling stakes, but our 5 are helping the numbers! It still appears as little more than a weird aberation here to most. 1 in 25 would be good stats to have.
You cannot imagine the struggle we have had to try and allow our eldest son to run cross country against his peers, just because he doesn't go to school. And if he qualifies tomorrow to represnt his county at the national champs (which it looks like he will), they can't take him because the national body still won't let a homeschooler compete. Sucks. 4% would change that kind of thing...
Another great batch of H&T.
A 3rd cousin of mine (whom I'm not well acquainted with) is a math teacher at Pansy Kidd Middle School (in Poteau, OK). I wonder if I oughtta send him a link to the FailBlog picture...
"Here's the point: helping the disadvantaged is one thing, and a good Christian thing it is. But enabling the wantonly irresposible wastrels who pock-mark the streets of this prosperous, aid-riddled land is another, and I see no moral imperative for it. So pray Williams finds Christ for real, and begins walking with Him in truth, in productive sobriety."
You want enablers? Here in Seattle, we good taxpayers funded an $11 million apartment building for street alcoholics. The kicker is they're allowed to drink all they want (which is a lot) because it keeps them out of the gutters, however the policy doesn't keep them out of the ER. Which was the rationale in the first place.
And I dared to click the clown link and LOL'ed when I read the term "medical clown". Yeah, met some of those!
Anyone who has spent very much time in the ministry gets familiar with guys like Ted Williams. If one is not careful, it can lead to an ungodly sort of uncharitable attitude that refuses to help anyone. I have to remind myself that Jesus once healed 10 lepers, knowing that only one would return to give thanks, that our Heavenly Father causes the rain to fall on the crops of the unjust, and that charity "wasted" is no indictment to the giver.
I confess that I had the same thoughts about this as DJP from the start. I can only hope that Ted receives saving mercy from Jesus to begin to truly live.
>>... But enabling the wantonly irresposible wastrels who pock-mark the streets... <<
Wastrels? And on top of that, you wish a pox on them?!? Now you're just being intentionally, insolently mean and unchristian. Color me offended, sir! I'm going to sit right here and scowl disapprovingly at my screen until you repent of this evil.
/snark LOL
Here's another stop for a bacon doughnut ... and more.
http://voodoodoughnut.com/about.php
I loved the interview with Loughner's ex-girlfriend..."He used big words. I couldn't keep up with him".
Proudly contributing to the next generation of well-educated, well-adjusted, independent thinkers, despite myself.
And, based on the comments I've read on the Chinese mothers article in various places, I'm one of the few that agree with 90% of it.
((Gentle, polite cough))
Re: the "two million, well-educated, well-adjusted, independent-thinking leader" -
I'm doing that too - by enrolling them in a better than expected Christian school and being chief chaperone on all field trips.
Just felt ....led.... to say that. :)
And I hope you do talk about the Chinese mother piece. My personal opinion - God agrees with her about the problem as it exists in some (but not all, see ref. above) American circles,
but He absolutely does not agree with her definition of success and accomplishment,
and He deplores her methods.
FWIW
And loved the pix this week - hilarious.
That Chinese mother article has been burning up the internet since it was written, over 5000 comments on it now.
I had an Armenian mother which was almost as bad, although she has a bit too much of the Middle Eastern emotionally driven neuroses to really be terribly effective. But her attitude was the same.
Although after reading that article, I noticed that the author also wrote a book called this: "World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability."
Which causes me to take her slightly less seriously.
Wow, that Chinese mother article was so inspirational! I don't have any kids myself yet, but I can't wait to call them "worthless, pieces of garbage!"
I look forward to a biblical commentary on that article Dan! Please!
@Trinin...so sorry for the loss of your dear son. What an evil, wretched tax.
The blog from the young mother who lost her husband is so beautiful and heart-wrenching. There are other posts there as well, including "Betrothed" which tells how God was preparing her, though his word, to walk through this. DH & I knew Tricia many moons ago when she was a bubbly jr. high girl in Bible quizzing. Our hearts are broken for her and the rest of their family.
********************
Update on the RNC race: Reince Priebus, who by most accounts, is pro-life, has been elected new chair of the RNC. He beat out both pro-death Michael Steele, and Maria Cino (Conservative in Name Only), who has past ties with pro-death groups. However, Priebus has some bad blood with the tea parties in Wisconsin, having been associated with heavy handed tactics to get establishment candidates elected in primaries at the expense of tea party candidates.
Well, any type of parent who didn't allow their kids to "watch TV or play computer games" would have a good shot at having successful kids!
With texting, computers, and TV kids don't have time to do much else.
So how many of us read that Chinese mother article to our children and said, "See, I'm not THAT bad!"
: )
Well, I see that you have found that "Chinese mother" article. I had thought about submitting that but obviously didn't.
Being Chinese, I had to laugh. My parents never treated me like that. I guess being a sickly child had something to do with it. :)
And after reading it, I thought of the many Chinese mothers in China who are rearing "little emperors" due to the Chinese one-child policy. Now those moms will probably not qualify as "Chinese mothers" as defined by Amy Chua since each is treating her precious only child like fragile fine china (pun fully intended). Break their self-esteem? Never! (I could be wrong, of course--the Chinese tradition to excel academically does run deep and gets passed on from one generation to another. To give you an idea of this: There is a proverb familiar to most Chinese people that can be loosely translated and rearranged as "Studying is supreme; everything else is beneath it.")
And lastly, the motivation of the "Chinese mothers" to push their children is obviously human, not divine. Supporting and honoring one's parents is upheld by Scripture, but to train a child solely for that purpose (or for any other human reason) is wrong. And what about Paul's admonition to fathers to avoid provoking their children (cf. Col. 3:21)? Calling one's children "garbage" when they don't perform to one's expectations isn't exactly loving. (Duh.)
Addendum: Chua responded after all the uproarious reactions to her first article. After reading her response, it seems to me that her first article (an excerpt from her book) was taken out of context. Chua did eventually loosen up after her younger daughter rebelled, and the book is not just about "Chinese" mothers' being superior--it's more like a coming-of-age for Chua's own child-rearing experience.
(What's wrong with Blogger today? I kept posting, but it kept telling me the comment was too large, so I finally divided my comment into 2 sections...
...and now ALL the comments have been posted!
So yeah, those deleted ones were all mine. Sorry.)
On Ted Williams. I found out many years ago while working at a homeless shelter, that alcoholics get Social Security disability checks for being alcoholics. So...of course, after cashing their checks, they drank for a few days, and then checked into the nearest shelter again. I don't have too much sympathy for homeless men who abandon their families. Single mothers trying to raise their children is a different story.
Pansy Kidd Middle School? It's real? I thought it was a joke! Mike - so sorry for your nephew. Brings to mind Johnny Cash and A Boy Named Sue.
Inflicting clowns on someone already going through a medical procedure ought to be grounds for a malpractice case. Yeeeeesh.
And Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3?
Already got that covered.
Here
Scroll down. :D
Julie
"Boy, now here's one that will seriously mess you up. It is an essay titled Why Chinese Mothers are Better. We may have to revisit that some day in a more focused way"
I'm seriously looking forward to that. I was reading that article and had many thoughts one of which was...who is going to play all the other instruments? Another one (of many) was that I have known many "western" parents who are like that with their children and sports.
I've been pondering the Haggard thing -- not so much the "show" (egads), but him forming a church.
I can understand loving your pastor, a man who you trusted to help shepherd you into heaven and him being under the authority of our great Shepherd. And of course all pastors sin. Even in secret. And I can understand being heartbroken when that secret sin comes to light and not wanting to abandon him.
But how can Haggard ever even consider pastoring a church? If he was any sort of a teacher prior to the "scandal", how could anyone follow him to his church? The answer to the former is pride I suppose. The answer to the latter ... misplaced love?
Whatever, Haggard said he "over-repented". Todd Friel had a tragically funny video on that which has since been removed. He didn't do a 180 ... he seemed to do a 360.
But now Haggard will be the face of Christianity because of TLC? Sorry for babbling; the whole thing makes me sad that Christ's name will be mocked.
Guess Haggard is getting his best life now.
I never heard of the man prior but I pray for him and his family. And for the people who follow him.
WV: "fiested" -- the after party.
I can see leaning more toward the supposedly stereotypical "Chinese mother", but those examples are extreme, and good ol' Western parenting is what made American great, even if that parenting is largely falling by the wayside.
By they way, Black parents can call kids "fatty" too! :)
I know I'm going to be in the minority here, but I don't homeschool and I think that some of the children that I have met that are home schooled are acually worse off for the experience. Of course, the same is true for people I know with their kids in public school as well. That has more to do with their own parenting than with the idea of homeschooling vs. public school. I also know some parents and kids who homeschool that seem to be doing well with it.
We seem to be in a fairly conservative school district, though, because we discuss with our boys what they are learning in school and we haven't had anything too far out of whack yet. In fact, they have learned a bit about Jewish traditions and culture, which has helped as we go through the OT with them. Granted, they are only in first and third grade and this might change in the future.
The problem I have seen, though, is that there are some people who pressure/encourage others to home school without first discipling parents who have serious issues of their own (legalism, anger, libertarianism, etc.). This is most likely because I am limited in my exposure to homeschoolers, but most of the ones I have been exposed to have not brought me any fuzzy warm feelings about the concept. I guess all I am saying is that I wouldn't get too enamored with the number of students who are homeschooling because there is no good way to tell how well-rooted in Scripture the parents or children are.
I was homeschooled 6th through 9th grades (although I've tried to suppress the memory). That might explain why you don't get any fuzzy warm feelings about the concept. ;)
@Aaron - that gives me the same feeling that I have about the magnet schools that I attended. ;)
Of course Louisiana (where I grew up) had/has really bad schools and the magnet schools at least prepared me for college. Whereas the private (Catholic) school I went to just exposed me to snootiness.
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