Wednesday, February 19, 2003

testing . . testing . . did I fix my template problem?

whoa . . . 1,100 people are going to be laid off from Boise's Micron plant. The number is mind-boggling.

Tuesday, February 18, 2003

It's an all-baseball day apparently . . .

Okay, can we drop the Jeter/Steinbrenner thing now? Puh-leez?

From SportingNews.com:
"The Red Sox had better not mess around and let Pedro Martinez walk as a free agent. They already let future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens walk, and to letting Martinez go would be a crime."

Very well put. I know this, this guy quoted knew it--everyone in America knows it. Question: do the Sox know it? If they let Pedro go (maybe a larger crime than letting Clemens go) it'll prove that The Curse actually exists.

34 days to go . . . .

Monday, February 17, 2003

Finally saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding today . . . can't remember the last time I laughed so hard or so long. Two fully opposable thumbs up, way up.

Hail Lincoln, Full of Grace
"Celebrating Lincoln's birthday requires honesty - that Honest Abe was a real jerk" So says Jamey Bennett--I suspect he may be right.

Hey--Phil's still alive! Welcome back Brain Bullets!

Friday, February 14, 2003

As it's Valentine's Day, I feel obligated to say something. 7 Years and 1 day ago, I was engaged to the most wonderful woman I've ever met. 6 months later we were married, and it's been a great 6.5 years.
Not so great that I can say, "I wouldn't change a thing." There's quite a few things I'd change--I'd be more holy, or at least more consistent in my Christian walk; I'd say/do less stupid things, I'd have her say say/do less stupid things, etc. The one thing I wouldn't change is we've been together for all the less-than-holy, stupid stuff.

It's been Cold Week here--not that it's incredibly chilly outside, but everyone's sick. No energy for blogging, reading much, etc.

Saturday, February 08, 2003

wow, this is a red-letter day. It's 5:40 pm and it's the first time I've logged onto the internet . . . can't remember the last day such an event happened.

Friday, February 07, 2003

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that we're at Threat Level Orange, after Powell's little Power Point Presentation at the UN, but it still does make you a little nervous. Not about life in Nampa, ID, of course, but nervous for those living in bigger-target areas . . .

I don't know if you, dear reader, have seen this "Rice for Peace" protest thing or not, but
The e-mail starts out like this:
There is a grassroots campaign underway to protest war in Iraq in a simple,
but potentially powerful way.

Place 1 cup uncooked rice in a small plastic bag (a snack-size bag or
sandwich bag works fine). Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Wrap it
in a piece of paper on which you have written, "If your enemies are hungry,
feed them." Romans 12:20. "Please send this rice to the people of Iraq; do
not attack them." (If you are of a different faith than Christian,
substitute a statement from your own faith tradition.) Place the paper and
bag of rice in an envelope (either a letter-sized or padded mailing envelope
- both are the same cost to mail) and address them to:

President George Bush
White House,

and then goes on to give the history of this protest available at the above link.

Here's the e-mail I've been sending out:

I've received e-mails on this often enough that I've come up with a canned response, hope you don't mind.

1. The whole "it stopped a war with China" aspect is patently false. See http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/rice.asp for proof of that. But as we're in a post-modern world and we can't be bothered to let pesky things like facts interfere with how we make decisions . . . emoting is much better suited for such things.

2. I am personally disgusted with the idea that you just "insert your own faith tradition here." This is based on the ridiculous notion that all religions are basically the same and interchangeable, so you can just throw in a quote in from any "holy book" and you'll be okay. What flummery.

3. Let's stick with the Christian "faith tradition" (a phrase watered down for those who can't handle the word "religion"), as that's the default value. So, we're told to quote Romans 12:20, which is a part of Paul's teaching on applying his teaching to our individual lives. Please note that this is not a direction for States to follow, but individual Christians. Moreover, in context we see that Rom. 12:20 is a set-up to Paul's instructions on how to deal with the Government. Feed your enemies, because vengeance is God's (v. 19), so don't do evil, but good (v. 21). We do good in part by being subject to the government that God has ordained to govern us (13:1). One way the government governs is through the sword given to them by God (v. 3-4). And God gave the sword for the State to act as God's Avenger--wielding the sword--in other words, this passage disproves this doctrine of pacifism very quickly and handily.

Now personally, I am not presently in favor of this war--I think it'd be a good thing for Iraq to be rid of Hussein and WMD, but as a Christian who both knows the Biblical requirements for War (summarized in the Augustinian & Thomistic teachings on Just War) and someone who things that the Bible's teaching should actually matter, I'll oppose this particular war on those grounds, NOT on lousy abusing the text like this . . .

Thursday, February 06, 2003

Uh-oh, has our love affair with LoTR gone too far?

Wednesday, February 05, 2003

I think I just set my personal record for hyperlinks in a single post.

Whoo-hoo!

I cannot believe the news that Derek Webb's new album, She Must and Shall Go Free is not going to be sold in several "Christian bookstores." Derek, is best known as a member of Caedmon's Call--one of my favorite bands.

So why, oh why, is this album going to be banned? It apparently uses--in two whole songs--a nasty word. And therefore, should not be heard by Christians. The word in question? Whore. Why would a nice Christian guy like Webb want to use such a word? Well the album is about the Church, and the songs were inspired by a series of sermons his pastor did on Ezekiel. Where God calls his church the "w-word."

Ugh. How utterly and totally asinine.

No wonder the TNIV has a market.

Tuesday, February 04, 2003

from from Calvin's commentary on Is. 42:1:

"Behold my servant." The Prophet appears to break off abruptly to speak of Christ, but we ought to remember what we mentioned formerly in expounding another passage, (Isaiah 7:14,) that the prophets, when they promise anything hard to be believed, are wont immediately afterwards to mention Christ; for in him are ratified all the promises which would otherwise have been doubtful and uncertain. “In Christ,” says Paul, “is Yea and Amen.” (2 Corinthians 1:20.) For what intercourse can we have with God, unless the Mediator come between us? We undoubtedly are too far alienated from his majesty, and therefore could not be partakers either of salvation or of any other blessing, but through the kindness of Christ.