February 27, 2006

February 21, 2006

Don't laugh too hard...


One of the fun things of the past year has been playing a bit of set... I've got a long way to go, but it is been fun to pretend like I'm Ringo...

Now that's a big cat!

Someone in China has been feeding their cat a little too much... it has a 31 inch waist and wieghs 33 pounds... there is actually a humerous video at www.foxnews.com but I found an actual article here...

February 13, 2006

Pheakdey in Thailand


Here is a picture of my friend on her recent trip to Thailand with Pastor Dave and Dr. John

Francis, Agatha and Clive

If you are looking for something to read... here are three good recommendations that I just finished...

1) The Murder of Roger Akroyd - by Agatha Christie... I actually put this on my profile as one of the best books I have ever read... it may be the most perfectly conceived novel I have ever read... from start to finish, there is nothing left out, no mistakes in the flow of the book... nothing, Poirot sifts through the facts of the case, and Agatha creates a fantastic beginning and ending... highly recommended...

2) The Weight of Glory - C.S. Lewis... a good book, maybe not in top 5 of Lewis readings, but it is a good collection of fairly short speeches that he gave in England during and after World War II.

3) The Church before the Watching World- Francis Schaeffer... The man never ceases to impress... he has been dead 20 years and is still the foremost Christian philosopher of our time. This book essentially deals with the need for theological purity, but keeping in mind that Jesus gave unbelievers the right to judge the veracity of the Christian faith based upon the life and testimony of believers... excellent.

February 07, 2006

More from Clive Staples Lewis

"... I return to enquire how we are to decide on a question of morals. We have seen that every moral judgment involves facts, intuition, and reasoning, and if we are wise enough to be humble, it will involve some regard for authority as well. Its strength depends on the strength of these four factors. Thus if I find that the facts on which I am working are clear and little disputed, that the basic intuition with the particular judgment is strong, and that I am in agreement or (at worst) not in disagreement with authority, then I can trust my moral judgment with reasonable confidence. And if, in addition, I find little reason to suppose that any passion has secretly swayed my mind, this confidence is confirmed. If, on the other hand, I find the facts doubtful, the supposed intuition by no means obvious to all good men, the reasoning weak, and authority against me, then I ought to conclude that I am probably wrong. And if the conclusion which I have reached turns out to flatter some strong passion of my own, then my suspicion should deepen into moral certainty."

- from 'Why I am not a Pacifist' in The Weight of Glory, (my thoughts on this passage have nothing to do with war or peace - GHG)

"I begin to suspect that the world is divided not only into the happy and the unhappy, but into those who like happiness and those who, odd as it seems, really don't." - C.S. Lewis

February 03, 2006

I met Dave Brubeck!!!



I met Dave Brubeck! I can't believe it in some ways. This guy truly opened the doors of jazz music to me. I had been in jazz band in high school, but I never truly got 'jazzed' about jazz until I heard The Dave Brubeck Quartet play Blue Rondo ala Turk. I was amazed and awed. Even though he is an older man now, and his writing has gone in different directions, it was an honor to meet him, however briefly. He is among America's living legends, and has impacted more people than I can ever hope to. I honestly had that feeling like, "I never want to wash this hand again." I know that is ridiculous, but when you shake hands with someone of that stature, it really makes you excited. Cool...

Tribe makes a bone headed move

I have not read a ton on the Coco Crisp trade, but from all that I can tell, it was like giving the Red Sox an extra ace and taking in return an 8 of clubs. What a crappy deal. I am tired of hearing about potential. I want to see runs on the board, and Crisp was a guarantee for that. Now we are going to have to depend on one less guy to get the job done while these newbies get their act together. Whatever...