Another Freedom of Speech Award – for “Selective Free Speech”

Posted on February 8, 2006 by me

I think this award could be shared by a number of people who spoke at Coretta Scott King’s funeral, and used the platform for their own purposes, mainly to throw stones at the Bush Administration. Apparently nothing is sacred to the Left. However, due to a truly standout performance, I will give the award to none other than former President Jimmy Carter.

Carter has excelled lately at saying stupid things in public, and yesterday was no exception. Besides his comment that Hurricane Katrina was a civil rights issue, he slammed the President on the current spying issue, mentioning that King and her family were once, too, victims of wire-tapping.

He failed to mention, of course, that the wire-tapping had been ordered by Bobby Kennedy during the Kennedy-Johnson administration. So, I guess this award should be given for the best use of “selective free speech.”

Honorable mention should go to the Rev. Joseph Lowery, for the best dramatic presentation of rambling, illogical free speech, and to the brave person who invited Michael Bolton to sing.

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Today’s Thoughts: Vote for Elliot, the Year of the Dog, and the abuse of the 2-second delay

Posted on February 6, 2006 by me

I have nothing really important to say, except that certain people give me a hard time when I don’t have something new every day, so “this one’s for you.”

Actually, this is important: My son, Elliot, is in a t-shirt design contest, and at the moment has a very slim lead. So, go to www.whatsyourfactor.com and vote for him (“PanicFactor“).

On a completely different note, this weekend I happened to drive by this Chinese restaurant that has a fairly large sign out front where you can change the letters, like some churches have. It said:

Chinese New Year’s Special!
New Menu Items
The Year of the Dog

I’m thinking perhaps I’ll wait until the year of the chicken…

And, last but not least, did you happen to catch the Stones at half-time yesterday? I wasn’t watching, but heard them from the other room. So much for aging gracefully. You’d think perhaps they would have practiced for a gig like that. It kind of makes you appreciate lip-synchers.

But, here’s the strangest thing about the Stones’ appearance: they had apparently agreed with ABC that there’d be a time-delay and bleep-control, and it seems to me that they purposefully included words that they knew would be bleeped. What’s the deal – was this the Stones’ statement in favor of censorship? Or, are they so old that they now have to conspire with corporate America to stage a phony faux pas to try to maintain their bad-boy image? Either way, the whole thing was pretty sad.

Have a great day.
(and remember to vote for Elliot!)

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Happy Groundhog’s Day!

Posted on February 2, 2006 by me

Groundhog’s Day is by far my favorite of all holidays, probably because, in the words of Audioslave, “it doesn’t remind me of anything.” It’s a nice, little holiday, without any baggage – which is also probably why it sneaks up on me. There are no Groundhog’s Day sales, no parades (except in Punxsutawney), no Hallmark Groundhog’s Day cards (well, to be honest, I haven’t checked), and no one gets the day off. But still, it’s a nice, clean little holiday.

It does, however, have one of the great holiday movies, aptly titled Groundhog’s Day, starring, of course, Bill Murray. It’s one of those holiday movies that you can watch anytime, over and over again. It’s just a great, nearly perfect movie, with a good message (and lots of humor).

Groundhog’s Day (the holiday, not the movie) is apparently derived from an old German superstition that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Candlemas, it will mean 6 more weeks of winter. How the groundhog became the official hibernating animal, or how Punxsutawney Phil became the official American groundhog, I don’t know. Perhaps Phil – who must be about 150 years old now – knows, but he just isn’t talking. I wouldn’t, if I were him – it’s a great gig for a large rodent. Canada also “celebrates” Groundhog’s Day, but I don’t know if they have their own Groundhog, or have adopted ours.

According to Wikipedia, the holiday originated in Punxsutawney, PA in 1887, but records show that the first note of the day, referencing the German superstition, was in a storekeeper’s diary for Feb 2, 1841. However, it appears the holiday actually originated with the Romans, who celebrated February 2nd as Hedgehog Day.

Whatever. I think I’ll stick with the German tradition, and celebrate with a little sausage, a little beer, and a little Bill Murray.

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Too many books, not enough time …

Posted on January 30, 2006 by me

I am not complaining; there’s really no such thing as too many books, unless you’re in college and had to take out a loan to pay for a semester’s worth of overpriced textbooks.

I started out 2006 with a stack of new books, all of which I was anxious to read. I say “was,” because I’ve finished two of them. For several years, I read very few novels. For the last couple of years, I have been restless without at least one good novel lying around that I can get buried in. I admit that I have, on occasion, resorted to re-reading books, especially those by James Blaylock and Dean Koontz. I’m re-reading Life Expectancy now, because it was handy. I’ll probably put it aside and pick it up again whenever I need to fill in some time.

When you’re a internationally known book reviewer like I am, people send you books, for free. It’s a very cool thing. I am, by the way, known by at least 2 people internationally, so my claim is accurate. And, I sometimes get e-mails from people who appreciate my reviews, so I guess I could say that I am an internationally respected book reviewer; but, I won’t go that far.

Before the holidays I received an advance copy (catch that? – advance copy) of Brian McLaren’s soon-to-be-published new bestseller, The Secret Message of Jesus. I’m just a couple of chapters into it, but I have to say that so far, I am not terribly impressed. But, if you’ve read my entries on John Eldredge (see the categories on the sidebar), you know that my first impressions are not always correct. It seems that McLaren has been reading NT Wright, but I’m not sure he’s drawing great conclusions. I’ll let you know after I’m done with it.

Speaking of NT Wright (how’s that for a great segue?), shortly before the holidays I received an e-mail from Barnes & Nobel inviting me to buy NT Wright’s just released The Last Word (when you’re an internationally known book reviewer, sometimes Barnes & Nobel will send you personalized e-mails about books you might like to buy). The Last Word is about how both conservative and liberal theologians misread the Bible, a topic near to my heart, so I am quite anxious to read that.

The other book I read this month was Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which is an extremely enjoyable book. It’s not one of those books that grips you and compels you to speed read it, it’s just one of those rare books – like Lord of the Rings, or something by Dickens – that you just enjoy, page by page.

So, books, books, and more books. Never too many, but certainly not enough time.

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