tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20256802012-02-14T15:12:13.903-05:00Now with fewer errors!Paulnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-32853480483482112332007-10-19T11:59:00.000-04:002007-10-19T12:22:50.158-04:00

Watched a terrific documentary called Rock School. It is the story of Paul Green's School of Rock in Philadelphia. He runs it as an after-school program for kids who want to learn rock music. Although he welcomes kids of all music levels, he places very high expectations and demands on them. I was frankly astonished at the level of music done by his top level band. He decided his top kids should

Paulnoreply@blogger.com173tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-54214580719895099702007-10-09T19:03:00.001-04:002007-10-09T19:03:44.297-04:00

Against the idols of our age.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-68031729364841398462007-09-16T16:38:00.001-04:002007-09-16T16:38:56.617-04:00

My favorite song of the moment. If you recognize it, then you'll know what movie we watched last night.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-9065337743138986032007-09-08T20:34:00.000-04:002007-09-08T20:44:59.752-04:00

For my 1000th post, I'll just draw your attention to an interesting evangelistic strategy from our Ukrainian brothers: evangelism through celebrating the Christian holidays. (link will only be good until they update their news section)We will be going to serve International Partnerships in two weeks, though in the city of L'viv rather than Dnepropetrovsk. IP is an indigenous Ukrainian ministry

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-73084393423424816152007-09-03T13:11:00.001-04:002007-09-03T13:11:28.473-04:00

Enjoy your labor day rest:

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-7058540617137007442007-08-29T08:27:00.000-04:002007-08-29T08:28:07.217-04:00

In case you haven't heard, our country is in dire need of maps.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-57561855197561097032007-08-29T08:10:00.000-04:002007-08-29T08:11:18.634-04:00

What can you paint in 5 minutes?

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-75950045506231573082007-08-28T09:52:00.000-04:002007-08-28T09:54:13.439-04:00

A little window into life in Kiev for an American foreign service officer. I found it amusing. His whole blog is fun reading.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1357491374206385312007-08-19T07:45:00.000-04:002007-08-19T07:47:44.601-04:00

Just a reminder to pray for some of those whose faith is being sorely tested. I received word about more kidnappings than are being reported so far in the news, but I think it wiser to not say any more than that.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-20091965542712120402007-08-09T08:30:00.000-04:002007-08-09T08:31:22.969-04:00

File this under Jobs I Won't Be Applying For.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-24014354007412406102007-08-08T08:06:00.000-04:002007-08-08T08:07:34.343-04:00

This might be fun if you had, say, an hour or two left to live.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-38050871353116966212007-08-04T07:51:00.000-04:002007-08-04T07:52:34.825-04:00

Someday I'd like to be as rich as my spam says I am.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-83105200248347815192007-06-28T12:37:00.000-04:002007-06-28T12:43:05.923-04:00

Interesting article here on protectionism. Something to think about. I think it is worthwhile to consider how local economies might benefit from such policies. So many countries these days struggle with unemployment due to not having infrastructure and trained labor to compete globally. A trade of inefficient production for increased (and more varied) employment might very well be a good idea. In

Paulnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-2908425020440947262007-06-26T21:53:00.001-04:002007-06-26T21:53:52.304-04:00

On the other hand, this strikes me as simply brilliant.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-10635696320697866092007-06-26T21:47:00.000-04:002007-06-26T21:48:37.520-04:00

Nothing really sums up contemporary western liberalism quite as well as this little story.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-87247706223776403342007-06-12T20:10:00.001-04:002007-06-12T20:11:02.853-04:00

Maybe one of you medieval philosophy junkies can tell me if Aquinas or someone already devised this chart.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-68603392541955456372007-06-02T21:41:00.000-04:002007-06-02T21:42:56.204-04:00

Also, this is ancient by internet standards (three weeks old!), but I found this to be a very interesting take on evangelicalism.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-61066830021334739312007-06-02T20:54:00.000-04:002007-06-02T20:55:18.501-04:00

Required reading for all journalists and anyone else who writes or speaks where I can hear them.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-37882353758555881172007-06-02T20:50:00.000-04:002007-06-02T20:51:07.076-04:00

I thought this was a good post on Jesus and "family values".

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-43253209345405165792007-05-19T18:57:00.000-04:002007-05-19T19:08:05.626-04:00

I believe today marks the first day that I have seen the dead body of someone I have known who is my own age. Brad Friesen is someone I have known ever since I moved to North Carolina eleven years ago. He and his wife Tiffany have been very active and faithful members of Church of the Good Shepherd since before I arrived.About five years ago Brad was diagnosed with brain cancer. We are a very

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-77808361290176311082007-05-11T07:48:00.000-04:002007-05-11T07:50:07.571-04:00

38 today. In honor of (and anticipating a bit) my birthday, Joel Garver is now blogging again.(If he's not "gone Garver" now, what is he???)

Paulnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-25429114369547975962007-05-09T08:30:00.001-04:002007-05-09T08:32:22.102-04:00

Just try to convince me there's something better to watch than game show clips from the 70's:

Paulnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-75731196000973145132007-05-08T15:51:00.000-04:002007-05-08T15:55:51.082-04:00

One of my ESL students asked me last week, "what is meant by the term 'The American People?'"He pointed out, rightly, that America is composed of people from all over the world. I told him the term didn't really mean anything other than people who live in America. My wife suggested (later) that it often refers to voters. It is certainly a more problematic term than similar terms referring to more

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-70317946244499759182007-05-07T17:26:00.001-04:002007-05-07T17:26:53.991-04:00

Real Estate story of the day, since my wife likes old houses.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-42680742196362207572007-05-02T10:29:00.000-04:002007-05-02T10:31:10.603-04:00

Decided it was about time for a facelift. I may even add some updated links at some point.I made some small edit last week which killed my comments, and this was the easiest way to get them back :) I guess old comments are a bit lost now.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-9832104066711084442007-04-24T12:57:00.000-04:002007-04-24T12:58:44.985-04:00

My money's on Flatow. (Be sure to click the dot at the end)

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-71187930573792467002007-04-23T23:36:00.000-04:002007-04-23T23:37:01.486-04:00

Yo.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-24238606547650782432007-04-22T15:25:00.000-04:002007-04-22T15:26:51.406-04:00

Benny Hinn: Martial Artist or Metalhead? You be the judge.Thanks, Al!!!

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-65237568443666719302007-04-16T10:50:00.000-04:002007-04-16T10:52:03.468-04:00

To amuse yourself:Go to google maps.Enter New York City to London.Enjoy trying to follow direction number 23 :)

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-45694178651199530332007-04-14T09:45:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:46:25.686-04:00

I can't imagine it will be long before the government puts a stop to this sort of outrageous behavior. Everyone ELSE has to pay for a ticket. Who does he think he is?

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-3185585240554264002007-04-12T23:23:00.000-04:002007-04-12T23:24:37.296-04:00

When working late in a rural area, always make sure to keep the police scanner on. At least to amuse those who read your blog.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-83848509861179806982007-04-12T17:57:00.000-04:002007-04-12T22:25:00.713-04:00

Some good productivity enhancers for those of you good at spatial imagination. Not so fun if you aren't good at that. (BTW, getting a yellow dot means you did it "right.")

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-22257740525358930342007-04-09T18:14:00.001-04:002007-04-09T18:14:53.953-04:00

On how presbyterians are prepared for the Terminator.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-27118174676194990502007-04-04T20:36:00.001-04:002007-04-04T20:36:47.998-04:00

This is fascinating for those up on contemporary Jesus studies.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-49869418088624971172007-04-02T22:21:00.000-04:002007-04-02T22:26:55.994-04:00

Sorry about the month long absence. Been fairly busy between work and kids and stuff.Anyhow, fascinating interview today on WUNC radio with a Durham resident I'd not heard of before. Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove is part of something dubbed "neo-monasticism" right here in central NC. Both his background and his current understanding of applied theology were startlingly close to my own. Not that I

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-24199493303478520232007-02-28T21:08:00.000-05:002007-02-28T21:09:49.848-05:00

So which is worse: praising kids, or teaching them to sing (to the tune of Frere Jacques) "I am special, I am special, look at me . . ."

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-45304831067475967622007-02-27T15:18:00.000-05:002007-02-27T15:19:33.542-05:00

My guest post on Alastair's blog is up now. Feel free to read and write over there as you choose.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1172321328962038242007-02-24T07:34:00.000-05:002007-02-24T07:48:49.063-05:00

I finished reading Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickled and Dimed last night. I know, I'm like the 75 millionth person to read it. Just hold on a sec. Kust wanted to mention one particular point of interest. In one portion of her project Ms Ehrenreich was working with a maid service cleaning houses. She found herself learning to resent the home owners she was working for. This isn't terribly surprising,

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1171990211336551622007-02-20T11:44:00.000-05:002007-02-20T11:50:11.356-05:00

It's really not worth noting the controversy which led up to this, but Peter Leithart's post here on vulgar language exactly echoes my own sentiments. As a baptist youngster I certainly bought into the idea of prohibited words, but through college and beyond I began to reason out many of these same ideas Peter mentions. I think there must be some sort of Aristotelian mean here. One should not be

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1171755980081655922007-02-17T18:44:00.000-05:002007-02-17T18:46:20.110-05:00

Worth reading: Po Bronson on recent research on the effects of praise on children. We had discussed this in a general way in my ESL teaching program, but I was unaware of this research.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1171737243275818472007-02-17T13:33:00.000-05:002007-02-17T13:34:03.310-05:00

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1171390155976739742007-02-13T13:08:00.000-05:002007-02-13T13:09:15.996-05:00

For your edification, here are the 10 worst drivers ever caught on video. Don't laugh, it could be you next.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1171195424924841592007-02-11T07:01:00.000-05:002007-02-11T07:03:44.946-05:00

I wonder how many profs from the conservative presbyterian seminaries will be attending this? I don't mean that as accusatory, since I don't know ANY profs at these seminaries myself except through casual introduction or by reputation. It frankly looks like it would be a good conference for anyone seriously interested in reformation history.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1170186856216653112007-01-30T14:53:00.000-05:002007-01-30T14:54:16.216-05:00

I think Todd's post here is appropriate to any and all theological discussions going on.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1170186777475820412007-01-30T14:46:00.000-05:002007-01-30T14:52:57.526-05:00

BBC readio last night was discussing recent legislative changes (or proposed changes?) allowing for much larger casinos. The interesting bit was their guest interview with someone from a recent american national impact study group on gambling. I had no idea that such a study had been conducted, though I had heard about recent crackdowns on online gambling. Anyhow, this study group was

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1169766168700271442007-01-25T18:01:00.000-05:002007-01-25T18:02:48.723-05:00

Overheard at lunch as two college age females walked by my table: ". . .so that's when I broke up with him even though TECHNICALLY at that time I didn't HAVE a reason . . ."I can't help thinking that he might be better off now.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1169667313499419352007-01-24T14:32:00.000-05:002007-01-24T14:35:13.523-05:00

I was just thinking that an interesting use of identity theft would be to just be cruel to someone rather than trying to profit. If you had someone's credit card info and address, you could simply buy lots of things online and have it all sent to them. They would have a hard time both in getting it all returned as well as trying to convince merchants that someone else was responsible.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1169071209630127002007-01-17T16:58:00.000-05:002007-01-17T17:00:09.650-05:00

What better way to return to blogging than to point out this post on the menace known as scented candles?

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1166152033574970992006-12-14T22:05:00.000-05:002006-12-14T22:07:13.593-05:00

Deaconpaul's money saving tips number 1: don't pay money for your international calls. This sounds like an incredible deal for those with friends or family around the world, so long as thy are in one of the available countries.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1165884957866310262006-12-11T19:54:00.000-05:002006-12-11T19:55:57.886-05:00

The first post here just cracked me up. We all ask dumb questions when we don't know what we're talking about, so I guess I shouldn't laugh.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1165548251400956022006-12-07T22:23:00.000-05:002006-12-07T22:24:11.420-05:00

World's 10 Oddest People

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1165547358308279702006-12-07T22:08:00.000-05:002006-12-07T22:09:18.340-05:00

Some excellent police detective work on display here.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1165428668414113312006-12-06T12:28:00.000-05:002006-12-06T13:11:10.243-05:00

I saw one of the more curious films of recent years this week. Tarnation is a documentary of sorts by a young man whose mother suffers from severe mental illness. I say "of sorts" because this is obviously more personal to the filmmaker than perhaps any documentary has ever been. Jonathan Caouette had an early interest in filmmaking, thus resulting in lots of footage of his life and family from

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1164298490147875692006-11-23T10:56:00.000-05:002006-11-23T11:14:53.390-05:00

In some sort of effort to make itself look shallow, The Atlantic has published a list of the 100 Most Influential Figures in American History. As an aside, nothing in the title rules out non-americans, so why isn't George III on the list?Anyhow, their "american history" appears to begin in 1776 with one notable exception. The notable exception is also the only figure on the list who was a pastor,

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1164239262015475182006-11-22T18:46:00.000-05:002006-11-22T18:47:42.036-05:00

Somehow my friend Todd, despite all his coverage of happenings in Scandinavian churches missed this fine story.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1164221708804658422006-11-22T13:54:00.000-05:002006-11-22T13:55:08.850-05:00

I'll second this suggestion, though I'll have to make an exception for my wife since I watched it while she was at work.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1163798277536435052006-11-17T16:12:00.000-05:002006-11-17T16:17:57.563-05:00

At class last night I happened to be sitting between two people a fair number of years older than me. It turned out they had both sent kids to the same university which I will not name. The woman on my left said to the man on my right, "You know what I love about X University? They are SOOOOOOOO liberal there. I just love that." I can't say I've ever heard that sentiment expressed before. I

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1163446786689214002006-11-13T14:39:00.000-05:002006-11-13T14:39:46.710-05:00

This looks like just my sort of job.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1162933238491317132006-11-07T16:00:00.000-05:002006-11-07T16:00:38.510-05:00

This is too good not to post: Stanley Fish on Tolerance

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1162932164207774742006-11-07T15:39:00.000-05:002006-11-07T15:42:44.236-05:00

Readers of the wifely blog will be aware that we've all been pretty sick lately. I can't say I recommend it if you are considering illness as a way to spend your next week. If I had lots of mental energy I would talk about my reading over the past month or so, much of which has been outstanding. I hope I'll finish my contest reviews by year's end in any event.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1162857864253666192006-11-06T19:03:00.000-05:002006-11-06T19:04:24.273-05:00

Today's Turkish news is brought to you by the letter W. And I'm totally not making that up.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1162322188256766012006-10-31T14:15:00.000-05:002006-10-31T14:16:28.276-05:00

Probably the most important article of the year right here. What's the opposite of "just do it?"

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1161915579615672942006-10-26T22:12:00.000-04:002006-10-26T22:19:39.636-04:00

As some of you may know (and I'm sure some do not), I have been enrolled for a while in the ESL Teaching Certificate program through Duke University. As part of the requirements for that program I have been doing practice teaching for the last few weeks at Durham Technical Community College (Durham Tech for you locals), working with a friend who is a paid teacher there. I have trouble thinking of

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1157644863879111832006-09-07T11:40:00.000-04:002006-09-07T13:04:14.266-04:00

I'll break my totally unannounced and unanticipated hiatus for the time being. I've been trying to come up with a list of the best high school themed films. I don't necesarily wnnt to restrict it to a certain number, or to either strictly comedy OR dramatic films. However, I need to start writing it down cuz I can never keep them all in my head for long. Here's the list so far roughly organized

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1154808680169544212006-08-05T16:10:00.000-04:002006-08-05T16:11:20.183-04:00

Seriously, where do you sign up to become a headline writer?

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1154038392390915042006-07-27T17:57:00.000-04:002006-07-27T18:13:12.586-04:00

How come I always get tagged for these book things?1. One book that changed your life:Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death2. One book that you’ve read more than once:Stanley Hauerwas, A Community of Character3. One book you’d want on a desert island:I don't know, but something large enough to give me some shade.4. One book that made you laugh:Mark Helprin, Memoir From Antproof Case (the best

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1153152912407067142006-07-17T12:12:00.000-04:002006-07-17T12:15:12.436-04:00

In what we call chapter 14 of Romans, St Paul said, "now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions." The question of who Paul meant by the "weak in faith" is an interesting one. Loren Rossen cites scholar Mark Nanos saying the the weak in faith are non-christian Jews. Go read his arguments on this point.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1152664886376236442006-07-11T20:39:00.000-04:002006-07-11T20:47:20.433-04:00

Make a point of purchasing the current issue of National Review. The issue features a compelling piece by George Gilder on how information theory shows darwinian evolution to be logically impossible.edit: or be cheap and read the whole thing here

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1152542798997408402006-07-10T10:30:00.000-04:002006-07-10T10:46:42.460-04:00

I was able to read most of Walter Bruggemann's An Introduction to the Old Testament over vacation. While I often diagreed with his perspective and emphasis, I found a number of useful points scattered throughout. One in particular was his reading of Ezekiel 18. In this chapter, you might remember, God speaks about a just man who has an evil son. The evil son also has a son. This grandson,

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1151769225328343262006-07-01T11:52:00.000-04:002006-07-01T11:53:45.340-04:00

Not that it really makes any difference, given how little I've been writing lately, but I'll be out of town and not blogging for the next week.I was in a class all afternoon for the last 2 weeks, so that's my excuse for that period as well. Be good out there.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1151617203820892102006-06-29T17:39:00.000-04:002006-06-29T17:40:03.836-04:00

Note to all fathers of young children: memorizing your children's clothing (or eye color) may save your life, or a least your dignity.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1151029363228382002006-06-22T22:17:00.000-04:002006-06-22T22:22:43.240-04:00

Mini-blog (in place of an apaology for the longish hiatus):nearly every week at church on Sunday I learn one or two very interesting things I had never noticed previously in the scriptures. What I learned last week is that the ambition of the men of Babel in Genesis 11 corresponds exactly with what God promises Abram in Genesis 12. The men of Babel wanted to "make a name for themselves" and

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1149019191087310592006-05-30T15:59:00.000-04:002006-05-30T15:59:51.090-04:00

Paulnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1149018837296155162006-05-30T15:53:00.000-04:002006-05-30T15:53:57.306-04:00

Dalrymple on opiate addiction. I love reading this guy.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1148093442620891342006-05-19T22:49:00.000-04:002006-05-19T22:50:42.630-04:00

Thanks to Dave Barry for this tip: NEVER ask for directions. To all guys out there, you are exactly right on this point.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1147998126994513502006-05-18T20:12:00.000-04:002006-05-18T20:23:45.430-04:00

I've been reading Lewis Mumford's Technics and Civilization this week. Always good to read a book about technology written back in 1931. I like this quote particularly:Physical power is a rough substitute for patience and intelligence and cooperative effort in the governance of men: if used as a normal accompaniment of action instead of as a last resort it is a sign of extreme social weakness.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1147226936278199222006-05-09T22:08:00.000-04:002006-05-09T22:08:56.286-04:00

Very interesting story on someone who fell (in a big way) for a Nigerian email.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1146523832099301132006-05-01T18:48:00.000-04:002006-05-01T18:53:19.586-04:00

An example of the dangers of internet anonymity (found via PressThink). Anyone who has been reading my blog for some time knows that I have argued strongly against the use of anonymity as morally hazardous. It is interesting to see how that has played out in a business/media environment.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1146271765113416262006-04-28T20:47:00.000-04:002006-04-28T20:49:25.123-04:00

A couple of juicy Davies quotes since I can't resist. "Celtic civilization was tribal, but by no means savage or uncultivated. People who regarded the theft of a harp from a bard as a crime second only to an attack on the tribal chieftain cannot be regarded as wanting in cultivated feeling.""I was reading Dorothy Dix this afternoon; she says that it is permissible for a young man to tell a girl

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1146271024431442392006-04-28T20:10:00.000-04:002006-04-28T20:37:04.516-04:00

Still alive, just not blogging much, as you well know. Gotten a little bit of reading done lately, though not much else. I want to give full praise to Mark Horne who several years ago recommended to me Kenneth Bailey's fine book, Jacob and the Prodigal. Bailey's breadth and intensity of knowledge regarding his subject (Luke 15) are not to be matched anywhere. He spent most of his adult life

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1145449155525112402006-04-19T08:19:00.000-04:002006-04-19T08:19:15.536-04:00

Nice cartoon.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1145412030148201652006-04-18T21:51:00.000-04:002006-04-18T22:00:30.176-04:00

Three things:One, I'm still alive, but just haven't felt like blogging much lately.Two, I have a short report on another contest book. Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner pretty much fits the mold of an Oprah club book. Main character overcomes experience of brutalization in youth (observed rather than experienced in this case), yet continues to deal with the effects of the ordeal throughout life.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1144428430403140062006-04-07T12:46:00.000-04:002006-04-07T12:47:10.420-04:00

May as well balance things with some thoughts on womanliness.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1144097322588260872006-04-03T16:48:00.000-04:002006-04-03T16:48:42.603-04:00

Thoughts on manliness.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1144012662297415512006-04-02T17:02:00.000-04:002006-04-02T17:17:42.350-04:00

Three of the four of us are sick and a bit down this weekend (Isaac the exception so far) and I don't feel like writing a long post today, but I'll try to cover a couple of things.First off, Thomas' book contest entry was superb. Po Bronson has a terrific way of collecting interesting stories from people and them writing them up in such a way as to make them come alive and give plenty of food for

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1143595571643472412006-03-28T20:16:00.000-05:002006-03-28T20:26:11.686-05:00

Just finished taking the jeopardy online test. That was pretty stressful. Only 15 seconds on each questions, which goes by really fast when you are trying really hard to remember something you know that you know.I've really been enjoying my latest book contest book, but I'll hold off making comments til I've finished it. I've also been enjoying very much this week a book my brother recommended to

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1142958638116637112006-03-21T11:11:00.000-05:002006-03-21T11:31:11.703-05:00

Book Contest UpdateThis is just to let everyone know how the book contest is shaping up right now and to give my first report. My friend David Carson submitted an entry in person which brings the total up to ten. Here are the entries (in the order submitted):Albion's Seed, David Hackett Fischer, submitted by LeniseSaving the Appearances, Owen Barfield, submitted by AlastairWilliam Pitt the

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1142735070170133792006-03-18T21:23:00.000-05:002006-03-18T21:26:12.676-05:00

I love Grieg, and the first of these pieces is one of the most deceptively difficult piano pieces I've ever tried (and fail miserably at). Perhaps it easier on guitar? It sure sounds nice. Sorry if it takes forever to load. Just do something else while its loading.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1142646659782706652006-03-17T20:50:00.000-05:002006-03-17T20:50:59.793-05:00

I'm not sure I want to pick sides in this particular war.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1142039154218755522006-03-10T20:04:00.000-05:002006-03-10T20:05:54.233-05:00

Wrote my very own joke today, but it's pretty bad.What do you call someone who specializes in the skin diseases of dead animals?A Taxidermatologist.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1141931353113209332006-03-09T13:56:00.000-05:002006-03-09T14:09:13.173-05:00

In Diane Ravitch's book, Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, she discusses the idea which developed in late 19th century educational philosophy that the mind needed to be trained, in a general sense, and specifically that things like memory and reasoning were susceptible to this sort of training through schooling. Then follows this: The first attempt to test the validity of mental

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1141828592407208862006-03-08T09:35:00.000-05:002006-03-08T09:36:32.426-05:00

You may want to read the bold sentence at the top a few times and let it sink in.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1141313934897118202006-03-02T10:38:00.000-05:002006-03-02T10:38:54.916-05:00

Isaac Carlisle Baxter was born on March 1 at 12:12 pm. Lenise's water broke at about 2 am, so she woke me up. We called the Nelsons who finally woke up enough to answer the phone and were gracious enough to take John for us until we are available to get him again. Lenise wanted to eat some Honey Nut Cheerios on the way out the door, so they were unwilling to do the operation until those got

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1140835825256949192006-02-24T21:49:00.000-05:002006-02-24T21:50:25.266-05:00

Chris O'Donnell called this the feel good story of the year, and who am I to disagree.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1140800850940969702006-02-24T11:43:00.000-05:002006-02-24T12:07:31.016-05:00

As promised, a few comment on Richard Rhodes book. Why They Kill is an exploration of the career and ideas of a criminologist named Lonnie Athens. Athens grew up in a very violent home and found himself drawn to the field of criminology when he discovered there was such a thing during his college years. Athens' immediate reaction to the prevailing theories about violent criminal behavior was that

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1140625676529170022006-02-22T11:27:00.000-05:002006-02-22T11:27:56.543-05:00

I'm wondering if conversations like this one are in my future somewhere.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1140476754757412442006-02-20T18:02:00.000-05:002006-02-20T18:05:54.770-05:00

I've been rerading this week Richard Rhodes's book Why They Kill: The Discoveries of a Maverick Criminologist. For what amounts to a biography of an academic career, it is an overwhelmingly compelling read. More on it later, but I wanted to thank whoever recommended it to me. I just don't remember who that was. Someone in a comment quite a while back.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1140316701545544442006-02-18T21:37:00.000-05:002006-02-18T21:38:21.556-05:00

Something unexpected to cheer up your weekend.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1140012459999811082006-02-15T09:07:00.000-05:002006-02-17T21:01:06.693-05:00

Anyone know what happened to John B's blog?Edit: seems to be back up now.

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025680.post-1139783404921207482006-02-12T17:22:00.000-05:002006-02-12T17:30:04.993-05:00

It is time to announce the return of...THE BOOK CONTESTHere are the rules. Anyone may nominate a book to me. Nominations which I have already read will be discarded. Each person may only nominate one book (discraded entries do not count for this purpose). The total number of entries shall not exceed ten (10) books. I will promise to read each nominated book during the year and report on it. The

Paulnoreply@blogger.com0