Emergent Churches

What is an emergent church?
Why is it called a movement?
Why do so many "regular Christians" cringe at the title?

Head to Bishop's Blog and then jump off to some good articles. Looking forward to comments.

CNN takes on Bush

A great TV talking heads conversation. The assumption? Bush is wrong. The solution? Say more bad things about Bush.

• KURTZ: Glenn Reynolds, is this 2,000 deaths just a bloody milestone that naturally was going to get some media attention, or is there an anti-war tinge to the sudden focus on 2,000 deaths, the press's way of saying, see, this just isn't working out?
  GLENN REYNOLDS, INSTAPUNDIT.COM: Well, it's more than that. It's a manufactured event by a press that has largely been anti-war from the beginning, and I think is dogpiling on the Bush administration for as many opportunities as it can find.
  Ran Siemberg (ph), who is a blogger, had an amusing parody from World War II of the media making a big deal out of another milestone, the 250,000th death. And I think that provides all kind of perspective, on the difference between the two wars, and the difference between the press' treatment of the two wars.
  Too often, war coverage now is just another opportunity to try to go after Bush, who the press has disliked from day one. And I think that's very, very unfortunate.
  KURTZ: Roger Simon, you are shaking your head.
  SIMON: I just don't find much comparison between World War II, in which we were fighting predatory fascism that was trying to take over the globe, and invading Iraq for reasons that the administration now admits were false.
• 
  "...predatory fascism that was trying to take over the globe..."
• 
  I guess he's never bothered to read any statements of intent from Al Qaeda.
  Which part does he think is untrue of the enemy? That they aren't fascists? Well, admittedly, the term has lost much of its currency from overuse by much of the left to be applied to everyone who disagrees with them on almost any conceivable subject, so let's call it totalitarianism instead (a term that I would hope that Mr. Simon would agree also applies to our enemies in the second world war). If that word can't be applied to people who want to run every aspect of everyone's daily existence, will brook no dissent, and have no apparent value for human life, as the Jihadis objectively do, then to whom does it apply? And even if you want to imagine that the "secular" Saddam didn't support the "terrorists" (one would have to disregard the Salman Pak training camp and the bounties offered for attacks on the Israelis to buy that one), he was as totalitarian (and fascist) as they come.
  And part of the totalitarian ideology of Al Qaeda is that there shall be no ideology before theirs--ultimately, all the infidels must convert or die. That we aren't first on the list is a matter of political and military necessity, not an indication of any solicitude toward our ultimate fate. Does he really believe that it isn't their goal to "take over the globe"? From the standpoint of the threat, if they (and Saddam) are not the Hitler of the MSM mind, it's because they're Hitler in 1935, instead of Hitler in 1941. But while he made many strategic mistakes (which were his ultimate undoing, as hopefully will be the case for our new totalitarian adversaries), he didn't make the strategic mistake of attacking New York in 1935, as Osama did in 2001.
  It would have been a lot easier to deal with Hitler in 1935, which is one reason why our casualties are counted only in the low thousands after over four years of war, instead of the large fractions of a million that it took to defeat our totalitarian enemies six decades ago, for all that the media would make of them.

Read the entire post and the blogger's thoughts who was obviously misquoted.

Malaysian Discrimination

It seems that the Malaysian government has mandated that all women wear head scarves, as would be appropriate for a muslim. 60% of the country is indeed Muslim, and they must believe that a good recruiting tool will be taking all liberties away from the other parts of society.

• Taking its cue from the Malaysian ruling, the Irish government quickly passed a measure requiring that all non-Irish students attending its universities remain stinking drunk during daylight hours and use the word “bollocks” at least five times a day—preferably while facing west. by Jeff Goldstein on his fully researched news blog

This is gonna be fun

I was watching CNBC this morning when the announcement that President Bush will nominate Judge Alito for the Supreme Court ... a commentator said ... "this will be good for the markets, because it will keep the government busy for months"

Great thought.

USA Today

Washington Post Blog

New York Times "This will be a fight"

Read a cogent disection of one of Alito's key dissents that will be used by Democrats against him.

Who becomes the next nominee

I will predict first that it will not be the Merrillville female attorney related in papers today.

I would suggest Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Senator from Texas

Ouch, 40 days of meaning, is short for Purpose Driven Life.

But I do like the fact that this site is willing to make fun of our Christian world today that values a Hawaiin shirt wearing preacher in California over a President that says "I read the bible everyday."

Tom Peters Takes a shot at Ameritrade ad

Have you seen the Ameritrade ad where the dad talks to the daughter about a "designer" jean company? She wants jeans ... he needs a place to invest.

Tom Peters takes a swat and suggests that this is "badvertising" and he even acts like this ad might be misleading. Then take the time to look at the comments.

I disagree, I think the ad works, I think it makes me want to invest like that guy.

Time to take down Iran

If they can suggest time to wipe Israel off the map then it's high time we show them the Saddam Hussein story.

Hey George, want everyone to remember how important you are and stop picking on your supreme court nominees, throw a missile at Iran's Presidential mansion.

• "There should be no mercy for these people," said Madina Kardanova, an elderly housewive. "They're not Muslims at all. They should be wiped out ruthlessly."

Comment by housewive in Russia, after "muslim" radicals attacked and killed in a southern province. What a summation for all to ponder. Even in this the age of post-modern thought, the age of "no one has the ability to claim truth" will be so scared of being called politically incorrect that we will allow these so-called Muslims to attack and kill and main and terrorize?

Or, will society decide that some truths do matter?

• Just in time for Halloween - An Industry Witch Hunt I attended the recent DOJ / FTC Public Workshop on competiton in the real estate industry in Washington, DC. I found it ironic that a meeting intended to openly "discuss and present" was so controlled. Right down to the need to submit written questions on cards that were pre-screened by DOJ officials before they were then delivered to panel leaders who in turn delivered some of them to the panelists. I also found myself listening to the presentations of REMAX, C-21 and Cendant and recalling the struggles these organizations and their leaders have had to build quality real estate services companies over the last 30 plus years. I have personally been a part of some of that growth and much of that pain. And then, I listened to the woes of those who now strive to be one of those companies - today. A message for those companies. The simple fact is that it takes time to capitalize, test, advertise, hire, open offices, take millions of listings, close millions of transactions, build name awareness and to earn the consumer's trust. There are few shortcuts to building such businesses that contract to manage such a valuable consumer asset as their home - this does not happen overnight. In the end, I left the workshop hoping that the FTC and the DOJ soon realize that it is the test of time - a lot of time - that the consumer measures of business - not the influence of more controls and unnecessary governmental intervention to somehow regulate the natural selection process created by open competition within the free enterprise system.Ken Jenny - RBSC

Punditocracy

Did the power of pundits and their views sink Harriet Miers? Is this really a good thing? Maybe a true democracy with a free speech and vibrant media completes a perfect balance where even popularity won't insulate a leader from making a bad decision.

I had hoped that Karl Rove was up to a bait and switch. But, I must have guessed wrong. He must have let W run things for a couple weeks on his own.

• After Bush nominated his White House counsel at 8 a.m. on Sept. 29, Ingraham was criticizing Miers on the air at 9, and Kristol was doing the same on Fox News minutes later. At 10:17, Frum assailed the nomination on his National Review blog, an essay that drew extra attention because he had worked with Miers as a White House speechwriter.

Who's next? Come on throw your names up for consideraton. I'm going to recommend Texas Senator Kay Baily Hutchinson.

• The most commonly named 5th Circuit candidates include judges Edith Jones, Priscilla Owen and Emilio Garza -- all reliable conservatives. But a selection from the 5th Circuit could bring flak from the left, especially on issues that have conflicted with mainstream jurisprudence.

Looks like Portage picks up the better deal. Cabela's makes Hammond jump through hoops for six months and Portage picks up Bass Pro Shops in half that time with little fanfare.

Good work Mayor Olson.

NWI times article

Is God the last refuge?

Read the article by James Lane in the Times ... Seems that a photographer has shot numerous pictures of Gary churches. The point? To look at poverty and destitution through the eyes of the church parishioner in inner-city Gary. What does the building tell us about poverty?

Maybe some good things?

Maybe some sobering things?

Lionel Young, of Calvary Church in Valparaiso, asks the quetion? Is the reformation over?

Come on all you bible people out there. You that have an opinion for every cup of coffee.

Let's hear your responses.

Too few workers?

I talk a lot to entrepreneurs, know what they say a lot? They say there are too few people that really want to work. They don't complain about having to pay more, they feel they just can't find people in Northwest Indiana that want to work and be proud of their work

Aaron Simac of Thomas Home Comfort, one of our favorite trades partners, set up a website ... connect to it here ... for prospective employees in new home construction. Did you know that new home trades is one of the fastest ways to move into the over $50,000 catagory? Learn a trade and you become irreplacable. Learn a trade that can't ever be outsourced!!!

Guess what? Hardly any prospective employees even get on the site. Pass it around, let's get Aaron some employees that really want to work.

Too many government employees

I'm looking for the article on-line, if I find it I'll post to this blog.

But, it seems that according to Brian Howey in today's NWI Times, the federal government employs 33,511 Indiana Hoosiers, the state employs 33,040. These are the two largest employers in Indiana. Followed closely by Indiana University and Purdue University.

"So that mean four of our top five employers are government ..." he continues

Think we need that many federal employees or state employees in our state? I don't

I think every level of government has been protected by a "taboo" on actually downsizing in government. City government in our area prides itself on getting "efficient" but not really using technology to downsize.

"Add up all levels of government in the state and you have 325,000 employees in government work total" WOW!!! That's just too much of our state consumed in watching the rest do the actual economic activity.

Cool ... I found the site .. Howey Report

Home Builders Should be Next

Ok, so Congress finally passed a law protecting gun manufacturers from lawsuits for gun related injuries and deaths.

Fast food restaurants shouldn't be sued for fat people eating too much.

But, where's the love? Home Builders get nothing from this long-awaited tort reform. We build a house with natural products. Mold? Lawsuit. Wood Floors expand? Lawsuit. Vinyl siding contracts? Lawsuit. It's high time we put our "home ownership matters" actions where our big mouths are.

Oil begins to slide

I still stand behind my prediction that we'll see $40.00 oil by March 2006

It appears that Investors Business Daily may be suggesting the beginning of the slide.

Interesting side notes appeared on blogs last night, for example it looks like high oil prices have allowed Chavez in Venezuala to hold onto power. Read publius' thoughts on the potential for problems in that country.

A week later, still sliding. Update November 1st. Look for $50 before year's end

Blogger Truth

Why can't we get in-depth research like this guy's blog on TV?

Gateway Pundit has found information that links George Soros to the guys attacking Tom Delay in Texas. Big Surprise!

But, while reading that article go one more and read the shocking account of the nun in Egypt that was stabbed by a young muslim man. Read it slowly and ask yourself: "what world allows a group of nut-cases to go around stabbing and blowing things up ... while trapped by the potential to be called discriminatory"

But: what do we do?

Rapture Directions

A good laugh for this church. They are just trying to watch out for everyone's safety in the event of the rapture.

Check on blog site Minor Prophet, where I got the safety card link. Not sure what bible study to start on? Don't really want to go to the bookstore. Minor Prophet is a great site designed for lazy people who want to surf-study.

Sox Win

Read the yahoo post just in
So I "watched" the last three innings on yahoo gamemaker web
Each pitch, every statistic, and all the tension. Pretty heady stuff.

Let's hear the predictions now. World Series, who will they play? Who wins? How many games?

I'll go first. They'll play St. Louis. Seven Game Series. Sox Win in seven

Be Careful

So I'm reading what appears to the naked eye to be perfectly good "government talk" about some common sense limitations and standards for signs in Valpo.

But, when when did we allow government to make these decisions for us?
Did they ever show a propensity to make good decisions?

No, of course not. So although this set of "standards" looks easy enough. Make those sandwich boards clean and no more than 7 square feet (but definitely no arrows??)

Make sure car signs say something about the car (but not the company name??)

Come on plan commission, your elitism isnt gaining us jobs, homes, or happiness.

Independant Investigation

If I recall our sherrif and county commissioners built a jail for millions more than budget. Now they blamed the contractors and they blamed the federal government and they blamed the designer.

Now a couple inmates basically crawl out of the facility.

My favorite is the blaming of the designer. Has the sherrif or his assistant ever actually been in the building? Tried to find a way to escape? Let's have a full investigation, not headed by the sherrif or his "running for office" assistant. How about asking the federal prosecutor who finally got to scratch the surface of the Lake County democratic machine, Van Bokken I think is his name, to investigate the entire construction process.

Did our county officials take part in the construction of a piece of junk?

The Iraqi's turned out in high numbers to vote about their constitution. Read the Times short version of the story.

It looks like the constitution will pass, even though some Sunni's attempted to vote it down. Now the analysis of the Bush administrations actions will continue.

The liberals will claim that the Sunni's attempt to vote against the constitution proves that we should leave immediately.

• "This thing is an enormous fiasco," said Juan Cole, a University of Michigan historian and a specialist on Shiite Islam. He said having such a solid bloc in opposition to the constitution "really undermines its legitimacy, and this result guarantees the guerrilla war will go on." Read the whole article. See what a liberal can do with the power of fear and attack.

Of course there is another perspective. George Bush said that any friend of terror was an enemy of ours. We knew that Iraq's government was a friend of terror. We made them our enemy and removed them from the planet. Then we spent 2,000 American lives to rebuild them and give them a chance to be democratic. Now they have a constitution, they are a light of democracy in the midst of the politically immature Middle East.

But the liberals had a better plan right? Mr. Clinton was so scared of the "wag the dog" tag that he didn't kill Bin Laden when he had the chance ... before 911.

As much as we all love Microsoft products, and felt the Clinton administration was in over it's head in attempting to penalize them for being successful, it is also good to see that competition is alive and well in the American and Global economy.

Competition, without any government influence or collaboration. That's how it should be.

Read about the Google and Sun alliance to target Microsoft's business.

You know what i hope happened? I hope Karl Rove planned this whole thing. President Bush chooses a candidate with bery limited experience, but a great reputation. The conservatives are outraged and say "we want proof she's conservative."

Read liberal land article.

What if she's way right conservative? Wouldn't this be the only way to get the democrats to vote for her? Oh man I hope we get to read the book on tricking the foolish liberals down the road.

Possible Senate Run

So the rumor has jumped out this week

Will I run for the our state senate seat? What are your thoughts?
Check out the map of the district, think it's gerrimandered for or against?

Map

Take a look at the current senator's position on butterflies