Quote of the Day, 10/27/08

10/27/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

“A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently.” — St. Augustine

Fill in the Blank with Chick

10/26/2008, 11:52 pm -- by Steve | No Comments

{democracy:306}

Four Weeks (Part Nine)

10/24/2008, 4:00 pm -- by Steve | 4 Comments

Read the series in parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Most airports are on the outskirts of large cities, surrounded by squat tracts of industrial zoning, often abutting the discolored shores of the local lake or ocean. Flying into Ithaca was a revelation. Gliding down amid the undulating hills and rolling, cow-choked pastures, all I could see were forests and farmhouses, until suddenly, the trees opened up on a tiny stretch of asphalt: this traveler’s version of the Great Valley, with marginally fewer pterodactyls.

Tom’s car had died shortly before our trip began, and so he picked me up in mine, the ever-reliable Purpletrator. From the tiny airport, we went to his laboratory, where I donned a lab coat and posed for several pictures holding beakers, pouring liquids, and doing several other things I am manifestly unqualified for. He left me at his apartment, where I showered and laundered; once his neighbor cut off his wireless signal, I gladly succumbed to the call of the nap.

For there wouldn’t be much time to sleep. 25-cent wings were on the agenda, followed by Monday trivia at a downtown bar. When I was planning my flights, I chose Ithaca over Rochester solely for the chance to join Tom and his team. Although we fell oh-so-short of victory, my trip was not totally in vain — my evening in Ithaca led, in part, to the flowering of Tom’s nascent relationship with his triviamate. Had I not met her that night, chances are very good that I would not have given insistent pro-Lindsey advice a month down the road. The evening was also memorable for an odd phone call that found me wandering around the downtown Commons, holding my phone at arm’s length while a friend spent five solid minutes laughing at me.

It had turned to Tuesday when I drove up to Rochester, Tom asleep in the passenger seat. He then drove right back to Ithaca while I packed my suitcase to go back west — this time New Mexico, via Phoenix.

Will you mind if I don’t tell you about my week there?

Were I disciplined enough to have written all this in August, I would have recounted in detail the scenic drives, hidden lakes, pleasant dinners — even the herd of mighty elk that thundered across the mountain pass in front of us. But instead it is October: three months since that week with Chloe; six weeks since we broke up. What can I say about the trip now? I had a lovely time. She and her family are wonderful people.

As time passes, actions and feelings piling up in its wake, our memories change in a way we cannot control. The past is seen only through the lens of the inevitable present. A delightful Christmas morning is tinged with sorrow after a sudden death, the valleys of a roller-coaster year are forgotten under the ether of nostalgia. What actually happened is not as important as how it is remembered, because only the second can ever change. Only the second makes a difference now.

The happiest moments, the perfect times, the days and nights you are surest of your fate and future: the joy they bring, though great, is never eternal, or immutable. And so the challenge of life is to risk the pain, to accept our transience and uncertainty, yet still choose to live — and love — with the abandon of the One who not only laid down His life for His friends, but commanded us to do the same.

Whither Bono

10/24/2008, 1:49 pm -- by Steve | No Comments

From the Guardian:

“A new writer will be joining the New York Times editorial staff, issuing literate meditations on the issues of the day. He’s Irish. He wears wrap-around sunglasses. And his name rhymes with ‘Oh no!’ ”

Well, no. No, it doesn’t. It rhymes with “I have mono!” and maybe “Check out my tonneau!” Trust me, I’m a limerick expert and I named my second (tonneau-less) car after the guy.

A little later in the article, the Times’ editorial page editor offers: “The problem with conservative columnists is that many of them lie in print.”

Oh! Like those famous right-wingers, Jayson Blair [NY Times] and Stephen Glass [the New Republic]? It seems the Times’ definition of a lie isn’t deceit: it’s disagreeing with them. Enjoy those sliding profits and declining circulation numbers.

Quote of the Day, 10/24/08

10/24/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

“The word ‘good’ has many meanings. For example, if a man were to shoot his grandmother at a range of five hundred yards, I should call him a good shot, but not necessarily a good man.” — G.K. Chesterton

Bumper Stickers II: The Apolitical Edition

10/24/2008, 12:00 am -- by Steve | No Comments

Walking to work…

		Designed For: The guy who’s tired of people only hating him for his personality. Insatiable front-runners. Hillary Clinton. Carl Pavano. Hey, At Least It’s Not: Pink. Chance He’ll Get Hurt: 90% (Boston); 75% (the Bronx); 0.01% (Phoenix)

		Wait, You Forgot: Overcompensate! It Was Also Her Year To: Turn without signaling; cut me off in a crosswalk One-Sentence Response: “Well, what’s left for next year?”

Live-Blogging the Third-Party Debate!

10/23/2008, 7:12 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

Check below for my live-blog transcript of the third-party presidential debate! If you dare…

Third-Party Debate Is On, Apparently

10/23/2008, 4:37 pm -- by Steve | No Comments

According to this seedy-looking press release (complete with flanking swimsuit ad), the third-party debate will go on tonight at 9 pm EDT.

Nader’ll be there, because, really, what else does he have to do — and so will Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party. Looks like ol’ Bob Barr won’t show up, and McKinney might be out too. But, heaven help me, I’ll be here to live-blog it. Stop on back in a few hours!

Three Links (Vol. 9)

10/23/2008, 12:35 pm -- by Steve | No Comments

— I’m reading too many touchy-feely, wishy-washy, mealy-mouthed “come-to-Obama” stories from people who claim to agree with John McCain on the issues, yet simply can’t vote for him in the face of the irresistible force of Barack Obama’s personality. Well, here’s a pretty solid argument against him, although if you are like one too-honest law school friend of mine, the fact that it uses logic might just make it passÃ©.

— My morning Internet routine includes these three crosswords: USA Today, my local paper, and the LA Times.

— Have I mentioned I love McSweeney’s? Here is a short imagined monologue from a 39-year-old single wedding photographer. Not only will she “make you a DVD slideshow of your photos set to your favorite love songs,” but she promises to “cut the brake lines on zero limousines.”

Some previous favorites from the series include a particularly treacherous game of Risk, a particularly treacherous game of Clue, and an intervention staged by Christopher Robin.

Meka Has Fallen!

10/23/2008, 12:00 pm -- by David | 1 Comment

Meka has fallen. For those of you unfamiliar with Meka, she is the minor deity of considerable girth who reigns over the convenience store where I buy my coffee and newspaper everyday. She sits behind the counter, on a high throne that, to the uninitiated, appears to be a simple barstool. She rules the coffee maker and the racks of honey buns; she dispenses alcohol and tobacco products to the throngs of adoring devotees. All things considered, her reign has been a good one.

She arrived about a year ago, and her time has been marked by a magnanimous beneficence that had been greatly lacking in her predecessor. When I buy the USA Today and a cup of coffee each day, my total comes to 75 cents. If you know anything about the world of convenience stores, you know that the paper alone costs 75 cents. I’m not sure whether I get the coffee or the newspaper free, but I like the arrangement.

When Meka is not there, the owner charges me $1.25 for the same combo. On the rare day when they are both there, Meka charges me $1.50. I never flinch when this happens, not wanting to bring any ill fortune on her. Meka giveth and Meka taketh away. Blessed is Meka.

Her predecessor was known as the Elephant Woman, not because of her size, but because of her short, compact stature, and the general grayness that seemed to infuse her entire appearance. She reminded me of a character from Babar. Before her, there was a red-haired girl of gothic bent, whose name I don\’t recall, but who loved to talk about her pet squirrel Ralphie. At the time, oddly enough, we had a pet squirrel named Billy, and so there was common ground.

There was never a doubt about who was in charge during Meka’s reign. There is a license plate-sized placard behind the counter with the words “PERSON IN CHARGE,” and every day, “Meka” was written there in large red letters. And although I cannot prove it scientifically, things have been better under her rule. Slothman Cabdriver has not blocked my coffee access in months, his slow stirs costing me precious minutes so I pull into work at 8:02, not 7:59. I also have not been accosted by panhandlers lately. I like Meka.

All good things must come to an end, though. When I entered the store Monday morning, the sign loudly proclaimed: “PERSON IN CHARGE — Jesus, honey!”

So Meka was gone, but how could I be dismayed? I was shocked and elated; all I could do was ask the owner (to his utter confusion) if Jesus would still be selling beer and alcohol. I didn\’t mention the wine because I hate taking a nearly indefensible position in a debate.

To my great delight, Meka was back today, but the sign remained. She explained that she was tired of Jehovah\’s Witnesses coming into the store, “readin\’ they scriptures to folks and stuff,” so she made the change herself. Things can only get better now that Meka has yielded control of her small kingdom to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Puzzle of the Day, 10/23/08

10/23/2008, 10:00 am -- by Bweinh | 7 Comments

Answer all four questions correctly:

1. The first question with ‘A’ as the correct answer is:
(A) 2; (B) 3; (C) 4

2. Which answer appears the most?
(A) C; (B) B; (C) A

3. The answer to question 1 is:
(A) B; (B) A; (C) C

4. Which answer appears the least?
(A) A; (B) C; (C) B

Leave your answer as a comment, if you’re brave, or email steve@bweinh.com.

Prizes:
$1.00 [American] for the first correct answer.
$0.75 [American] for the third incorrect answer.
$0.50 [Canadian] for the fourth correct answer.

Joe the Answered Chick Tract

10/23/2008, 1:00 am -- by Steve | No Comments

What did the Joes have in common?

If you picked “They were framed for crimes they did not commit,” you’re a winner!!

Yes or no, turkey?!

Four More Years…

10/22/2008, 11:58 pm -- by Djere | No Comments

Of Jimmy Carter.

Battle of the Bands LXXV

10/22/2008, 2:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

The next group from Acts is below; moving on in forceful fashion is Strange Ears!

{democracy:305}

Bible Discussion — Acts 19-20

10/22/2008, 2:24 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com moves on to the next two chapters of Acts.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS:
Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: 1:1-38 | 1:39-2:40 | 2:41-3:38 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
11 | 12 | 13 | 14-15 | 16-17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24
Esther: 1-2 | 3-5 | 6-8 | 9-10
Acts: 1 | 2 | 3-4 | 5 | 6-7 | 8 | 9-10 | 11-12 | 13-14 | 15-16 | 17-18

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Paul brings the word of God to Ephesus, then hurries off to a feast. In the interim, Apollos comes to Ephesus and teaches with eloquence — but lacks the power of the Holy Ghost. Paul returns, bringing the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and spends two full years with the Ephesians.

Some surmise that in Revelation, when the Ephesian church is commended for exposing false apostles, that Apollos is meant. I don\’t think so. Paul followed up on Apollos in Corinth too, telling them: “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”

Steve:
GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF THE EPHESIANS!
GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF THE EPHESIANS!
GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF THE EPHESIANS!

Connie:
Paul’s ministry tour is coming to an end. Our chapters this week deal with the riot at Ephesus and a study in diplomacy, and the final goodbyes before Paul heads to Jerusalem, which (the Holy Spirit has told him) holds “chains and tribulations.” But he doesn’t let up at all, promising to “finish the race with joy.”

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
It’s amazing to me that the same televangelist hucksters who use 19:12 to defend their practice of praying over cloths and sending them to their sick and needy donors completely ignore the lesson of the next four verses — by accepting praise and elevating their own names above that of their Creator.

Connie:
20:2 isn’t complete. It ends with “he came to Greece,” but verse three begins, “and stayed three months.” How absolutely odd. The OCD person inside me needs an explanation or a rewrite.

My commentary says it was because of the winter. So maybe verse three should read: “Because of the wintry weather, Paul stayed in Greece for three months,” then proceed on with the narrative. Much better, eh?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Connie: Sopater
Josh: Take No Prisoners
Steve: Uproar; The Plots
David: Tyrannus

Continued here!

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