Archives for January, 2006
Bastards and Boneheads by Will Ferguson
Mark gave me Will Ferguson’s excellent look at the key shapers of Canadian history, Bastards and Boneheads for Christmas. I just got around to finishing it and enjoyed it far more than I thought. It is more than a look at Canadian Prime Ministers but rather a look at the people who formed Canada through rebellion, elections, conquest, and drinking a lot of booze. The name Bastards and Boneheads came from his scientific categorization system for Canadian leaders. We generally hated the bastards but they did a lot and the boneheads were just incompetent. Diefenbaker was a bonehead. Trudeau was a Maximus Bastard Supremo while Chretien was just a bastard. While we think of Brian Mulroney as a bastard, Will Ferguson thinks of him as a bonehead as well. Both John Turner and Joe Clark were colossal boneheads. I suppose you could put Paul Martin in that category as well.
Technorati Tags : Bastards+and+Boneheads, book, Canada, history, politics
The Curse of Frankenchicken
Help
I need your help. The worship.freehouse needs a plethora of magazines for the next couple of worship events we are having. If you have any that are cluttering up your homes and you want to get rid of them, can you drop me a line at jordoncooper AT gmail.com. We need magazines of all sorts and would really appreciate the help.
Technorati Tags : worship.freehouse, Saskatoon
Terminator Technology
A question?
Here’s a question being asked… how does Wikipedia stop United States congressional aides from falsifying Wikipedia entries? It’s not like they have anything better to do with their time…
Technorati Tags : Congress, Senate, Wikipedia
Frank McKenna won’t seek Liberal Leadership
Former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna rejected a run for the Liberal leadership on Monday, saying he doesn’t want his life to be consumed by politics.
During 15 years as a politician in New Brunswick, including 10 as premier, “I became addicted to my responsibilities,” McKenna said during a press conference in Washington.
He said his life became unbalanced, and after leaving the premier’s job in 1997, he vowed “having escaped the trap, I wouldn’t go back for the cheese.”
McKenna was seen as a potential star candidate to replace Paul Martin, but “in my heart of hearts, I will have no regrets” not running for the leadership, he said.
McKenna also pointed out that winning the Liberal leadership would mean a 10-year commitment.
The Canadian Press also has this line.
”I wasn’t able to find the appropriate balance then, and I’m certain I would not be able to find the appropriate balance now.”
Missing the Point
Flyer from the window of the public library in Schertz, Texas as seen on Real Live Preacher’s weblog
Brian McLaren Responds
Before beginning though, I should say that I just learned today that Leadership Journal/CTI has an informal editorial policy on homosexuality. I was unaware of this policy when I wrote the article. If I had known, I wouldn’t have submitted the article because it assumes a variety of opinion on the issue that is beyond the journal’s policy. If I were a guest in your home, I wouldn’t knowingly bring up subjects that are against family policy, out of common courtesy as guest to host – and I feel that I have been rude, albeit unintentionally, in causing discomfort to the hosts and readers of this column. Please do not hold the hosts responsible for your disapproval of my guest column. In my defense, I was told that the subject of this issue was sexuality, and I was simply trying to offer something of value to pastoral leaders on this subject. But I should have inquired as to a policy on this subject before writing my column. Speaking of rudeness, I would also like to express my dismay that the editors allowed my friend Doug Pagitt to be treated despicably in one response. I’m glad they removed the most offensive sentence, but I find it stunning that people would applaud that kind of thing. I would much rather stand with Doug as ones being insulted than stand with those casting or celebrating the insults.
Whoever works with this man ought to sit him down and hold him accountable for the 757 words he types in his prologue & his rant - help him understand the guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, & disgrace that he so flippantly unleashes. The folks who run the Leadership magazine blog ought to really examine the editorial choice of this type of shrill, red meat, poorly written stab at “satire” on a situation that sorely needs the type of care and listening that Leadership sometimes brings to other, more accepted issues.
It’s so easy to choose easy “laugh” lines that will appeal to the base instincts, to bluster and brag, to bully and show muscle to impress and engender (mostly male) comrades. The comments that Driscoll gets suggest an echo chamber, a place where disgruntled, privileged people can rail against “those people” and about how their own interpretation of Scripture is the right one.
What is hard, what takes the bravery that our Savior showed, is to embody the transforming power of God-with-us, to listen to those on the margins and those abused by the powers that be. So much of Christianity seems to scapegoat those not in the main, those unlike the normative successful folks. What gives my soul life and hope and joy is that Jesus came and took humanity’s place, even into death. The resurrected Christ, and the community that follows him, has forgiveness for the violence that Mark Driscoll represents.
Democracy, the Morning After
From Afghanistan to Egypt, not one country that has had an election in the past year has emerged more stable as a result of the experience. In Iraq, three elections—the last one little more than a “census,” in the words of Iraqi journalist Nibras Kazimi—have increased the probability of partition or civil war and installed a corrupt, Iran-leaning government of religious conservatives, which will undoubtedly remain in power when the new “permanent” government is formed. In Afghanistan, elections have brought narco-warlords to positions of significant power. Even the Potemkin elections in Saudi Arabia and Egypt resulted in the aggrandizement of religious extremists. There was the election—more a selection, really—of foulmouthed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran, who has turned out to be far more radical than the ruling mullahs anticipated. And now Hamas in Palestine.
There is a caveat, though: Democracy may lead to a chaos of false hopes, but what’s the alternative? In the past, regional stability, of a sort, was ensured by U.S. support for extravagantly corrupt and brutal regimes. The high-speed, information-age propaganda and savagery of Osama bin Laden has changed all that, as has the careful provision of social services by groups like Hizballah and Hamas. If the status quo is no longer tenable, as was the case in the Palestinian territories, it’s far better for Hamas to come to power via the ballot box than the gun. The election holds out the possibility of moderation—and also the possibility that the leaders of Hamas will come to learn what Bush seems not to understand: that freedom isn’t a gift. It is an achievement.
Technorati Tags : Palestine, Hamas, democracy
Contextless Links
- You don’t see this everyday :: via
- More rule changes to open allow more goal scoring in hockey
- Aerospace giant Agusta-Westland recently filed the $1-billion claim for damages in Federal Court, alleging its EH-101 helicopter didn’t win the competition to provide Canada’s military with a maritime chopper because of political interference by the Liberal government. The company is also asking for $1 million in punitive damages. Some Conservatives have privately voiced concerns their government will get stuck with the bill if the company wins its case.
- Vellacott publically lobbys Harper :: Doesn’t the fact that you have to publically lobby the Prime Minister (as opposed to having coffee with thim) mean you have no influence at all?
Sunday
A Case of Mistaken Identity
This comes from Guy Kawasaki
And while we’re on the subject of kicking butt, let me tell you a funny story. About six years ago, at the height of the dotcom hype, I owned a Porsche 911 Cabriolet. One day I was at a stoplight in Menlo Park, and a car full of teenage girls in the next next lane were giggling and smiling at me.
I’m thinking, “Guy, you’ve finally arrived: Even teenage girls know who you are–Macintosh evangelist, venture capitalist, author, speaker. How sweet it is!” Finally, one of the girls motions me to roll down my window.
I put down the window, fully expecting her to tell me how much she loves my writing, speaking, whatever, and she says, “Are you Jackie Chan?”
That incident made me establish a new goal to execute: that someday Jackie Chan will be stopped at a light in Hong Kong, and a car full of teenage girls will ask him to roll down his window. Then one will ask, “Are you Guy Kawasaki?”
By the way, he may do his own stunts, but I do my own blogging.
Technorati Tags : Guy+Kawasaki, Jackie+Chan
Resonate Saskatoon Greenhouse
A new Resonate Greenhouse is online in Saskatoon. You can find out more information here.
Technorati Tags : theology, Saskatoon, Resonate, emerging+church, theology
Contextless Links
- Keeping bloggers safe from Warren Kinsella :: You have truly become a blog superstar when a group rises up to oppose you. Also I am glad that Warren is back blogging. via
- The Washington Post is quite happy that Paul Martin is gone :: Mr. Harper is not as pro-American as the Liberal attack ads made out: He doesn’t plan to send Canadian troops to Iraq and will certainly continue to press trade grievances with the Bush administration. But he has stated the sensible position that “we should obviously have good relations whenever possible with our closest ally and our biggest customer.”
- Selling moon dust
- The kids of 24 Sussex Drive
- Interview with the creator of del.icio.us
- Wendy has managed to import her 1600 Blogger posts into her WordPress.com site.
- NDP can find common ground with the Conservatives :: For those that are into labelling is Jack Layton a neo-con or is Stephen Harper a communist?
- The real tradtion of women in leadership
- The Pat Quinn death watch has started at Hockey Pundits
Google takes the lesser of two wrong decisions
Google posted this on their official weblog today. They seem torn. So do I. David Weinberger has this to say
So, I find myself torn. Doing the work of a totalitarian state is bad. Of course. But Google plans on noting on results pages when results have been censored; alerting Chinese users to the fact of censorship could have a positive political effect. Apparently Google also plans on having a link to the US-hosted version. And they won’t host user data on servers under Chinese jurisdiction so they won’t have to turn users over to the Chinese police.
That helps. But is it enough?
If forced to choose — as Google has been — I’d probably do what Google is doing. It sucks, it stinks, but how would an information embargo help? It wouldn’t apply pressure on the Chinese government. Chinese citizens would not be any more likely to rise up against the government because they don’t have access to Google. Staying out of China would not lead to a more free China.
I agree with David Weinberger. It isn’t the perfect solution but a lot better than the alternative.
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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