Random Notes

To celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary last night, Jen and I had dinner at Cafe du Jour (review here) in the South Side. Excellent. The tiny storefront has a small, walled courtyard in the back, complete with trees, ivy, a pond, and a foundation. The food was fantastic, and quite inexpensive. Folks have been inquiring […]

Conservatism in the Guise of Liberalism

(Hat tip: Eli) The Denver Post ran this editorial that provides a glimpse into the future and what we, as consumers, can do to change that future. The basic premise? Energy use by Americans will continue to rise, and the energy industry (as well as the environment) will struggle to keep up. The solution? Well, […]

Christian Music

Crooked Timber has an interesting discussion going on about Christian music. While most of the drivel that comes out of the Christian recording industry is beaten to a bloody pulp, I’m happy to see Pedro the Lion, Sufjan Stevens, and, most interestingly, the New Pantagruel given positive reviews.

Cars, and Communication

We have decided, mostly, to get a new car. The Outback has served us well for two and half years, but after replacing the transmission, the engine is leaking oil and acting up. Trips to two different mechanics gave us two different diagnosis: 1. Leaky head gasket. Cost to replace: $1200. 2. Small oil leak, […]

Things

Sorry, nothing coherent here. I’ve got an ever-growing post about our climbing trip this weekend, including details of how we left Jen’s harness at home and my thrilling fall on a gear route. But you may have to wait for the book to read about these and other antics. Lance Armstrong took the yellow jersey […]

The Inner Workings of the Supreme Court

With a tip o’ the hat to Moon….Dahlia Lithwick gives an unprecendented view into the decision-making process of this nation’s highest court.

Distraction, Concentration

Maclin Horton and I seem to share the same dilemma — we can’t finish a book. I have the best of intentions — I have a stack of things that I’ve started but yet to finish (I find a way to justify this, however. I remember a professor I had who would typically read ten […]

Things

There’s been nearly too much stuff going on to write coherently about any of it. So, I’ll merely provide some quick hits… I’ve basically dropped out of the pacificism discussion on Gideon’s site. I’m still not sold on either side of the debate (just war v. pacificism), but Caleb Stegall makes a good point: I’ve […]

On Authority, Pacificism, and Perhaps Some Other Stuff…

There has been a long discussion happening at Gideon’s blog about pacificism, just war theory, the current action in Iraq, and faith. While I find myself pulled toward the pacificist position, I’ve yet to read enough to formulate an informed position on the matter. Currently in the reading hopper are essays by Stanley Hauerwas and […]

Dialogical Coffee Houses

Hat tip: Eli Coffeeshop Turns off Wi-Fi on Weekends. [Owner Jen] Strongin said that the five-year-old cafe added free Wi-Fi when it seemed their customers wanted it a couple of years ago. It initially brought in more people, she said, but over the past year ?we noticed a significant change in the environment of the […]