Targuman.org

The Blog Has Moved!

2006-11-26T05:29:00.000-08:00

This blog is now at http://targuman.org/blog/ please stop by and get up to date with Targuman!

Signs of the Times

2006-08-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

My 20th High School reunion is this fall. Damascus High School - Class of 1986 They have a listing of events from 1986

1986 Kings Dominion Concert Schedule

May 25 Robert Palmer / Belinda Carlisle $4
June 1 Ready for the World / Zapp/Roger / Sly Fox / Eugene Wilde $4
June 22 Jimmy Buffett $5
July 6 New Edition $5
July 13 Starship $4
July 19 Air Supply $4
July 20 Billy Ocean and Meli'sa Morgan $5
July 27 Patti Labelle $6
August 3 Eddie Rabbit / Exile / Janie Frickie / TG Sheppard / Sylvia $4
August 17 David Copperfield $4

Things that Happened in 1986
The US officially observes Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday for the first time
The space shuttle Challenger explodes moments after lift off, killing 6 astronauts and a teacher
A major nuclear disaster occurs at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union
Japanese video game maker Nintendo introduces its games to America
US warplanes bomb Libyan headquarters in retaliation for terrorist attacks
The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station
IBM unveils the PC Convertible, the first laptop computer
Charlotte Church, The Olsen twins, and Lindsay Lohan are born
Chicago Bears win Superbowl XX
Top Gun is the top grossing film
"That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne & Friendsspends the most time at the top of the US charts
ALF, the Oprah Winfrey Show , and Pee-Wee's Playhouse premiere

Dvorak Gets Into Religion

2006-08-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Religious Nutballs in Berkeley - Weird TheoryDvorak doesn't get it and neither do I.

(Via Dvorak Uncensored.)

Long time no post...

2006-08-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts folks. The new job is keeping me busy! I will try and post more as my schedule levels out.

SBL Aramaic Sessions

2006-08-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

The preliminary sessions for SBL are posted. I cannot seem to link directly to any one section but you can search here. If you are interest in all things Aramaic then by all means search under that term since other sessions, like Qumran, will also address issues Aramaic.

Aramaic Studies
On Sunday:

S19-4
Aramaic Studies
11/19/2006
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Room: 302 - CC
Theme: Mishnaic and Targumic Aramaic

Aaron Koller, Yeshiva University
The Aramaic of Hillel (30 min)
Moshe J. Bernstein, Yeshiva University
Nabal in the Aramaic Versions of the Bible: Morally or Intellectually Deficient? (30 min)
Douglas M. Gropp, Catholic University of America, The
Thinking the Targum’s Thoughts After It: The Song of Hannah (30 min)
David L. Everson, Hebrew Union College
Aging Angels: Investigating the Date of Pseudo-Jonathan in Light of Rabbinic and Targumic Angelology (30 min)

And on Tuesday (sorry folks! I didn't make the schedule...)

S21-3
Aramaic Studies
11/21/2006
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Room: 149B-CC
Tawny L. Holm, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
The Sheikh Fadl Inscription and Its Literary Context (30 min)
Bennie H. Reynolds III, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
What Are Demons of Error? The Meaning of ???? ????? and the Concept of Israelite Child Sacrifice (30 min)
Marina Greatrex, St Paul University
Scriptural Citations on the Angels in the Hexaemeron of Jacob of Edessa. (30 min)
Stephen Ryan, Dominican House of Studies
The Syriac Commentary on Ben Sira by Dionysius bar Salibi (30 min)

I am also in another session on teaching the Bible in a secular context.

S18-74
Teaching Biblical Literature in an Undergraduate Liberal Arts Context
11/18/2006
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: 154A - CC
Theme: Transforming the Curriculum

Jane Webster, Barton College, Presiding
Susanne Scholz, Merrimack College
Gold Mine or Coal Mine? Teaching the Hebrew Bible in the Undergraduate Classroom (25 min)
Stan Harstine, Friends University
Challenges to Teaching Biblical Literature as a General Education Requirement (25 min)
John Lanci, Stonehill College, Respondent (10 min)
Break (10 min)
Glenn S. Holland, Allegheny College
“Not as the Scribes:” Biblical Studies in the Liberal Arts Curriculum (25 min)
Christian Brady, PennState University
"God is not in this classroom" or Reading the Bible in a Secular School (25 min)
Colleen Conway, Seton Hall University, Respondent (10 min)
Discussion (20 min)

There will be ample opportunity to ask questions and to share ideas for future directions.

See you all there!

I couldn't have said it better myself

2006-08-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

9 Chickweed Lane:

The move is on!

2006-08-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

The movers packed and took all our belongings yesterday. The house is now empty except for the bits that will go in the car, including our air mattresses that make up our beds. The feeling is oddly like post-Katrina, but whereas then we had all our things but no electricity or phone service now we do not have any furniture. This, however, is a great time for us. Transitions are always difficult and this is a big one. But we are all VERY excited and looking forward to being a part of the Penn State Family!

Friends don't let friends make videos

2006-08-02T05:03:00.000-07:00

Dvorak noticed this video. Apparently it is a legitimate ad, but oh, I hope not!

Tagged! One Book Meme

2006-07-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

Tyler Williams of Codex has been kind enough to "tag" me (thanks for the heads-up Kevin!) so I will do my best to respond as the packers...erm, pack the house.

1. One book that changed your life:
Tough... Genesis, specifically chapters 1-3. (See also #6 below.)

2. One book that you’ve read more than once:
There have been many, especially now that my daughter is old enough to be read to (and now read! she is 8 and just finished Harry Potter #6 and is starting back on 1 as I type, with boxes piling up around me). I also tend to re-read things because my memory isn't what it never was. I was going to list a series and I just realized the meme is all about "one book." OK, I have wasted enough time. I will pick Mind of the Maker, by Dorothy L. Sayers.

3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
I have to agree with TYler: I would probably want the Bible — in the original languages. (Although I would probably need a good Hebrew/Greek lexicon. ;-)

4. One book that made you laugh:
Life with Jeeves by PG Wodehouse. Anything by Wodehouse really. He was a genius and I do not use that word lightly. I think it was Douglas Adams and/or Stephen Fry who once said that Wodehouse was the master of the English language in the 20th century. Pretty strong stuff, don't you think?

5. One book that made you cry:
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Peterson. I still remember reading this in, I think, the 4th grade. I cried and was mocked for it but it is an incredibly moving story. I understand it is soon going to be a movie. I am not sure I could go see it for two reasons: (1) if it is well made I will be a wreck and (2) if it is not well made it will be horrible. It is an excellent book.

6. One book that you wish had been written:
This is a curious one. Why would we wish a book had been written? I am sure that many biblioblogs can think of many books that we wished had survived, but that is usually because we know they were written, we just no longer have them. But why should we wish a book was written? Perhaps to know the inner thoughts of someone? In that vein might I suggest The Autobiography of Jesus: Man and/or God?

Hmm. I just noticed that Loren's version says "One book that you wish you had written." That makes more sense. Biblical Theology in Crisis by Brevard Childs. In fact, that work could go under #1. It has had a profound affect upon me and my approach to criticism.

7. One book that you wish had never been written:
The Da Vinci Code. Really, in some ways it has been great for scholarship, giving us a chance to educate the populace and so on. The problem of course is that all those millions of folks who read it (and heard the interviews) don't bother to do the simple due diligence of reading the Gospels for themselves. (I would also include something like Mein Kampf.)

8. One book you’re currently reading:
Usually i have a few books going including some pulp fiction on my Palm like the Shadow. But with everything going on my reading has been strategic plans, budgets, and mortgage papers. Ugh. I will offer The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem by Borg and Crossan. This has escaped my attention, but a grad student pointed it out to me last week.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:
Swann's Way by Proust.

10. Now tag five people:
Ed, Evan, Joe, The Prof, The Flesh Presser.

Noah Video

2006-07-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Joe! You are da Man! Oh how I love this routine. Now, can I have a full quality version of this for my lectures! :-)

Noah Video

Noah Video

We're doing a Noah story in our Sunday School program, so I put the superb and easy video tools on my new Mac to good use and made this video for them.
This problem is, only the first minute and a half of Cosby's Noah routines were ever recorded on TV (and hence, video), so I've spliced sound recordings from the rest together with photos so the kids could enjoy the whole thing with some well-timed visuals.

(Via The Macintosh Biblioblog.)

Cow = Female

2006-07-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

I was looking to see what movies are in the theaters since our house is boxed up for the upcoming move. I had seen the trailers for
Barnyard
and I wondered about one aspect of the film. The hero, Otis, is a male voice (Kevin James) and regularly referred to in the third person masculine. (Note the prominent udder in the picture above [Update: apparently the picture cannot be linked to so see the page directly.]). People, people, people. One does not have to be a 4-H or FFA nerd to know that a cow is a female bovine. Here is a primer for you all:

calf - young bovine
steer - male, castrated (this is where our beef comes from)
heifer - female, not yet lactating (i.e., has not yet calved)
cow - mature female, lactating (we get our milk from these)
bull - adult male with all his equipment intact.

And finally, a t-shirt I saw at Home Depot today for a ranch in Folsom, LA that raises Texas Longhorns: "Our bulls are horny."

Women Mac geeks at BlogHer '06

2006-07-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

In the biblio blogging world there was quite a bit of discussion about women in the blogosphere (or lack thereof). In light of this, I thought folks would find this of interest. On TUAW by Jan Kabili:
Women Mac geeks at BlogHer '06

Filed under: Other Events
I just finished speaking on a panel -- Primp Your Blog -- at BlogHer '06. The audience was mostly women -- for a change. And here's the really good news: a cheer went up when I introduced myself as a Mac user, and a majority of hands went up when I asked how many in the room were Mac users. Women Mac geeks rule! I've always wondered how many women are out there in the TUAW audience. Make yourselves known.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

Schreyer Honors College - The Blog

2006-07-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

The blog for Schreyer Honors College, PSU

In preparation for our move next week, I have started a new blog for Schreyer Scholars. The Tulane blog will continue to be run by my successor (to be named soon!) and Mrs. Jenkins.

In the meantime, I will try and find something interesting to say here, maybe even intelligent, but probably not. Most of my time now is spent arranging the move, lamenting a comatose car (I refuse to say "dead"!), and getting ready for the Next Great Adventure.

cbs11tv.com - Aramaic-English Bible Translation Draws Criticism

2006-07-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

A curious article about Lamsa's translation of the Peshitta and his student, Rocco Errico, that is full of errors.

[Dr. Brian Schmisek, professor at the University of Dallas] says, "...the gospels were written by the apostles in Greek.”

Not the apostles, but perhaps disciples of the apostles.... And

Evidence shows Aramaic texts do go all the way back to the Targums; Hebrew translated to Aramaic, B.C.). [sic] Schmisek agrees "The Dead Sea Scrolls are the oldest biblical texts we have ... -- they are in Aramaic.“

Some are but most are not.

So there you have it. Not worth your time really, or mine. Good night.

Aramaic is the official Language

2006-07-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Of heaven!
From Cartoonbank.com - Product Details

Thanks Moshe M from Haifa for this via Moshe B from Yeshiva!

My new BlackBook is here!

2006-07-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

My new MacBook, in black, arrived this morning. The HD and RAM were updated within 20 minutes and I was off! Most of my stuff migrated painlessly and I only had a few moments of sorting out my email that through me off. Otherwise things are running fine and as cool as my 17" PowerBook ever did! (I will try and get temps later.) Things having run so well, I was able to focus on more important things, like trying out PhotoBooth.

iTunes U Public Sites

2006-07-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is very interesting and promising. Stay tuned...

Serendipity 35: iTunes U Public Sites

iTunes U is the free, hosted service for colleges and universities to make podcasts easily available to students, faculty, staff, alumni

and the general public through the iTunes Music Store.
Apparently a good number of schools are signing on, but there are only a few that have a public face (Apple allows participating schools to have a private face with school-controlled login for protected content such as courseware).
There were four schools used during their beta testing that now have public access which means you can enter (through iTunes, of course) and listen/watch and download public content.
NJIT will have its podcast content in iTunes U (somehow calling it a 'music store' doesn't sound right, though they all do pop up within the iTunes Music Store) for this fall semester. We have been distributing podcasts from our website since fall 2005 in iTunes compatible formats.
The two big public sites for now are Stanford and UC Berkeley, plus the business schools at U of Michigan and Duke. Here are the links - check out their content.

http://itunes.stanford.edu/
http://itunes.berkeley.edu/
http://itunes.bus.umich.edu/
http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/itunes

(Via Serendipity 35.)

The Future of Tulane Honors Program

2006-07-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

It is with very mixed feelings that I am writing to inform the Tulane Honors community that I will be leaving Tulane University at the end of the month. I have been selected to be the next Dean of Penn State's Schreyer Honors College. This position was not something that I initially sought, believing that we needed to return to New Orleans and Tulane to offer what help we could to rebuild. When the position was reopened this spring it presented an opportunity that I would have been remiss had I not pursued it.

Tulane University has afforded me great opportunities and it is my experience directing the Honors Program and working with you all that has prepared me for this new role. I will always be grateful to the Tulane community and remember you all with great affection.

I want to add a few words about the future of the honors program at Tulane. Dr. James MacLaren, Dean of the Newcomb-Tulane College will soon announce a new director of the program. He has asked me to invite all students to feel free to contact him and let him know your thoughts about the program and how you think it might best move forward. Tulane University is and remains an outstanding school and the honors program is an integral part of the whole. For those of you who are getting ready to arrive for the first time and especially those of you with whom I met in the spring, I am deeply sorry that I will not be here to greet you; it is my loss. There are wonderful faculty and staff here who are committed to aiding you in your educational journey. (And this blog will continue as well! See be sure to keep checking it for updates.) For those of you who are graduating, or will be shortly, please know that even though I will no longer be at Tulane I am eager to help you as you move forward and I can always be reached by email (cbrady@targuman.org).

Finally, thank you all once again. I wish you all the very best and I encourage you to strive not only for the honors you deserve, but to be an honorable person as well.

Yours,
Cb

This is what makes England...England.

2006-07-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

Steam powered iMac
Wow. That anyone would dream up such a thing, let alone make it. If Douglas Adams can see this now I am sure he is proud.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

Technorati Tags:
iMac, Apple, England

Google Book Search: Wow!

2006-07-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

Since I stumbled upon my Wiki article yesterday it occurred to me I might want to find out what else Google has to say about me. The usual Google search did not reveal anything unexpected (although "Christian M. M. Brady" is a more useful search than "Christian Brady" unless I want to claim fame as a British boxer). But then I noticed the "Try your search again on Google Book Search" option. Holy pig! (As my son would say.)

The Rabbinic Targum of Lamentations:... - Google Book Search is there in all its glory with various pages (legally, apparently) to be viewed. So if you were dying to get a glimpse of my book (I know you were) before plunking down € 67.00 here is your chance! The Eerdman's Bible Dictionary is also available.

I am famous...I guess.

2006-07-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

Much to my surprise today I noticed (not that I was looking for it) that there is a Wikipedia article about me: Christian M. M. Brady - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I guess this is fame in the internet world. Hmm. I did correct my year of birth, but otherwise all is accurate, although I wonder who Denysmonroe81 is and where s/he gathered information about me.

UPDATE: I am not certain of the origin of the username, but my sleuthing skills have, I believe, unearthed who the contributor is. ;-)

[Dead Sea] Scrolls will be in spotlight

2006-07-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

From SignOnSanDiego.com SD is already getting ready for the DSS to come on tour there next year. This will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the Scrolls and the SBL conference will be held in SD next year as well. There are all sorts of events schedules including lectures by 22(!) scholars.

Among the selections are 10 [scrolls] that have never been on public display before and scrolls that have been studied by four Southern California scholars: David Noel Freedman from UCSD, Russell Fuller from USD, Bruce Zuckerman from the University of Southern California and James Sanders from the School of Theology at Claremont.

Technorati Tags:
Bible, Scholarship, Dead Sea Scrolls

From Ed Cook: Vermes on the Qumran Concordance

2006-07-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

The concordance produced by Marty Abegg, James Bowley, and Ed Cook is being reviewed and Ed himself offers comments on Vermes' review.

Vermes's verdict on the Concordance: "an outstanding achievement ... truly indispensable." It's always nice to hear such kind words about a project in which one has participated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Vermes's review appears in Journal of Jewish Studies 57 (Spring 2006), 177-179.

Be sure to read the blog to learn some great trivia regarding Marty, computers, and the DSS.

(Via Ralph the Sacred River.)

Technorati Tags:
Scholarship, Dead Sea Scrolls, Review

Jet Beetle

2006-07-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

I will readily admit that I came upon the Jet Beetle via Ripley's Believe it or Not this Sunday. This is simply the wildest thing I have ever seen: a street legal VW Beetle powered by (the gas engine) and a jet engine (that is the thing spitting flames at the back).

The only thing that will beat it, imho, is the JetScooter. Oh I hope he builds it!

A Musical Meme - Ungodly Rant

2006-07-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

The misanthropic Ranter has invited me to a meme.

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 6 other people to see what they're listening to.

Hmmmm. Let's see I am going to modify this a bit. You see not only do I tend to set iTunes and my iPod to "shuffle" and therefore get a whole range of songs, but I have been particularly enjoying podcasts on my commute. So, with that I am going to add podcasts to my list.

Chris Evans - Chris is a BBC DJ whom I listened to while we lived in England. He had a morning show then but recently took over the BBC2 evening drive time. This podcast is the best 30 minutes of the previous week's shows.

Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me! - Oddly enough after Katrina our NPR station finally got this show. It is great, but the time rarely works for me, so I pod' it. "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is NPR's weekly hour-long quiz program. Each week on the radio you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what's real news and what's made up." What could be better than winning Carl Castle's voice on your home answering machine?!

TWiT - This is great show for Geeks. "this WEEK in TECH with Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, John C. Dvorak, Robert Heron, David Prager, Roger Chang, Doug Kaye, Molly Wood, and other tech pundits."

On to music:

"Gone in a Moment" by Seven and Seven Is, a subset of the 77s. Mike's great, melodic and moody guitars, powerful lyrics. Great stuff.

"God Put a Smile on Your Face" by Coldplay. I like it.

"Talk About the Passion" by R.E.M. You know, I have never paid attention to this song or album until I inadvertently added it to a playlist. The lyrics aren't much and I am still not sure what to make of it. That is why I like it.

I will not burden other folks with this but if you would like to carry it on, by all means do so! (I would be very interested in what Evan and Ed would come up with. ;-)

A Review of "The Rabbinic Targum of Lamentations"

2006-06-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

[UPDATE: As I suspected, the link to the review only worked because I accessed it via Tulane Library's site. I hope others have the service or access to the journal.]

Today I stumbled across a review of my book
The Rabbinic Targum of Lamentations: Vindicating God, Studies in the Aramaic Interpretation of Scripture, vol. 3, (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2003). The review is from the Journal for the Study of Judaism, XXXVII, 1, 2006, and is by Emiliano Martínez-Borobio. It is, on the whole, favorable:

This book, therefore, may be recommended to every one interested in the rabbinic thought and world. In the reviewer’s opinion it is an excellent work, and the author succeeds in interpreting the message of Tg. Lam. by means of the rabbinic traditions and the exegetical principles established by the rabbinic schools.

But I would like to offer two comments. The first is one of gratitude. The reviewer commented that I did not use what he termed "the best research on the mss. of Tg. Lam." Indeed, this work was unknown to me and would have made my life far simpler had I known it! So, in hopes that others may benefit from it, the citation from the review is here:

( Juan-José Alarcón Sainz, Edición crítica del Targun de Lamentaciones según la tradición textual occidental, Madrid: Editorial de la Universidad Complutense, 1991. Serie Tesis doctorales; 89/91). Alarcón offers a critical edition of TgLam on the basis of the best mss. including Paris 110, Villaamil 4 by Alfonso de Zamora, Urbinas 1, Parma 3231-3218-3235-2867-3189, Solger 1-7, 2.

My second comment is not a defense as much as "my point exactly." Martínez-Borobio says,

All that notwithstanding, I must express my opinion contrary to Brady’s view, seemingly maintained on various occasions in his book (cf. 3 and 104-5), regarding the validity of the central message of Tg. Lam. According to this message, Tg. Lam. underscores sometimes that the catastrophes and atrocities undergone by the Jewish people were originated by God’s punishment for their unfaithfulness. Brady considers that Tg. Lam.’s view can be assumed and understood by modern people, in contrast to the opinion of other modern scholars (cf., for example, 3, n. 7 and 104, n. 6) who assert that such targumic ideas can only reflect an historic belief proper of the period when that book was written. The belief that such cruel punishments are the result of human faults, and are coming from a vengeful God, just transfers the human behaviour to the divinity. It is nothing but a mythological antropomorphism putting on the same level human and divine nature. By the time I write this review we have witnessed the catastrophes occurred in the Caribbean States of the US, and there were some voices claiming that such terrible events originated as a divine punishment (!). It reflects the same concept of a vindictive God, untenable today for both believers and unbelievers.

"My view" is that modern scholars, apparently including Martínez-Borobio, reject the theological conclusions of Tg. Lam. as a theological relic that we have outgrown and thus dismiss those who do have such views, often even those of the past such as our rabbinic sources, as "untenable." This is really more of a statement of fact than a personal view. What becomes "my view" or even opinion is that such a position is condescending and simply ignorant of reality. As Martínez-Borobio notes in his penultimate sentence, many in the modern world do continue to view the world in this way. Thus, at least for some, such a concept of God is not "untenable," but is, in fact, part of their world view, one that is often predicated upon the belief that God controls and ordains all of history.

Now let me be clear, I am not, nor have I ever, suggested that God did actually cause the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE or 70 CE nor that he is responsible for Katrina. (See my comments here.) I am simply arguing that some modern scholars have allowed their own ideological and theological predilections and convictions to keep them from understanding the rabbinic view of these matters. As I conclude my book

We may not, as individuals, be persauded by TgLam's interpretation of events, but it would be wrong of us to negate them, even when applied to modern crises. For those who accept God as a guiding and determining force in history there is, in fact, little other interpretation available.

As it happens, I do believe that the "little other interpretation" is fairly compelling, but I will leave that for to my previous post or future discussion.
Finally, for those interested in the origins of my work on this text, I have made my doctoral thesis available here.

Technorati Tags:
Bible, Scholarship, Rabbinic, Targum, Lamentations, Review

Images of the Genizah targum mss (from Evangelical Textual Criticism)

2006-06-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

Peter Williams describes how to findimages of the Genizah targum mss! The zoom mechanism is great. This really is wonderful (although no TgLam ;-).

(Via JD@PaleoJudaica.)

(I was going to post an image, but then I read this: "Please obtain permission in writing before publishing any part of any image of a manuscript.")

Egyptologists Disagree on Mummyless Tomb - New York Times

2006-06-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Egyptologists Disagree on Mummyless Tomb - New York Times

Dr. Zahi Hawass's theory that a tomb in the Valley of Kings was the burial place of King Tut's mother is disputed.

Science or show business, that is the question. Needless to say Dr. Hawass is at the center although it was Dr. Schaden's discovery.

My Obsession With Chess

2006-06-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Well, not mine, but Scott McCloud's. Chess and comics come together. What more could a geek want? A Star Wars chess set?

2 Die in Potter 7?!

2006-06-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Oh my.

Two characters killed off in final Potter book
Author hints that Harry himself might be among characters to die

(Via Two characters killed off in final Potter book - BOOKS - MSNBC.com.)

Inside Higher Ed :: iGrants

2006-06-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

Mac users applying for government grants have been frustrated by like of compatibility but that is changing. NIH has a Citrix support here. True quote from the story:

While Mac users may be in a minority nationally, there are parts of academe where there numbers are far from small.

Interfaith Dialogue

2006-06-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

I created this after my visit to Israel several years ago and came across it while preparing a PPT presentation for class. My students thought you all would enjoy it. Enjoy!

Technorati Tags:
Interfaith, Israel

NPR : Tulane Students Rush to Make Up Classes

2006-06-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday All Things Considered had this story about our Lagniappe semester.

Tulane Students Rush to Make Up Classes
by Elaine Korry
All Things Considered, June 13, 2006 · For displaced students planning on returning to Tulane University in New Orleans, the school is offering a special, six-week "lagniappe session" this summer. The name comes from a Creole word meaning "a little something extra." The goal is to offer more courses than would normally be available in the summer to help students catch up on their degree requirements.

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.2.4 Update

2006-06-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

The update is out

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.2.4 Update

This update fixes vulnerabilities in Office 2004 for Mac that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code. This update also fixes issues in Microsoft PowerPoint 2004 and Entourage 2004, and it includes all of the improvements released in all previous Office 2004 updates.
Applies to: Microsoft Office 2004 Standard Edition, Office 2004 Student and Teacher Edition, Office 2004 Professional Edition, Word 2004, Excel 2004, PowerPoint 2004, Entourage 2004.

Released: June, 13, 2006

I have no additional details than what is posted, but my update went well. You can either use the link above or from the Help menu in any Office app.

Alberto: Heading for FL

2006-06-13T05:05:00.000-07:00

TS Alberto is, fortunately, still only a TS. Remember FL and the Atlantic coast and pray that he passes quickly without gathering strength.

A Ring Tone Meant to Fall on Deaf Ears - New York Times

2006-06-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

A Ring Tone Meant to Fall on Deaf Ears - New York Times

In that old battle of the wills between young people and their keepers, the young have found a new weapon that could change the balance of power on the cellphone front: a ring tone that many adults cannot hear.

In settings where cellphone use is forbidden - in class, for example - it is perfect for signaling the arrival of a text message without being detected by an elder of the species. "When I heard about it I didn't believe it at first," said Donna Lewis, a technology teacher at the Trinity School in Manhattan. "But one of the kids gave me a copy, and I sent it to a colleague. She played it for her first graders. All of them could hear it, and neither she nor I could."

I can hear it. Can you? (Turn the volume up on your computer.) You can download the ringtone here.

Sacred Texts: Texts of Judaism

2006-06-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

I don't be I have noted this site before. Sacred Texts Has a very comprehensive site, one that I am still exploring. It is very similar to the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, but has a much broader scope, including Tolkien and UFOs! For my current students, see the section on Texts of Judaism.

I like the fact that the site's FAQ is helpful and humorous:

The Short F.A.Q.

Q. Who are you?
A. My name is John B. Hare. I put this site together.

Q. Why did you do it?
A. To do something nice for people.

Q. Will you link to my site?
A. Probably not. The site isn't about links, it's about texts. (See links).

Q. Can I use stuff from this site?
A. Sure. Most of the site is not copyrighted. It should be obvious what parts of the site are copyrighted. Please don't copy those parts. Everything else, you can use for anything you can dream up. (See copyrights and TOS).

Q. Did you write all this stuff?
A. No. Most of it was written by dead people, a long time ago.

Q. But what do you believe?
A. The site isn't about me, it's about the texts.

Q. How can I help?
A. Buy a CD-ROM. Make an etext of a public domain book and give it to the site (See volunteer). Be nice to someone. Do something creative.

Q. Help me with my problems!
A. I'm sorry you have problems, but I can't help you with them.

Hurricane Tracker for Tropical Storm Alberto from weather.com

2006-06-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

For those who have to stay up to date,
this is the site.

And they called him "Alberto"

2006-06-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

NOLA.com: Weather News

"Sunday, June 11, 2006Tropical Storm Alberto becomes first named stormAs of 10 a.m., Tropical Depression One has strengthened to Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm in 2006. It is moving north-worthwest near 9 m.p.h. and is located about 400 miles west-southwest of Key West, Florida. "

(Via NOLA.com.)

Here we go... first TD of the year

2006-06-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

Tropical Depression One

moves over the eastern Gulf of MexicoAs of 10 p.m., Tropical Depression One was moving North-Northwest near 9 MPH and was located about 290 miles west-southwest of Key West, Florida. This track is expect to hold though Sunday.

The word tonight is that by tomorrow he will be "Alberto." The names for this season, and everything else you need to know can be found here. I really hope my name doesn't go down in infamy.

UPDATE: Still disorganized so far this morning...

It is still important for students to know the Bible

2006-06-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

From one of my students who does.

"You can teach the Bhagavad-Gita all day long. You can teach the Koran all day long."

College students are biblically illiterate, according to a Templeton Foundation study:

College students need to be more familiar with the Bible, according to a report based on a survey of 39 English professors from different types of institutions across the country.

Eighteen of the English professors surveyed said students know less about the Bible now than when the professors began teaching. All but one of the professors said knowledge of the Bible was important for students in their classes.

Some biblical knowledge is 'absolutely requisite,' according to Ernest B. Gilman, a professor of English at New York University. He said some freshmen are surprised that passages from the Bible are on the syllabus when they come to college.

Is this a surprise? How can you understand Milton or Shakespeare, Hobbes (especially) or Locke, Bacon or Galileo, Nietzsche or Kierkegaard without a working Scriptural literacy? It is without a doubt the most important single collection of documents in the Western traditions, as well as exercising influence upon some Eastern traditions. We can at least insist upon literacy.

...not that students are expected to read Milton or Hobbes anyway.

(Via The Weekender Blog.)

Get in your Car and go see Cars!

2006-06-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to see Cars! E and the kids got tickets early (good thing too!) and it was worth it! OK, here is my confession about Cars. Not cars in general, I like them far too much and spend too much time looking over mags and websites about things I would never own, but that is not what I wanted to confess. I have been worried about this movie. Pixar has made tremendous films, each one better than the last. Toy Story was incredible. Best movie I had seen in ages. Until I saw TS2 (Bugs Life was OK, but didn't really float my boat. The links are all here.) But then Monsters, Inc. came out (best ever!) followed by Nemo (currently our 2 year old son's favorite and always makes me choke up) and then The Incridibles. The Incredibles is my all time favorite movie, bar none. Bondian, family, Star Wars special effects (literally, one whole sound track is lifted from a SW film, can you name the scene?), and a very real and touching lesson about family life. There was no way Cars could live up to that. And...it doesn't.

BUT, we absolutely loved Cars. It is not TI, but it is an excellent movie. Very fun with great (if sometimes predictable) script writing and the usual amazing images. The details are there, as always, such as the bugs that are Beetles that leave tracks on the windows and the "contrails" in the sky are tire treads. I found the eyes on the cars themselves a little freaky, very flat and if you focused too much on them you realize that all of the characters' emotions are depicted everywhere but in the eyes. I personally preferred Lightning's white-walls and candy paint job better than his racing kit. You can see the end coming from a mile away. Or can you?

These are hardly complaints (especially not about the ending! I was not the only dad hooping and wiping a tear). We really enjoyed Over the Hedge, but this is by far the best movie of the summer. Be sure to stay for the credits and see how many of the cameos you can guess before they scroll by. Considering that NASCAR is the largest spectator sport in the US this film is sure to be the highest grossing of its kind, perhaps of any this summer.

Oh, and the sound track is great too. iTunes has special playlists created by each character. I have a hunch we will be buying Sally's before long.

Technorati Tags:

Cars, Pixar

How David Really Killed Goliath

2006-06-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: J. P. van de Giessen has a nice addition to the above.

Technorati Tags:
Bible, Comics

Go Southeast, Young Man - New York Times

2006-06-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute and a member of Tulane University's board has "Go Southeast, Young Man"in the New York Times
I think it is a good piece with sound suggestions. He comments that

New Orleans is a tale of two cities these days. In areas that were smashed and then sat for weeks underwater when the levees broke, the devastation still stretches for miles and the valiant cleanup efforts seem as daunting as mopping sand from a beach. But the older areas that make the town famous, built on higher ground along the river, are humming again. From Tulane University through the Garden District to the business district and the French Quarter, people are back at work while chefs and musicians ply their wondrous magic.

There is much opportunity as well as many difficulties ahead. But none are insurmountable. Mr. Isaacson concludes,

[M]any people will find that it's a great time to be back in a city they love. They will relish the rare opportunity to be part of something historic, creative and larger than themselves. More outside money will flow in than has for decades, so the city could become the entrepreneurial magnet it was a century ago. For students, few places will offer a more enriching education in what it means to be a useful citizen than Tulane, Xavier, Loyola and the other New Orleans colleges.

(Via The New York Times.)

Cricket and the DSS

2006-06-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

I have not followed cricket since we left England so I was surprised when my Google alert of "Dead Sea Scrolls" found this article. Guardian Unlimited Sport | Cricket | Murali gives umpire Hair no chance to poop his party. The key quote:

What a mesmerising performance from Murali on Monday, though, and not just from the viewpoint of England batsmen who would have had more success reading the Dead Sea Scrolls. Every ball was a mystery, delivered by a goggle-eyed contortionist who greeted the result, good or, rarely, bad, with a grin.

I am not sure who the author, Mike Selvey, is. One of Jim's students perhaps? ;-)

Dead Sea Scrolls, Cricket

Wow

2006-06-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

Mark Cuban, tech guy and owner of the NBA Mavericks blogs during they first (EVER!) NBA final. Wow

How are we ahead ? We have not played well at all.

we took advantage of some mistakes, they made, but we need to push the ball more and take it stronger to the hoop.
Which is what I know Avery is telling the guys right now.

Lets hope we can play better in the 2nd half.

m

(Via Blog Maverick.)

I will just say (with mild apologies to my NT colleague on the wrong side of this game) Go Mavs!

For my 2nd Temple Judaism Class - LXX

2006-06-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

For those of you in my class who read this blog (all two of you ;-), Tyler Williams reports

Another New LXX Book: The Legend of the Septuagint

There is a new book on the Septuagint that focuses on the legends surrounding its origins (the Letter of Aristeas), as well as its reception history:

The Legend of the Septuagint: From Classical Antiquity to Today, Abraham Wasserstein and David J. Wasserstein (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006; Buy from Amazon.ca | Buy from Amazon.com).

(Via Codex: Biblical Studies Blogspot.)

Sufjan Stevens New Release: The Avalanche

2006-06-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

This one is for Ralph:
The Avalanche is a new release of out-takes from his Illinois album. From the site:

The little secret behind the Illinois record is that it was originally conceived as a double album, culminating in a musical collage of nearly 50 songs. But as the project began to develop into an unwieldy epic, common sense weighed in—as did the opinions of others—and the project was cut in half. But as 2005 came to a close, Sufjan returned to the old, forsaken songs on his 8-track like a grandfather remembering his youth, indulging in old journals and newspaper clippings...

Technorati Tags:
Sufjan Stevens

Saint Louis Cathedral

2006-06-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

My folks were here this past week and Dad took a great picture of Saint Louis Cathedral.

It is beautiful. Let me know if you would like the full size.

Technorati Tags:
Saint Louis Cathedral

Will the world end?

2006-06-06T04:49:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: BetUS.com is giving 10-1 odds that the world will end. (Thanks to Mike and Mike in the Morning for the tip, although they said the odds were 10,000-1.) I do not recommend betting, but I suppose if you go for this one.... How would you collect?

I agree so much with Tyler (except for his reading of 616; I agree wit Ed Cook on that) that I will post his entry today (please be sure to visit his site):

The publicity office of a B-grade Hollywood remake of a mediocre film, The Omen, is hyping the fact that today is the sixth day of the sixth month in the year two thousand and six (= 666). And that is all it is: hype. As Ed Cook points out over at Ralph the Sacred River, today’s date is not significant — at least not because of any satanic connections (Contrary to Ed, I tend to think that the real number is 616).

At any rate, the significance of today is not any silly satanic movie-tie-in. Rather, June 6 is significant as it is the anniversary of D-Day. Enough said.

(Via Codex: Biblical Studies Blogspot.)

Stephen Fry and Jewish Studies (?)

2006-06-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

I am very proud to have been a student at the (then) Oxford Centre for Postgraduate Hebrew and Jewish Studies (now, Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies). The "Graduate Diploma" is now Master of Studies (no word on whether us "early adopters" will get a free upgrade ;-) is now "A Recognised Independent Centre of the University of Oxford." Dr. Patterson was a great and gentle individual whose vision has had an amazing impact on so many. He will be missed, but his legacy continues.

Today I thought I would pass along the latest bulletin.

OCHJS NEWS BULLETIN NO 29 : JUNE 2006

PATRONS DINNER in LONDON

On 4th May 2006 the Centre held a Patrons Dinner at the Draper’s Hall in London. The purpose was threefold: to greet existing and prospective supporters; to thank Sir Richard Greenbury for his service as Chairman of the Governors from 1996 to 2004; and to pay tribute to the memory of David Patterson as the Centre’s founder president. Participants, numbering some 160, were unanimous in their appreciation of the evening – so much so, that the next such dinner is already provisionally booked for 3rd May 2007.

Sir Victor Blank read out a message from Oxford’s Vice Chancellor, Dr John Hood. The President, Peter Oppenheimer, spoke a propos of the Centre’s new constitutional designation as a Recognised Independent Centre of the University. (His remarks, on Oxford’s corporate culture, will appear in the Centre’s Annual Report for 2005-06). Dan Patterson, David’s son and a newly appointed Governor, gave a hilarious introduction to one of the evening’s two guest speakers, namely Stephen Fry, who paid tribute to David Patterson’s achievements. The other guest speaker was Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC, and we have pleasure in reproducing here a slightly shortened version of his speech:

“One of the many pleasures of being DG is the many interactions I have with the public. In public meetings, phone-ins but above all in e-mails and letters. I don’t suppose there are many people in UK who get so many thoughtful and well-expressed letters. Or so many splenetic or downright peculiar ones either…..

Try this heart-felt plea: Dear Director-General, are there no longer dress regulations at the BBC? Like many others, I am appalled at the tieless habit that has suddenly invaded our screens. How scruffy the open-necked community appear! As another correspondent was kind enough to note: the middle-aged male neck is not a thing of beauty!

Sometimes though the point is a rather more obscure one. Dear Sir, There was a time when I would have liked to be King of Britain. Now I have come to realise that Prince Charles is more suitably qualified for the job. I hope you will communicate this fact to all concerned...

On the face of it, my world – the world of broadcasting and the BBC – has little in common with Yarnton. Much of broadcasting is about the ephemeral, time-sensitive information and entertainment – whereas the Oxford Centre of course is focused on scholarship of lasting value.

But there are three points of commonality I thought I’d touch on this evening.

The first is the remarkable Patterson family. Everyone here knows about David Patterson, whom I was lucky enough to meet a few times and whose vision and determination led to the foundation of the Yarnton Centre. But David’s son, Dan, is a sometime colleague of mine – one of British television’s most gifted comedy writers and producers. Whose Line Is It Anyway to Mock The Week. Those Pattersons turn up in all sorts of interesting places.

The second connection between Yarnton and the BBC is what you could call the spirit of open-minded enquiry.

If you wanted to boil the BBC’s mission down to one word, I think that word would be enlightenment. We don’t always succeed of course, but what we aim to do more than anything is to provide disinterested, open-minded insight and knowledge with which people can not just inform themselves but enrich and improve their lives. News. Planet Earth. Beethoven Experience. Bleak House. The BBC was founded with that ambition. At our best, it is still our goal.

Now I think that same spirit is also deeply present in Yarnton. An age of sharp, sectarian differences and loyalties where inter-faith connections are often troubled and the boundaries between faith and the secular world can be jagged and disputed. It was, I believe, always David’s vision that Yarnton should be different – broad in its remit with a focus on secular and demotic literature and culture as well on the highest level of scholarship in the study of ancient texts and culture. Open to inter-faith and cross-disciplinary studies, and encouraging enquiry and dialogue. These qualities are more rare – and more precious today than they have ever been – and they’ve made Yarnton a kind of beacon.

The third common theme is a culture which focuses on the uncompromising pursuit of excellence. In the case of the BBC, of course we often fall short, but from Day 1, from John Reith’s founding vision, excellence matters more than anything. Whether it’s the work of Dan – or indeed of Stephen – refining and refining a comedy idea or comedy script (and there’s nothing harder in any area of broadcasting), or its one of our camera teams spending week after week literally living in a cave in a remote corner of Pakistan in the hope of one shot of a snow-leopard, I have many thousands of colleagues who put creativity and excellence before everything else.

Again, my sense is that that is the spirit of Yarnton.

The Oxford Hebrew Centre is a very young institution. So is the BBC though it sometimes likes to pretend that it isn’t. Earlier this week we opened an exhibition of our history, including the portraits of the people who have led
the BBC from John Reith onwards. John’s daughter Marista spoke about her father and her first memories of the early days of the BBC.

It’s important that institutions understand and celebrate their beginnings and their founding purposes. It’s also important that, in the light of those purposes, they lay plans for the future – again, over the past week, we’ve been talking about that in the BBC.

I believe that David Patterson and the many other people who have contributed to Yarnton’s success in its first three or so decades have laid a superb foundation on which to build the future. And I’m sure that everyone here would want to join me in wishing those who have followed them and who are charged with taking Yarnton on to the next stage in its evolution every success in their endeavours. Thank you.”

Mark Thompson

Peter Oppenheimer – President
Sue Forteath - Bulletin Compiler

frustrate cottage cheese

2006-06-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

The above is my new favorite subject line from a junk email. I have no idea what it means, but the image of someone trying to frustrate cottage cheese just boggles the mind.

iWon!

2006-06-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

Wow! I don't believe it. No, I really didn't believe it when I got the email from the Gear Launch Giveaway:

Congratulations!

You are one of five winners in the iLounge Gear Launch Giveaway.

Before Speck Products sends you your new Specktone Speakers, we need
to know what color you would like.

Color Choices: Black, Green, or White.
http://www.speckproducts.com/specktone/

Thank you
Dennis Lloyd
Founder & Publisher, iLounge
http://www.ilounge.com

I chose black to go with my new iPod Nano! (Thanks D!) For those interested, iProng (where did that name come from?) has a review here. It is not mentioned in that review or on the Specktone site, but this announcement at Playlist Mag says

The SpeckTone Retro features a four-inch subwoofer and two three-inch drivers with 28 watts of output. The Retro’s throwback underpinnings go beyond the looks — it also features analog circuitry, which Speck says offers more rich, deep tones.

Technorati Tags:
iPod, Specktone

The Choir on iTunes

2006-06-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

I just realized that one of my favorite groups, The Choir, is now available through iTunes. I think they will still receive more royalties through their own store, so I encourage you to buy there, if so inclined.

Their music is described as:

Alternative. Indie. Pop. Vibe. Late night chill.

Technorati Tags:
Music, Groups, iTunes

"10 Things I Hate About Commandments"

2006-05-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

This is too funny not to share:

At Tomb, Pillows but No Mummies So Far - New York Times

2006-05-31T14:53:00.000-07:00

NYTimes has a story with lots of pictures on the new "tomb."

VALLEY OF THE KINGS, Egypt — It had been 84 years since a tomb was unearthed here in the scorching desert burial ground for pharaohs, and the hope, of course, was for mummies. What else could be inside the seven coffins, at the bottom of a shaft that until February had been sealed off from all but termites for over three millenniums?

Very nice pillows, for starters.

Technorati Tags:
Ancient Near East, Egypt

2007 Element SC Review

2006-05-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

Honda is putting out a "street version" of the Honda Element (aka "The Box") andSpdrcr5 from the Honda Element Owners Club has a review. My wife has a red Element we purchased just before Katrina and we love it. If I were ever to get rid of my PT Cruiser I would be very tempted to get another Element. Great cruising vehicle for tall people.

(Via Element Owners Club.)

Technorati Tags:
Honda, Element

Could this replace iPod lust?

2006-05-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

The iriver - clix is a beautiful looking little device. At least in the pictures and gets a nice little write up in Wired.

Hmm. Perhaps a new desire?

Technorati Tags:
iPod, iriver, techno lust

What are you doing after graduation?

2006-05-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Not this I hope:

Technorati Tags:
Graduation, Comics, Bo Nanas

Review: The Symbolic Jesus

2006-05-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

Lauren Rossen, "The Busy Body" has posted an updated review of Arnal's

The Symbolic Jesus I have not read the book, but obviously I need to.

Conclusion

The Symbolic Jesus is an important book that, while containing objectionable inferences along the way, makes the reader ask the right questions for the right reasons, just as Schweitzer's classic did a century ago. Liberal agendas have involved self-portraits, and they're easy to spot. Orthodox agendas deal with apologetics, and they're also hard to miss. But somewhere in between lurk new and murky agendas relating to the question of our identities -- academic, political, religious, and cultural -- and the front for these agendas is, of all things, Jesus' Jewishness. A curious development, to say the least.

(Via The Busybody.)

Not Necessarily the Daily Show

2006-05-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

Comedy Central apologizes for duping 2 professors in separate incidents

It wasn't the Daily Show, but close.

"A top official at the Comedy Central television station has apologized on behalf of the members of a fictitious news crew who misrepresented themselves to two faculty members during separate tapings of a forthcoming series called Dog Bites Man. (for subscribers)"

Mr. Smoller, one of the faculty members duped, offered this choice quote while commenting upon the "chilling effect" this might have on faculty inviting guest lecturers:

"They're pissing in our pool, and I can't have that," he said. "I think I'm representing all faculty members, and I'm hoping that other people will join the cause."

Nice. Well, at least we know that we can speak Comedy Central's language. Now, can we beat them at their own game? Perhaps a psychology grad student posing as an CC intern?

(Via Chronicle.com - Today's News.)

Accordance 7 is out!

2006-05-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

From their blog:

[Today is] the official release date of Accordance 7! That's right, you can purchase and download the upgrade to version 7 right now. :-)

We've already covered a few of the new features in detail, and I'll be talking about the rest in the coming weeks. You can also view a Flash demo of many of the new features in 7.

It looks great! So run, don't walk and go get it! (A steal at a $29 upgrade price.)

(Via Accordance Blog.)

Livius. Articles on ancient history

2006-05-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

This may be old news to many of you, but I just stumbled across

Livius. Articles on ancient history. This site by Jona Lendering and Marco Prins appears to be a great resource. Sections include:

Anatolia

Carthage

Egypt

Greece

Judaea

Mesopotamia

Persia

Rome

Achaem. Inscriptions

Alexander

Babyl. Chronicles

Caesar

Legions

Messiah

Persepolis

Look around! It is a wonderful resource!

Kudos to the Mavs and Mark

2006-05-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

I really like the Spurs and Tim Duncan, but the Mavs deserve their victory. (Amazing game!) I have been following Mark Cuban's blog for a while and I am now a fan of Cuban as well. This is a good example of why:

That symbolized this Mavericks team. Dirk and Avery are our leaders, but first and foremost we are a team. A very special group of guys that make me incredibly proud.

A couple shoutouts are required here.

To the Spurs fans sitting by the bench last night. They were first class. They took responsibility of quieting the jerks.

To the Spurs fans on boats in the Riverwalk dragging a floating Mark Cuban in effigy. Hysterical.

To the city of San Antonio. Contrary to what people have written and said, I rhink its a beautiful city with a great culture and city pride. Even if the water in the Riverwalk is muddy :)

To what looked like thousands of Mavs fans who came out to see us when we landed about 1am last night. You have no idea how much that meant to all the guys and everyone in the organization.

To all Mavs fans everywhere who I know were jumping up and down and screaming and enjoying the moment. This is YOUR TEAM.

He is an in your face fan who happens to be an owner. He also showed that he is a good sport, winning and losing. Thanks for the passion Mark!

(Via Blog Maverick.)

Technorati Tags:
Basketball, Mark Cuban, Spurs, Mavs

Davila on the Da Vinci Code

2006-05-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

(Thanks to The Busybody for the title above. I couldn't beat it, so I used it!)

Jim Davila gives his review of the Da Vini Code. So far he echoes the comments i have heard from others:

I thought it was interesting that the movie not only corrected some errors by omission (e.g., that the Dead Sea Scrolls were Christian documents), it also seemed to go out of its way to correct a few (by no means all!!) of the historical errors in the book. Langdon challenges Teabing's reference to the Priory of Sion and says that it's been discredited. (Teabing, of course, says ha ha that's what they want you to think.) And when Teabing spouts the nonsense about the idea of a divine Jesus only arising in Constantine's time, Langdon vigorously and correctly asserts that it had been around for a long time before that, and Teabing does not disagree. All in all, that awful bogus infodump in the middle of the book is made more bearable in the movie, mainly because it's shorter.

(Via PaleoJudaica.com.)

Technorati Tags:
Historical Jesus, Da Vinci Code, Bad Movies

All over the Hedge!

2006-05-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday we took the 'fam to Over the Hedge. It was great! I have long been a fan of the comic and I was a wee bit worried that it might be a hash, but no! It was a great mix of "family values" (the "family" in this case consisting of an older Opossum [William Shatner] and his daughter, a family of porcupines, a skunk, squirrel, all led by a turtle [Garry Shandling]; they are joined by RJ the raccoon [Bruce Willis]) and potty humor. William Shatner, as the Opossum, gives great death seen with various allusions to his past roles and even Citizen Kane! (Of course, I was the only one who laughed at the last bit.)

Oh! One more quick link. Be sure to watch this clip to meet the strip's creators. I think the movie does a great job at keeping the sense of the strip while creating something new.

All in all, go see it! Loads of simple, silly fun, with a good does of morals.

Technorati Tags:

Comics, Over the Hedge, William Shatner

Witherington's Review "So Dark the Con of Man"

2006-05-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

New Testament scholar Ben Witherington has blogged about DVC.

Da Vinci Code-- the Movie: "So Dark the Con of Man"

" I was prepared for this movie to be a bomb. Actually, its not. It stands up rather well as a suspensful movie, and it is not the case that there are long boring discussions of ancient lore in this movie. "

He also addresses the frustration I mentioned:

This is a dark movie, but the "con of man" in this movie is not one perpetrated by the church about Jesus and his real nature, but rather one foisted on a Biblically illiterate public large numbers of which seem naive enough to believe the hysterical fiction in Brown's novel.

He then offers some viewing tips for Christians (that is kind, but is it necessary?) and concludes:

There is really not a single positive portrayal of a devout Christian in this movie, and that in itself is disturbing in a movie that is so much about the history of Christianity. Christian audiences therefore should be cautious, and come prepared to thinking critically about the movie if you go.

It is sad that there is not a single sympathetic, devout Christian in the book or film, I personally know one or two, so they do exist ;-), but I would hope, perhaps naively, that it would go without saying that one should think critically about a movie. OK. Maybe not Lethal Weapon. Or Over the Hedge (going to that tonight!)...

(Via Ben Witherington.)

Da Vinci Doodie

2006-05-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

PVP is a fun online comic I read regularly. Be sure to read Scott's comments. Only one nit to pick. Scott says,

The Davinci Code is not revisionist history any more than Star Wars is. It's a fictional thriller. It's a novel. Fiction. The very word FICTION defines it as NOT BEING TRUE.

I of course agree! The trouble is that Dan Brown does not. He has repeatedly said that he believes that the hat entire premise on which the novel is based (Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, had a child by her, she fled to France, etc.) is true. That is why not just a small group (but vocal group) of Christians are speaking out, but why many scholars are annoyed with this book.
But apparently the movie is better than the book...

Woops, there he goes again.

2006-05-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

God warns of coastal storms, possible tsunami, Robertson says

"Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson is warning that, according to God, storms and possibly a tidal wave will pound America this year."

Which reminds me of this (Deut. 18):

20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word which the LORD has not spoken? — 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him.

I am not suggesting we stone Pat, but it seems to me he needs to go back and read his Torah because so far, by biblical standards, he is not looking very good as a prophet.

(Via The Virginian-Pilot - HamptonRoads.com/PilotOnline.com.)

Technorati Tags:
Prophet, Pat Robertson, There he goes again

"Let us make man..."

2006-05-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

(Via SPI.)

Post Katrina Reality

2006-05-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

We were very fortunate to have minimal damage to our house and roof (no water coming in) but it has taken 9 months and counting to get the roofer to complete the work.

The Da Vinci Code - Review - Movies - New York Times

2006-05-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

AO Scott of NYT reviews the Da Vinci Code. Like most reviews it is less than flattering. The best bit from the review:

we have had a flood of think pieces on everything from Jesus and Mary Magdalene's pre-nuptial agreement to the secret recipes of Opus Dei, and vexed, urgent questions have been raised. Is Christianity a conspiracy? Is "The Da Vinci Code" a dangerous, anti-Christian hoax? What's up with Tom Hanks's hair?

Luckily, I lack the learning to address the first two questions. As for the third, well, it's long, and so is the movie."The Da Vinci Code" is one of the few screen versions of a book that may take longer to watch than to read.

Followed by:

To their credit, the director and his screenwriter, Akiva Goldsman (who collaborated with Mr. Howard on "Cinderella Man" and "A Beautiful Mind"), have streamlined Mr. Brown's story and refrained from trying to capture his, um, prose style. "Almost inconceivably, the gun into which she was now staring was clutched in the pale hand of an enormous albino with long white hair." Such language — note the exquisite "almost" and the fastidious tucking of the "which" after the preposition — can only live on the page.

If not for the subject matter this book would have been on the remainder shelves ages ago...

Interesting. The NYTimes RSS feed has changed its subtitle from:

"The Da Vinci Code" takes a while to establish who is who, what they're doing and why.

To:

Ron Howard handles the supposedly provocative material in Dan Brown's best-selling book with kid gloves.

Why?

Apple - MacBook: It has arrived!

2006-05-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

Apple - MacBook

I have class now so all I can say so far is: I love the black!

UPDATE: OK, I am still perusing the site, but I am very excited about this. Small form, fast (modern) processor, etc. I think I might be ready to step into the world of MacIntel!

MacBook At a Glance
1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo
13.3-inch (diagonal) TFT glossy widescreen display
Apple Remote with Front Row
Up to 2GB memory(3)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Slot-loading optical drive
Up to 120GB hard drive(3)
Built-in 54-Mbps 802.11g AirPort Extreme wireless
Analog and digital audio in and out
FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports
iLife ’06, Mac OS X Tiger

I think $1099 is a reasonable starting price (although I will never understand why Apple insists on starting with ridiculously low amounts of RAM) but Philip Michaels wonders why Apple didn't try and break that mental barrier of $1k.

Jason Snell at Macworld has a full, first-look review.

Key figure
MacBook features a unique new keyboard design that sits flush against the bed for a sleeker, lower profile. Plus, you’ll find a firmer touch when typing. That ought to make your fingers happy.

I greatly appreciate a good keyboard and Apple laptops have always been great. So much so that I replaced the standard issue desktop keyboard with MacAlly's iceKey for my everyday use. Ooh! A picture:

This really is gorgeous. See more closeups at AppleInsider.

I am eager to hear if the MacBook whines like its elder sibling.

A first time Mac user, Roger, appears to be the first to post an "unpacking" series of photos on Flikr.

So, why the glossy screen? I don't get that...

John Trever's Last Book

2006-05-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

I received the following email from James Trever (I assume others did as well):

Thank you for posting a notice about my Dad's passing. You might want to add that his latest book which I helped to complete for him was published in 2004: "The Dead Sea Scrolls in Perspective," Bibal Press, 2004. This had been in the works for some time. I found it needed digital preparation including 32 color photos and 16 Black and white plus annotations and editing. My Mom, Elizabeth Trever 89, helped with the editing. Thanks! Jim

I am happy to do so.

Dead Sea Scrolls in Perspective by John C. Trever

The Flooding of New Orleans

2006-05-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Times-Pic has posted an animation of the levee breaches and flood waters rising.

Jaroslav Pelikan RIP

2006-05-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

I just read this Jaroslav Pelikan RIP on Kendall Harmon's blog. I cannot find confirmation of this, but indeed it is a loss for us all. I first encountered Pelikan through The Christian Tradition series and heard him speak (incongruously, it seemed to me) at my brother-in-law's college graduation from the University of South Carolina. He was marvelous, witty, warm, and very thought provoking. At the simplest level he encouraged everyone, even engineers like my brother-in-law ;-), to read. I think of that speech every year at convocation, even with the two speakers Tulane had this year.

The world was enriched by his presence. May light perpetual shine upon him.

(Via titusonenine.)

UPDATE: St. Vladimir's posted this notice:

Dr Jaroslav Pelikan falls asleep in the Lord
Christ is Risen!

We have just learned that our seminary trustee and friend, Dr Jaroslav Pelikan, fell asleep in the Lord this afternoon, Saturday, May 13 around 2:30pm after a long battle with lung cancer. The schedule of services in the seminary chapel is as follows:

Tuesday evening, May 16 7:00 pm
VIGIL (FUNERAL) SERVICE

Wednesday morning, May 17 9:00 am
MEMORIAL DIVINE LITURGY

Recognized by many as the most noted church historian of our times, Dr Pelikan made St Vladimir’s his parish home upon his reception into the Orthodox Church along with his wife in 1998.

Memory Eternal!

Commencement 2006!

2006-05-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

I know that many of you who read Targuman do not necessarily read my Tulane Honors blog so I thought I would also share the excitement here as well.

=========

What a day! Congratulations to all our seniors. As you heard so many times today (too many? I don't think so, but almost) you came through an amazing year and will always and forever be tied to New Orleans and Tulane in a way like few others.

Speakers It is hard to beat two (2) former US presidents in one graduation ceremony! They were both warmly received (one perhaps more so than the other) and both gave excellent speeches that were succinct and heartfelt. Bush-Clinton were, of course, asked to speak because of their work with the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund.

George HW Bush receiving his honorary doctorate of laws.

WJ Clinton receiving his honorary doctorate of laws.

There was even a special surprise guest at the end! Local lady made good, Ellen Degeneres.

(She heard everyone else would be wearing robes...)

UPDATE: Needless to say, this has made news. NBC Nightly News had it on last night (not online so far as I can tell); NPR had a piecethis morning; the AP carried this story; and the Times-Picayune had this article and this list of degree recipients.

UPDATE 2: I think this link will work for the NBC video, but it is Windows only so I am not sure if the javascript link will work from the blog or not. If not, go the their video site and search for "Graduates giving back to New Orleans."

Blue Cord Bible Dictionary : Main - Home Page

2006-05-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Kevin Wilson has started what looks to be a great project.

Blue Cord Bible Dictionary : Main - Home Page

The Blue Cord Bible Dictionary is a Bible wiki. A wiki is a site where numerous people are able to contribute freely to the content of the pages. Unlike standard wikis, however, the Blue Cord Bible Dictionary is a wiki written only by biblical scholars. In order to contribute to this site, scholars must hold a master's degree or higher in the field of biblical studies or a related field such as archaeology, classics, Egyptology, or Assyriology.

The entire site is beautifully designed and looks to be full of useful information. Thanks Kevin!

(Via Blue Cord Bible Dictionary.)

Technorati Tags:
Bible, Scholarship, Ancient Near East

Alma Mutter

2006-05-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

Commencement is just around the corner!

Technorati Tags:

Comics, Graduation

Apple Ad Archive @ PSU

2006-05-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

In looking for another video Pete Mortensen of Wired came across a gem:

I did find one of the most extensive archives of Apple-related ads and other videos I've ever seen.
It's the personal site of Penn State engineering professor Gary L. Gray.

(Via The Cult of Mac Blog.)

Scheiber on Colbert

2006-05-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Noam, as you may know if you follow my Honors blog, is a Tulane grad and was just down here for our Honors Week. I have a great amount of respect for him and thoroughly enjoyed his visit. He, however, did not enjoy Colbert's WHCD performance.

The Plank

I'm a big Stephen Colbert fan, a huge Bush detractor, and I think the White House press corps has been out to lunch for much of the last five years. (Though, unlike many in the blogosphere, I don't think that's because White House reporters are lazy or stupid.) That should have made me the ideal audience-member for Colbert's performance at this weekend's White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD). As it happens, though, I laughed out loud maybe twice during Colbert's entire 20-odd minute routine. Colbert's problem, blogosphere conspiracy theories notwithstanding, is that he just wasn't very entertaining. Most of the funny lines had been recycled from his show; the new material was all pretty tired--including a way-too-long video presentation whose big joke was that ... Helen Thomas is old and batty. (Stop me if you've heard that one.)

I dunno. I thought it was very funny; not too hard or even too soft on anyone. The last video was too long. The material may have been recycled, but we all know the Pres doesn't stay up late enough to see the Report so that's ok...

(Via TNR "The Plank".)

Technorati Tags:
Colbert, Scheiber

Colbert Roasts Bush

2006-05-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

My favorite quote:
To Mayor Nagin: "Welcome to DC. The chocolate city with a marshmallow center... and a graham cracker crust of corruption. It's a Mallomar I guess."

part1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcIRXur61II

part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN0INDOkFuo

part3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJvar7BKwvQ

Technorati Tags:
Colbert

Inside Higher Ed :: The Evolving (Eroding?) Faculty Job

2006-05-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Given the recent discussions I have been involved in concerning Universities as businesses this article is timely:

Inside Higher Ed :: The Evolving (Eroding?) Faculty Job

A week ago, new data on faculty salaries showed that professors’ pay fell behind inflation for the second year in a row. A month ago, when a federal commission studying higher education released a paper on reasons that college costs so much, it identified professors — their power and tenure — as a prime culprit.

Feeling underappreciated and under siege? Does your job feel unstable?

There’s a reason, according to two of the leading scholars of the professoriate. They have

Key points:

The pace of change has accelerated dramatically. While new models in higher education historically have taken decades to establish themselves, today’s changes are having nationwide impact very quickly after they emerge.

Government and the public have come to think of higher education as an industry with a key role in the economy, not as a separate entity that should be left to itself.

The faculties and student bodies of colleges are much more diverse than they used to be.

There has been enormous growth in the use of part-time faculty members, and far greater growth rates for those jobs than for full-time jobs. Similarly, full-time faculty positions off the tenure track have grown.

Enrollments have moved away from the liberal arts and toward the professions, with a resulting shift in faculty jobs.

(Via http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/05/01/faculty.)

Technorati Tags:
Education, Faculty

The Passing of John C. Trever

2006-05-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

I did not have time to note this over the weekend. JD and others have appropriately brought to our attention the passing of one of the first scholars to see and work on the DSS. Trever was the scholar who first authenticated the Isaiah Scroll from Cave 1.

JOHH C. TREVER -- R. I. P.

I am sorry to inform you that John Trever died on Saturday morning. I received the news today from Risa Levitt Kohn, who forwarded an e-mail from his son, Jim Trever. He writes, 'There will be a memorial service for him next Saturday at 2:30pm or 3pm Pacific time at the Freedom Village Chapel 23442 El Toro Rd. Lake Forest, CA 92630.'

John Trever was acting director of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Jerusalem in 1948 and he participated in the authentication of the first Dead Sea Scrolls, taking important photographs of Cave I material. He continued to work on the Scrolls through his lifetime. His book,
The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Personal Account, has been published in revised form by Gorgias Press.

(Via PaleoJudaica.com.)

And shouldn't we all?

2006-04-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

SATs: Would you believe...

2006-04-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

our 8 year old had "SATs" this week. It's true.

LATimes Comic strips' plight isn't funny

2006-04-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

Comics are my main vice; I read over 100 (maybe over 150) a day...online. Is the death of newspaper comics coming? Read the article.

calendarlive.com: BOOKS - Comic strips' plight isn't funny:

'I don't think you'll ever see another 'Calvin & Hobbes,' 'Bloom County' or 'Doonesbury' again,' says Breathed, 48, who received the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1987. 'The popularity of those strips was built on a young audience %u2014 great comic strips are not built on the backs of aging readers.'

It is certainly true that while I read comics from my earliest days it was Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbes that kept me reading. I am very proud to tell you that at this very moment my daughter is reading my 10th anniversary collection of Baby Blues. That's my girl!

(Via Evil, Inc..)

The Judge's Code Solved

2006-04-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

Mystery solved. It was the admiral.

(Thanks JD.)

So true...

2006-04-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

Testing Image Insert: The Logo

2006-04-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

Blogger will only allow inserting images via their web interface so in MarsEdit I created a custom tag for inserting images that points to a directory on my server where I will store my images (instead of on Blogger's). So, let's test it:

Huzzah! Now, let's all go and buy MarsEdit!

A-Z Meme

2006-04-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by Ungodly Rant via an email list. (I am assuming I am not at liberty to change the items.)

A-Z

Accent: American... Growing up outside of DC but with a father who never quite left Texas, I am now very at home in south Louisiana, yet still intelligible to others.
Booze: Gin (in tonic), but not very often.
Chore I Hate: Bills.
Dog or Cat: Cat, but it isn't my fault. They keep adopting us.
Essential Electronics: OSX and the hardware to go with it.
Favorite Cologne(s): None.
Gold or Silver: I agree with the Rant, "either one is welcome in my safe deposit box... gold is over $600 an ounce right now, and silver has doubled in price in the past year"
Hometown: Montgomery Village, MD
Insomnia: Thank the Lord (and two very active kids) no.
Job Title: Director & Assoc. Prof.
Kids: Two great kids: Girl 8 and Boy 2.
Living arrangements: A house an hour from the office. The benefit: I feel like I am getting "away" from the office when I am home. The drawback: It is an hour from my office. Next abode: Living in a dorm?
Most admirable trait: Willing to lend a hand at anything.
Number of sexual partners: 1 (Who decided on these questions? Not I!)
Overnight hospital stays: A few.
Phobias: Hmm. Not many. I am not the best at heights, but certainly no real problems.
Quote: "There are a good many fools who call me a friend,
and also a good many friends who call me a fool." G. K. Chesterton
Religion: Christian--Episcopalian now, but Presbyterian in youth.
Siblings: 1 brother 5 years older than I.
Time I wake up: 6 am, or whenever the kids kick me in the head.
Unusual talent or skill: I was the MD 4h state champion poultry judge (my brother came in 2nd in the nation; I was a mere 12 or 14th, I forget which).
Vegetable I refuse to eat: Asparagus
Worst habit: Wasting time on the computer.
X-rays: Last? Elbow. And just about everything else at one time or another, including a barium enema. Don't go there.
Yummy foods I make: Rice pudding. But I seem to be the only one who likes to eat it. Steak on the grill: marinate it in Worcestershire sauce and coat it in Tony Chachere's seasoning. Oh yeah baby!
Zodiac sign: Virgo

I tag:
Ralph the Sacred River
The Professor
The Weekend Blogger

Judge joins Da Vinci fun with a code of his own - Britain - Times Online

2006-04-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

This is just too good!

Judge joins Da Vinci fun with a code of his own - Britain - Times Online: "Judge joins Da Vinci fun with a code of his own

By Ian Evans and Steve Bird
Can you break the code? Read the judgment in full and send your ideas to our weblog

IT HAS provided global intrigue and controversy but the enigma that is The Da Vinci Code is not over yet. In another twist to the publishing phenomenon, it was disclosed yesterday that the judge in the recent plagiarism court case included a coded message in his written judgment.

Contained within certain words, Mr Justice Peter Smith wrote certain letters in bold italic. On first inspection, there seems to be no pattern or reason why the letters are chosen and they could be easily viewed as a typographical errors. But Dan Tench, an observant solicitor at the London-based law firm Olswang, thought otherwise. "We're not sure yet what it means, but we're working on it," he said."

(Thanks to JD http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2006/04/da-vinci-code-judge-gets-in-on.html.)

MarsEdit Bookmarklet

2006-04-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Ranchero Software: MarsEdit 1.1.2: "- Bookmarklet lets you send a page from your Web browser (Safari, Firefox, etc.) to MarsEdit.
- Works with many feedreaders (including NetNewsWire 2.0) so you can send news items to MarsEdit."

One of my favorite features/conveniences of Blogger is the BlogThis javascript. MarsEdit has this too! Moreover, it nicely quotes the text highlighted. Now...to find out how to get a URL with the title of a post.

A new meaning to "Stand by"

2006-04-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

One Day, That Economy Ticket May Buy You a Place to Stand - New York Times
Wow! I find this so hard to believe. The first thing that came to my mind (aside from how long a flight could I stand?) was how many more passengers can you add before you have to limit luggage so that the maximum weight limit of the plane is not exceeded. Then I got to this paragraph:

That such things are even being considered is a result of several factors. High fuel costs, for example, are making it difficult for carriers to turn a profit. The new seat technology alone, when used to add more places for passengers, can add millions in additional annual revenue. The new designs also reduce a seat's weight by up to 15 pounds, helping to hold down fuel consumption. A typical seat in economy class now weighs 74 to 82 pounds.

So you save 15 pounds on the seat, but you add 140+? How does that math work? As I have mentioned before, I am ok at flying, but I think this would be too much for me.

Technorati Tags:
airplane

MarsEdit - I'm Liking It

2006-04-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

I am giving this blog editor a try and so far so great. I had delayed since I wasn't sure how steep the learning curve would be and lately I barely have time to eat, let alone play with software. Well that was the beauty of MarsEdit. I fired it up, it asked for my blog address and even though I am hosting it on my own server it realized it was blogger, and filled in all the settings. How easy is that?!
It has very nice WYSIWYG interface with the ability for simply key commands for things like italics, bold, and anything else you want since you can customize the tags! It even does technorati tags, but I haven't looked into that yet. (I will try it for fun and let's see!) My one concern was that using such an app would somehow preclude me from blogging from a random machine through the blogger web interface (such as storing files locally as in iWeb). But that is not the case! I got home (having set it up in the office earlier) and d/l the app, set it up and, as Emeril would say, bam!, there were all my posts! MarsEdit is just an editor for what is on your server. Great stuff.

There is a free 30 day trial but I think so long as I can use it on more than one machine, this will be well worth the $24.95!
Technorati Tags Start

Technorati Tags:

MarsEdit, Software Review
Technorati Tags End

My how times have changed. Or How lazy can one get?

2006-04-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

For years, from the age of 15 until I got married, in fact, I was a lifeguard and/or pool manager. I was at a variety of pools, many of which were very large and often had 100 or more people in the water at any one time. We had a whistle and a loud voice. That was all we needed in order to keep order.

Today the fam and I went to the pool (89 degrees and clear blue skies here). We have some decent lifeguards but I was appalled (read: laughed out-loud so that water came out my nose) when a lifeguard picked up a bullhorn in order to tell a kid to get off the lane rope. The kid was all of 20 feet away.... It seems to me, if you cannot make yourself heard over 20 feet of water then you have no right to be a lifeguard.

Or am I starting to sound like Andy Rooney?

(Sent via MarsEdit. I am starting to like this software!)

Testing...

2006-04-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

I am testing MarsEdit to see how smoothly it works with blogger.

UPDATE: Smooth as silk! More on this later...

Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer

2006-04-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is a commentary: on the recent study of how effective prayer is in terms of healing. That study can be found here. The Daily Show covered it here.

BONUS: Cobert on Kierkegaard "Precursor to Nietzsche my ass, Søren!"

"Faces of Christ"

2006-04-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching "Historical Jesus" later this summer. I always enjoy finding different images to use in my PPT. The Episcopal Church & Visual Arts has this nice display of a a dozen images. All of which are better than the creepy Jesus painting by Mr. Van Pelt. For example Jesus helping the Dentist or Jesus helping the secretary. Feel free to make up your own captions, someone else has even started the thread for you.

My vote for the worst/best...it is too hard to decide, so here is one picked randomly:

"Whoa! Barb! Give a guy a break here. There is nothing wrong with long hair. Oh. Sorry about the ear buddy. Didn't mean to jostle you there Barb. My bad."

Archives Fixed

2006-04-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize my archives weren't posting to the right place thus making those links dead. For those considering moving here is the tip: my archives are in a subfolder (subdirectory) of another folder/directory. You need to specify this under Blogger settings or it will simply place the archive files (the index page at least) in the root directory.