Since we’ve been talking about Russell Crowe, I was delighted to see this story over at Dirty Harry’s Place, which reports that Crowe recently made the decision to be baptized. For all I know his theology is far off the mark (or not), but I’m a Lutheran and so believe that baptism in itself possesses efficacy by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Though the state of the Lutheran church today doesn’t provide a lot of evidence, I have to admit.)

And since all of you are passionately interested in the Vikings, I should note that this month’s Smithsonian Magazine includes a cover story about The Sea Stallion of Glendalough, the largest replica Viking ship ever built, which sailed from Denmark to Ireland a while back, and will soon be returning to Denmark.

(The Sea Stallion, by the way, is a copy of a shipwreck found in Denmark. To the amazement of archaeologists, they gradually came to realize that it was a) one big ship, rather than two smaller ones, and b) built in Ireland (this determined by analysis of the wood). There were lots of Vikings in Ireland during those centuries.