Perhaps questions marks are falling out of favor. Quotation marks too.
All posts by Phil
I Couldn’t Handle It
At least, I doubt I could handle it. I don’t go in for scary movies or haunted houses, though I have done scant but real research into occultic things–I hate all of it. I want to hate it more than I do even. Regardless, if I were the type to seek out scary adventures for Halloween and I lived in Britain, I’d consider the ones pictured here.
What Evil Could Snow White Teach Your Child?
Having attempted to debunk God and not being one to leave well enough alone, author Richard Dawkins now wants to debunk Harry Potter.
I think looking back to my own childhood, the fact that so many of the stories I read allowed the possibility of frogs turning into princes, whether that has a sort of insidious affect on rationality, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s something for research.
Chilling, what? Maybe he’s open to the harmlessness of fairy tales, but he’s already convinced that teaching children about hell is abusive. (via Books, Inq.)
Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands
A hymn of Martin Luther’s
Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands,
For our offenses given;
But now at God’s right hand He stands
And brings us life from heaven;
Therefore let us joyful be
And sing to God right thankfully
Loud songs of hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
No son of man could conquer Death,
Such mischief sin had wrought us,
For innocence dwelt not on earth,
And therefore Death had brought us
Into thraldom from of old
And ever grew more strong and bold
And kept us in his bondage. Hallelujah!
But Jesus Christ, God’s only Son,
To our low state descended,
The cause of Death He has undone,
His power forever ended,
Ruined all his right and claim
And left him nothing but the name,–
His sting is lost forever.
Hallelujah! Continue reading Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands
Get the Worms Out
LiveScience reports: “Fishermen have long known that you can drive earthworms to the surface with a strange technique called worm grunting.
The trick involves driving a wooden stake into the ground and then rubbing the top of the stake with a long piece of steel called a rooping iron. It generates a peculiar grunting sound that drives nearby earthworms to the surface where they can be easily collected for fish bait.”
I wonder if something similar could get the worms out of congress.
The Gag Rule
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) wants to reinstate The Fairness Doctrine. I believe that is the Democratic Party position also. Sen. Bingamen said, “I would want this station and all stations to have to present a balanced perspective and different points of view instead of always hammering away at one side of the political . . . I guess my thought is that talk radio and media generally should have a higher calling than just reflect a particular point of view. I think they should use their authority to try to – their broadcast power to present an informed discussion of public issues.”
But as you may already know, when they say “talk radio,” they really mean Rush Limbaugh.
President Sarkozy Has the Rights to His Image
French President Sarkozy owns and can manage the use of his image, says his lawyer, so the little voodoo doll kit with his likeness must go.
Auralia’s C. from William D.
Overstreet’s Auralia’s Colors gains a review from Mr. D.
There are two ways to write fantasy, which I’ll call the realistic way, and the fabulous way. The Lord of the Rings is an example of the first, as is George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones and its sequels. . . . The fabulous way is less often attempted, and seems to be much harder to do. Examples would include Tolkien’s own Smith of Wooton Major, and Lord Dunsany’s The King of Elfland’s Daughter.
Auralia’s C. would be . . .
Life Was ‘Tremendous’
Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, a publisher, speaker, and salesman, died of cancer last week after a good (relatively short) life of loving people to the Lord. He challenged individuals and audiences to read well and often, saying “You are what you read” and “You can tell a leader by the books he’s read” (roughly quoted).
Charlie was one of those irritating people who laugh and rejoice in the things of the Lord so boldly it makes us quiet people uncomfortable. When I heard of his death, the man who told me said, “Last time I spoke with him, Charlie said, ‘My doctor gave me good news! The cancer has spread, I will soon be with my Savior in Heaven!'”
I heard a man say that Charlie made him a reader several years ago–by fire in sense. Charlie called the man up before an audience to ask him what he was currently reading, assuming he was reading something worthwhile. The man wasn’t a reader and stumbled around a bit, trying to answer. Charlie called him a loser–in a cheery way–embarassing him deeply. Later, he hugged the man, like he did many people, and got his address. Charlie sent the man several leadership and spiritual life related books (Pilgrim’s Progress may have been included, I don’t remember). The gift, at least in part, turned the man away from his anger and made him a reader. (I can’t recommend that method for building readers, btw.)
Now God has blessed Charlie by freeing him from his earthly body. May He raise up more just like him.
Who Do You Read of the News?
What columnists or bloggers do you read for political opinion or insight on the news? Do you read the writing of those you disagree with? I confess I don’t read any columnist regularly. I take in Olasky, Belz, Seu et al with World Magazine, both online and in print. I’ve gone to The American Spectator occasionally for comment on specific pan flashes. But I don’t look to anyone for contrary opinions and turn on NPR once in a blue moon. It would probably serve me well to understand opposing arguments, but I don’t have enough interest in it–at least, I haven’t had enough interest. How about you?