I found this excerpt in a New York Times piece on the actor, Rupert Everett. Entitled “Rupert Everett Is Not Having a Mid-Life Crisis,” the article by Alex Witchel ends up showing how sad and unfulfilled Everett seems to be. In the midst of the sadness, however, Witchel narrates a hilarious scene in which Everett meets with a psychic medium in order to commune with the spirit of Oscar Wilde, whom Everett has written a play about. The following sad... Read more
1. You should watch the hilarious Nike viral video featuring Kobe Bryant as a salesman for “ankle insurance.” Well worth the 2:20 of your life. 2. Grade-obsessed students, meet thy judgment: the Times has a great story on grade inflation and student attitudes. Key quotation: “A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found that a third of students surveyed said that they expected B’s just for attending lectures, and 40 percent said they deserved a B... Read more
I found corroboration for a view I’ve argued for years in a New York Times Magazine piece on basketball player Shane Battier. Entitled “The No-Stats All-Star” and written by Moneyball‘s Michael Lewis, the article details how a maverick GM has gained insight into basketball players using untraditional statistics. Here’s a snapshot of the argument from the article: “The year after Battier joined the Grizzlies, the team’s general manager was fired and the N.B.A. legend Jerry West, a k a the... Read more
A depressing story from the New York Times on the effects of the digital revolution on libraries. The piece tries hard to be optimistic in places but concludes on this darkly comedic note: “Does anybody like books?” Ms. Rosalia asked. Several students stared blankly. The Russians, who spoke some English, shook their heads. So Ms. Rosalia pulled up the home site for Teen People magazine, and Katsiaryna Dziatlouskaya, 13, immediately recognized a photograph of Cameron Diaz. Ms. Rosalia knew she... Read more
1. You should check out Stephen Witmer’s church blog. Stephen is a bright, godly pastor in Pepperell, MA who has a PhD from Cambridge and training under John Piper. As a fellow New Englander, I am really excited to see what the Lord does through the ministry of his church in coming days. He just started blogging, but has already written a number of very thoughtful posts. 2. Can I say something about “The Office?” The show, which started as... Read more
Those of you who want a high-viscosity challenge in the realm of Christian ministry should check out Mark Driscoll’s call for 900 men: “We are deadly serious about the great commission and loading all guns to storm hell with the gospel of grace. And we need more men. Nine hundred men. Not boys—men. Real men. Men who care less about padding their resume and getting their vacation days than about seeing lives transformed and legacies altered for generations. We need... Read more
Much media in today’s world tempts us with the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Once in a while, though, you come across an article that has the opposite effect. This one, entitled “Trying to Live on $500k in New York,” did so for me. It actually made me glad–I kid you not–that I am not rich. It is written in response to President Obama’s talk of limiting the salaries of banking executives whose banks take stimulus help to $500k. ... Read more
The new Band of Bloggers website is up and ready for consumption: “This year, we are excited to announce that Band of Bloggers is partnering with The Gospel Coalition Conference to host the 3rd Band of Bloggers Fellowship in conjunction with their national conference in Chicago, IL. On Wednesday, April 22, 2009, from 12:00-2:00 p.m., we will be hosting a lunch and fellowship at the Rosemont Conference Center. The theme of the conference is “Servants & Stewards” (building off of... Read more
1. Vitamin Z passes on a personal account of one Florida woman’s experience with abortion. I would ask that every person reading this blog read this story, and pass it on to someone else. Every person. This is one of the most chilling pieces of writing I have ever encountered. It raised the hair on the back of my neck. It spells out a “botched” abortion in which a 23-week baby was born alive and was then, it seems, stuffed... Read more
I’ve recently had a number of evangelical buzzwords come to mind, and have pondered them a little bit to see whether they really represent worthy ideas. After some examination, it seems that many of our well-intentioned buzzwords, our quick definitions, don’t really capture all they claim to, but rather reflect partial truths. Some people are careful with these terms, of course, but others are not. Here are a few examples that I think prove my point, which some like Russ... Read more
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