Happy Easter

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord" -- and that he had said these things to her.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld."

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
(Joh 20:1-31 ESV)

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My Blogiversary

Thursday, March 31, 2005 marks my one-year blogiversary.

Wow. One year of inflicting my rantings, opinions, and insights-of-dubious-value on unsuspecting readers all over the world. And I do mean all over the world. I think the one thing that has shocked me the most is how many different countries have been represented by visitors to my blog. Obviously, the US and Canada are the most represented, but I've had visitors from as far away as Australia (82) and the UK (162). Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Iran(!), Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) -- 77 different countries all together.

I've been King of the Blogs. I've been in Carnivals and Symphonies. I've been in heated discussions with people I'll never meet. And I've made some friends -- even though I've never seen most of them in real life.

I've noticed that I write more now than I used to. I say more now in one day than I said in a week back in the "old days." I think that isn't going to continue as a trend -- otherwise, my blog will be huge, and nobody will read it anymore.

So, if you want to wish me a Happy Blogoversary, leave me a comment. Better still, buy me something off my Amazon wish list! (hehehe)

There ARE some cheap things on there. Really.

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And So It Ends -- And A New Pewie Award Winner

LSU 90
LU 48

LU is still winless against Southeastern Conference teams, but they are still riding high on the heels of a school-first Sweet Sixteen appearance.

Nobody expected them to get this far. In fact, I sometimes wonder if anyone realized that Liberty's women's basketball team had been so dominant in the Big South for the past nine years. And other people question whether any conservative Christian could support women's sports.

Does that sound stupid? It did to me, too. And after I read this article by Mechelle Voepel at ESPN.com, it still sounds stupid.

Apparantly, you have to be in favor of extreme feminism and gay rights to really be in favor of women's sports. And the people who are involved in women's sports apparantly are far more tolerant than Jerry Falwell -- unless, of course, you ask them to tolerate Jerry Falwell. That's just crossing the line, and Voepel won't go there.

And I am FAR from thinking that the majority of fans agree with her. I think the achievements of the LU women's team shows that there are very talented women out there who want to go to a Christian school. Maybe the reason that LU was as big a success as they have been for thepast several years is that there are women who want ot play somewhere where those political opinions aren't an issue -- where people aren't constantly insulting their Christian beliefs. I find it interesting that the Baylor team, which is seeded #2 this year in the Tempe region, is not held to this same criticism. They are still a Southern Baptist school, and the SBC is as notorious in it's "intolerance" as Jerry Falwell is.

I guess all the weight that Jerry has put on has made him an even bigger target than he was before. And I guess that no matter what the women at Liberty achieve, on and off the court, they will always have to deal with the type of intolerance that Voepel displays, that suggests that anyone who doesn't accept "gay people and lesbians (both of whom are a significant part of women's basketball)" is less than acceptable in NCAA womens sports.

So Mechelle Voepel, you are the second person to win the coveted Pewie Award for Conspicuous Intolerant Tolerance. Congratulations.

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Good Friday

Today is the day that Christians remember the day that Christ died. It seems that, especially in recent years, Good Friday has stayed a religious holiday while Easter Sunday has been completely commercialized.

Even so, it's easy to miss the importance of the event. In the rush to Easter,and the preparations for cantatas and Passion plays, not to mention the Easter Bunny pereperations, it's very easy to lose focus.

One thing I have tried to do consistently each year for the past five or so is to read and contemplate this. It's a medical account of the crucifixion of Christ that first appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. I have seen this in several places on the internet, but this site is probably the most complete -- includes illustrations and everything. It has certainly helped keep me focused on the meaning of this season.

This year, more people are focusing on Christ's death because of the movie The Passion of the Christ. I am hoping that those people will discover the good news -- Christ's resurrection on Sunday.

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Raman Noodles

I've been revisiting my undergraduate days lately, and eating Ramen noodles for lunch. Problem is, Ramen noodles are boring. I'm not a boring person.

So I kick my Ramen up a notch or two. Here's a great recipe for Ramen that I just might send to the Carnival of Recipes this week.



Kicked Up Jerky Ramen

Ingredients:
1 package Chicken-flavored Ramen noodles
2 tblspn Carribean Jerk Seasoning (I sometimes use more, it all depends)

Boil 2 cups of water. Add noodle mix. Slowly add seasoning as noodles boil -- only add 1 tblspn before you add the chicken seasoning.

After three minutes (may vary, depending on how al dente you like your Ramen), turn off the heat. Add chicken seasoning packet and the rest of the jerk seasoning. Stir and eat.

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This Week in Church History

March 23, 322.

This is the anniversary of the death of Gregory the Illuminator. Gregory is credited with helping in the creation of the first Christian nation in the world. And it wasn't the United States.

There were certainly Christians in Armenia when Gregory was born -- tradition says that Bartholomew and Thaddeus both visited the country and preached Christ to them in the first century AD. There were churches in existence in 257 when Gregory was born, so there could be some truth to the legends.

Unfortunately, Christianity was not a popular faith. The Persian rulers of the land had all but extinguished it by the time of Gregory's birth. Gregory's nurse had to flee the country with him when his entire family was killed in retaliation for his father assassinating the Armenian king. Gregory was raised in Cappadocia, and learned the Gospel there. He soon returned to Armenia, where he preached the gospel.

He wasn't popular. The king persecuted him. His life was in danger. But his faithfulness won converts -- ultimately including the king himself, who declared Armenia a Christian nation.

The church in Armenia was incredibly strong -- lasting until the Turks massacred Christians there in the 20th Century. It was the first to have a Bible in it's own national language. And it was a strong voice for Christ in Europe.

I learned a lot from this study. I tend to consider state churches as a bad thing -- it isn't necessarily that way. Armenia is a perfect example of a state church done right. Unfortunately, men of Gregory's caliber are rare in this day. Few men today would be capable of balancing the power and responsibility that Gregory had.

What can we learn from this? We can learn a lot from Gregory's faithfulness, and his commitment to spreading the gospel. He had little hope of success, and could expect to be killed for his faith. He didn't stop.

We can also see the value in Christians united in their faith. While I still have a problem with the idea of a national church, a body of Christians united in purpose and faith can achieve amazing things. While there are some things that should divide Christians (issues concerning the deity of Christ, the value and role of Scripture, salvation by grace through faith, etc.), we often let insignificant things separate us. We need to determine what we must agree on, and what we can agree to disagree on. If we can do that, we can show the world the kind of church that the apostles saw, and that was present for thousands of years in Armenia.

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Maundy Thursday

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
(1Co 11:23-26 ESV)

Maundy Thursday is the traditional celebration of the day that Jesus shared His final Passover with His disciples. We actually get the name from the Latin phrase mandatum novum, which means "new commandment," in recognition of Christ instituting the New Testament of His blood.

In the Middle Ages, Maundy Thursday services included the washing of feet, in commemoration of Christ washing His disciples' feet at the Last Supper.

Unfortunately, most Protestant churches have lost the celebration of Maundy Thursday. We've tried so hard to distinguish ourselves from the Roman Catholic church that we've done away with the good as well as the bad. I think that a Maundy or Holy Thursday service, focused on partaking of the Lord's Supper, would be an outstanding way to focus people on what exactly this season is all about. Especially in our consumeristic age, it would do us good to remember exactly what these holidays (which are holy days, after all) are celebrated for, and to remember that Christians celebrated the resurrection of Christ long before there was an Easter Bunny or Paas egg coloring kits.

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Rather Than Studying ...

... I decided to cruise through my blogroll, looking at some blogs that I normally read through my RSS reader, and some I hadn't been to in a while.

This post touched me. Especially this quote:

So what is a Christian to do? One answer seems to be that we eschew the entire mess and crawl into an enclave somewhere. We only buy from companies that have a fish symbol on their logos. We homeschool our kids. We get rid of the television. We only listen to Christian radio and Christian music. We isolate. This is the Protestant form of monasticism.

Another answer is to try to blend in. Dress, shop, talk, act like them but all the while we have a secret joy in our hearts. We can make our churches compete with whatever they have going on a Sunday AM or Saturday night or whatever. Worship as concert, preacher as entertainer.

The most common way is neither of those, as surprising as that seems. The most common way amongst American Christians is to just live in the midst of it as if it is all normal. Oh sure, we'll avoid Abercrombie and Fitch because they're immoral. We don't listen to rap or heavy metal but K-LITE radio is fine, nothing there is too offensive. We shop just like everyone else: we shop as if owning stuff defines us. Jesus is a option in the American lifestyle. A little Blockbuster, some Claire's, a touch of Pier One, gotta have some Gap then sprinkle it with Jesus when we get home.

This, I think, sums up the problem with American Christianity. It's an option, not a lifestyle. We live in the buffet line -- a little of this, a little of that, a side order of Jesus and some fries. There is no committment at all. There's no walk, and if you're paying any price for your faith you're probably one of those "fanatics" that the talk shows make fun of so much.

The disciples understood what following Jesus meant. They were in this for the long haul, even though they had their "down moments" when they lost sight of what Christ was teaching them. But when they were powered by the Holy Spirit, there was nothing they couldn't do -- or weren't willing to do. They all paid the ultimate price -- they died. Even John, who simply died of old age by most accounts, spent his last years in prison. But it was worth it to them.

What are we willing to sacrifice for our faith? Many of us aren't even willing to miss the Super Bowl for a church service. Can you imagine what would happen if the Christians in the United States got serious about their faith?

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LU 88, DePaul 79

Lightning has struck twice. The Lady Flames are going to the Sweet Sixteen.

My favorite stat -- 21/21 from the line vs. 13/18 for DePaul. That could have made the difference. One or two misses from Liberty, and more made for DePaul, and it's a different ballgame. But the Lady Flames won it.

And now they have to face #1 LSU. The nice thing is, there's no pressure on LU. They're not supposed to be there. LSU isn't supposed to lose.

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Study of Mark: Mark 7:14-23

And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand:There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him." He who has ears to hear, let him hear. And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him.For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
(Mar 7:14-23 ESV)

{NOTE: Verse 16 is omitted in most modern translations. I have added it in italics so that those who use other translations can follow along more easilly.}

The Jews at the time of Christ were very concerned with appearances. What you ate especially was important to them, because of the dietary laws that God had given Moses on Sinai. Jesus points out in the first thirteen verses that the rules and regulations that had been added to the Law had become more important to the Jews than the Law itself. Jesus wants them to understand that the things they say are more important than the things they eat, and that our actions, thought, and statements are what really defile or corrupt us. And these things many times are not evident to those around us -- but God can see them. Our actions may even seem pure and good, but when they are done for the wrong reasons, they really defile us.

Verse 19 is interesting. Mark, who most scholars believe wrote his gospel based on Peter's rememberences of his time with Jesus, shows that Jesus taught them that all foods were clean -- the disciples just missed the application (especially Peter, if you remember his experience in Acts). Christ's obvious purpose in this passage is to put the emphasis on attitude, rather than blind obedience to a bunch of rules and regulations. This was taught even as far back as the days of Samuel -- And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.(1Sa 15:22 ESV). So this should have been nothing new to the Jews.

Why was it so new? Because the established priests didn't want people to thing that they could do it without them. Because there was a huge industry involved in the preparation of proper sacrifices. The people were doing all the right things, and the establishment was getting rich off of it. Unfortunately, the sacrifices were, in many cases, lip service. The people had learned nothing from their history -- Jeremiah could have told them the dangers in paying simple lip service to God.

Do people today pay lip service? Check out the stats at the Barna group website. The majority of people in the US say that they are Christians. But their beliefs don't line up with that claim. Our attitudes don't match what we claim to believe. Even when we do things that are good, and right, we tend to do them for the wrong reasons -- for our own recognition, rather than for the glory of God. Jesus reminds us that our religious ceremonies and lip service don't matter if we don't obey God, and follow His word in all things.

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New Veggie Video

So we got Duke and the Great Pie War from my Mom today. Halfway through, I'm a little disappointed, and a little upset.

Story of Moses -- Miriam is an irresponsible kid who leaves her brother in the river because she has to get out to let the princess swim. TOTAL mischaracterization of Miriam, and a rather large rewrite of the story. All to make it fit with the theme -- loving your family.

Seems to me they could have done the story right, and still made it fit the theme. And it seems like they are simply tacking a Bible story on with the video anymore -- the Bible isn't the focus. Maybe that's to make the videos more "accessible" to "main stream culture," I don't know. I'm not thrilled.

That said, the "main story" is (so far) pretty good. Overall, I'd give this one a 8 out of 10. (Jonah was a 10, The Ballad of Little Joe was a 9.5, just for comparison purposes.) Once I finish watching the movie, I'll talk a little more about it -- I'll just edit this post.

{Edit} == OK, now that I've seen the whole thing, it's pretty clear that the "main story" is Ruth and Boaz. That's what I get for starting my review while Larry Sings the Blues is still on. And that segment was pretty good, but the old Silly Songs were funnier. And I still don't like the characterization of Miriam. I have edited my original rating from 7.5 to 8. I definitely recommend watching the video with the director's commentary.

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Schiavo Fesses Up

The scene: Larry King Live.

The Question: Do you understand how they feel? [Concerning Terri Schiavo's parents and family]

The Answer:Yes, I do. But this is not about them, it's about Terri. And I've also said that in court. We didn't know what Terri wanted, but this is what we want...

It's all about what he wants -- not about what Terri ever wanted. One moment of truth in the midst of a sea of deception.

I wonder if the MSM will pick this one up, or if it's up to the blogosphere again.

{MAJOR Hat tip to Nick at NickQueen.com, where you can find a more complete transcript that shows you the context of the question and the answer.}

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LU 78, Penn State 70

The Liberty University women's basketball team, the 13th seed in the Chattanooga region of the NCAA Women's tournament, upset the #4 seed Penn State Lady Lions last night. This is only the fourth time that a 13 seed has beaten a 4 seed in tournament history.

The Lady Flames have been Big South champions for the past 9 years running, but have normally been given a 16 seed -- a real disappointment last year after beating teams like UVa.

As an LU graduate, I just had to brag a bit about the Lady Flames basketball team. The men's team has been to the dance twice, once losing to UNC and losing last year to St. Johns. The women have become a fixture in the tournament, but this is the first year they get to advance. And according to the ESPN poll (as of 12:20 Eastern, anyway), they are favored to make it to the Sweet 16. They take on #5 DePaul on Tuesday at 7 PM in College Park, MD. GO FLAMES!!

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I AM Teddy Roosevelt

My best efforts failed me. Well, I can't really say they were my best efforts, but in any case, I didn't get the crown back. Congrats to the new King of the Blogs, GMs Corner. I didn't even get close this time -- I came in dead last.
Voting wouldn't have saved me. Trackbacks wouldn't have saved me. The new layout would probably have saved me -- I got gigged for my site design by one of the judges.

But it's a fun competition -- I encourage everyone to try it out. If nothing else, you get blog hits from it, and maybe some new readers.

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Blogroll Cruise: 3/19/05

Here we go, on this whirlwind trip through my blogroll.

• The Plodding Pilgrim is talking about comfort. I like the definition that he uses -- it has less to do with feeling good, and more to do with being upheld and strangthened.
• Smart Christian is promoting the Christian Blogosphere Convention. If you can go (I wish I could, but I'll be in classes), you need to go. There is also a need for non-conservative-Protestant bloggers -- Orthodox and Roman Catholic bloggers are needed to conduct some of the sessions that are planned. This convention has potential to result in great things, but without ALL of our support, it could really fall flat.
• Christian Hillsblog is pondering division in the church. I love the very first quote -- pointing out the importance of corporate prayer in the start and spread of revival. We can market people into our churches, but we have to pray to get them into the family of God. Our churches need to be united in this effort.
• Jollyblogger is involved in the "blogging as the new Reformation" debate. I can see the point on both sides -- the Reformation was ushered in in part by the advent of a new communication media. I think it's far too early to tell exactly what the impact of blogging and the blogosphere is going to be. All we can know right now is that there IS an impact.
• Don Elbourne, Jr. (aka Webmaster at the FFF) has a great post quoting the Baptist encyclopedia about St. Patrick. While I sometimes wonder if we can call Patrick a true Baptist, what I've read from his confession leads me to believe that he was a different sort of catholic than most Roman Catholics make him out to be. He certainly would have opposed the Synod of Whitby.
  

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Historically Relevant

I get a lot of grief at times about my love for history. Not even just church history -- that has only started in the past five years or so. I've always loved history. People wonder what good it could possibly be to read things written by dead men. A quote from Andrew Fuller:

It becomes Christians to bear positive good-will to their country, and to its government, considered as government, irrespective of the political party which may have the ascendency. We may have our preferences, and that without blame; but they ought never to prevent a cheerful obedience to the laws, a respectful demeanour towards those who frame and those who execute them, or a ready co-operation in every measure which the being or well-being of the nation may require.

That's from a sermon that he delivered over 200 years ago, when Britain was at war with France. It is no less true today.

Of course, Fuller was a Baptist, so that automatically disqualifies him from having anything relevent to say politically, right? Especially from the pulpit, and especially if it's motivated by Scripture, right? Isn't that what Americans United teaches us?

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Happy St. Patrick's Day

The Feast Day of St. Patrick. Today is known more now for drunken revelry than any celebration of the actual life of St. Patrick, so I figured I'd post something historical and devotional -- even though most scholars say that it's too late for it to be attributed to Patrick. It definitely reflects his spirituality, and so I include it today. Besides, it's an awesome example of devotional poetry, and I think more people need to know about it.

There are a number of great translations available; I've chosen the one I found here, since it seems the most complete. It also begins "I bind unto myself" rather than "I rise today" -- the more accurate translation.

I bind unto myself today

The strong name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same,

The Three in One and One in Three.



I bind this day to me for ever,

By power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;

His baptism in the Jordan River;

His death on cross for my salvation;

His bursting from the spicèd tomb;

His riding up the heavenly way;

His coming at the day of doom;

I bind unto myself today.



I bind unto myself the power

Of the great love of the Cherubim;

The sweet 'Well done' in judgment hour;

The service of the Seraphim,

Confessors' faith, Apostles' word,

The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets' scrolls,

All good deeds done unto the Lord,

And purity of virgin souls.



I bind unto myself today

The virtues of the starlit heaven,

The glorious sun's life-giving ray,

The whiteness of the moon at even,

The flashing of the lightning free,

The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,

The stable earth, the deep salt sea,

Around the old eternal rocks.



I bind unto myself today

The power of God to hold and lead,

His eye to watch, His might to stay,

His ear to hearken to my need.

The wisdom of my God to teach,

His hand to guide, his shield to ward,

The word of God to give me speech,

His heavenly host to be my guard.



Against the demon snares of sin,

The vice that gives temptation force,

The natural lusts that war within,

The hostile men that mar my course;

Or few or many, far or nigh,

In every place and in all hours

Against their fierce hostility,

I bind to me these holy powers.



Against all Satan's spells and wiles,

Against false words of heresy,

Against the knowledge that defiles,

Against the heart's idolatry,

Against the wizard's evil craft,

Against the death-wound and the burning

The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,

Protect me, Christ, till thy returning.



Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.



I bind unto myself the name,

The strong name of the Trinity;

By invocation of the same.

The Three in One, and One in Three,

Of whom all nature hath creation,

Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

Praise to the Lord of my salvation,

salvation is of Christ the Lord.

We need to bind to ourselves daily the power of God. Patrick is claiming the power of God on his life, to protect and sustain him through any difficulty. And Patrick had difficulty in his life and ministry. According to legend, Patrick used this prayer (or lorica) to excape druids who were trying to kill him. As he passed, all the druids saw was a deer -- for this reason, the breastplate has also been called The Deer's Cry. The dating of the prayer makes this story a bit of a problem (since it claims to have been written "in the time of Loeghaire, son of Niall," which puts it well after the time of Patrick. It is obvious, though, from a study of his life that St. Patrick was protected time and again by God.

{edit}For a great biographical sketch of Patrick, go here.

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Crunch Time

And I'm NOT talking about the Cap'n, either. I'm getting clobbered in the KotB voting, and though I didn't need those points in the past, I WANT them this time. I lost the last time by something like a half a point, so I want some cushion.

So I come to YOU, my loyal readers, with hat in hand, to ask, implore, and otherwise BEG you to go to the KotB site and vote for me. AND post something nice about me on your blog, and trackback to this post (the trackback is http://blog.mu.nu/cgi/mt-tb.cgi/70912, just to make it easy on you all).

Make me the first King to ever serve two non-consecutive terms. Just like my idol, Grover Cleveland.

He WAS the guy on Sesame Street, right?

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What's Cooking?

So, I'm planning this dinner party to celebrate my return to the KotB competition (a la Teddy Roosevelt) and my subsequent victory (a la Grover Cleveland). And I'm going to invite a few people, and we're going to have a great time -- dinner, conversation, dessert, all that. Now all I have to do is figure out who to invite. . .

I'd invite Songstress, but I'll probably be serving one of her recipes, and I know it won't be nearly as good as it is when she makes it at home. Pietro is probably working late to keep us all safe, or he'd be a definite invite. Harvey isn't judging anymore, but I'd invite him just for the chicks he'd draw. And I need to kiss up to the new guy (who is a new addition to my blogroll, by the way!), so the Ogre would be at the top of the list, too. And you know, they all deserve to be there. But having them all over to my place, and feeding them the wonderful cuisine that my wife and I can prepare would be just SOOOOO unfair to the other pretenders .... Heck, I'll do it anyway. Oh. We only have place-settings for four. Sorry guys. Maybe after I win the crown, we'll go buy some more Chinet.

Let's face it; the point of this dinner is networking. I want to get attention and hits. Who should I invite? The man who wrote the book on blogging, of course -- Hugh Hewitt himself. Pointers AND probably a link -- what could be better?

Since this is clearly fiction (like Hugh Hewitt would show up at my house for dinner. He can get beanie weenies anywhere!), and since I'm really looking for some publicity, I'd probably get in touch with the guy who came up with Apple's 1984 commercial. Think about it -- the commercial says nothing, never even shows you what it's advertizing, and 20 years later is still shown every time they talk about Super Bowl commercials. This guy is a genius -- if he could con people into buying Macintosh computers, he can get people to read my blog.

I've got one more place setting left (unless you count the Dora the Explorer bowl, cup, and silverware as a place setting), so I'm going to go all out and pick someone unexpected. Someone who has never heard of a blog, but would have put them to great use if they had been available in his time -- Thomas Payne. Yea, I don't agree with his outlook on everything -- he's a deist, after all -- but can you imagine what he'd have done with the Internet and a blog? Even the Instapundit his own self would be playing second fiddle to Payne.

And of course they would all tell me how fitting it is for me to be the first King to leave the throne and then return, just like Arthur.

Posted by: Warren Kelly at 10:03 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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What's Hapenning'!

No, not the 70's sitcom -- I'm talking about what's happening around here!

First of all, I'm back in the Best of Me Symphony. Head over there and read all the great posts (including one from Nick Queen himself).

SPEAKING of Nick Queen -- (and I was going to make this a separate post) I am returning to the King of the Blogs competition to reclaim my throne, and become the only King to rule nonconsecutive weeks (which I guess would make me the Teddy Roosevelt of Blog Kings). Head over to the KotB page and be sure to vote for me, and make sure that you trackback to the right post!

Posted by: Warren Kelly at 10:54 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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