I notices recently that I had finished Speaking with the Angel and hadn't thrown it up on the left. The book is a collection of short stories by, as far as I can tell, writers who Nick Hornby knew in some way. The collection was designed to be a fund raiser for special schools for children with autism, of which the editor's son is one. Child that is, not a school. Hornby wrote a quite poignant introduction about dealing with his son's autism and the school he helped establish. It made me feel guilty that I picked up the book on a remainder shelf for two bucks. On the other hand, many of the stories weren't all that good, not to mention especially inappropriate for children, if you get my gist. One exception is a story called, of all things, "Nipple Jesus". Easily the best story I've read about contemporary art and artists and their relation to society at large.

I'll give y'all my review of Baudolino now: it's a good book. You should read it.

Just kidding. Despite the unfamiliarity of the setting (southern europe c 1200), this is certainly Eco's lightest novel to date, though in his cas that's not saying much. The story does meander a bit, manages to fuse a few different genres (whodunnit coming pretty late in the story), but always provides marvelous descriptions and asides which, for my money, are what make his books worthwhile, though of course in this case I din' actually pay for the book. My readers here may be interested in the fact that quite a bit of the book is about religious variety and heresy (the term "monstrous heretic" certainly now has new meaning to me). If you've read Eco's earlier stuff and wished that he'd stayed lighted and funnier, this may be the book from you. It did, though, lack a certain, umm, (forgive me) gravitas his other novels had. Hope that gives you something to go on. If you read it, feel free to send me your thoughts. Given that it's Eco, I'm sure I missed about half of what he said.

Unbelievable new LOTR trailer if you haven't seen it yet.

Just one more thing. I learned last week that "America's Number One Theologian", Stan Hauerwas, will be in a small group study led by one of my friends. We were just imagining it: "So, Stan, what does this verse mean to you?"

But on a more serious note, Lenise and I are looking very seriously at a short mission trip next spring or summer, so if you are reading this, we may be hitting you up for a donation. The trip we are looking at is to lead English discussion groups in Ukraine with a focus on the bible as a discussion topic. If you'd like to learn more about it, just pop me an email and I'll tell you what I can.

If you aren't into art history, don't bother watching this movie. (Again flash file alert, plus a bog hairy spider to keep my wife away.)

I just stole this from AKMA (and edited some of the references), but I thought someone might enjoy it here who didn't read it there:

When someone who blogs regularly stops for a few days, I always wonder what the best thing to do is. If you write and say, where are you? you might be bugging someone who just wants a break and doesn't want to feel pressured to write all the time. If you don't say anything, then someone who is deathly ill or who is feeling unloved might think that noone cares. I wonder if it might be good to establish a little e-postcard checklist that could be sent out to someone who has lapsed a bit, just to ease (or alarm) the minds of the rest and to clarify the situation to everyone's benefit. It might
include some of the following:

I have not been blogging recently because:

I am really sick and can't even focus to see the keyboard.
Please leave me alone.
Please send flowers and lots of email.

My inlaws/old college roommates/IRS auditors are here.
Please leave me alone.
Please distract me with lots of email.

My dog/cat died.
Please leave me alone.
Please send flowers and lots of email.

I am having a nervous breakdown.
Please leave me alone.
Please send flowers and lots of email.

I have lost my internet connection.
Please send money.
It's pointless--I can't even get this email.

I have lost my job/spouse/house/lover/therapist.
Please leave me alone.
Please send money/spouse/house/lover/therapist.

I hate blogging this week and never want to blog again.
Please leave me alone.
Please blog why I am right.
Please blog why I am wrong.

I had a birthday/anniversary/blogging anniversary/great blog entry/conference and no one noticed/came.
Please leave me alone.
Please call me on the phone, everyone.
Please send chocolate.

No one understands me anyway.
Please leave me alone.
Please just pretend I'm Chris Locke and don't try to understand me.
Please just pretend you understand me and leave clever comments.

I think I'm a manic/depressive blogger. Sometimes I'm real excited about blogging and sharing things I've seen/found/read, and then other times I feel like there's no point and my life is boring and no one cares. Do I need a blog therapist?

If this doesn't make you hungry for soy sauce, I don't know what will. (warning: flash file might take a while to download on slower connections)

Honey, can we get a guard dragon?? Please, please???

Great movie lines (for Jon Barlow):

"You can't count the one in South Bend. He died of pneumonia."

"He wouldn't have died of pneumonia if I hadn't shot him."

O Fortuna, as Carl might put it. I just found a copy of Baudolino at, of all places, the Mebane public library. For those who don't know, I tend to mortgage the house to buy a book rather than check one out of a taxpayer funded library. Just finding this book there at all shocked me so much that I broke my rule. (Actually I just have so many unread books at home that the pressure of returning one to the library seems too onerous.)

What box do you get put in?
brought to you by Quizilla

I generally don't post these, but this seemed to ring a bit more true than most.

In other news, I just finished Luke Timothy Johnson's book on the NT. Thought it was just terrific. The sections on Mark, John, and Titus were especially provocative or me. I'm really looking forward to sharing some of the stuff I've been learning next summer in SS, but I'm a bit nervous as well. Haven't taught SS in about 7 years now. I hope that as long as I enjoy the material, I can make someone else at least mildly interested.

We just saw The Comedian. In that spirit, I'll let you in on the funny license plate I saw today: AHOY M8E

You can use that on 'talk like a pirate day.'

A little about where we live (from you know what):


mebane is a retired no (?)
mebane is entering his third season as an assistant women's basketball coach with the lady pirates and sixth year with hampton university basketball
mebane is currently the center for global business education and research executive in residence for 2001
mebane is ready to pass the baton
mebane is less traffic than rockville
mebane is growing three times faster than the rest of alamance county and has more than doubled in the last 20 years
mebane is part of a five (remember that the next time you want to build a 5)
mebane is the leading domestic supplier to many major multinational companies in these market segments
mebane is the largest us supplier to multinational drug companies and is exceptionally well positioned for growth in packaging demand related to new drug
mebane is a dobe mix
mebane is approximately 4754
mebane is often seen chasing down ball carriers 20 yards down the field
mebane is a big time talent
mebane is to the westminster kennel club (I guess that means we're all on vacation)
mebane is located in alamance county just east of burlington along highway 70 near the eno river
mebane is the home of several mills and beautiful golf courses
mebane is not recorded to have had any contact with the di (before OR after her death)
mebane is his masterpiece (I like to think so)
mebane is located in two counties
mebane is a great place to live
mebane is the 9 (can't make a 5 without a 9 I always say)
mebane is no further than 50 miles from any of these cities
mebane is a lifetime resident of washington
mebane is a popular relocation city because it is convenient to both the triangle
mebane is a k (can't spell 5 without a k)
mebane is about an hour west of raleigh
mebane is located between greensboro (making it greensmebaneboro)
mebane is very close and it has good roadways into the triangle
mebane is in part explained by their accessibility to interstate 40
mebane is a small town
mebane is just down the interstate from oxford
mebane is located in the research triangle area of north carolina
mebane is located (we sure are)
mebane is a middle school that serves students in grades 6 (what about 5 and 9???)
mebane is situated at the crossroads between the research triangle park and the triad area of greensboro
mebane is a manufacturer of custom folding cartons
mebane is centrally located between raleigh and greensboro
mebane is in the business of manufacturing textile products and engaged the debtor to dye and finish its fabrics (will be married to the debtor soon)
mebane is made evident by the 300 students who voluntarily enroll in his courses each year
mebane is a chartered financial analyst who holds ba and mba degrees from the university of north carolina at chapel hill
mebane is a professional wedding consultant in austin texas and a member of the association of certified wedding consultants
mebane is associate professor of government at cornell university
mebane is in second place with 4 points (and 4 and 5 make 9, right?)
mebane is pulling together comprehensive packaging redesign programs for their major accounts
mebane is running for a newly created house seat in alamance county (all of us in one seat--good thing we're skinny)
mebane is in the 919 area code
mebane is a small
mebane is cooking on a little hot plate and has a little toaster
mebane is also undergoing growth pressures and coordinated planning is necessary to develop appropriate urban
mebane is the home of the mebane royall company which manufacturers a nationally
mebane is founded as north carolina begins mass (NC--the Catholic State)
mebane is married to his wife of twenty years
mebane is always a great choice (!)
mebane is a community
mebane is a leading domestic supplier to major multinational companies in those market segments and also participates in markets for high (who ISN'T in the market for high)
mebane is good on the ideological beginnings of the british "empire" in his discussion of drake
mebane is close to chapel hill
mebane is on i (it's the little dot)
mebane is a romantic
mebane is hosting wimbledon next year (good excuse for you to come visit)
mebane is quick to add that the online course will never completely replace the current summer institute
mebane is my husband
mebane is a city partly in alamance county and partly in orange county north carolina
mebane is the senior vice (amen to that)

I think I should use my googlisms for my title, don't you?

I just noticed that Jack Chick got mentioned in a blurb on The Onion this week. It's down towards the bottom.

And one more thing. I think we should all beg our local theaters to show this movie. Looks terrific.

Also, in case you didn't see this on jon barlow's site, here's a great story.

But maybe this is more fun:

baxter is in talks to settle tainted
baxter is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer
baxter is the only supplier that has increased the number of rfviii units into the north
baxter is to pay 12 percent of the manufacturers' share
baxter is taking this for a song
baxter is scottish
baxter is y
baxter is een internationale organisatie op het gebied van medische producten en diensten en is een leider in technologieлn gerelateerd aan bloed en
baxter is not responsible for the content of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site
baxter is a community built on the pride of generations of rural iowa families
baxter is provided by an elected mayor and city council
baxter is a place to listen
baxter is the author of four short story collections
baxter is among the top 3 realtors in brockton
baxter is making a habit out of collecting most outstanding player honors in ncaa regionals and helping his team reach the final four
baxter is located in a beautiful section on the western end of putnam county
baxter is the snack bar with its informal and "authentic williams" atmosphere
baxter is thinking over his next move as he faces the prospect of being banned from
baxter is to appeal against the international olympic committee's decision to strip him of his
baxter is 'definitely motivated right now
baxter is a complex cross of wheats including cook
baxter is constantly investing in its business in order to continue its development into the future
baxter is a leading developer and manufacturer of products and therapies used in transfusion medicine
baxter is preparing to take on amgen
baxter is being supported by the british ski and snowboard federation and the british olympic association in his appeal
baxter is to lodge an appeal in an attempt to clear his name of using a performance
baxter is the owner and trainer of harness race horses
baxter is a _skinnable_ irc client for the beos
baxter is taking basic sf ideas and rebuilding them based on current science
baxter is recognized as a global leader in developing
baxter is out to convince you that the
baxter is like the antichrist compared to the american sentimentality of dogs
baxter is the neighborhood that comes to mind as the quintessential american neighborhood
baxter is the epitome of a traditional neighborhood
baxter is determined to make shredder and krang pay for turning him into a hideously deformed mutant and to get his revenge on everybody in the whole wide world
baxter is set to appeal against the international olympic
baxter is a british writer of what some call hard sf
baxter is prepared to act as a single joint expert
baxter is at the epicenter of a furious dispute at the university of notre dame
baxter is representative
baxter is currently completing a manufacturing plant in neuchatel
baxter is expecting to release additional product in may of 2000
baxter is developing into a real horticultural hotspot
baxter is a cute 4 yr old spayed orange and white male brittany
baxter is the wide
baxter is a member of the american society of the order of st
baxter is unmissable
baxter is the industry leader in needle
baxter is british
baxter is a french horror film about an amoral
baxter is set to take his battle for the return of his olympic bronze medal to the european court
baxter is katahdin
baxter is a powerful communicator who relates well with his students
baxter is definitely the king of the castle
baxter is three years old and is a chihuahua
baxter is one of the great rock and roll guitar players
baxter is 25
baxter is one of the world's leading suppliers of biopharmaceuticals
baxter is a true visionary
baxter is standing in a forest of rich flora and fauna
baxter is providing a training kit to help you become comfortable with the use of the baxject device
baxter is doing great
baxter is a quadroon
baxter is on track to continue its extraordinary performance in providing comprehensive services and applications that enable users of prophet by baxter? to
baxter is a fairly new group
baxter is inevitably dated
baxter is not a bad person
baxter is a very good dog
baxter is a definite nba player
baxter is gone
baxter is not afraid of the conspiracies of abuse and narratives of confession
baxter is spreading his wings
baxter is one of the world's most highly acclaimed painters of golf landscapes
baxter is very difficult to handle
baxter is no longer the first british skier to win an olympic medal
baxter is a 10

My selection from googlism:
paul is dead' clues
paul is dead hoax
paul is leaving
paul is arrested in the temple
paul is not dead
paul is live withdrawn issue
paul is beheaded
paul is our savior
paul is live by paul mccartney music at cd universe
paul is a good host city for the
paul is "good to go"
paul is dead'
paul is dead" myth
paul is
paul is at best lukewarm about the usa patriot act
paul is born
paul is dead ii
paul is dead
paul is dead' hoax
paul is dead" story
paul is dead the rumors of the death of paul mccartney www
paul is dead" myth has generated more rumors and speculation for the
paul is walking with his eyes closed
paul is dead select
paul is dead story lives once more
paul is dead guide picks
paul is dead rumors
paul is dead hoax by john t
paul is dead supposedly paul mccartney
paul is dead introduction
paul is dead?
paul is live _______________an interactive drama about a dead rock star makes a long
paul is 'pop billionaire' sir paul is laughing all the way to the bank sir paul mccartney has been named britain's first
paul is dead" von hendrik handloegten
paul is dead" rumor
paul is arrested in the temple acts 21
paul is live released
paul is live sampler cd
paul is in prison
paul is live
paul is dead' legend ever since
paul is dead" mania
paul is live by paul mccartney information
paul is a good host city for the league of historic american theatres 2002 conference
paul is dead' is the message one hears if you play the final lyrics of "i'm so tired" from the beatles' white album
paul is "good to go" by reno kling
paul is dead"
paul is dead" myth the following
paul is dead page
paul is dead clues
paul is live in cleveland

WOW! Just noticed something very cool. Everyone can now, through the magic of the internet (and MP3 technology) listen to the my favorite pastors. Just hop over to the church site and click on the "audio" link at the top right. You can save the files or listen to them online. I knew some of my fellow deacons (or maybe just Mike Lunday) had been working on it, but hadn't noticed it myself til just now. For those who are in ignorance, David Bowen is a GREAT preacher, as are the other members of our pastoral staff. Enjoy.

Ah, the impulse buy. We've all experienced it now and then. Some of us more than others I woud guess. Perhaps you eye that twix bar at the grocer check out line, or perhaps the magazine about how Oprah's parents are space aliens going back 4 generations. Oh perhaps you are poking around ebay and say, "hey, who couldn't use a combination pez dispenser--can opener--rectal thermometer". Well, for me it just happened at Nice Price Books in Carrboro (aka the Paris of the Piedmont). Any author who has his books translated into esperanto needs to be watched closely, but when he writes one called Merde: Excursions into Scientific, Cultural and Socio-Historical Coprology, by one Ralph a Lewin, perhaps one can forgive, and perhaps even enjoy, his linguistic idiosyncrasies. I may or may not torture you readers with excerpts over the next few days, depending on how nice you are to me. (One might call this "brownmail")