Monday music: "Introduction" thrice, by Chicago and Danny Seraphine

As a led-up to tomorrow's planned (and unusual) book-review, I offer you live versions of the first Chicago song to stick in my mind. It is the first song on the first album, and was never a top-40 hitbound single. Written by the late, great Terry Kath, it is called Introduction.

The first version is the earliest. It is audio-only, very high-quality, and comes a 1969 performance at the Filmore West, two years after the band's formation and the year their first album ("Chicago Transit Authority") was released. It is the first song on that album.

The next is a not very high-quality (but still fun) video of a live performance in Japan from 1972. All the original members are seen, and I'm assuming nothing's offensive in the captions.

Finally, fast-forward well over three decades, and you see original Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine performing the same song (sans horns) with his new band California Transit Authority.



"Why," you ask, "is Danny doing the song with a different band now?" The answer is in tomorrow's planned book-review.

Hither and thither 2/25/11

It's been a nice enough week. I loved preaching Sunday. Loved the four-dayedness of the week. Also almost-nice: I did the last round of editing before The World-tilting Gospel went to the typesetters... then the Kregellady I'm working with just now found more things for me to look over. Then it goes off.

Waiting on the rest of my other-manuscript readers to get their reports back to me so I can (please, God) move ahead with that project.

And now you know all that! Leaving us free to review the "givens," then move on to a very nice little "catch" I've gathered for you this week

• Okay, let's get started on a great big "WHAT TH...?" note:

• It took some doing, but you're worth it. Here's the original of that gif. Turns out it's a video game commercial!
• Well well. The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill requiring the tracking of all citizens from cradle to grave (almost). Now, for bonus points: guess which political party rules the Mississippi House? Come on, guess.
• @Corriespondent Tweeted me this: Wake 'n Bacon. Mm mm.
• Reader Persis points us to dark chocolate bacon cupcakes!
• And, relatedly, from reader Marla Beale via Facebook:

• BTW, have you "friended me" yet? I haven't reached saturation yet.
• Reader Sonja notes that Washington state isn't so "pro-choice" after all, as legislators contemplate leaning more regulations on free pregnancy care centers that are run by pro-lifers.
• What sticks in my craw from that article is the pro-aborts' euphemism "a woman's decision to terminate her pregnancy." Women don't have to make a "decision" to "terminate" their "pregnanc[ies."  Pregnancies terminate naturally, have done for thousands of years. They terminate in the birth of a baby. But of course that isn't what they're talking about. They're talking about "terminating" the baby.
• Reader Chris Carney points us the good news that Planned Parenthood appears to be heading for a well-deserved fall.
• An important issue is given a great title and a great essay: "Wisconsin reveals class war between 'have-nots' and 'have yours'".

• Those whacky Democrats! Who says they don't have a sense of humor? Now they want us all to believe they're born-again border hawks.
• As you've doubtless heard, the Obama Administration simply unilaterally held its own little internal Supreme Court and decided not to argue for DOMA. This makes me wonder seriously if the Democratic Party simply wants to re-brand itself as the Above-the-law Party. Obama doesn't like DOMA — poof! It's ignored. Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown doesn't like Proposition 8 in California — poof! He won't defend it in court. Democratic Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom doesn't like state law about calling serial perversion marriage — poof! He breaks the law, and not only retains office but advances to higher office. It's an alarming trend.

• Courtesy of The Corner, read a terrific letter on "fetus" vs "baby" — from the Washington Post!
• Indiana Jones / Lego cake!

• Finally, a sociologist has tackled the widespread claim that Christian divorce rate is the same as non-Christian. Turns out it isn't (h-t Challies).
• Re. Sarah Palin: interesting statement, surprising source. In the coming political season, "I intend to do nothing but defend her. But for now, let me just say that Palin is a wise woman and a real Christian." Who said it? Doug Wilson.
• Staying with Doug Wilson, the man offers some good Biblely thoughts on collective bargaining. (H-T Justin, actually.)
• I'm a capitalist, but I find this particularly pernicious.
• OK, this isn't quite as innard-liquifying as the tower-climbing video we had, but it's pretty darned good. It is a first-person view of the qualifying round for a downhill bike race in Valparaiso, Chile.
• Reader Matt Gumm found us a complete map of fantasy lands.
• Om nom nom.

• Need a little dieting help? Maybe some appetite suppression? Reader Sam Knisely may just have the help you're looking for — particularly if you watch the attached video. (Hint in two words: bug eating.)
• You will not believe this story. Two young Arizona girls blown 110 feet into the air inside their inflated castle.
• Pretty sure the Grasshoppers and my boys will love this. Not so sure about the dear wife. Cat laser bowling. (Thanks to reader Sonja for the tip.)
• And Mr. Perkins was never seen again....

• Lego fans will want to check out Gizmodo's list of best Lego sets of 2011.
• Do soccer players ever "take a dive"? Reader Jacob Jaby says... yes!
• Unbelieving film critics: touchy, touchy, touchy, and lazy. Haven't read the Narnia books, but boy, one faint and passing whisper about Christ and their whole day is ruined (h-t Challies).
• Some have had positive experiences with Canadian health care. Now comes one family whose experience is not being positive, and where do they turn for hope? America. Thanks to Chris Carney; sounds like a very complicated situation. Update from Chris: the American request has been denied.
• One really wonders what the back-story is on this picture reader William Dicks sent me (unless the back-story is simply "Photoshop"):

• Did you hear about the police captain who was reassigned because he would not force his officers to attend a Christian service? No? That's because it didn't happen. However, a Tulsa police captain was reassigned because he refused to order officers to attend a Muslim service. Oh. Well, that's different. (Thanks, Robert Sakovich.)
• Meanwhile, some "churches" open their doors to Muslim worship.
• Just interesting: in the past, we've enjoyed the musical stylings of Rodrigo and Gabriela. Turns out they're bring brought in to work on the score for the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
• And so, I leave you with the eternal dilemma:

• Ouch. Maybe you'll need to put your hand over the screen as you finish up with....

More thoughts about the use and non-use of "Yahweh" in English translations

You may be familiar with my undisciplined rant about the use of God's personal name in the Old Testament. Now to some thoughts a bit more disciplined, and a bit less "ranty," on the same subject.

Over at the BibleWorks user forums, there was a post about new resources available for BW.

In it, I brought up the new ISV translation, to which a commenter named ISalzman remarked that it looked to be a good translation, moving me to this response:

Yeah, but (first glance)

1. Gender neutering. Pah!
2. Perpetuating the LORD superstition. Pah twice! When will some translation finally shake OFF those chains?

This moved a commenter named Dr. Dale A. Brueggemann to pursue my remarks about "Yahweh," even as far as distinguishing the meta to this post (mentioned earlier) with his own thoughts. You can see his comment there, in defense of using "Lord" instead of "Yahweh" when translating the Old Testament. He observed (correctly) that the Greek translation of the OT (Septuagint, or LXX) used kurios ("Lord"), not "Yahweh"; and the NT had preserved this practice. Further, that use helps the reader see passages where Jesus is called Yahweh by inference from OT passage citation.

In response, I said this:

But why should we be bound to echo the LXX tradition? It's an odd text of uneven value, and we certainly don't feel bound to echo it in other ways (i.e. dropping verses from Proverbs, adding other verses, etc.).

Of course I wouldn't insert "Yahweh" into the NT, because it isn't in the text. But it is in the given text of the OT, over 6800 times. The simple and, I think, undeniable fact is that God the Holy Spirit saw fit to move the writers to use Yahweh well over 6800 times.

For me to (A) know that and (B) lay out a rationale why I shouldn't honor the text, is to oppose my wisdom over God's. It amounts to saying "I have a better idea about how to honor God and Christ than God had." To go that way is to head off into Pharisaical/Roman Catholic human tradition.

For the Lord/Yahweh passages applied to Christ, it's enough to translate Moses and Isaiah faithfully to Moses and Isaiah (and the others), and Paul and Peter faithfully to Paul and Peter, respecting the text. They either (A) the reader can look up the original and note that Yahweh is used, or (B) pastors can bring it out in sermons, or (C) a note could be inserted marginally, to wit: "The OT text has 'Yahweh.'"

It's using "LORD" that misleads the readers and dulls the ears, since "Yahweh" does not possibly mean "Lord," for which there are at least two other Hebrew words.

Briefly and in sum: respect the text. It's the submissively believing thing to do. God knew what He was doing, and He's really good at communication.

In another post started on the same subject by Dr. Brueggemann (isn't that a great name? seriously), I posed these questions, which I now commend to you as well (slightly edited), in the hopes that they would help clarify folks' thinking:

1. Is there anyone who thinks that Yahweh, in any sense, actually means "Lord"?
2. Are there any other cases where we would insist on using a translation that we know with certainty absolutely cannot possibly be accurate?
3. Do we know that "Yahweh" is meant by God to be a proper name, while "Lord" is a title?
4. Do we know for certain why the LXX substituted "Lord" for "Yahweh"?
5. Is it wise to chain ourselves to a practice whose rationale that we cannot even explain with certainty? Isn't that the very definition of superstition?
6. For that matter, can we conceive or a rationale that would excuse our saying "No" to God when He tells us to call on His name, and never rescinds that command?
7. Does the NT ever suggest that its adoption of LXX passages inserting kurios instead of Yahweh is meant retroactively to overrule and effectively erase the Hebrew text in its own context?
8. If God, in moving men to write "Yahweh" over 6800 times, was not thereby indicating that He meant that Name to be used, then what more could He have said to indicate that intent?
9. Do we have an objective, positive reason sufficient to overrule God's own employment of "Yahweh" over 6800 times, to excuse our own refusal to employ it as fully and robustly as He does?

Amazing Chinese goldfish tricks... and a touch of animal rights anger

You have to wade through a good bit of Chinese chit-chat, but there are a few amazing tricks here.

...and then, thanks to a note from reader Michael Henry, I found out that Chinese animal rights activists are up in arms about the synchronized-swimming trick. Magician Fu Yandong insists, however, that his fish are "living happily."

I leave you to wonder how he knows that.

PS — am I the only one who finds the concept of animal rights advocates in repressive, Communist, forced-abortion China ironic to the point of breaking glass?

Question for working people

Let's say your job calls on you to do something you don't want to do, though it is within the normal scope of your assigned duties.

Show of hands: can you —

1. Walk away from your job?
2. Continue to get paid?
3. Keep your job?

Most of us might do the first, or we might do the second and third.

But all three? At the same time?

Only if you're a Democrat politician in Indiana or Wisconsin.

Monday music: Trevor Gordon Hall, Experimental Acoustic Guitar

Performed live at the Martin Guitar Museum.

(Thanks to reader Jack Wickwire)

Hither and thither 2/18/11

Another busy week, and I get the joy of preaching Sunday. So it may mean for a slightly shorter HT today, but hey! what I have here is yours. (Remember the perennials.)

• So, poor sleep last Sunday night, bad headache in the middle, wake up in the morning, go to the mirror, and...

• Want to see someone try deceptively to make an either/or look like a both/and? Thanks to reader Robert Sakovich, here you go.
• Barack Obama then: "I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president [George W. Bush] I actually respect the Constitution." Barack Obama now: shred it.
• Reader Mike Westfall challenges us: guess that caption!

• I find this ominous: while Beijing increases propaganda efforts in America, the Obama administration is canceling Voice of America broadcasts in China.
• Another reason to love the House GOP leadership: when was the last time you saw the phrase "cutting spree" applied to any branch of government?
• Hope Boehner does what he says he will do.
• The House is also targeting Obama's shadow-government-by-"czar."
• Triablogue came up with a nice pictorial summary of atheism.

• Reader Kristina Nunez found the tale of a young man who refused to wrestle a girl, and suffered as a consequence. She applauds his choice, as would (evidently) John Piper. I applaud his acting on conscience but, as I've explained, have mixed thoughts about the specifics of his choice.
• DAOD found an article suggesting that folks with last names towards the end of the alphabet jump to make purchases, more so than those towards the As.
• Relatedly (kind of a double-pun, that), for you who love the pictures of our grandson Timothe, here are a couple extra-adorable installments. One shows that, though Timothe's much bigger, Hagrid's still a pretty big cat. (Freshen your memory with this picture.) The other shows that Timothe (at only about ten months) is doing that walking thing he's been so eager to do... and following in his uncles' warrior-footsteps.

• Need a real-life silly-break? I've got 27 seconds for you, courtesy of reader Joe Lewis: there's a horse in that car.
• And now, as you ponder that — James Earl Jones reads Justin Bieber.
• Is governor-envy a sin? This sad Californian has sighed before over NJ Gov. Chris Christie's tough-dealing with the huge-spenders in his state. Now Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is taking on, even in a relatively small way, the deathly stranglehold that unions have on his state. Guess his party? I know, too easy. But never fear, the Democrats are doing their part. They have fled the scene, so as to avoid doing the job they're paid to do. Nice.
• BTW as an aside: this is what Democrats do when they don't like the way an election goes. Is it just me, or is the disconnect between reality and the lexical meaning of "Demo-crat" just getting more and more surreal?
• Anyway, back to what Governor Walker is doing. Wish our governor would do that. But... there really is a difference between the parties. Often, anyway.

• The Corner's Jay Nordlinger gives a pretty good fisking to the gold-standard stonily-objective MSM Associated Press and their biased coverage of events in Wisconsin.
• This is why I love, love, love how Rush Limbaugh calls MSMbots stenographers (for the Democrats) rather than reporters.
• Blacks must be liberal. That isn't what I think, so don't look at me like that. That's Helen Thomas, respected MSM correspondent extraordinaire.
• And because that statement wasn't sun-explodingly stupid enough, she added that Obama isn't really liberal.
• Netflix is about to have some competition from Redbox. Ahh, competition. Always good for the consumer.
• Simply brilliant:

• Do you think all American taxpayers should be forced to support certain television and radio shows? Find that one in the Constitution. Well, liberals think so, and they'll pull stunts to prop it up. ("Sure, cut the budget... no no, not that part!") Is there really a sentient human being who doesn't think Sesame Street could get sponsors just like every other competitive show? (Thanks Robert Sakovich for the tip.)
• Are you a Christian? Ha! OPPRESSOR! (This courtesy of the geniuses at nearby UC Davis; thanks to multiple readers for the link.) Reader Dave adds John 15:18 as an apropos observation.
• Continuing westward, the peace 'n' granola hippies in Berkeley decided not to pass a resolution welcoming released Guantanamo detainees into their lovely haven. (Thanks to Chris Carney for the link.)
• Mmm, meatloaf cupcakes.

• (Yuck.)
• "Socially moderate but fiscally conservative"? Mythical beast.
• The message of Dorothy Rabinowitz' chilling WSJ piece seems to be: liberal multiculturalism kills. (Thanks to reader Eric Van dyken for the link.)
• Let's play Name That Political Party again. Which party is a Kansas lawmaker who proposes that all newborns in the state be given DNA tests to determine paternity? I know, I know. "Too easy." (Thanks to Dawn Lewis.)
• I love my readers. I don't want to lose any of you. So please, please, please — don't try to go all Matrix on me:

• And don't do this, either.
• No wonder I'm tired. Sam Knisely found an article titled All the Digital Data In the World Is Equivalent to One Human Brain.
• Are you the sort who can't get enough of super-slo-mo, even if it's utterly inconsequential? Then reader Yurie Hwang found just the thing for you.
• I'll bet this was an interesting wedding:

• Massive bacon fans will thank Laura Kellher for this link to the "best" bacon reviews.
• Finally: it would have been cruel to Brad Williams (and others) to put this first, so here it is at the end. (Refresh the page if the picture doesn't do anything.)

• Leading to...

Ephesians 1:3 — a few thoughts

My daily reading had me in Ephesians 1, a familiar and favorite passage. It seemed a good idea to share just a few thoughts with you from verse 3 —

Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ

Blessed! the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ.... [DJP]

Thought the first: the threefold repetition of different words for "bless(ing)" should caution us against always assuming that every word has exactly the same meaning every time it's used. Here, the same author in the same breath uses the word in two senses. When applied to us (the second two uses) it means something like "to bestow a boon"; when applied to God, it means something like "to give praise and glory for bestowing boons."

Thought the second: every one of these blessings are the possession of every last genuine Christian, with no further distinction. Unlike Pentecostals and Deeper-Lifers, Paul never envisions a two-tier Christianity. To him, there are only two tiers, period: in Christ, outside of Christ. In Christ, one possesses every one of the spiritual blessings of which he speaks.

(I develop this a bit more in The World-Tilting Gospel. < /shameless plug >)

Thought the third: the blessings are expressly said to be spiritual. Paul knows full well that God has not, in this life, blessed us with every worldly blessing. Far from it (1 Corinthians 1:26-28).

But it is clear that the apostle's perspective is that, in being blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, our lot is far better from those who have been blessed with every worldly blessing outside of Christ.

Thought the fourth: note that Paul goes on to detail what he means by "every spiritual blessing." He means election, adoption, redemption, predestination. Those who kick at those Biblical truths are kicking at God's richest provisions for all His children.

Thought the fifth: Paul is, as we see in chapters 5 and 6, writing to husbands, wives, slaves, slave-owners, and children. And what does he write about, in writing to these people? Spiritual truths in the heavenlies. To be specific, he writes to children, to slaves, to ill-educated commoners, about election and predestination and God's plan for the ages. There is no sign that he would have had any patience with those who hold back those truths as too advanced, meaty, or deep for common Christians.

Thought the sixth: this blessed truth, which drives Paul to praise, is true of you and me if we are in Christ, period, without further qualification. If you are out of work, all this is true of you.  If you are in a rough marriage, all this is true of you. If you are in poor health, all this is true of you. If your kids are breaking your hearts, all this is true of you. Nothing on earth can alter or affect this truth.

But only if you are in Christ.

Are you?

If so... blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Two crucial hermeneutic principles

Carrying on from yesterday's meta:

1. "Jesus" is not God's way of saying "I can fudge on My promises and covenants" — to say the least.
2. "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory" (2 Corinthians 1:20) is not a Biblely way of saying that "all the promises of God find their Fooled ya! in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Ah! ya got me! to God for his glory."

Sometimes a squirrel is a squirrel.

Discuss.

Walter Kaiser's take on Egypt

"World-class" (as they say) OT scholar Walter Kaiser is not known as a "newspaper-clipping exegesis" kind of guy. So it interests me to see him find a number of contemporary fulfillments of Biblical prophecy in Egypt, and he comments on the current situation.

I offer it for your edification, puzzlement, musing, discussion.

Saturday Night Live - "British Movie"

Saturday Night Live - British Movie - Video - NBC.com

I love Brits, and I love British movies... but even I, Anglophile that I am, get stumped at the dialogue sometimes.

Monday music: "Loch Lomond," Off Kilter

I absolutely stumbled onto this, doing (believe it or not) a bit of double-checking for The World-Tilting Gospel. A kilt-wearing Celtic rock group. What's not to love?

Hither and thither 2/11/11

Welcome, Dear Readers. You made it to Friday!

This is a big date for me; in fact, it marks the most pivotal day in my life. Thirty-eight years ago today, the work of the Holy Spirit on my heart culminated in my confessing my need of Jesus Christ, and imploring Him to be my Savior and Lord. To God be all glory for the plan laid in eternity past, accomplished by the Lord Jesus, and applied to me by the Holy Spirit, and for His faithful, patient forbearance with me since.

Back to hithery eclecticity. To help you make it all the way to the weekend — always keeping in mind the perennials — I give you this:

• We had fun watching the Super Bowl, our one (1) football game per year. Don't know why this reminds me of that:

• Actually, I totally do.
• And then there's this:

• This is cute enough to be worth a glance: 10 things Star Wars has taught me about running a fascist dictatorship.
• Hoo-boy, speaking at least as a guy, the new X-men trailer looks very cool indeed.
• Smoothly segueing to a cool find from Fred Butler: an animation of the growth of the international space station. Some of those look pretty nasty. [Oops.]
• In a sadder development (?), Fred also can tell you about sixteen sodas you'll never drink again. If you ask him. Some of those look pretty nasty. [There.]
• Some of you will really think this is funny.

• Courtesy of reader Aaron G, here is a timely warning as the warmer months approach. Don't trust your GPS for off-road travel. This isn't the first set of sad stories I've read.
• Same topic, abrupt mood-change from sad to funny. Reader Robert Sakovich reminds us of a very funny GPS-themed insurance commercial.
• I know he's not perfect, but would you like to hear a politician talking straight, face to face with an opponent? Sad thing is, you probably know exactly who I mean before I say it, because he's such a rare breed. Governor Chris Christie explains to a police officer why he's not going to get paid what he wants. Or, again, here Christie takes off after the inactivity and "nothin' but hot air and two-page press releases with bullet points" of the NJ Senate.
• A social psychologist calls out the crushing lack of ideological diversity among social psychologists. Look for nothing to change.
• As 2012 presidential season approaches, don't let Morphin' Mitt fool you about Morphin' Mitt.
• "Religion of Peace" notes. First, Susan notes that Britain's PM David Cameron has had about enough of the advantage state multiculturalism has given to Islamicists. He was joined by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who said that multiculturalism has failed. But don't think of that as an "over there" problem. An "honor killing" trial is nearing its conclusion way in Arizona.
• Now: guess which state senate passed a resolution honoring someone who has been called an "Islamist cult leader" who incites to violence? Massachusetts? California? Washington? Delaware?
• Nope, nope, nope. How 'bout Texas?
• Win-cake!

• Paula found a chart illustrating Obama's (self-)vaunted "budget cuts." Bring a microscope.
• Blast from the past: my boys and I were chuckling about this one, so I looked it up. From June of last year, I quote me: "...look, this is just hysterical, but it does feature one crude phrase — which, if you follow the news, you know the President used recently. I hesitated, but my Dear Wife said it was a must. Warned enough? Perfect. Here you go."
• For you who like the occasional family pix: here's Josiah and Timothe, chillin' at dinnertime.

• On the subject of Josiah, I had the great joy of baptizing him as a believer last Sunday. His testimony gave glory to God. It was a blessing.
• Reader Chris noted a piece suggesting that the Obama administration is sitting on the latest abortion statistics, which often play a part in the debate over policy.
• In happier news, Ohio State Representative Lynn R. Wachtmann is crafting a bill to outlaw abortion after the child's heart begins to beat. Since this milestone occurs as soon as 18 days after conception, it would amount to a ban on abortion. But I love the way Wachtmann is framing the debate. Legislators will have to vote for or against stopping a beating heart; and maybe the public will be educated.
• Oh, by the way, in case someone has wandered by still clinging to the belief that "there's not a dime's worth of difference between the parties" — guess the party of Rep. Wachtmann. You know, don't you? Of course you do.
• Here's a bit more about the cute little guy in the Volkswagen Darth Vader commercial. Turns out the youngster has a heart disease.
• You think Darth Vader "sucks"? He thinks you suck.

• As do other things.

• Kerry Garrett found a little spot on a kinetic sculptor who built some very creative "animals" — and gives a tip of the hat to the Creator of creators.
• A number of readers (I think tobekiwi was the first) alerted me to: Romanism? There's an app for that!
• Reader Ody Fabregas notes that it's Bishop-approved! Yet on the other hand, Martin van Dooremalen learned that it is Vatican-disapproved. Wow, battling papists. I guess the Vatican trumps a Bishop, though, right? I'm unclear on the rules.
• Praise God for not having to know them.
• Until next Friday... here's looking at you.

• Plus a bumper-crop of these: