Friday, August 03, 2012

Hither and thither 8/3/2012

Folks, been working on this for a while but may not be able to do my usual morning updates. Helping a longtime reader of the blog who has done the smart thing and moved to Texas. We'll see.

Hercules-boy says, "Spank me? I don't think so."

  • Am I the only one who worries that, when those Olympic gymnast females throw their big "ta-daaa" stance at the end of their routines, they're going to snap their spines right in two?
  • The biggest book news of the week is the review of God's Wisdom in Proverbs by Professor Jim Hamilton, published in Themelios. I used to read Themelios when I attended Talbot in the early 1980s, particularly loving the book reviews. No clue that one day, one of my books would be reviewed, and so graciously, and by such a prodigious writer and sound, solid scholar.
  • Oh dear. A Things That Should Not Need to be Said update. Man texts "I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident" — and then drives off of a cliff.
  • All regular readers know how much I like prissy male writers. Which is to say, not at all. And sitting atop that dainty pile is, of course, George Will. But I'm always ready to admit: when he's right, he's right. As he is when he stands athwart the MSM's constant attempt to portray the Tea Party as feeble, failed, and fading. Wrong. Will correctly observes that Ted Cruz' victory in the Texas runoff is "the most impressive triumph yet for the still-strengthening Tea Party impulse."
  • This might give Dear Wife ideas.
  • It is an odd thing about Texas houses vs. Sacramento houses. Much larger houses for less money... and much less storage. Odd, eh?
  • You've heard about the Mississippi Baptist church that would not allow a black couple to wed in their building. Now read Russell Moore's excellent comments thereon. We all of us want win-win situations. But sometimes, you really need a lose-win situation.
  • I See Dead Flies alert: BugASalt. Very cool. (Kerry Allen)
  • Chop-sticks are kinda hard. These might help.
  • Well, Duh! Alert: guess what city tops Forbes' list of America's coolest cities? Go on, guess. Hint: "cool" has nothing to do with the thermometer. That's important.
  • Give up? It's Houston, of course. Come join us. I've got a pew with room for you. For now.
  • Mom, Why Can't I Get a Job? update: because you were perfecting this trick instead of a marketable skill? (Still fun, though. Thx Jeremiah Halstead.)
  • Similarly:
  • By the way and very randomly: a mixed review of the Proverbs book by a good, earnest brother strenuously objects to my use of that phrase.
  • Blacks, Obama, values and the MSM. When I skimmed this article about Chick-fil-A on the first,  here's what stood out: "Now, I hate to bring this up.  But I thought, Where are the black people?  Ninety-nine percent of the crowd was white or Hispanic.  There is a local black church with a huge congregation in my community.  Where were they?  Black folks do not support same-sex marriage. So why were they not standing in solidarity at Chick-fil-A?" As I say, that stood out, but I thought "Yeah, yeah, white people have been saying that for a long, long time. What I didn't realize was that the author, Lloyd Marcus, was black. Until...
  • I read this article today, about how a long-sought opportunity to talk with his dear dad opened both of their eyes to what is going on, to the source of the disconnect. Will this happen a lot, enough, in time to make any difference? We can hope and pray.
  • Are you an introvert? Thanks to Trevin Wax, I came on two good articles by Thom Rainer. The first is titled The Introverted Leader, and the second is Eight Things to Help You Understand Introverts.
  • Then there's this guitar that can only be played by using the force.
  • Coming Robot Overlords Update: dirty floor? Let the Evolution Robotics Mint Plus Automatic Hard Floor Cleaner, 5200 clean it. And then, when it's through with your floor... it will take over the world!
  • Coffee: It's A Health Food update: some relief for Parkinson's? Very cool.
  • Hunh. Bacon rock. (Blaine Moore)
  • I leave you to wonder how much cooler the Olympics might have been if cats had been allowed to compete:

  • And then, these.









22 comments:

Robert said...

Wow...that guy thought you were too hard on people in GWiP? I really enjoyed it and think that sometimes people need to hear the blunt truth instead of being coddled. The world coddles people way too much and people need to be shaken from that.

FX Turk said...

Just to prove I was here. The Cat running up the wall was stellar; the dog on the railings a racist slur.

That is all.

Andrew Lindsey said...

I tried to post a comment on Krol's blog, but the sign in process dissuaded me.

I'm sure all our writing can stand a second look to make sure that we are being appropriately gracious, but I think that his critique of your "style" in GWIP is off-the-mark because part of what you do is rather imitate the style of the Wise author of Proverbs. (IOW: I wonder what Krol would have said if *you* had originated the "gold ring in a pig's snout" phrase, etc.)

Also, I personally think in a work reflecting on a book originally written in Hebrew, 'the more examination of Hebrew the better.'

Mark said...

re: Lloyd Marcus American Thinker article
Is it really that simple? Have they just not heard? Or do they just have their heads in the sand regarding Mr. Obama? Ignore his failings & differences w/God and vote for him 'cause he's the same skin color?

Marla said...

Re: George Will. I've often been puzzled by his lack of back bone on important issues, but after reading his essay about his oldest son's birthday earlier this year (His oldest son has Down's Syndrome and the essay marked his 40th birthday), I think we have more insight as to his character.

Will is an agnostic in a profession of grumpy skeptics (at best). I think it is amazing he is even conservative at all. I think he spends much of his time depressed. He needs to meet the Savior.

Otherwise, good H-T :)

Merrilee Stevenson said...

I'm usually up to my tonsils in things to do on Fridays, but just wanted to remind you that I love this place. Thanks for the Hither and the Thither and everything in between.

The Blainemonster said...

Bug-A-Salt FTW!!!

lee n. field said...

Introverts: You might want to look at Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam McHugh. (It's "mixed" in quality. The guy's a PCUSA pastor, and I don't care for where he goes with (for one example) worship. There is good useful stuff in there.)

Wendy said...

Yay! This is the first website I got to visit since getting the Internet at my new house. Without H&T, I might have had to do something dull, like paying bills :)

Herding Grasshoppers said...

Re Gymnast/ta-daa/spine... YES! I want to see them curl the other way, for an equal amount of time. A great many of them at my high school (a gymnastics power-house) seemed to walk around like that all day. Yikes.

Whoa. Where did you find Hercules boy? Must inspire the grasshoppers...

LOVE the stair storage!

Heart-wrenching article by Lloyd Marcus, about the discussion with his dad. Wish more conversations like that were happening.

Happy Friday,

Julie G

SolaMommy said...

I really want a Bug-A-Salt. For serious. Especially if it works on giant spiders and centipedes.

DJP said...

Andrew, the gent emailed me personally about that, and I very much appreciated his concern and spirit, and take it to heart.

But I will confess: it isn't the first time someone's complained because in my books, when writing about the Hebrew OT and the Greek NT, I refer to Hebrew and Greek. The complaint is seldom or never that it isn't germane, it isn't relevant, or that I don't break down what I'm saying simply enough. It's just that I do it at all.

I've just never understood that one.

Scot said...

A velociraptor riding a shark? That level of awesome can barely be contained, even by the Internet. My Friday is now complete.

DJP said...

Glad you said so; I do love that picture. (c:

Stephen said...

That last graphic is inaccurate. You don't get goose eggs from chickens, silly.

Andrea said...

The American Thinker articles were interesting. I admire Mr. Lloyd Marcus for taking advantage of a teachable moment. At least for someone who really does believe in the Bible, such moments are possible. For non-believers of any heritage, there seems no way to even cause those hardened hearts to vibrate.

I keep a pretty diverse list of "friends" on facebook, and sadly even many members of my family consider Chick-fil-a and anyone who associates with them to be "haters." The insinuation that Chick-fil-a has been "discriminating" against homosexuals is almost ubiquitous on some walls. In vain does one point out that disagreement with a belief or action is not the same thing as hate.

As to the alleged "discrimination," I notice that nobody has yet posted any actual evidence or even accusation of any specific case of a person being refused a job, a meal, or even the (generally acknowledged) excellent service at Chick-fil-a for "being gay" or supporting homosexuality.

Oh, some note that the company gives money to pollitical efforts to oppose gay marriage or to Exodus International (which as far as I know does not coerce people to repent but helps people who already believe that they need help)
...or that gay employees of the company have been told not to talk to the press about it (interesting, they don't just fire them?)
...or (sadly and most believably) that gay Chick-fil-a employees endure insulting language from both sides along with assumptions of their personal stances on the situation.

But as for genuine (whether systemic or isolated) instances of firing, not hiring, or refusing goods or services? If such instances exist, they are being kept remarkably quiet. In fact, given the public mood of "gay rights" supporters, I'm pretty sure that if any of them had even the slightest credible evidence, they would be loudly sounding it throughout the media.

In fact, I am trying hard not to indulge the cynicism that says "just wait, someone will blow up or trump up just that sort of evidence soon enough..."

JG said...

I AM an introvert and I will definitely be reading those articles you linked to. Funny, apparently the subject is in vogue right now, I've had several conversations regarding people's "discoveries" about introverts. They say that only 1 in 4 people are introverted. I'm a stranger in a strange land.

Re: that Lloyd Marcus article - I think it's entirely possible people just flat don't know. I had a conversation with a friend of mine the other night about my intense (I confess) hatred for TSA (and don't you know I miss Phil's links and commentary to that effect) and she laughed and said she didn't understand it. I briefly recounted some of the more horrific experiences I've heard of through the media or from acquaintances. She was shocked. She'd never heard that a pat-down got more invasive than a casual pat on the back. She doesn't seek out that information. Most people don't. So yes, I fully believe the disconnect is just that people don't know what they don't know.

Sonja said...

This comment, while very much enjoying H&T as always, is inspired by proof that I'm not a robot. SALT! And a "14". I would think that 14 salt crystals would do in a fly, but then I would be denying the cats so much fun.

The kids chasing Mr. Dot all but did me in.

Dorothy said...

Anything you post with cats is always appreciated (well, that you put this together is in itself appreciated, but the cats are extra appreciated).
I think I should send the articles on introverts to all the people who think I don't talk enough and that I don't socialize enough.
I'm very happy to hear about the review of the Proverbs book in Themelios.

Ken Abbott said...

Velociraptors riding sharks is almost as cool as tyrannosaurs in F-16s.

Ken Abbott said...

Excuse me: F-14s. Although why it would make a difference is beyond me...

Jeremiah Greenwell said...

You can know you are clueless concerning introverts if this has ever happened to you:

*You see someone sitting in a corner with a book/kindle (could also apply to computers, games, etc.)*

"What are you reading?"

He stares at you, "A book."

There's a long pause while you continue staring as he obviously tries to ignore you and keep reading.

"What book?"

"It's called this."

"Oh, ok; is it interesting."

"Yes."

If it ends there; congratulations! You are perhaps more discerning than 80% of the population.