Archives for April, 2003
I’m in Edson
and I really have nothing to say…
Travel Day today
Am heading to Edson with Wendy, Leighton, Darren, Elway (the dog, not the football player), and Mark (the boy, not the author of the Gospel). Dropping the boy and dog off and then heading to Victoria. Will blog tonight if I have anything to say.
300 reasons why we love The Simpsons
Here are some of my favorites :: # 23-25
Fabulously incompetent lawyer Lionel Hutz. (’This is the most blatant case of fraudulent advertising since my suit against the film The Never-Ending Story ‘), and in particular…25 …this exchange with Marge. Hutz: ‘Now don’t you worry, Mrs. Simpson, I - uh-oh. We’ve drawn Judge Snyder.’ Marge: ‘Is that bad?’ Hutz: ‘Well, he’s kind of had it in for me, since I accidentally ran over his dog. Actually, replace “accidentally” with “repeatedly”, and replace “dog” with “son”.’
26 And his mantra. ‘If there’s one thing America needs, it’s more lawyers.’
and this one
And what to do with condiments.
Agent Mulder: ‘We want you to recreate your every move the night you saw this alien.’ Homer: ‘Well, the evening began at the gentleman’s club, where we were discussing Wittgenstein over a game of backgammon.’ Mulder: ‘Mr Simpson, it’s a felony to lie to the FBI.’ Homer: ‘We were sitting in Barney’s car eating packets of mustard. Ya happy?’
Some more pics
Amanda Johnson took these pictures while we were setting up and hanging at the Worship Freehouse.
The way of the cross
Interactive stations of the cross.
Fool.com: Pro Hockey’s in Trouble
The current bargaining agreement between hockey players and owners expires next year. Already, lines are being drawn for a potential work stoppage. And once again, owners claim they’re losing buckets of money by running hockey clubs. Normally, one wouldn’t be cynical to assume this is little more than bargaining histrionics. This year, though, a financial crisis has hit the frozen pond.
Two teams, the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres, declared bankruptcy. A third, the Pittsburgh Penguins, have such a bad financial position that the owner came out of retirement last year to play. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, the owner happens to be Mario Lemieux, one of the greatest players in a generation.
The Los Angeles hockey franchise, the Kings, claimed in a report that since the current owners bought the club in 1996, cash losses have exceeded $100 million, and they will reach $12 million this year alone. This for a generally competitive team averaging 15,000 paying fans per game.
Many fans were skeptical since a team’s owners could simply lard up the company’s financials with expenses, stick earnings into other entities, and “produce” paper losses. Doesn’t matter — team financials aren’t a matter of public record, and the losses would give the team more bargaining power against the union or an excuse to get rid of some high-priced players.
When the Kings made this claim, one ardent fan — who happened to know a thing or two about financial analysis — asked to see the books. Philip Propper, equity analyst for Trust Company of the West, sent a note to Tim Leiweke, president of the Kings, saying he’s a fan, and he’s skeptical of the claim of losses. To his (and the Kings’) credit, Leiweke accepted the offer, seeing it as an opportunity to show an outsider that the economic situation is as bad as advertised.
In February, Propper spent 10 hours with the team’s financial statements and had unfettered access to Dan Beckerman, the team’s CFO. His conclusion? The Kings really have lost that much money on a cash-flow basis, money that’s been floated by owner Phil Anschutz (who’s also the largest shareholder in Qwest Communications. Propper further stated that he found any transfer payments between other elements of the Anschutz empire to be conservative and proper. In other words, the team wasn’t lying.
Of course, the argument has long been that owning a major league sports franchises isn’t about cash generation — that most owners can lose money each year and still make out huge, as the franchises appreciate. Witness Al Davis’ 1966 purchase of the Oakland Raiders for $20,000 — a franchise estimated to be worth $400 million-plus today. This is a dubious argument in today’s hockey environment, with the two clubs in bankruptcy changing hands at fire sale prices.
Propper’s report is fascinating, and it’s also the first time a team has let an unaffiliated fan have such unfettered access to its financials. Propper discovered that the cost of player salaries increased 17% per year, while combined revenue failed to keep pace. He places substantial blame on the National Hockey League head office and its aggressive expansion. And he believes the NHL’s best (or only) course of action is to contract the six weakest teams in order to survive.
If you’re a sports fan and ever wondered where all that money goes, Propper just lived your dream. He’s seen it, and his report isn’t pretty.
I hate to admit that this article is probably right on and it isn’t pretty elsewhere in the league either.
Pope beatifies ‘father of cappuccino’
Pope John Paul II has formally placed a monk who inspired European resistance to Muslim invaders in the 17th Century and five other historic Italian religious figures on the path to sainthood.
Their beatification at a ceremony in St Peter’s Square marks the final step before actual canonisation through the Roman Catholic Church.
Marco d’Aviano, a wandering preacher for the Capuchin monastic order, is credited with rallying Catholics and Protestants on the eve of the Battle of Vienna in 1683, which was crucial to halting the advance of Turkish soldiers into Europe.
He is also remembered by some as the man who, by legend, inspired the fashionable cappuccino coffee now drunk by millions across the globe.
The Economists
via Rudy
The Heresy(?) of Simplicity
Why? Why does it have to be this way? I don’t want to rip anyone off. I don’t want to take part in a global conspiracy against the poor. I just want a hot drink, a dangerous amount of caffeine and somewhere to read the paper. Is that too much to ask?
Apparently so. And the more you find out, the worse it gets. Food, clothes � even dear old chocolate � conspire to make me a cold-hearted villain.
And here’s the lowest scam of all. I say to myself: Self, enough of this. I’m not buying anything any more till my conscience dies down a bit. And so my towering piles of money sit in the bank � where they’re probably funding some project to beat democratic protesters about the head with baseball bats (you can tell my grasp on the precise economics of this is somewhat flimsy).
What they certainly are doing is supplying financial institutions who bleed the Third World dry with debt repayments they can’t afford and didn’t deserve in the first place.
These people are turning me into a bad guy. It’s not even as if I want to be especially good. I just want to pass. But they’re making me destroy people’s lives every time I buy anything. And that sucks.
So that was my Saturday. How was yours?
Grace’s Annual Report
Wow, it looks like they had an amazing year.
Interview with Alan Jamieson
Alan Jamieson, church minister and sociologist, is author of recently-published A Churchless Faith, which interviews over 100 church leavers to discover why it is that people are abandoning the pews.
Worship Freehouse
I quickly posted some pictures that I took last night at the Worship Freehouse. The evening was a good one. We came pretty close to filling the Jazz Bassment and it had a nice feel to it. I thought everything went well for a first time. The televisions were a lot of fun. I bet those tv’s had 200 years of combined life to them and some of them showed it. Jeb and Leighton did a good job on getting them working. We had enough woodgrain on those T.V. sets to redo a 1985 Chev Impala wagon. It wasn’t pretty.
The band was excellent and Todd did some of his own stuff which was really nice. The Bassment staff said afterwards that they loved hosting us and we tentatively booked a couple more dates. The rumor is that we made a $5 profit on the night. I think that $5 needs to be put towards placing some pens on each of the tables for contact information but that is just me. I think the band wanted it to start a gold-plated hot-tub fund but that will have to be decided.
The Bassment’s liquor license allows for minors to be in the building (but obviously not drink) which meant that Mark was able to hang out all night. That was fun for me to have him there in that environment. I was looking for him during the evening and Jerry Reimer reminded me that it was a safe environment for him. I replied that if I see him walking back holding a Bubba of beer that I was going to be concerned. (it wasn’t going to happen) He was dancing in the back and cheering the band on which made crack up every time I saw him.
I almost forgot. Weird weather day yesterday. Had a lot of snow driving to Spiritwood but by midnight it was quite warm for spring. Nice service at Lakeland as well.
Jordon has left the building.
Just got home from the Worship Freehouse. Amazing night. God was there and we hope He was glorified. Mark was up last night sick and I am exhausted. Will post some pictures tomorrow. ZZZZZZZ
Renewal
it has always struck me that the church or any other organisation or movement gets renewed two ways - by people who leave the centre to make new things happen on the edges that creatively open up new directions and possibilities; and by people who have the patience to help those at the centre gently change. i don’t always have the patience for the second but i’m glad others do. both groups tend to dismiss the others approach, but i reckon that over time having both approaches is better than having one.
wise words by Jonny Baker.
Love Your Enemies
Christians whose loyalty to the Prince of Peace puts them out of step with today’s nationalistic world, because they are willing to love their nation’s friends but not to hate their nation’s enemies, are not unrealistic dreamers who think that by their objections they will end all wars. On the contrary, it is the soldiers who think they can put an end to wars by preparing for just one more.
Christians love their enemies because God does so, and commands his followers to do so. That is the only reason, and that is enough. — John Howard Yoder
Our Cabin Weblog- Recently listened to music
- David Gray – Be Mine October 19, 2008
- David Gray – December October 19, 2008
- David Gray – Knowhere October 19, 2008
- David Gray – Real Love October 19, 2008
- David Gray – Last Boat To America October 19, 2008
- Recently additions to my library
- Messy Faith: Daring to Live by Grace by A. J. Gregory October 28, 2008
- Rediscovering Church: The Story and Vision of Willow Creek Community Church by Lynne Hybels October 26, 2008
- The Teeth of the Tiger, A Novel by Tom Clancy October 26, 2008
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell October 26, 2008
- The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy October 26, 2008
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