Let me touch him

I got this from Peter Rollins' blog. It's the Minister's Quartet.

It ain't stealin' if you can do it....

This is so funny! I just came across an off-the-beaten-path bookseller (at Theos Project we cheer for off-the-beaten-path booksellers) who used my Amazon.com review on their site for their sale of Hermeneutics at the Crossroads. They must have just cut and pasted my review from Amazon and used it on their site. They even gave it 5 stars, like I gave the book at Amazon.

Here is the Link:
http://www.appliedepistemology.com/shop.php?c=bks&n=11072&k=Kevin+J++Vanhoozer&t=Creator&s=sr&p=1

I am truly and deeply humbled by the honor. I would like to thank the academy, uh, and god, and uh, oh yea, my mother, and my, uh, yea, my dad for all the wisdom and years of.............

twenty five degrees

Dude! It's twenty five degrees outside. Considering the weather we have been recently having here in northern Indiana twenty five degrees is very warm! Time to wear the shorts and tee-shirts again, eh?

Would I survive in the wild????

Well, of course I would!

Would you survive in the wild? Your Result: Yesiree!....   You could live in the wild if you wanted to! You know what to eat, do, and stay away from! You could get shelter, food, water fast and easy-and the right treatments to injuries, snake bites etc...You know the outdoors like the back of your hand!!
Wouldn't last 2 minutes!.....
Not to sure...
Most likely you'll survive....
Maybe........
Would you survive in the wild? Quizzes for MySpace

State of the Union 2007

What did I think of last night's speech? In a word: irrelevant. That's just my initial, gut reaction.

On domestic issues President Bush talked about the usual suspects: Balanced budget, Social Security/Medicare, Better education, Health insurance woes, and Energy. But these things have been talked about for years since Bush came into office and nothing has really been done about them. What has been done mostly has gone against the Conservative core, i.e. letting Ted Kennedy take the reigns on education and screw things up even more! To be honest, if Washington is grid-locked on the above domestic issues it might just be the best thing.

Regarding the war in Iraq I think the speech was also somewhat irrelevant. President Bush will do what he wants (after all he is the Commander in Chief - that's what he is suppossed to do!), and if it succeeds then he will be the hero and we will finish the job, which I believe will result in a more stabilized Iraq and a more stabilized middle east. If he does not succeed then I think that the Congress will probably start fighting to pull out troops. Of course by that time President Bush will be in his final months as a lame duck and most people will be focussed on the next Presidential candidates and what they will do if elected.

Perhaps the war talk was not entirely irrelevant, however, because it gives the President one last push in Iraq and builds a now-or-never attitude towards Iraq. We either go forward or go backward. I'm not sure that's the best move, but it is a good one for the psychology of the country - it makes us feel like we are moving in a direction.

Here are a few key paragraphs from the speech on the war issue. They basically reiterate the President's ideology and position on the war that he has had since the beginning:

If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi government would be overrun by extremists on all sides. We could expect an epic battle between Shia extremists backed by Iran, and Sunni extremists aided by al Qaeda and supporters of the old regime. A contagion of violence could spill out across the country – and in time the entire region could be drawn into the conflict.

For America, this is a nightmare scenario. For the enemy, this is the objective. Chaos is their greatest ally in this struggle. And out of chaos in Iraq, would emerge an emboldened enemy with new safe havens... new recruits ... new resources ... and an even greater determination to harm America. To allow this to happen would be to ignore the lessons of September 11th and invite tragedy. And ladies and gentlemen, nothing is more important at this moment in our history than for America to succeed in the Middle East ... to succeed in Iraq ... and to spare the American people from this danger.

This is where matters stand tonight, in the here and now. I have spoken with many of you in person. I respect you and the arguments you have made. We went into this largely united – in our assumptions, and in our convictions. And whatever you voted for, you did not vote for failure. Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq – and I ask you to give it a chance to work. And I ask you to support our troops in the field – and those on their way.

The war on terror we fight today is a generational struggle that will continue long after you and I have turned our duties over to others. That is why it is important to work together so our Nation can see this great effort through. Both parties and both branches should work in close consultation. And this is why I propose to establish a special advisory council on the war on terror, made up of leaders in Congress from both political parties. We will share ideas for how to position America to meet every challenge that confronts us. And we will show our enemies abroad that we are united in the goal of victory.

One of the first steps we can take together is to add to the ranks of our military – so that the American Armed Forces are ready for all the challenges ahead. Tonight I ask the Congress to authorize an increase in the size of our active Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 in the next five years. A second task we can take on together is to design and establish a volunteer Civilian Reserve Corps. Such a corps would function much like our military reserve. It would ease the burden on the Armed Forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America needs them. And it would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time.

Taken from: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6970491

Prediction

They are getting ready to kickoff right now.....I'm calling an Ohio State demolition derby! A big time win for OSU over Florida.

And somewhere my old college roommate, Kenneth, will be weeping in a few hours!!!

Do you speak "Evangelicalese"?

Here's a hillarious post that Dawn linked to. It's about the unique phraseology phound in Evangelical circles from a German perspective:
http://areyoutheregod.blog.com/1378874/

Sugar Bowl = Bad

NEW ORLEANS - JaMarcus Russell thoroughly outperformed Brady Quinn and sent Notre Dame to another postseason meltdown, leading No. 4 LSU to a 41-14 rout of college football's most storied program Wednesday night.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070104/ap_on_sp_co_ga_su/fbc_t25_sugar_bowl

Alls I gots to say is "Ouch!" Time to face the music and the ridicule at work....Touchdown Jesus didn't show up for the Irish last night!

"Never trust robots"

Click on this if you are in the mood for a stupid Youtube video:

Vegas Day One

Not all that much time to do too much today, but we did hit the strip. A few things that a Vegas first-timer (from the cornfields of Indiana) notices: Vegas is bright, sexy, and money is flying around everywhere. The lights are everywhere - even drug stores sparkle and blink. Everywhere you look there is skin - fliers for prostitutes, strip clubs, etc., and ads for shows and showgirls. Basically, there is a lot of energy in Vegas.

Here is me on the plane.

Slot machines are everywhere. These are a few of the slot machines that greeted us when we stepped off of the plane. That's my buddy, Dan, standing next to them.

Vegas for Christmas

In about a week I'm heading to Vegas for Christmas! No real reason, except somewhat of a whim. I usually celebrate Christmas with my family in PA, but we are not celebrating until a little later - around New Year's Day. So, me and a buddy are going somewhere interesting where we have never been.

The plan: Take in the lights of the Vegas strip, and explore the Red Rock Canyon. What better way to contemplate the Incarnation as reported in John 1 than to observe the lights in the darkness? Also, I am an avid runner, so I hope to spend several days running through the trails at Red Rock, and I'd like to try my hand at rock climbing.

Anyone ever been to Vegas? Any tips for a newbie?

What are we searching for????

Most searched for word on the internet (search engines) for 2006:
"Poker"

Two other words at the top of the list:
"MySpace"
"Pam Anderson"

I just heard it on the radio, so take it for what its worth...

Putting on Miles

I found a great buy at Wal-mart today. I picked up some really early Miles when he played with Charlie Parker - 1947 studio recordings. Not to be confused with the 1958 release by the same name.

The CD was only $5 so I knew I couldn't go wrong, although I wasn't quite sure what it was. I'm very pleased.

Name that face

The prize goes to whoever can guess the circumstances surrounding this expression.

Einstein for a Monday morning

It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.



The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.

A few Einstein quotes I pulled from quotationspage.com:
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Albert_Einstein/
Einstein on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein


The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.

Go Deep

Rumsfeld is gone

Rumsfeld is out.

Darn.....I liked Rummy.....I know, I know, go ahead and take your shots, but I liked his macho style.

The Hen and the Capitalist

I recently had a discussion with a friend of mine who is giving her workers (about 10 of them) one more week to produce the necessary quotas or she will cut their heads off.

The workers, of course, are her laying hens. The hens are only producing 1-2 eggs per day, which is far below the bosses expectation. The hens will be executed if their production doesn't pick up.

I suggested therapy for the chickens - that perhaps something traumatic has triggered a depression of some sort and the result is an inability to find motivation. However, my friend is unmoved...Obviously she is a demanding Capitalist whose sole object is profit....

"Headliners", or "How bizarre can human beings actually be?"

Prisoners wed after peephole courtship
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Two prisoners in an Ivory Coast jail who courted and fell in love through a peephole in an iron door have been released for a few hours to get married, one of their jailers said Friday....

Obedient driver follows orders, crashes car
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German motorist followed the command "Turn right now!" from his navigation system and crashed into a small toilet hut by the side of the road -- about 30 yards before the crossing he was meant to take.
The overly obedient 53-year-old from Freiburg drove his sport utility vehicle off the road onto into a building site, up a stairway and into the small toilet shack, police in the eastern town of Rudolstadt said Sunday.
It caused 2,000 euros ($2,500) worth of damage to the stairway, 100 euros damage to his car, and he was also fined 35 euros.
Earlier this month an 80-year-old motorist also chose to follow his navigation system and ignored a "closed for construction" sign on a Hamburg motorway. He then crashed into a pile of sand but neither he nor his passenger were injured.

Ah, the start of my new life! But first...
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A man freed from jail in Belgium last Friday allegedly committed eight robberies before being arrested the next day, the national Belga news agency reported.

Fighting spirit saves retiree from attack
BERLIN (Reuters) - A 70-year-old British pensioner, trained in martial arts during his military service, dispatched a gang of four would-be muggers in a late-night attack in Germany...
The man, a native of Birmingham who now lives in Germany, was challenged by three men, demanding money, while a fourth crept up behind him. Recalling his training, the Briton grabbed the first assailant and threw him over his shoulder.
When a second man tried to kick him, the pensioner grabbed his foot and tipped him to the ground. At this point, the three men, thought to be aged between 18 and 25, fled, carrying their injured accomplice with them.
The pensioner, whose name was not immediately available, suffered light abrasions.

Austrian man separates from wife and ring finger
VIENNA (Reuters) - A Viennese man cut off his ring finger and presented the digit, still holding his wedding band, to his ex-wife after an acrimonious divorce, Austrian news agency APA reported Tuesday.
Charged with dangerous harassment and assault for the act, he told a preliminary hearing he did not regret having cut off the finger and had chosen deliberately not to reattach it.
"It was an act of breaking free," the man was quoted as saying. He did not miss his finger, could work well without it and did not plan on getting married again anyway, he said.

Science exam a test of love...
ACCRA (Reuters) - A 30-year-old Ghanaian man could be jailed for up to five years after writing his wife's paper in a science exam, police in the West African country said on Wednesday.

"Sexsomniacs" puzzle medical researchers
LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters Life!) - Researchers are struggling to understand a rare medical condition where sufferers unknowingly demand, or actually have, sex while asleep, New Scientist magazine reported on Wednesday.
Research into sexsomnia -- making sexual advances toward another person while asleep -- has been hampered as sufferers are so embarrassed by the problem they tend not to own up to it, while doctors do not ask about it.
As yet there is no cure for the condition, which often leads to difficulties in relationships.
"It really bothers me that I can't control it," Lisa Mahoney told the magazine. "It scares me because I don't think it has anything to do with the partner. I don't want this foolish condition to hurt us in the long run."
Most researchers view sexsomnia as a variant of sleepwalking, where sufferers are stuck between sleep and wakefulness, though sexsomniacs tend to stay in bed rather than get up and walk about....

Want to diary your death? Ask online
LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters Life) - With Halloween looming, 'tis the season to be morbid and people wishing to know their expiry date can indulge in some online trick-or-treating at websites which predict the date of their death.
"I'm sorry, but your time has expired! Have a nice day," says the "sadistic mode" on http://www.deathclock.com.
The site invites visitors to enter their date of birth, smoking habits, height, and weight in exchange for a pop-up ticker which counts down the seconds they have left...

Strange News

Pablo Picasso's "dream" painting has turned into a $139 million nightmare

Pablo Picasso's "dream" painting has turned into a $139 million nightmare for Steve Wynn.
In an accident witnessed by a group that included Barbara Walters and screenwriters Nora Ephron and Nicholas Pileggi, Wynn accidentally poked a hole in Picasso's 74-year-old painting, "Le Reve," French for "The Dream."
A day earlier, Wynn had finalized a record $139 million deal for the painting of Picasso's mistress, Wynn told The New Yorker magazine
The accident occurred as a gesturing Wynn, who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that affects peripheral vision, struck the painting with his right elbow, leaving a hole the size of a silver dollar in the left forearm of Marie-Theresa Walter, Picasso's 21-year-old mistress.
"Oh shit, look what I've done," Wynn said, according to Ephron, who gave her account in a blog published on Monday.
Wynn paid $48.4 million for the Picasso in 1997 and had agreed to sell it to art collector Steven Cohen. The $139 million would have been $4 million higher than the previous high for a work of art, according to The New Yorker.
Cosmetics magnate Ronald Lauder paid $135 million in July for Gustav Klimt's 1907 portrait "Adele Bloch-Bauer I."
Wynn plans to restore "Le Reve" and keep it.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Oct-17-Tue-2006/news/10274785.html


Diamonds are icing on $20 million wedding cake


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A confection billed as the most expensive wedding cake in the world makes its debut on Monday night in Beverly Hills, but is likely to cause indigestion.
The extravagant $20 million diamond-studded wedding cake, created by Mimi So Jewelers and cake designer Nahid La Patisserie Artistique, is the star attraction of the Luxury Brands Bridal Show and will be unveiled on exclusive Rodeo Drive.
"Where else would you debut a $20 million wedding cake but on Rodeo Drive?" said show organizer Ilona Sherman.
The cake is protected by a team of uniformed security guards at all times, she said. And there's no way it will ever be eaten.
"I think diamonds are too hard on the stomach," Sherman said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061017/od_nm/wedding_cake_dc;_ylt=AoMQfMT0VLUNGZOIUButrYMSH9EA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA----

and more on marriage...


Rush to marry ends in tragedy
KARACHI (Reuters) - A Pakistani man has committed suicide outside his fiancee's home after he thought he accidentally killed her while trying to persuade her to get married early, police said Saturday.
The man, Ahmed Ashraf, was shooting a gun in the air outside his fiancee's home in the southern city of Karachi on Friday as part of his efforts to persuade her to get married two months early when a stray bullet accidently hit her, police said.
"He was so eager to get married he stood in front of his fiancee's house and started firing shots in the air to catch her attention," said investigating officer Ghulam Hussain.
The young woman was coming downstairs when a bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit her. She fell down screaming "I have been shot," Hussain said.
"He thought he had killed her and within seconds shot himself. The girl is fine," Hussain said.
"It is a tragic accident. They were engaged to be married with their parents' consent on December 25. He was insisting they get married earlier."
Ashraf had told his fiancee, Naureen, he would do something drastic if she didn't agree to get married straight away. The woman insisted the marriage date had already been set and there was no need to hurry, Hussain said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061016/od_nm/pakistan_marriage_dc;_ylt=Asin_wSdHa9K4N7xqKMH9zkSH9EA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Home sweet home meet the chocolate igloo


PERUGIA, Italy (Reuters) - Four Italians have constructed what they believe is the world's first full-sized chocolate igloo but they have yet to solve an age-old problem.
It still melts.
"It was a tough thing to do, much more difficult than building a normal snow igloo," Marco Fanti, 45, who used to race cars in desert rallies, told Reuters as he stood beside the 1.65-metre-high, dome-shaped traditional Inuit shelter made of some 330 dark chocolate bricks.
Fanti and fellow instructors at a survival school took 23 hours working with tricky, crumbling chocolate material to construct what they believe to be the world's first chocolate igloo for the Eurochocolate fair in Perugia.
They normally build one made of snow, for survival courses, within three to four hours.
Fanti said it has yet to be decided what to do with the 3.6- tonne igloo -- which is kept indoors and will start melting at above 30 C -- when the fair ends on Oct 22.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061016/od_nm/chocolate_igloo_dc;_ylt=Ai7E0h3cmOeJh248DfBSleUSH9EA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--