The Council’s Ruling — Worst Year

02/17/2009, 2:20 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

At various times, the Bweinh!tributors, having convened in secret for hours of reasoned debate and consideration, will issue a brief and binding ruling on an issue of great societal import.

This week’s question — Who has had the worst 2009 thus far?

Djere delivers the ruling of the Council, joined by Steve and David:

Whether he knows it or not, Blagojevich. Enough already, pal. Enough lying, enough bribery, enough hair. And hopefully, it’s just going to get worse for him.

Steve concurs in the result, joined by David:

Blagojevich. Others have had a bad year, but only one man is a national punchline for his actions AND his appearance.

Connie concurs in the result:

Blago — and I’m pretty sure it’s only going downhill from here.

Job dissents:

Marcus Schrenker. His business went off a cliff, his wife filed for divorce, he was indicted on federal charges, he unsuccessfully and spectacularly failed at faking his death in a plane “crash” — and endured it all in a bruisingly public way.

Tom dissents:

Bernard Madoff. If the recession were a god, he would be its avatar.

MC-B, Josh, Mike, and Kaitlin played no part in the determination of this issue.

One Hundred Words (45)

02/16/2009, 3:52 pm -- by Djere | 2 Comments

(Two-Minute Drill #4)

Hotels.com has a commercial — maybe you’ve seen it? The two shampoos commercial? High-larious.

“It’s working! It’s working! They got me! It’s working!”

I don’t know what it is about that commercial, but it reaches me on many levels.

And GEICO’s new line of commercial featuring “Kash”? I love it. I love the song, I love the character, I love how nonchalant they are about the absurdity.

“That? That’s just the money you could be saving by switching to GEICO!”

“T-tell me who’s watching!”

–JJM

Quote of the Day, 2/16/09

02/16/2009, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

“The only sensible ends of literature are, first, the pleasurable toil of writing; second, the gratification of one’s family and friends; and lastly, the solid cash.” — N. Hawthorne

Bad Marketing

02/13/2009, 2:16 pm -- by David | 2 Comments

I have seen two new businesses around town that have not inspired my confidence. Against all Odds Hair Salon is the first. I figure, what are the chances of getting a good haircut there?

The second is One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning.

“Hey, your guy was here and fixed our air conditioner. It worked for about an hour — and now it’s down again.”

“Yeah, so what’s the problem?”

Quote of the Day, 2/13/09

02/13/2009, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | 2 Comments

“Mathematics seems to endow one with something like a new sense.” — C. Darwin

Battle of the Bands LXXXII

02/13/2009, 12:34 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

Moving on from Jonah is Relent!

Below is the Jonah band name finals, the Acts band name semifinals, and the first matchup from Ephesians!

{democracy:330}

{democracy:331}

{democracy:332}

{democracy:333}

One Hundred Words (44)

02/12/2009, 9:25 pm -- by Djere | No Comments

(Two-minute drill #3: on Romans 2:5-6)

It’s often said there are no guilty people in prison. Generally, if you ask people caught red-handed if they’re guilty, they’ll answer no: it’s someone else’s fault, or a setup, or the man is keeping them down. But these verses say that every sin stores up not just judgment and wrath, but also revelation.

And at Judgment Day, everyone will know exactly why things happened, as revealed by a perfect God. No denial, no excuses, just revelation and wrath — or mercy.

And all those who demand “why” from God will know, and be silenced.

–JJM

Bible Discussion — Ephesians 1-2

02/12/2009, 12:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com starts discussing the first two chapters of Ephesians.

Read it all here!

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 | 19-20 | 21-22 | 23-24 | 25-26 | 27-28
Jonah: 1-2 | 3-4

INTRODUCTION:
David:
In this book, Paul sends no personal greetings, although he and the elders were dear friends, who wept at their parting in Acts 20, and he deals with no personal issues in the church. These unusual clues lead some to believe that Ephesians was not intended solely for Ephesus, but was designed to serve as a circular epistle for the Gentiles, to enumerate and expound on the riches and responsibility of holy living, which we inherited from Christ Jesus. If that’s true, this is the only epistle written particularly for you and me — to welcome us to the kingdom and lay down the ground rules.

Connie:
Paul, speaking “through” the Ephesians, wants each of us to know that we, as Christians, are all members of the Body of Christ — the Church. He then goes on to expand on how we grow into that role.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
1:14, depending on your translation, describes the Holy Spirit as either a deposit (NIV), an earnest (KJV), or the guarantee (NKJV) of our inheritance. I find this to be a very interesting way to view not just the Holy Spirit, but how we, as believers, experience the Kingdom of God here on earth.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Children of Wrath; Aliens of the Commonwealth
David: ALIENS-NO-MORE
Connie: Cornerstone
Steve: Boast

Continued here!

Three Links (Vol. 18)

02/11/2009, 11:50 pm -- by Steve | 2 Comments

— Welcome to This Is Why You’re Fat: a gastronomic gallimaufry of “food porn.” Close-up, glossy pictures of such delicacies as a Krispy Kreme sloppy joe, a deep-fried peanut butter-covered brownie wrapped in cookie dough, and the truly frightening “double bacon hamburger fatty melt.”

Right now the front page even includes Rochester’s claim to culinary fame: the aptly named but undeniably delicious “garbage plate.”

— And on that gluttonous note, this essay about shifting attitudes toward food and sex is perhaps the most interesting thing I’ve read all year. Mary Eberstadt argues that our society has developed distinctive and universalized moral hangups about food, at least in part due to its abandonment of such longstanding stigmas against indiscriminate sex.

It’s a little too cute to call this modern man’s “own act of transubstantiation,” but it’s a fascinating observation — and, as Eberstadt points out, both junk food and junk sex have undeniable consequences.

— But if all of this is too base and mundane for your ethereal mind, I’ve something for you too: a brief and surprisingly understandable lecture on the concept of physics’ string theory. As a theory, it’s quite likely nonsense. Sure is cool nonsense, though.

One Hundred Words (43)

02/11/2009, 9:00 am -- by Djere | No Comments

I’m really irritated by “global warming.”

In the 70s, it was global cooling, an impending ice age. In the 90s, it was global warming, an impending tidal wave to kill us all.

Now it’s global climate change, because apparently “global warming” makes some places colder. I don’t know how true it is for you, but if I didn’t know spring followed winter, I’d think winter would never end! And summer? Sheesh, I’ve forgotten all about summer by now.

For once, can’t people stop hyping up crap to sell books and push agendas, and admit we’re not as smart as we think?

–JJM

Quote of the Day, 2/11/09

02/11/2009, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.” — Sun Tzu

The Council’s Ruling — Important State

02/10/2009, 11:15 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

At various times, the Bweinh!tributors, having convened in secret for hours of reasoned debate and consideration, will issue a brief and binding ruling on an issue of great societal import.

This week’s question — What is the most important state to our union?

David delivers the ruling of the Council, joined by Connie, Tom, Steve, and Djere:

New York. The financial and diplomatic capital of the world, and the place where millions of immigrants have entered the United States to become part of the great American melting pot. No one comes here without visiting the Empire State, whether it’s the Beatles or King Kong.

Josh concurs:

New York, because it contains the greatest city in the world, or so I’m told.

Job joins this dissent:

California — the eighth-largest economy in the world, with a world-renowned mystique dating from the 1800s.

MC-B, Mike, and Kaitlin played no part in the determination of this issue.

Music by Bweinh! — How Great

02/10/2009, 10:00 am -- by Djere | 2 Comments

Listen to or download the song here (for a limited time)!

“How Great” is a song I wrote in college, and it’s one of the better songs I’ve written. I’m not a big fan of the song, but other people seem to like it — so I don’t know what to say to them. I’m okay with the chorus, but there’s something about the verses I can’t put my finger on… I just don’t like them.

Looking through an old clipboard, I just found the original blue scrap of paper I wrote the song on, stuffed into the pages of an aging yellow legal pad. A pad, might I add, that’s just full of terrible, terrible songs. Terrible. If you were to look at it, which you never will (because the songs are just embarrassingly terrible and I won’t let you), you could open to just about any page and find the first verse of an unfinished song, or hastily scribbled chords that, by now, make little to no sense.

Ahhhh, the halcyon days of my youth, when scribbling chords and penning songs not fit for human consumption was how I passed the time. I wrote this song in the basement of the music building, Tyler Hall, pretty much in one take. I spent a lot of time down in those cramped, tiny practice rooms. Thank goodness now I have Left 4 Dead.

Anyway, as I said before, other people like the song more than I do, but I do like the chorus a fair amount.

Enjoy, I guess….

Joke of the Day, 2/10/08

02/10/2009, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

A preacher concluded his service by saying, “Next Sunday I will preach on lies. In preparation for the sermon, I would like you to read the 17th chapter of Mark.”

The following Sunday, the preacher said, “Everyone who did as I requested and read Mark 17, please raise your hands.” Almost every hand in the congregation went up.

The preacher continued. “You’re just the people I want to talk to! See, there is no 17th chapter in Mark.”

One Hundred Words (42)

02/9/2009, 3:00 pm -- by Djere | No Comments

(Two-Minute Drill #2: on the humble toilet.)

Throughout the useful lifetime of a type of product, a considerable evolution takes place. The automobile started out humbly enough as a Model T, and was revised and renewed until reaching perfection in the form of my 2001 Jeep Cherokee.

But what of the toilet? How did it truly start, and where can it go in the future? Taller? Wider? Softer? Warmer? More water-efficient? Nuclear-powered?

Where are the innovators of tomorrow who will revolutionize the process of personal relief?

–JJM

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