Where the Hell Is Ben?

That’s a question I’ve been asked, and have asked myself, a lot lately. Where the hell is Ben? No blogging in 2 weeks or more? Well, lots of stuff has been going on, and frankly, this is what I foresaw when I switched — permanently — from an essay style of blogging to a tumblelog style of blogging. One style takes decidedly less effort and time to maintain. I digress. Indeed, where the hell has Ben been?

Several weeks ago our church had Vacation Bible School which is another way of saying, “I put a lot of work, stress and time into an event that by definition has very little return.” I then had five days off. I say “off” when really I was in the office every day getting ready for our summer mission trip. I took the youth group to Greenville, South Carolina (beautiful city) for a nine day mission trip. We put roofs on homes, and I even remodeled a horse stable. Very tiring work. In fact, it made Vacation Bible School seem like an evening on the couch watching baseball (Cubs are still in 1st place, BTW).

After The mission trip I came back and had 5 days off. I say “off” but I was coming to the office every day preparing for being out of town for 10 days on vacation. I went on vacation, had a wonderful, picture perfect week with my family in Chicago (well, Lombard, but no one really knows where that is, so I say Chicago) and then came back home. I had 2 days off. I say “off” but really I was dog sick and couldn’t find the will to get out of my computer chair. Then, yesterday I took the youth to Six Flags Over Georgia. We had a great 13 hours together, I really love those kids. And now here I am.

So, that’s where the hell Ben has been. Any questions?

Hancock, Get Smart

Hancock: 4/5 stars
Get Smart: 4/5 stars

We Want Change (Sort Of)

It got so bad this year that I actually tried to find out something about the Democrat candidates. No, not the only ones that were going to win the thing — the ones who would actually do something different in government. Depressingly, no candidate brings much of anything other than status quo. Well, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul would, but they have been deemed unelectable. We all want change, as long as it’s not us that gotta do the changing.
MacStansbury

America Accused of Stealing Constitution From Ukraine

America is accused of stealing constitution from Ukraine. And if this were the RIAA or MPAA, America would now be sued for everything it’s worth, regardless of the truth of the accusation.

My WoW Character

If you want to see my WoW character, check out The World of Warcraft Armory

Jim Manzi on Conservatives & Science on National Review Online

Jim Manzi on Conservatives & Science on National Review Online.

Serious scientists in fields dominated by integrated complexity are constantly trying to develop methods for testing hypotheses, but the absence of decisive experiments makes it much easier for groupthink to take hold. A much larger proportion of scientists self-identify as liberal than conservative, so when scientific questions of integrated complexity impinge on important political questions, the opportunities for unconscious bias are pretty obvious. Hasty conservative political pushback (e.g., “global warming is a hoax”) naturally creates further alienation between these politicians and scientists. The scientists then find political allies who have political reasons for accepting their conclusions; consequently, many conservatives come to see these scientists as pseudo-objective partisans. This sets up a vicious cycle. Unfortunately, that’s where we find ourselves now in far too many areas.

Wow

57% of Evangelical Christians are willing to accept that theirs might not be the only path to salvation [source]

1 in 5 Athiests Believe in God

Another finding almost defies explanation: 21 percent of self-identified atheists said they believe in God or a universal spirit, with 8 percent “absolutely certain” of it. Jeff Archer, president of the Atheist Coalition of San Diego, was at a loss to explain how one in five atheists said they believed in God. “I find it quite preposterous that an atheist believes in God,” Archer said. “The only qualification to be an atheist is a nonbelief in God. When you take that away, then they’re not an atheist.”
The San Diego Union-Tribune

George Carlin on Religion

George Carlin, now deceased, was decidedly not a Christ follower. Nevertheless, in his cynicism he astutely points some of the biggest frauds of modern Christianity. Now, if you are a Christian you (especially you) need to listen carefully to what George says in this bit. These are the hurdles we must overcome, and furthermore, I suspect (from the applause of the audience and his fame) that he’s not the only one who views Religion (specifically Christianity) this way. [WARNING: R-RATED LANGUAGE]

Personally, I love how he points out how ridiculous modern-day church tithing is.

Where the Hell Is Matt?

The world is such a very small place. [via]

Paul Washer: SBC YEC 2002

Paul Washer hits the nail on the head. I agree with everything he says in this sermon. [via]

designersalaries.gif (GIF Image, 786×754 Pixels)

How much do designers make? More than a youth pastor, that’s for sure (actually, about double their salary on average).

Rands in Repose: One Lesson From a Night Elf

Rands In Repose: One Lesson from a Night Elf. Rands In Repose is one of the better-written nerd blogs I read and this is a somewhat older article I felt would be worth sharing now that I’ve developed a taste for WoW.

The Untried: What It Should Be Called - #1

What it should be called. Short and sweet: I hate “Christian” t-shirts too.

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