July 2009
1 post
May 2009
1 post
April 2009
1 post
Torture doesn't work in real life
I’ve been mostly enjoying the return of “24” this year. It seems like the year off helped the writers to come up with ways to make the show fresh again. But it’s jarring seeing Jack Bauer’s methods now, compared to 2 years ago.. the world has changed a lot, and I’m hoping that the country has become a lot less accepting of torture. The writers clearly...
March 2009
4 posts
“Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And an...”
– David Foster Wallace (quoted by WorldChanging)
Fascinating article about the dirty side of NBA... →
youtube remixed →
very cool!
How well do you know your geography? →
February 2009
1 post
January 2009
1 post
nice reminder about King's full message
From Greg Boyd:
at the heart of everything King stood for was an unqualified conviction that violence can never achieve a good end that endures.
Taking his cue from Jesus and Ghandi, King insisted, over and over again, that lasting justice and peace can only come about when we resolve to love our enemies rather than retaliate against them. In fact, in some of the speeches King gave before...
December 2008
7 posts
Ross Douthat on Torture →
Excellent post. The Bush administration needs to be judged for its use of torture. (a far bigger offense than the Iraq War, in my opinion)
But we, the public, should face our implicit acceptance of what the government did.
"Redeeming Social Life Online" →
One of my other resolutions for next year is to start really trying to keep up with facebook.
My library "hit-rate"
I considered doing an year-end library book review.. to list all the library books I’ve requested this year, and reviewing which ones I actually read.. and which ones I really enjoyed. But bpl.org lets me down again by not having a reading history option. I actually can’t remember all the books I’ve requested. Listing the books I don’t remember is all the fun of this....
Started my "New Year's Resolution" yesterday
What can I say? I’m an impatient guy!
I’m waking up a little earlier and starting my day with a light workout.
Of course it’s easier to start a new habit in January, when things are slow. But I figure that anything I can get to stick NOW will be a piece of cake to continue later. I’m matching maximum willpower (the start) vs. the biggest handicap (the holidays).
...
November 2008
3 posts
24's Politics →
Profile of Malcolm Gladwell →
Found via Tyler Cowen
October 2008
15 posts
Freedom of Choice Act
I’ve been reading quite a few Christian blogs who are arguing strongly against Obama, primarily because of his support for abortion rights.
My initial instinct is to not put much weight on any of these arguments. Die-hard advocates on both sides of the abortion debate have always backed “their party”. Given how little a President does to personally influence a single...
Freaky.. but cool! →
It’s candy that makes you “see” an image.. through your tongue.
Eye Candy is now available in six tempting flavours…
RELAX. Tranquil fish swimming through the streams of your consiousness will help you to unwind. SOCIALISE. The shooting stars will encourage sociability. ASSERT. A big thumbs is guaranteed to reassure and motivate you. MEDITATE. The the slowly shrinking...
“Maddon also keeps baseball in perspective and likes to relay something told to...”
– http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/playoffs/2008-10-14-al-notes_N.htm
Nice article about Joe Biden and the role of a VP →
Malcolm Gladwell on Late Bloomers →
I’m such a Malcolm Gladwell fan.. I can’t wait to read Outliers! (his newest book)
Joe Maddon (Ray's manager) is a cool guy →
“…there is a disconnect between claims and reality that runs through the...”
– Army Lt. Col. Gian P. Gentile, in World Affairs Journal
He commanded a combat battalion in west Baghdad in 2006. He teaches American and military history at the United States Military Academy.
Cited in the Atlantic.
Guide to the Financial Crisis →
Why Vegetarians Are Eating Meat(pdf) →
Found on Mollie Katzen’s website
(Mollie Katzen is the author of a LOT of vegetarian cookbooks.. we’re fans)
Huh.. didn't even know that the Massachusetts... →
thinking about India..
It’s strange to think that a few months ago, we came back from India so encouraged and proud of the great work that was going on there.
I’m incredibly sad about the violence that’s going on there.
I think this article from the BBC is the best single article I’ve seen so far on the topic.
My summary of other stuff I’ve read:
Christians have been making a strong...
September 2008
9 posts
The Myth of the Rational Voter
I wish this book was available at the library :(
Seems like it would be a timely read right now.
From the back cover:
The greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters. This is economist Bryan Caplan’s sobering assessment in this...
Really neat way to learn a language
I read about this in the Brookline Tab.. a Spanish immersion program that works by connecting Spanish speaking seniors with people who want to learn Spanish.
The program started in Jamaica Plain, but is now expanding to Brookline.
From their website:
Every year, students suffer through language classes and adults travel across the globe in search of language immersion, often at a high cost....
From my vegetarian friend Van →
A Defense of the Prosperity Gospel →
Pretty interesting
“I feel like a dog that somebody done stuck a needle to and it juiced me up like...”
– Boo Weekly at the Ryder Cup
various thoughts on voting as a Christian.
Here’s some good reading I’ve found over the past few weeks of on ways to think about how to vote as a Christian
Pro Democrat Pro Republican (actually, just pro-life) I’d respect anyone who voted either way, with that kind of thinking. I strongly dislike the idea of voting based on whose campaign you like better, or whose personality you like better. A good reminder of the...
Politics, celebrity gossip, business headlines, tech punditry, odd news, and user-generated content.
These are the chew toys that have made me sad and tired and cynical.
Each, in its own way, contributes to the imperative that we constantly expand our portfolio of shallow but strongly-held opinions about nearly everything. Then we’re supposed to post something about it. Somewhere.
From...
Abraham Maslow’s 8 Ways to Self-Actualize →
I like it!
August 2008
17 posts
J. Lee Grady (editor of Charisma magazine) on Todd... →
I didn’t even know about the sad end to the whole “Lakeland revival” thing:
But this week, a few days after the Canadian preacher announced the end of his visits to Lakeland, he told his staff that his marriage is ending. Without blaming the pace of the revival for Bentley’s personal problems, his board released a public statement saying that he and his wife, Shonnah, are ...
interesting thoughts on the Saddleback...
David Waters thinks the questions asked by Rick Warren could have used some improvement, so he came up with some interesting suggestions.
Some examples:
1. Warren asked: “Does evil exist, and if it does, do we ignore it, do we negotiate with it, do we contain it or do we defeat it.?”
This is a first-grade multiple-choice question. No candidate in his right (or left) mind would say...
interesting thoughts on evangelism
from Tim Challies
The Westminister Shorter Catechism asks the question, “What is the chief end of man?” Many of us know the answer. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
…
I believe, though, that many evangelical churches would have to disagree with this. They might not say so, but their actions would prove that they feel man has a higher calling. I believe many...
Wow.. just discovered Joe Pug’s Hymn #101. ...