Floored by the Flu

The CavFamily has been suffering the ravages of a stomach flu.  It has hit us sequentially, which is far better than simultaneously.  I’ll be back in a day or two.

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U2’s Missional Beginnings

While on vacation I began reading Walk On: the Spiritual Journey of U2.  In talking about Dublin at the time, it created a missional attitude that would mark their music throughout their career (thus far- 25 years and counting).

They grew up in a place where it was radical to be a Christian.  They viewed this a the ultimate rebelliousness- living by faith- while others played around with sex & drugs.  There was no Christian ghetto to suck them in to the idea of catering to a Christian audience, playing churches and being predictable.  Once there, a band has a hard time getting out (think of Michael Corleone’s angst at being sucked back into the mafia life each time he tries to break free).  Switchfoot is one of the few bands able to do this, and maintain integrity (others did it, but became so disillusioned and rebellious in the process that one wonders if they left more than the Christian ghetto).

Rather, they were lived the Pauline Principle of 1 Corinthians 9 without anyone really telling them to.  They contextualized their faith, which may be why many evangelicals in America (who don’t get the whole contextualization thing) have been quite skeptical of the faith held by Bono, the Edge & Larry.

Steve Stockman calls this a “skillful disguise” which would be a trademark of their work.  In this way they adapted musical styles, and subverted the world views of those around them (for instance the Zoo TV and Pop Mart tours).

While I don’t agree with all of the positions Bono takes on some issues of social justice, he is living how Christians are supposed to live in culture.  Like all of us, they will wrestle with temptations and failings.  But they don’t live like they are from another time or place.  They live out their faith in the context of the world around them.

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CT: Mere Mission, an Interview with NT Wright

Tim Stafford wisely avoids the issue of justification in this interview.  This makes for a less controversial, and more accessible interview.  The impetus seems to be his new book, Simply Christian.  This book is something of a Mere Christianity for our time.  Where Lewis wrote to communicate with Moderns, Wright writes to communicate with Postmoderns.

This leads to an interesting discussion of the appeal of Gnosticism, and the way in which we have tried to tame Jesus and the implications of the Gospel (something I can agree with NT on).  We turned a faith that turned the ancient world upside-down into a status quo, boring faith.  Gone is the faith that inspired martyrs to face certain death from Roman authorities (and in some place in the world still does inspire martyrs).

But in the West, Christianity has been seduced into becoming a more nominal, uninspiring sort of thing. On the Right, he points to the idols of War & Money.  I’m not so sure I agree on the first one.  I don’t think Conservative Christians are war mongers.  But we have been seduced by money and power.  To maintain them, we lose the focus on sacrifice and personal holiness for the sake of mission the New Testament clearly teaches.  One the left is, according to Wright, love/sex.  I think this idol crosses all lines, and is not the sole or primary problem of Liberals or Liberal Christianity.  Just as many Liberal Christians are also consumed by money and power.

“Because the great emphasis in the New Testament is that gospel is not how to escape the world; the gospel is that the crucified and risen Jesus is the Lord of the world.  And that his death and Resurrection transform the world, and that transformation can happen to you.  You, in turn, can be part of the transforming work.”

Yes, we evangelicals focus so much on ‘heaven’ we neglect the reality of the kingdom that is present and seeks to transform cultures through the gospel (not law or politics).  We neglect the fact that God is up to something awesome as He continues to apply the work of Jesus to people in this world, and uses believers to do it.  We have so privatized and individualized faith that our faith is not a danger to anyone, including ourselves.

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Review: Feeding the Monster

I finished Seth Mnookin’s Feeding the Monster.  As a Red Sox fan, I found it a fascinating behind the scenes look into how the team was run.  The book starts with a brief history of the Red Sox, and their futility.  He dispells some common misconceptions.  He moves into how Henry and Werner ended up purchasing the team.

The main focus is on how they built the 2004 World Series championship team.  And then how success nearly undid them.

This was the disappointing side of the book.  Mnookin unbares the unsavory side of things many fans would rather not know.  I don’t criticize him for this- I just share my disappointment in some people I thought had more character- only to find they are normal humans who struggle with their tongues, contentment and everything else most of us find too powerful to tame. 

The section on Damon’s contract reveals how Boras misled the Red Sox, and probably turned Damon against staying in Boston.  If open communication had occurred- Boston was willing to offer another $500,000/year, which Damon would have accepted.  But they were led to believe the mystery offer was so much more that making the offer was useless.  They never had a chance to respond to the Yankees offer.  Imagine them with Damon leading off, with Andy Marte ready to take over 3rd base.  (Not to mention the other trades made by Lucchiano to distract people from the Theo mess).

One thing that stands out is how success breeds a sense of entitlement (Robert Kraft tried to warn John Henry).  Players became more demanding after beating the Yankees and winning the World Series.  “We” was replaced with “me”.  This was one of the reasons some of those players were not resigned at the end of their contracts.  But there were guys who seemed unchanged by it all- like Schilling, Papi & Varitek.

Be warned… there is plenty of ‘colorful’ language, since Mnookin uses direct quotes.  But this an enjoyable read, and an informative one.  One request, I hope they let Seth write about the Dice-K pursuit. 

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Another Division Title

Got to watch most of the Patriots-Jags game today despite the fact the Bucs were on.  Funny how that happens.  This was the kind of win we needed- on the road against a good team (that beats good teams).  I had to sweat it out- just like the Super Bowl seasons.  But I don’t think they’ll be able to get that far.  Of course the Colts are imploding.  But the Chargers seem to be the team to beat in the AFC.

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Patriots’ & Celtics’ Plague of Injuries Continue

The Patriots are on their 3rd punter of the season, since the other 2 are on the IR list.  Warren & Watson are injured.  Faulk limped off the field in last Sunday’s win.  We don’t know when Maroney will be back.  But Rodney Harrison may be ready to put the hurtin’ on someone real soon.  That will help tremendously, since he’s one of the guys on the field that helps others get in position.  I’m not feeling too confident about this team in the playoffs though.

Pierce will join Wally, Perkins, and Ratliff on the physically inactive list.  Kandi man is active, but not quite ready to come back.  The Celtics, who have played much better as of late, are so banged up that essentially no veteran players remain.  Well, there is Scalabrini.  Al Jefferson and Tony Allen have flourished with the increased playing time.  Now we see if Gerald Green does too.  I hope so. 

Some people give the Celtics a hard time for not getting AI.  There are people who don’t know ANYTHING.  Some people live in fantasy land.  The 76ers really didn’t want to send him to a division rival.  And the Celtics had some guys they weren’t trading- period.  This was a deal that was never going to happen, so get over it.

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This Week, or so, In Baseball

The bad news today comes out of Cleveland, where they announced the Indians will leave Winter Haven for Spring Training.  Oddly, the article must have been an old one from when they left Homestead after Andrew flattened the place.  The article kept mentioning how out of the way Homestead was, and how hard it was to get to.  Goodyear, AZ will be so much better.  Ah, Winter Haven is less than an hour from the airports in Orlando & Tampa.  How hard is THAT?  I understand the facilities aren’t exactly what they need, and can accept that.  But it was not mentioned.  They just say the Indians were never happy here.

As far as the facilities go… the Indians would have to sign a long-term lease before the State would grant public money to build a new, more adequate facility.  I’m not sure why they think no ball players would live here.  Quite a few have come from here, and retire here (including Pat Borders & Lance Parrish).  I think I just read that Grady Little has a place here (I think it was him).  And we’ve got Cypress Gardens Adventure Park (cough, cough).

The wooing of Dice-K certainly could make a great book.  Perhaps Seth “Feeding the Monster” Mnookin could write it.  Speaking of Feeding the Monster, I’m currently reading it- it is a great look behind the scenes for a baseball fan.  I recommend it.

The J.D. Drew contract has not been finalized.  The Sox want to protect themselves just in case a problem with his surgically repaired shoulder pops up.

The Sox signed lots of minor league contracts.  Still no closer.  But I’m thinking maybe Martinez from the Portland Sea Dogs could give it a shot since Hansen is “still developing”. 

Runelvys Hernandez signed a minor league contract too.  Perhaps they could convert him to a closer.  Just a thought.  I don’t know what kind of stuff this guy has.

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Iverson Finds a New Home

In one of the stranger stories this NBA season, the 76ers de-activated leading scorer Allen Iverson until they traded him.  This ended up being, I think, like 2 weeks, during which they failed to win a game.  With Ohio State center Greg Oden as the projected #1 pick, the race is on for superior ineptitude.  It is nearly a repeat of when Duncan was entering the draft.  The Celtics tanked the season under the expert leadership of M.L. Carr.  God laughed, and the Spurs (due to a David Robinson injury) won the lottery though they had a better record. 

David Stern rants and dishes out fines to teams because their players had a fight after a flagrant foul.  But he says nothing about having the 76ers sit a former MVP who scores over 30/game.  I guess the precedent was set with Artest last season.  He was so disruptive that the Pacers sent him home until he was traded.  Was Iverson any more disruptive than usual?  Why did they send him home after missing just another practice (cue the infamous interview: “Practice?  We’re talking about practice.”)

Iverson is sent to the ice and snow of Denver to share the ball with another 30/game scorer in ‘Melo (currently sitting for 15 games for hitting a guy and running away like a 3rd grader).  The Nuggets though, with AI, ‘Melo, Nene etc enter salary cap Hades.  If this line up doesn’t work, they will become the Knicks of the Mountain Time Zone.  And no light on the horizon.

The 76ers have a chance to rebuild into a formidable team in years to come.  They get Andre Miller- a good point guard who’ll be around for awhile.  They really don’t have anyone who can score (Webber?  If his knee holds up) so they’ll continue to stink the rest of the way giving them good odds for Oden.  And they get 2 first round picks from the Nuggets to add some more players in what is shaping up to be a deep draft.  They get Joe Smith, who will make sure they stink this year before his contract ends.

So, Stern doesn’t care if teams tank and players lack the competitive fire.  He does care if your competitive fire means he gets burned and looks bad in the press.  At least that’s how it looks from where I sit.

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Leading w/a Limp: 3 Decisions

Chapter 10 of Dan Allender’s Leading with a Limp is Defining Your Calling: Three Decisions You Make as Chief Sinner.

Allender turns our view of leadership on its head, again.  We think of leaders as people who are daring, courageous, successful etc.  They raise funds, counsel the ‘troops’, shepherd everyone.  They do it all!

Most leaders view themselves as “broken, foolish, reluctant, hungry or disillusion.”  They may have the roles listed above, but this is how they view themselves in those roles.  I am a reluctant fund raiser, a disillusioned shepherd, a broken church planter/restarter.  So, Allender asks us to consider not just what we are to do, but how we do it.

1. Is It True for Me?  “The temptation for all leaders is to encroach on human freedom and take away the suffering of humanity through some form of authoritarian order.”  This was David Stern with gratuitous suspensions and fining the teams for the Knicks-Nuggets brawl.  In his press conference he warned about teams who continue to employ such players (David, you’re familiar with contracts, right?).  The best athletes are highly competitive, and sometimes that overflows in negative directions (the Bird- Dr. J fight).  But castrate them and they won’t be interesting to watch.  For David Stern there are only players, not competitive players or timid players.  Just players.

We have to face up to the adjectives that modify the nouns of leadership.  Some of those adjectives will reveal that we are far from perfect.  Leaders in the Bible were far from perfect.  Moses was reluctant, fearful and exasperated.  Joseph started as proud, but ended up as merciful and compassionate.  David was exuberant in both highs and lows.

Is the Gospel true for you as a leader?  Or do you have to measure up?  The Gospel frees us to be the leaders we really are instead of faking it.  And helps us to allow others to be who they are instead of demanding unrealistic things of them.  I’ve known of senior pastors who expect their assistant pastors to be just like them.  They had to conform to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People instead of recognizing that the other person was relationally gifted and administratively challenged.  There is room for both in leadership!

2. Is it Me?  Do you desire to be a leader?  Or what kind of leadership fits you?  If what you’re doing is ‘you’, you will do it after winning the lotto or inheriting millions.  I can’t think of doing anything else, even though it can often be REALLY frustrating.

“But I also know that God doesn’t break a broken reed or snuff out smoldering flax.  I am a mess, but I am more grateful than I am discouraged, more in awe than confused, so I can carry on another day.”  This is how the Gospel grants hope to limping leaders.  The position of leadership comes by grace & we fulfill the responsibilities of leadership by grace.  We are never sufficient to the task, but rely on Him who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9).

3. Is it Now?  There are too many responsibilities for any given point in time.  We have to make choices about the roles we will take today, or this year.  For the past year & a half or so I choose to watch my daughter so my wife could participate in a Bible Study.  This limited my office time & ministry energy.  I know my ‘ministry’ suffered, though I can’t say how.  But my family is better for it.  Hard for us to do that math, so let’s allow God to decide.  I choose to “lead with a limp”.  But choosing to lead with a limp now may cost you a job.  It could have cost me my job.  We have to decide if now is the time to lead with a limp.  Recognize you could deceive yourself.

“Your opportunities to limp in this life are endless, and it pleases God to orchestrate those for his glory.”

I’m not sure if any of this made sense to you.  That would be my fault, not Dan’s, as I look at this chapter thru the mess that is my life.  I keep getting back to that idea: does the Gospel matter?  If it does, you don’t have to have it all together, don’t expect others to, and can be vulnerable about that.

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Resources on Revelation

I’m wrapping up my unusual Advent series called The Cosmic Christmas which focused on Revelation 12 to address the cosmic implications of the Incarnation.  Here are some of the resources I found helpful:

Steve Gregg’s Parallel Commentary on Revelation seen to the left.  It is helpful for summarizing the historicist, preterist, futurist and spiritual viewpoints on the Revelation.  When he gets to Revelation 20, he breaks it into millennial views.

I Saw Heaven Opened by Michael Wilcock from the Bible Speaks Today commentary series published by IVPress.  I really appreciated the opportunity to read some of this, since it had been on my shelf for awhile.  The title comes from the literary device used to begin new visions, or changes of ‘camera angles’ within Revelation.  I really found it a helpful, accessible volume.

The Returning King by Vern Poythress.  I had read this a few years ago.  It is not very long, but Poythress provides a good lay of the land to help you understand the overall flow of Revelation.  He then has a brief commentary.  Particularly helpful is the idea of counterfeits operating in the visions.  In 12-13 a counterfeit Trinity emerges (Dragon, Beast of the Sea & Beast of the Earth) to deceive the masses and persecute God’s people and the counterfeit Church (the harlot) which seeks to seduce God’s people.  As such Revelation provides a summary of Satan’s strategy of deception, persecution & seduction.

But Jesus is Faithful (Reliable) and True (Genuine) as revealed in Revelation 19.  He is the One we are to worship, serve and delight in.  The unholy counterfeits are no match for Him as the Warrior-King.  The emphasis, despite how fearsome the Dragon & beasts are, is that Jesus is greater, …. and good!

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Liberal Presbyterians Promoting 9/11 Conspiracy Theories

John Armstrong has a post about theologian David Griffin’s book on 9/11 as a government conspiracy.  This book is published by Westminster/John Knox Press which is associated with the PC (USA).  My book on marriage doesn’t seem to be worthy to be published, but a supposedly Christian publisher releases a book that blames the government for 9/11, and advocates a new world-wide government to usher in God’s kingdom.  Yikes!

Apparently Mr. Griffin is turning this into a cottage industry.  In addition to Christian Faith and the Truth about 9/11, he has also written (or co-authored) The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11; 9/11 and the American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out; and The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions.  I suspect he’s obsessing on this, but I could be mistaken.

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Grudem Backtracks on Baptism

I was disappointed to see that Wayne Grudem backtracked on his baptismal compromise.  At the time he discussed this in his Systematic Theology, he was in an Evangelical Free Church.  According to Grudem (since I didn’t know this and could be wrong) they accept people baptized as infants into membership without baptizing them again.  They are the only denomination that does this, and he now thinks this is a mistake although the EFC has maintained peace with this compromise.  I do believe that Bethlehem Baptist, where Piper is pastor, does this as well, though such people cannot be in leadership.  The Acts 29 Network also allows some freedom among its churches on this practice.

If you read my other posts on baptism, you can see that I believe the Bible teaches 1st generation Christians to be baptized at conversion (based on profession of faith), and to baptize their children (as Paul discusses Abraham in Romans 4).  Where some go wrong, I think, is in forgetting that Paul’s letters were written to 1st generation Christians who were baptized on profession.  So in 1 Corinthians they all had put on Christ.  But this would not rule out infant baptism for a man who believed the Old Testament Scriptures are useful to train us in righteousness.

In my denomination this is becoming a problem.  In our church plants many families choose not to baptize their children.  So the question becomes… do we put them on church rolls?  Are they considered a part of the visible Church?  Obviously credo-baptists have a difficult time calling them part of the visible church (consistently) if they have not been baptized- the sign of entrance into the community of Jesus.

In our congregation, we do not have unanimity on this issue.  Our standard for membership is that you have been baptized- not when you have been baptized.  We strongly encourage people to baptize their children.  Although I may think they are wrong to not do so, we do not exercise church discipline on them.  We see this as a matter of disagreement among brothers.

I have long wished more groups could see it this way.  My mother-in-law had to be baptized again to join a church in rural NY.  If you have been in upstate NY, you know that there are not many church options.  This church asked her to violate her conscience so she could join and participate fully in the life of the church- instead of remaining a second class citizen.  I think this is horrific.

I think it is horrific that we allow a sacrament meant to unite all Christians to divide Christians who simply disagree on when baptism should be administered.  We all agree it points to more than getting wet- that it is a picture of the gospel, that baptism itself does not save.  I don’t want to violate people’s conscience on a matter that is not essential to their salvation.  And I don’t want mine violated as well (I was baptized as an adult- but I want to be free to baptize my children believing this is what God commands me to do).

This is an issue that will not go away.  It will become all the more important with church plants in relatively unreached areas.  Whose baptism will you accept?  I’ll do my piece on mode of baptism later- which will make most of the debate on that a bunch of meaningless hot air.  Really, brothers & sisters, why are we fighting about this (and I love a good theological debate)?

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He’Brew: The Chosen Beer

A friend (the Great Morgano) dropped off a bottle of brew I’d never heard of before.  It was called He’Brew: the Chosen Beer.  This particular bottle was Messiah Bold, a “rich and robust dark brown ale.”  “It’s the beer you’ve been waiting for.

Sort of a novelty beer, as you could probably guess.  Dark, brown ales are not my favorites.  I’m more of an amber ale, or pale ale kind of guy.  I also prefer lagers.  Some day I’ll list some of my favorite kinds of beer.

But… this was pretty good.  A bit heavy for my taste (though Rogue’s Shakespeare Stout is one fine beer), but still a good drink.  I’d recommend it to my friends, if you happen to run across one.

These guys must have fun.  They don’t take themselves too seriously, as the website will show. 

But they get the point: L’ Chaim!  or to you “goy”- To Life!

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Five in a Row???

I am not sure how the Celtics have done this.  And 4 of the games were road games.  Okay, some of their competition was fairly pathetic.  But they have done this without a true center, and Ryan Gomes missed the last 2 games (against Denver & Charlotte).  Al Jefferson has finally turned into the 20 pt, 10 rebound guy we hoped he’d be last year.  I am thankful…. I was beginning to wonder if I’d completely misread him.  And this opens things up for Pierce, who scored 70+ the last 2 nights.

So, we are back atop the Atlantic Division.  This will be one strange season.  But it is great to see some guys finally start to fulfill their promise/potential.

I am so glad AI isn’t coming to Boston.  BTW: the 76ers asking price has to be plummetting.  They are the ones over the barrel.  At some point the light will go on in Billy King’s head that he’s NOT going to get “fair value” for Iverson and just get it over with.  You’d think he would have learned from Bird & Walsh’s problems getting rid of Artest last year.  When you suspend the guy you essentially lose any chance of being in the driver’s seat.

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Bad Luck Streak in Driving School…

“and I’m down on my knees in pain.”  So sang Warren Zevon about dancing school.  I recently got my first ticket in over 20 years.  I decided to go to traffic school so I wouldn’t get any points and raise my rates.  Big frickin’ mistake…

I did one of those internet traffic school deals- live streaming.  The 4 hour course took more like 6 hours.  The periodic security checks kept messing up the video, among other things.  But mostly it was listening to some guy berate us (me) as if I am an arch criminal because I got 1 lousy ticket.  I am an uber-criminal and singlehandedly responsible for all the accidents out there.  Yeah, I am overstating it.  I was also subjected to hours of material that was essentially irrelavent to my offense.

But it is a classic example of a few things:

1. The use of fear & guilt to “modify behavior”.  It had a little bit of behaviorism in it.

2. The use of utilitarianism ideals in reference to safety (seat belts etc).

Since I’m currently teaching a SS course on worldviews, it was interesting to see appeals to some of them in this course.

The whole experience was odd.  On the one hand, he thought we were all selfish (which to me sounds like depravity).  On the other hand, we can all change without the grace of God (which seems to contradict the first idea).  So the law is used to beat people up, and encourage moralism.  This is mostly what annoyed me. 

I almost wanted to form a Gospel-Centered Driving School, where the motive to good driving goes beyond legalism, fear of punishment etc. to wanting to honor the One you love, and done in the power of the Spirit as we believe the promises of Christ, returning to His finished work when we fail to drive in a way that pleases Him.  That is a mouthful there.  But driving is a major arena for santification to take place.  And that approach sure beats “you might die, go to jail or lose your license”.

But… my trauma is over.  I passed my test.  I had 99 minutes to complete it… I used 10.   I can now move on, being more aware of how clueless, thoughtless, selfish etc. everyone on the road is (including me). 

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Exposing Their… Depravity & Superficiality

Brittany gets most of the buzz on this, but the whole unholy trinity of Lohan, Spears & Hilton are going “commando”.  So the camera people photographing them getting in and out of cars get a shot of their privates.  Depending on how short the skirt you may get a few glimpses in the club, restuarant etc.  Why?

Simply for publicity.  They need the attention.  It reveals how empty these poor women are inside.  One blogger seems to think that men are the problem.  Well, when they are searching the web looking for pics of these ladies’ privates, yeah.  But what is at issue here is not comfort (underwear is of the devil- arguement), but purposeful exposure (not accidental exposure) to gain attention.  It is not about not wearing underwear, but about exposing themselves.  When men do this it is a crime- a sex crime, thereby labeling them forever.  When women do this, it is titilating and decidedly not a criminal act.

This story is not about perverted men, but depraved and superficial celebrities who crave the attention and what they are willing to do to get it.  They are not doing this because they don’t care what people think, but precisely because they want people to pay attention.  Why someone in the midst of a custody battle might think this a good idea just goes to show how deceived she has become.

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They are Onboard

Boston.com is reporting that the Boston contingent (Theo, Henry & Larry) are on the plane back to Boston (there is supposed to be a newsconference this afternoon to announce the Drew & Lugo deals).  AND Matsuzaka & Boras are on board.  No deal has been announced.  But it looks like they are close enough to jump on the plane and finalize it.  The Sox have demanded that he pass a physical in Boston prior to the deal being finalized.  Perhaps they will have something positive to add to the previously scheduled news conference.

Reports are the difference was between $8 million offered by the Sox and $11 million demanded by Boras.  In light of the overpayment of mediocre pitchers, this sounds like a reasonable range.  Both sides agreed on a 6 year deal, allowing the Sox to recoup the posting price.  Oddly, finding a closer may be more difficult than this has been. 

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Courting Evangelicals

Rather than spit the usual venom against those religious zealots called evangelicals, many of those planning to run for the Democratic nomination are reaching out to evangelicals, particularly Rick Warren.  He has had Obama in the pulpit of Saddleback, and he met with John Kerry for 4 hours.

Obama has been busy in making some laws too.  He sponsered a bill, that passed, that allows those in bankruptcy to give to religious and charitable organizations.  I think this is sadly pathetic.  Romans teaches that we are to leave no debt outstanding, except for the debt to love one another.  While I practice tithing, I do believe that you should pay your debts and some people often give out of spite to keep their money away from creditors.  This kind of law undermines the call to financial responsibility that most Americans, including Christians, need to hear.  But many will see this as a nod to Christians, seeking to gain their votes back from Republicans.

Let us not be seduced by either party.  As I work through Revelation, the Evil One’s 3-pronged attack is: deception, persecution & seduction.  Where one does not work, the other comes quickly.  The DNC saw that the persecution motiff wasn’t working for them.  So now comes the deception/seduction.  They will use issues of social compassion & justice (such as AIDS) to draw in some evangelicals, just as the RNC uses abortion to draw in evangelicals & the “religious right”. 

How ought Christians to act?

1. Affirm whatever is true & good in either party (or 3rd party).

2. Deny whatever is false & evil in either party (or 3rd party).

So… we can affirm fiscal responsibility (if anyone actually proposed it), social justice (within reasonable limits), social compassion (within reasonable limits) etc.  We need to deny their tendency to consolidate power, corruption by members of both parties, income redistribution as public policy, etc.  We should be a prophetic voice to all politicians, not just those in the party we don’t like.

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Signal Stealing

No, this is not about the NSA.  This is about the Patriots-Dolphins game last Sunday.  I was unable to watch it (the Bucs are the local team, and played at the same time).  But I was utterly amazed at the final score.  What in the world happened?

And now we know.  In preparation for the game, the Dolphins used game film that included audio.  In this way they ‘stole’ audibel signals that Tom Brady calls at the line.  In this way, they were probably able to deceive him into calling adjustments that opened the lanes for them to pummel the Patriots all day long.  They would then get into their true defensive formation at the last second (I first heard this on SportsCenter this morning).

I am not sure what to think about this.  This is the first time I’ve heard about this.  But the same article quotes former Pats back-up QB Jim Miller saying the Patriots used audio tape to prepare for a game against the Ravens in 2004, which they won 24-3.  It sounds like they Pats just used audio, not a video with audio.

Forward thinking?  Unfair advantage?  I’m just not sure what to think about this.  This sounds too much like stealing the playbook, not simply noticing tendencies, habits etc.   Any thoughts?

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Sign of the Apocalypse for 12/12/06

Dorm rooms at Clark University in Worcester, MA are going co-ed.  No, not dorms (you are so passe), dorm rooms.  When I went to Boston University in the mid-80’s, dorms were co-ed.  In my first 2 years my room was in the elevator quad, and I was on the “border”.  My neighbors were women.

Now 20 colleges allow you to share a room with a member of the opposite sex.  Academia is so…. stupid.

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