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« November 2007 | Main | January 2008 » December 31, 2007A Roman Britain Again?Thanks in part to immigration from countries like Poland, the number attending a Roman Catholic service each week in Britain (861,800) now outnumbers those attending a Church of England service (852,500). Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's conversion is certainly a high profile example of the trend. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 03:08 PM | Comments (3) Pope St. Sylvester I
Popular folklore and piety notwithstanding, Sylvester rightfully remains an important figure in the early church. The son of man named Rufinus, Sylvester was made bishop of Rome after the death of Pope St. Miltiades. During his twenty-one year pontificate, three of the great churches in Rome were constructed: St. John Lateran, St. Croce, and St. Peter. Further, Sylvester was instrumental in stemming the spread of Arianism throughout the Western church, as well as the promulgation of orthodox christology (homousion of the Son) in the wake of Nicea I (325). Posted by Seth Zirkle at 10:18 AM | Comments (2) Who's Who of 2007Here's a comprehensive list from Google of the top searches of 2007:
Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 09:30 AM | Comments (7) December 30, 2007Fearless Predictions 2008Now a robust 15! 1. Mike Huckabee peaked two weeks too early, as Mitt Romney narrowly wins the Iowa caucuses on the GOP side. A resurgent John McCain wins the New Hampshire primaries over Romney. In late January, Romney wins Michigan and Nevada over McCain, and finishes close second to Huckabee in South Carolina (McCain fourth). It's enough to make Romney the prohibitive favorite for the GOP nomination. Rudy Giuliani's "wait until Florida and February 5th" rope-a-dope strategy ends up being just dopey, as it gives his opponents a month of free media coverage. On the Democratic side, second choice John Edwards scores an upset win in Iowa with Hillary Clinton coming in second. Clinton rebounds in New Hampshire and proceeds to pretty much run the table, save for favorite son victories by Edwards and Barack Obama in their respective home states. 2. The Dallas Cowboys will win the Super Bowl in an upset over the New England Patriots, 35-28. MVP Tony Romo throws for four TDs and parties the night away with Jessica Simpson (nudge nudge wink wink). 3. The Hollywood writers' strike is resolved in February just in time for pilot season. Lost and 24 return before the summer. 4. The nation's relationship with Pakistan is a foreign policy priority for the last year of the Bush administration. The administration announces a "surge" of troops in Afghanistan, outwardly to help clamp down on Al-Qaeda in that country, but also to keep an eye on civil unrest in its teetering neighbor. 5. The University of Arkansas's Darren McFadden is the top pick in the NFL draft. 6. Ron Paul is the last challenger out of the GOP presidential race. 7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, due for release May 22, 2008, is surprisingly good. The Dark Knight is the blockbuster of the summer. 8. The Ottawa Senators win the Stanley Cup, marking the first time a Canadian team has won Canada's game since the 1993 Montreal Canadians. 9. The Boston Celtics win their first NBA title in 22 years, four games to two, over the Phoenix Suns. 10. The Beijing Olympic games raise controversy in the American media about Chinese manufacturing practices and the nation's human rights violations. Articles about China's emerging economic power create a stream of Asiaphobia not seen in the U.S. since Japanese businesses bought up U.S. real estate in the late 1980s. Conservative think tanks wonder if fear of "Chinoislamofascism" can get voters to the polls. 11. Mitt Romney names Fred Thompson his running mate. Hillary Clinton names Bill Richardson her running mate. 12. Bonus repeat prediction: Dick Cheney and Fidel Castro* will remain in office; Osama bin Laden will remain at large. (*barely) 13. The subprime mortgage crunch and housing crisis will remain in effect until at least third quarter 2008. Those unfortunate enough to be selling houses in 2008 will have to accept taking a loss if they want their houses to move. Home values drop another 5 percent nationally, with double-digit losses in the previously most overheated local markets. Foreclosures jump again. The stock market is volatile and ends up flat for the year. Jim Cramer's head explodes on Mad Money. 14. Crude oil prices hit $105 per barrel over the Labor Day travel weekend. 15. The next president of the United States is Hillary Clinton. Mark Levin's head explodes on his radio show. Bonus: People who use the noun Democrat as an adjective (as in "Democrat party") will continue to tick me off. Good polls do not justify bad grammar. Posted by David Darlington at 01:08 PM | Comments (6) December 29, 2007No Finish Line at the HorseraceThe conventional wisdom about the GOP is that it is a coalition of three indistinct bases: social conservatives, business interests, and small-government types. Generally, these groups have gotten along quite well, due to three things. First, they aren't necessarily hostile toward one another's interests. Second, there's been little competition for political priorities. Third, they often had some glue, like anti-Communism, to hold them together. This primary season is remarkable, as was the 2006 elections, because it looks like those elements no longer hold true. As we've heard for over a year, the coalition is cracking up. No single candidate can rise above the objections of one or more bases. It truly is, as Ross Douthat put it, "A Race Nobody Can Win," even though, "you could argue that almost all the GOP candidates (including Huckabee) have more impressive resumes than the three leading Democrats . . . " And so when democracy works its magic in November, we'll likely end up with one of those Democrats. It bears examining the fatal flaw in each candidate individually, because it reveals that not all of the GOP's problems stem from a fractured base. (I've thrown in my own dealbreakers as well, if only to highlight my distance from the base.)
A full list of objections to each candidate would be much longer, but I believe this captures the most salient ones. It would be too much to ask for a perfect candidate, but it is remarkable that all of these are intolerable. Even this late, some pundits are wondering who else could have run and done better; I've yet to hear a good answer. Taken together, we see a party unable to unite behind a coherent agenda or produce electable candidates. . . . So about Paul. I've stated before that I can hold my nose when looking at his policies because he is the only candidate whose principles align with mine. More practically, Bryan Caplan argues that, if he ever took office, we'd see a modest net gain for small government, as he'd be unable to implement his more troublesome prescriptions. But Paul will not be president. My support for Paul is a protest, which seems to be the respectable view -- despite Megan McArdle's objection, which seems to preclude any such thing as a protest vote. Posted by Zach Wendling at 01:46 PM | Comments (9) December 28, 2007The Massacre of the Holy Innocents
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:Like Saint Stephen's Day, this feast curbs our joy during the Christmas Season. Even as we celebrate the first coming of the Messiah, we are reminded that the Evil One seeks to destroy his Gospel. And yet that Gospel was not -- and will not be -- destroyed."A voice is heard in Ramah, Other entries in this series: "Taking Back St. Nick" by Zach Wendling Posted by Zach Wendling at 08:52 AM | Comments (2) Iowa Polling DataThe latest Strategic Vision polling data for Iowa has the usual suspects in the usual order. But far more interesting for me are other questions not directly related to the race: Do you see President George W. Bush as a conservative Republican in the mode of Ronald Reagan? (Republicans Only)More Iowa Republican voters favor a complete withdrawal from Iraq than those who do not. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 12:05 AM | Comments (0) December 27, 2007The Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
Matthew Stevenson has this one covered. Posted by Zach Wendling at 11:00 PM | Comments (0) A Satisfied PartyAccording to a recent Pew Research poll, 81% of Republicans say "they are largely satisfied with the way things are going for them financially." Only 64% of of Democrats and independents say the same thing. This is the largest gap in quite some time. Of course, one obvious conclusion is that Republicans simply make more. This may or may not be true (I do not recall the specifics on this), but the polling data also notes the following: Three-quarters of Republicans with household incomes of $50,000 or less say they are pretty well satisfied with the way things are going for them financially, compared with just 40% of Democrats and a similar share of independents (39%). Even among Republicans who say they often do not have enough money to make ends meet, nearly six-in-ten (58%) express satisfaction in the way things are going for them financially. By contrast, just 30% of Democrats and 32% of independents who have trouble making ends meet say they are satisfied with their personal financial situation.When you add this to previous data suggesting Republicans have better sex lives, it may give new meaning to the phrase "Grand Ol' Party". Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 05:46 PM | Comments (1) December 26, 2007What Does a Grinch Do . . .. . . the other 364/5 days of the year? He visits this website: IsItChristmas.com (via Jake) Posted by Zach Wendling at 06:08 PM | Comments (0) The Festival of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr
"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him -- you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."Like Christ and John the Baptist before him, the world found this message to be intolerable, and Stephen was stoned -- the first of countless martyrs. Every martyr gives us an example of fearlessness and boldness when testifying, even if their fates are far removed from whatever danger we might face. The most powerful aspect of Stephen's death, though, are his famous last words, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." What faith it must have taken to echo the words of our crucified Lord, to pray for his persecutors even as they brutally murdered him. More sobering still is the very last sentence of the story, Acts 8:1a: "And Saul was there, giving approval to his death." Other entries in this series: "Taking Back St. Nick" by Zach Wendling Posted by Zach Wendling at 05:39 PM | Comments (1) December 25, 2007Primary Source"This is how the birth of Jesus came about: His mother was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. "But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,1 because he will save his people from their sins.' All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said though the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will all him Immanuel'2 - which means, 'God with us.'" 1Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 03:58 AM | Comments (0) TrackingHere's the official NORAD Santa tracking website, if you're into that sort of thing. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 03:57 AM | Comments (0) Christmas Meditation"The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man -- that the second person of the Godhead became the 'second man' (I Cor. 15:47), determining human destiny, the second representative head of the race, and that He took humanity without loss of deity, so that Jesus of Nazareth was as truly and fully divine as He was human. Here are two mysteries for the price of one -- the plurality of persons within the unity of God, and the union of Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus. It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas, that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. 'The Word was made flesh' (John 1:14); God became man; the divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. And there was no illusion or deception in this: the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation." -- J.I. Packer, "Knowing God" Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 03:56 AM | Comments (0) December 24, 2007Declaration of Christmas PeaceI found this tradition from Finland to be rather quaint: every Christmas Eve, the following is read (and broadcast) at noon from the Old Great Square of Turku: Tomorrow, God willing, marks the most gracious feast of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, and therefore a general Christmas peace is hereby declared, and all persons are directed to observe this holiday with due reverence and otherwise quietly and peacefully to conduct themselves, for whosoever breaks this peace and disturbs the Christmas holiday by any unlawful or improper conduct shall be liable, under aggravating circumstances, to whatever penalty is prescribed by law and decree for each particular offence or misdemeanour. Finally, all citizens are wished a joyous Christmas holiday.Even with a state church, I wonder what kind of authority this really has under Finnish jurisprudence. Posted by Zach Wendling at 12:34 PM | Comments (1) Primary Source"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, becuase he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While Mary was there, the time came for the baby to born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." -- Luke 2:1-7 Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 05:02 AM | Comments (0) December 23, 2007This Grinch Balks
Posted by Zach Wendling at 06:49 PM | Comments (3) December 21, 2007It's Like Purgatory, Without Heaven
Posted by Seth Zirkle at 11:00 PM | Comments (2) That You, Santa Claus?I have to side with the pro-Santa Richard Hall and Rod Dreher (thanks to gjoe for the link) in the Great Santa Debate. I totally respect the anti-Santa position though. A good friend of mine from college, her father a Baptist minister, was told early on that Santa wasn't real. Her parents' reasoning behind it was that they weren't going to lie to her about Santa, because they didn't want her to think someday they were lying to her about Christ as well. I can buy that logic, even if it's not my position. I think one can celebrate the good of the secular Christmas with one's children without losing touch with the significance of the holiday. Children should be able to enjoy the silly stuff--Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, and so on--while being reminded (1) that most of this is silly and (2) there are more important aspects of the holiday. Parents need to act as filters of the secular and commercial mumbo-jumbo, letting in the good while keeping out the bad. Internet Monk Michael Spencer, who has been pure gold this Advent, has some good advice on how Christian families can celebrate Advent and Christmas season (italics mine): 1) Make a clear differentiation between the secular celebration and the Christian season. Don't let children be confused about what Frosty and Rudolph have to do with Jesus. Get the secular Santa out of the Nativity scene. Abandon the idea of Christians "reclaiming" the secular celebration. The secular, pagan celebrations roots are deep and it has its own meanings and story. The occasional "contact points" between the secular celebration and our season of Advent and Christmas are superficial. Make this clear to your children and proceed forward to make Christmas about Christ and special to your family. I think our resident Scrooges can appreciate this one: 5) Help your family find the mood of Advent, in contrast to the manic acquisitional madness of the secular Christmas. Advent is a time of preparation, prayer and sensing our need of a savior. Cultivate this in contrast to the world's mood. Then, when Christmas arrives, celebrate and feast for the 12 days. And finally, IMonk echoes what Zach said in our first post in the Advent saints series: 8) Consider introducing your children to Saint Nicholas and his legacy of faithfulness to Jesus. There is an abundance of Saint Nicholas material on the net, including stories that children will love, his legacy as a Nicene father and many things that relate to compassion for the poor. By stressing the real Saint Nicholas, you can put the mythology of Santa into perspective. However you decided to do it--with Santa or without--Merry Christmas to you and yours! Posted by David Darlington at 05:22 PM | Comments (1) Doubting Thomas
Even at the Last Supper, Thomas struggled to understand Jesus' promise. The Gospel of John 14:1-7 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."Thomas' doubts point to the answer to our own: we rely on Christ to lead us to faith and salvation. In other words, if doubt is our prison, we know who holds the key. Other entries in this series: "Taking Back St. Nick" by Zach Wendling Posted by Zach Wendling at 01:24 PM | Comments (2) The Santa Debate cont'dRev. Richard Hall argues that, contra my post on the subject, Santa isn't all that bad. Indeed, he should be celebrated: Children are creatures of wonder and imagination, both qualities which can nurture faith in the Living God. They thrive on storytelling and their world is naturally full of what we adults, poverty-stricken by reason, regard as naive personifications.Of course, it is quite possible to have stories, imagination and wonder that do not involve lying. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the Lord of the Rings, and Peter Pan are just few such examples. The difference, of course, is that these are explicitly fabled stories - they are presented as imaginative and wondrous, but not as actual fact. We do not tell children that Neverland actually exists (this dude and Michael Jackson excluded), and we do not insist on believing the Hobbits' Shire has a true physical existence. They are awesome tales, not realities necessary for gifts. Santa is in a unique class with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 11:02 AM | Comments (10) An Ex-Candidate?Is Rudy-backer Patrick Ruffini writing a pre-obituary for the New York City mayor, or is he lowering expectations? I really can't tell, but he is right about one thing: Rudy's "wait until February 5th" strategy was rather foolish. Posted by David Darlington at 10:43 AM | Comments (0) December 20, 2007Heeding the ProphetI recently received an email sent to the supporters of Mitch Daniels (R-IN) in which the governor endorses a list of books he's recently enjoyed. The most interesting selection was Thomas McCraw's biography of Joseph Schumpeter, Prophet of Innovation. I have not read it, but I've read enough reviews to know that it is an important work. Here is one from Tyler Cowen, who calls the work "magisterial" and "one of the two or three best biographies of an economist ever written." Here is one from Reason Magazine that puts Schumpeter into context. According to this interview with McCraw, the author saves Schumpeter, with his voluminous and dense writings, from obscurity. Among Schumpeter's lasting contributions were stressing the importance of the entrepreneur in the economy, the long time horizons over which capitalism operates, and -- most importantly -- this idea of "creative destruction." How refreshing to see a politician paying attention to these things, especially during a time when the public seems so gloomy about the economy. Previously: "One Cheer for Mitch" Posted by Zach Wendling at 12:29 PM | Comments (1) Reflections on God and Santa: Does ol' Nick Undermine God?Even on the surface, both God and Santa share some similarities, at least as they are portrayed in the traditional sense. Both are often portrayed with long white hair, full white beards and deep booming voices.
The image portrayed here of God is a deeply flawed and inaccurate one, but it is not all that far off of what a number of unknowing children (and unchurched adults) actually perceive God to be. As such, the silly comparisons carry some significance. In the eyes of children, the concept of Santa can closely parallel the concept of God, and as this blog entry indicates, that concept can often carry over into adulthood. For good measure, we even celebrate Santa and one of the most significant Godly holidays on the same day. Is it any wonder that a child's perception of God can often get tangled up in the mythical character of Mr. Claus? For Christians this poses an obvious problem. Children are taught to believe in both, and when the non-existence of Santa becomes a reality in adolescence, God will likewise get scrutinized. The blatant lying to children about a figure they already associate with God cannot yield beneficial results. Anecdotally, I know of a number of folks who resent their parents lying to them about Santa, and if they lied about Santa, the belief is that they lied about God, too. I am of the very un-festive opinion that lying to your children about anything is bound to have negative consequences, but particularly when it involves a figure like Santa. In the eyes of some this makes me a Grinch or Scrooge, but I'm not sure that's altogether a bad thing. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 10:51 AM | Comments (9) December 19, 2007Speaking of RudyWe look upon authority too often and focus over and over again, for 30 or 40 or 50 years, as if there is something wrong with authority. We see only the oppressive side of authority. Maybe it comes out of our history and our background. What we don't see is that freedom is not a concept in which people can do anything they want, be anything they can be. Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do. via Radley Balko Posted by Zach Wendling at 11:39 PM | Comments (5) I, RudyThe American Conservative offers this brilliant cover to its latest edition:
Click here for the corresponding articles. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 04:35 PM | Comments (1) Quick HitsJason Kuznicki and D.A. Ridgely respond to the frequent ITA topic of the deadweight loss of Christmas. Bah humbug. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 04:23 PM | Comments (0) That Pesky Christmas DateAround this time thousands of years ago, Romans honored Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture, in a festival called Saturnalia. The festival began on December 17, lasted seven days, and eventually grew to include winter solstice, which fell on December 25. When and how this pagan holiday morphed into a Christian one remains a matter of debate. Some believe that in the fourth century St. John Chrysostom urged Christians to celebrate Christ's birth on December 25 because some communities had been doing it for several years. Others believe it was Emperor Constantine who's responsible for the day as part of an effort to welcome pagans already celebrating winter solstice. It is no secret that a number of Christian traditions are rooted in calendar comprises, but Prof. William Tighe (an undergraduate professor of David's) argues, in David's words, that selecting December 25th "was based on an honest but inaccurate attempt by early Christians to determine the date of Jesus' birth using the Jewish 'integral age' tradition, which stated that prophets die on the anniversary of their conception." Since the crucifixion was estimated to be March 25th (April 6th in the East), nine months later would be December 25th. Regardless of the calendar compromises that begat December 25th as our Christmas, I don't think I'll let it stop me from celebrating what the day symbolizes. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 10:05 AM | Comments (3) December 18, 2007Security Theatre: A Minor Tragedy in One ActWarning! This Woman is Dangerous.
The Department of Homeland Security has identified this woman as a threat. If you see her attempting to shop in New York City, alert the authorities immediately. Seriously, stories like this ought to piss you off. This is a symptom, not an event. We've come to the point where the only justifiable reaction to any security threat, no matter how trivial, is to completely overreact. Add to that the inanity of the security theatre we undergo at our borders and airports, and we're facing a substantial misallocation of resources. As an added bonus, we are also alienating the rest of the world. Update: Matthew Yglesias: I remember standing in the Reykjavik airport on a security line with my shoes off, held in my left hand, ready to be placed on the conveyor belt for scanning once I got far enough in line for that to be possible. I stepped forward toward an Icelandic security guy who was checking passports and boarding passes who asked me: "Sir, why aren't you wearing your shoes?" Posted by Zach Wendling at 11:46 AM | Comments (7) A Season of PrimariesI made the following for no other reason than I wanted to see just how ludicrous the primary schedule is. Super Tuesday is February 5th. Posted by Zach Wendling at 09:30 AM | Comments (2) December 17, 2007The Deadweight Loss of GrinchesApparently Zach isn't the only Christmas Grinch. USA Today delivers the sad news that Christmas caroling is a dying tradition: Except for pockets of passion, traditional, in-person neighborhood caroling is practiced by a shrinking fraction of the population. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 10:27 PM | Comments (5) The Natural Experiment on the DWLXA special thanks to commenter gjoe for sending along this article by Tim Harford writing about gift cards and, you guessed it, the deadweight loss of Christmas (DWLX). The most interesting gem in this piece is the research of Jennifer Pate Offenberg, who has made a study of the resale of gift cards on eBay, which I've long thought would be a treasure trove of data. She concludes that a thriving resale market exists -- butI'm not sure why gift cards face a ceiling in resale value, but I think it probably has to do with three things. First, I would be unwilling to purchase a gift card to a clothier (or any other shop) because I'd never be sure when my next stop would be or whether they would be carrying anything I would buy. Holding onto nonfungible funds in the meantime is a suboptimal. Second, the present value of an full-price item now probably exceeds the present value of a discounted item in the future. Third, buyers may be calculating the risk of fraud. If none of these things apply to you, then you should look into these 15-20% discounts they are selling on eBay or similar websites. Previously: "The Deadweight Loss of Christmas" by Zach Wendling Posted by Zach Wendling at 05:35 PM | Comments (2) The Commemoration of Daniel and the Three Young MenToday marks our first commemoration of Old Testament saints, the prophets Daniel and three Hebrew youths, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. The story is told in the Book of Daniel, which is too rich to summarize here with much justice. It gives us powerful examples of religious fidelity during the Babylonian Captivity in the 6th-Century BC, when Israel's God must have seemed very distant. One episode illustrates to trials of living in a world hostile to the faith. Daniel 3 is the story of the three young men, to whom Nebuchadnezzar had given the new names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Although it loses a little something in the telling (including the prospect of a preincarnate Christ), I rather like this reading by the Rev. Louis Armstrong. Other entries in this series: "Taking Back St. Nick" by Zach Wendling Posted by Zach Wendling at 06:14 AM | Comments (0) December 16, 2007The Third Sunday of Advent
Why, after he had been imprisoned, did John the Baptist send his disciples to ask: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?" as though he did not know the very one to whom he had pointed? ... This question is quickly answered if we examine the time and order in which events took place. On the banks of the Jordan John affirmed that Jesus was the Redeemer of the world (Jn 1,29); even so, after his imprisonment, he asked whether he was really the one who was to come. It was not that he doubted Jesus to be the Redeemer of the world, but he wanted to know whether he who had come in person into the world would also descend in person to the prison-house of the dwelling-place of the dead. Because he whom John had already announced to the world in his role as forerunner, he would also precede into the underworld by his death... It is as though he wanted to say clearly: "Just as you have deigned to be born for man's sake, grant us to know whether you will also deign to die for him in such a way that, forerunner as I am of your birth so shall I also be of your death, and so that I may proclaim your coming to the dwelling places of the dead just as I have proclaimed your coming into the world." Posted by Seth Zirkle at 09:16 AM | Comments (1) December 15, 2007The Limits of CivilizationThere is an interesting and depressing article in the LA Weekly on the growth of gang culture, both within Los Angeles and across the country, and its consequent nihilism, anarchy, and crime. Like most intractable problems, it is multifactorial and, based upon the interviews by Peter Landesman, almost inexplicable. In such a fog, one loses hope that any efforts, public or private, can reverse the trends. It did strike me, though, that Landesman was led down one rabbit trail on his journey through gangland: "Trying out gangs is becoming more and more popular," says Dr. Malcolm Klein, a sociologist at the University of Southern California who has been studying gangs since 1962. "Kids are shown how to ape gang behavior by MTV and the Gap." Today, rap is a multibillion-dollar industry that dresses up violence with bling and sex. Eventually, real street gangsters picked up on the fantasy and took on the fetishes of gang life as told back to them by millionaire musicians who had either left the streets or were never part of it.It's entirely plausible that the entertainment industry, including sports, has appealed to the worst instincts of its customers by glamourizing gangsterism. But . . . the Gap? Which Gap? This Gap? Update: Steven Levitt also noted the story and reminds us that journalists are not as savvy as social scientists at describing the magnitude of these sorts of problems. (Hat tip: Jacob) Posted by Zach Wendling at 02:47 PM | Comments (4) December 14, 2007St. John of the Cross
December 14th marks the feast day of St. John of the Cross (1542-1591), Carmelite fryar and priest from Spain. St. John of the Cross is revered in Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions for his work (with Saint Teresa of Ávila) of reforming the Carmelite order, and for his poetry and meditations on the soul. He is one of 33 Doctors of the Church in the Catholic tradition. St. John of the Cross is considered to be one of the best-ever Spanish language poets. A common theme in his work is the trials and purifications the soul must go through before it can be truly united with God. Or as the Catholic encyclopedia puts it, "[John's] axiom is that the soul must empty itself of self in order to be filled with God, that it must be purified of the last traces of earthly dross before it is fit to become united with God." The periods of imprisonment and torture John went through in his own life certainly affected how he felt God works to purify humankind. St. John of the Cross is the originator of the phrase "dark night of the soul," which was the title of one of his poems. I'm sure most of our readers are familiar with the term, and most persons of mature faith, if they are honest, will admit to having gone through one or more "dark nights" themselves -- times where God feels distant, prayers feel unrewarding and unanswered, and faith seems destined to collapse on itself. The hope is that this dark night is only temporary, and that the subject emerges on the other side with a deeper, stronger, closer relationship with God, and a better appreciation of the Divine. But that is not always the case -- Mother Theresa famously spent most of her adult life with severe doubts about the faith that appeared outwardly to motivate her to great good. To be sure, this is heady stuff for the week before Christmas. Still, as those of us lucky to be in churches that celebrate Advent can tell you, this time of year is not just for celebrating Christ's historical birth, but also anticipating his eventual return. Through the long, dark nights of winter, we should pray and meditate on the Advent of our God and ask that he would draw us closer to him, reform our hearts and minds, and prepare us to do good works in this world. Other entries in this series: "Taking Back St. Nick" by Zach Wendling Posted by David Darlington at 10:14 PM | Comments (0) Peggy Noonan on ImmigrationIn a sweeping column from the Wall Street Journal, Ms. Noonan opines the following: It is clear in Iowa that immigration is the great issue that won't go away. Members of the American elite, including U.S. senators, continue to do damage to the public debate on immigration. They do not view it as a crucial question of America's continuance. They view it as an onerous issue that might upset their personal plans, an issue dominated by pro-immigration groups and power centers on the one hand, and the pesky American people, with their limited and quasi-racist concerns, on the other. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 11:31 AM | Comments (6) December 13, 2007AdventA prison cell, in which one waits, hopes. . . and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (HT) Posted by David Darlington at 10:34 AM | Comments (0) December 12, 2007No Energy by 2017!Energy is an important issue to me in the upcoming election, both for environmental and national security reasons, just as it likely is for much of the electorate. CBS News has apparently asked all of the 2008 presidential candidates a related question: "Do you think the risks of climate change are at all overblown?" Their responses are all interesting, but perhaps the oddest of all is this one from Mike Huckabee: I think we ought to be out there talking about ways to reduce energy consumption and waste. And we ought to declare that we will be free of energy consumption in this country within a decade, bold as that is.Just imagine, an entire country disobeying the laws of thermodynamics! Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 11:51 AM | Comments (4) December 11, 2007Pope Saint Damascus IToday is the Feast Day of Pope Saint Damascus I, a 4th-century pope who led the church from 366-384. Damascus' papacy occurred only about a half century after Constantine had converted to Christianity and made the religion in vogue throughout the Roman Empire. Yet as the masses entered the Church, the monks went to the desert. Waterless places were considered demonic, so that was a primary place of spiritual battle (hermit is derived from the Greek word for "desert" and monk means "alone"). There, withdrawn from society, monasteries began assuming the task of study and church servants - particularly monks - became scholars. From this crop sprung Damascus' eventual teacher, Jerome, a gifted linguist whom Damascus encouraged to translate the Old and the New Testaments into Latin. This translation, called the Vulgate, is still used by some Catholics today. I'm attracted to Damascus in part because of his literary accomplishments, both those by his own pen and those he commissioned. Yet he was alleged to have been both a murderer and an adulterer, though the validity of these allegations is colored by known rival factions who stood to gain from spreading such rumors. Given these allegations, and the fact that he is primarily only celebrated by Catholics (I am Protestant), my choice of profiling Damascus may seem like an odd one. But history tells us there is another side to him - that Damascus was an incredibly humble man that was keenly aware of the greed and materialism creeping into church leadership. He pressured priests to simplify their living and divulge money and possessions. Perhaps just as important, we're told that he set an example himself with frugal living. Regardless of his alleged missteps in becoming pope, later in life Damascus appeared to have overcome both greed and pride. A papal crypt was built in his honor and intended to house his remains. But all that is left of him there is this message: "I, Damascus, wished to be buried here, but I feared to offend the ashes of these holy ones." Instead he is buried with his mother and sister. In Damascus we see a reminder that the admirable actions of a truly modest man are often the very things which cause us to forget him. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 09:20 PM | Comments (0) Their Man MittFlagship conservative magazine National Review endorses Mitt Romney for president. Posted by David Darlington at 04:56 PM | Comments (5) December 10, 2007This Day in HistoryA number of notable events have occurred on December 10th throughout the ages. Among them are:
Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 09:38 AM | Comments (2) December 08, 2007The Aspiration GapI think part of the reason why Windows Vista is so universally reviled is that it has, in the past few years, become striking just how much better computer using can be. As Microsoft undershoots their already low expectations, their competitors just keep getting better. Consumers are left wondering why they are asked to put up with the crap Redmond regularly puts out when the world of possibilities is so bright. As an experiment, I decided to pit MS Excel against Google Spreadsheets. Below are two fictional charts. This took just a few minutes to put together, and it is the first time I've ever used this application. The resulting chart is nice, clean, and pleasant. After I was done, there was no hassle producing a some html code to publish it here. Thanks Google!
Again, this took just a few minutes to type up, but I think it would have taken a little longer if I hadn't done this before. Notice the lovely default colour scheme Microsoft has chosen for you, complete with drab grey background. And if that weren't enough, I had the added pleasure of getting it from my spreadsheet to you through the simple process of taking a screen capture, opening up Photoshop, cropping the image (badly), saving it, and then uploading it to the server. Easy! Of course, Excel is much more versatile, and I would still use it for a technical report. But Google's chart is a small demonstration of how much better spreadsheet software can be, in aesthetics if nothing else. Computer users who don't need sophisticated charts may wonder why they put up with Microsoft at all. Users who do need sophisticated charts already wonder why Microsoft has to be as difficult as it is. Posted by Zach Wendling at 08:05 PM | Comments (6) John LennonOn this day in 1980 John Lennon was shot dead outside of his New York City apartment. Recent reports suggest that he and Paul McCartney had taken steps to reunite with Ringo and George. Oh what might have been. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 10:05 AM | Comments (1) December 07, 2007CounterpointThey bought their houses with subprime loans, they knew what they were getting into. I say, let 'em crash! The administration announced this week that it would freeze the interest rate for adjustable rate mortgage borrowers who are not yet in foreclosure. Approximately 1.2 million homeowners whose ARMs are due to reset in 2008 may be affected. The plan will "streamline the mortgage modification process for many distressed borrowers" and also includes "a five-year freeze on interest rates for borrowers current with their monthly payments." It's no wonder Americans have a negative savings rate and personal finance gurus make millions. Why learn to budget and save money for a 20 percent downpayment when you can get a no downpayment, interest-only ARM and have the government bail you out when the bill comes due? And from the lenders' perspective, why offer ARMs at all when the government can intervene to prevent you from raising rates on your least reliable borrowers? UPDATE: Knowledge is power. See also Ryan Avent, replied to by Ezra Klein, replied to by Ryan Avent (who shows how responsible borrowing may be discouraged by the government's actions). Posted by David Darlington at 01:24 PM | Comments (11) St. Ambrose
While we're on the subject of saints (and really, we could be all year), I'll point out that today is the Feast Day of Saint Ambrose, the 4th-Century Bishop of Milan. He is considered to be one of the most influential early Church Fathers, and those of you who still use hymnals are likely to find him in the index of composers. He was indispensable in protecting the orthodox faith from heresy and imperial interference. His ascension to the Bishopric was remarkable considering that at the time, he hadn't even been baptized. He was pursuing a successful career in law and government when the catholics in Milan elected him bishop by acclamation, an extraordinary turn of events Ambrose resisted. Nevertheless, he was baptized, ordained, and installed within a week. Faithfully, Ambrose took to his pastoral duties. Of course, Ambrose wasn't the first servant of God to be thrust into a role for which he had no apparent qualifications, and he is a reminder that any of us can be called upon serve in a spiritual capacity, as when we witness to our neighbors. How did Ambrose react to his new vocation? He studied diligently (which is why he is the patron saint of learning). In looking up St. Ambrose for this post, I was struck by one quote that seems to illustrate the faith God gave to him: If you demand my person, I am ready to submit: carry me to prison or to death, I will not resist; but I will never betray the church of Christ. I will not call upon the people to succour me; I will die at the foot of the altar rather than desert it. The tumult of the people I will not encourage: but God alone can appease it.Any number of God's prophets could have said the same. Posted by Zach Wendling at 11:46 AM | Comments (2) Happy HolidaysLosing your job as a Manhattan doorman, which you use to support yourself and your 81-year-old mother, because of bad breath is probably not very fun. But losing your job in such a manner and having it plastered all over the news (including Drudge)? Well that just stinks. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 10:28 AM | Comments (0) December 06, 2007Taking Back St. Nick
Today is the Feast Day for Nicholas of Myra, a bishop in the Fourth Century in what is today Turkey. As a Scrooge, I'm slightly horrified that the commemoration of this saint has been obscured by the personification of everything execrable about Christmas. Instead of teaching our children to worship (figuratively) that horrible amalgam, we should teach them why they should revere St. Nicholas. The church has, through the centuries, held up certain men and women of the faith for our edification. Saints are exemplars of God's blessings and mercy. We should seek to imitate their faith and good works in so far as they lived holy lives. Specifically, Nicholas is most noted for his charitable giving and defense of the distressed. In some stories, this included children, and his feast day came to be associated with giving gifts to children. It is easy to see how he was drafted for the Christmas gifting orgy, but it is unfortunate that he now represents not charity but crass materialism. Further, making him the object for children only, adults are free to learn nothing from him. I know it's a bit late in fighting the secular Christmas season, but I think we would be edified to ponder, however briefly, what faith it must have taken to live the life of Nicholas. We don't know much about him, but the common story is that he was born to a wealthy family. After he was orphaned, he gave away his great wealth to the poor. His piety was such that he was elevated to the office of Bishop of Myra. He led his flock through persecution by emperors, suffering even imprisonment, and later defended the faith against heresy that threatened to pervert the young religion. There are other episodes of his life that are rather less credible, but belief in them is immaterial to why he is honored. The legends doubtless carry some moral of what it is to live as a Christian when faithful living is tested. God grant that we should all have such strength. Posted by Zach Wendling at 06:55 PM | Comments (22) December 05, 2007In Honor of ITA's Emerging Philo-Semitism
Update (12/06/07):
Posted by Zach Wendling at 10:27 PM | Comments (13) Real gas mileage for hybrid carsHere's a pretty cool web site for comparing the fuel economy of hybrid cars as driven by actual people under real-world conditions: GreenHybrid.com. As most of our readers are probably aware, the EPA recently changed the way they measure fuel economy for new cars, resulting in a drop in MPG for most models. The new EPA values* are certainly more accurate, but for the most realistic measure possible, what could be more relevant than a database made up of hundreds of drivers' actual results? It's just the sort of thing the Internet does best. What about those of us with conventional cars? Looks like the DOE and EPA are trying to do the same thing on their web site, FuelEconomy.gov. So far, however, far fewer people have entered data on that site. *note: the EPA values cited on GreenHybrid.com appear to be the old values. Posted by Eric Seymour at 05:09 PM | Comments (3) Happy Hanukkah!Happy Hanukkah to all celebrating the Festival of Lights! It is, for those unaware, a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees and the re-dedication of the Jerusalem Temple. It also commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for 8 days in the Temple. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 02:45 PM | Comments (15) 'America is really purple'Rick Warren, famed author of the mega-selling book The Purpose Driven Life, is a bona-fide force in the American Christian community. He is, in a sense, akin to a modern day version of Billy Graham. Although Warren receives some criticism for allegedly soft theology, I believe him to be a well-grounded Christian leader deserving of the growing attention he receives. So it was with great interest that I read a recent Newsweek article titled, "The Myth of the Evangelical Voting Bloc" wherein Warren discusses the 2008 presidential campaign. The article is relatively short and makes for a good quick read, but just for kicks here's a nice teaser: My greatest regret is that for many people today, "evangelical" is a political term. I'm sad about that. It doesn't represent a political view, it represents a view of God.Warren has also invited eight presidential candidates to speak at his church. Five of them sent a video but only Hillary came. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 01:48 PM | Comments (0) Huckabee on EducationThe Associated Press reports that Gov. Mike Huckabee "bristles" over questions about his various education policies. The article focuses in particular on creationism and whether it should be taught in schools (earlier Huckabee indicated he did not believe in evolution). Huckabee responds: "I believe God created the heavens and the Earth. I wasn't there when he did it, so how he did it, I don't know . . . That's an irrelevant question to ask me - I'm happy to answer what I believe, but what I believe is not what's going to be taught in 50 different states. Education is a state function. The more state it is, and the less federal it is, the better off we are."(Emphasis added.) Frankly, I couldn't agree more with his sentiments. Unfortunately, though, one doesn't get an impression of such strong federalism from his actual policy positions. On his website, for instance, he waxes poetic about the need for music and art education in schools and leaves little doubt that the federal government's role is in "assisting and empowering states" with such things (i.e., sending money). His informational video endorses the principle of national education standards. To his credit Huckabee believes the "No Child Left Behind" law has gone too far and wants states to develop some of their own benchmarks. But he also believes the law has been "unfairly maligned" and the door to additional federal funding, and hence additional federal meddling, remains far too open under Huckabee's worldview. Indeed, Huckabee's position on education seems to mirror his position on health care, immigration, and a whole host of other issues. As Jonah Goldberg aptly put it, he is a "do-gooder" who "believes that the biblical obligation to do 'good works' extends to using government -- and your tax dollars -- to bring us closer to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth." It doesn't matter that the federal government has no business funding or dictating local art and music curricula - or any curricula for that matter. In Huckabee's eyes it's good for the children and fair game for a president. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at 12:17 AM | Comments (8) December 04, 2007Jonah'dHearty congratulations to my college chums and ITA commenters Jacob and Joscelynn Tomaw on the birth of their first son, Jonah. Posted by Zach Wendling at 06:44 AM | Comments (0) December 03, 2007Classic Lab ReportJust as the semester is winding down, "Electron Band Structure In Germanium . . ." Posted by Zach Wendling at 12:33 PM | Comments (0) Politics Without PoliciesIn response to the Mark Halperin op-ed I cited last week, Matthew Yglesias noted a James Fallows article on "Why Americans Hate the Media" from way back in February of 1996. Everything Fallows said back then still applies today, only moreso. One theme throughout the piece is the media's reduction of every issue to mere political gamesmanship. The discussion shows that are supposed to enhance public understanding may actually reduce it, by hammering home the message that issues don't matter except as items for politicians to fight over. Some politicians in Washington may indeed view all issues as mere tools to use against their opponents. But far from offsetting this view of public life, the national press often encourages it.If Halperin's charge is true, then the bozos in the media who revel in such speculations have managed to convince themselves that political posturing is just as -- if not more -- important than the actual issues. One cannot put the entire blame on the media for the toxic levels of theatre we see in politics today. Note Fallows' softener, "Some politicians in Washington may indeed view all issues as mere tools to use against their opponents." How sad that 'some politicians' now includes almost the entire National Republican Party. I wasn't politically aware enough in 1996 to know whether it was truly a more enlightened time of statesmanship (doubtful), but we know for certain that Karl Rove bankrupted the GOP's policy agenda when he tried to use it to create a permanent governing majority. While a few Republicans struggle to assemble a less grandiose and more pragmatic platform, it is worth remembering that identity-group partisans aren't the only barrier to statesmanship. How can it survive in a shallow media culture? Posted by Zach Wendling at 12:06 PM | Comments (10) Warming Up to John McCainSpotted this article on John McCain by Prof. Atwood of Three Hierarchies in Zach's Shared Items to the right. He makes a pretty good case for John McCain, and I have to admit I'm warming to the Arizona senator. While his jocularity about bomb, bomb, bombing Iran and his unshakable commitment to staying in Iraq indefinitely make me uneasy (putting it mildly), he is the only major, viable GOP candidate who is right about torture, is willing to stand up to party orthodoxies when they are asinine (ethanol subsidies for example), and he doesn't show the compulsion to compete in the "macho primary" with Romney, Giuliani, and Huckabee, as his life story makes him immune from challenges to his manhood. Unfortunately, his heresies make him about as popular with the base as Bob Dole in 1996. I can see McCain taking the nomination, though without much excitement from the rank and file. Still, the party can do worse given the alternatives. Some might say they did in 2000. Posted by David Darlington at 12:05 AM | Comments (2) December 02, 2007Inevitable My ...Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee surge ahead in Iowa, one month before the caucuses. Keep it up, guys. Save us from a Clinton-Giuliani matchup in the general election. Posted by David Darlington at 06:31 PM | Comments (2) December 01, 2007A Church on the MovePosted by Joshua Claybourn at 12:35 AM | Comments (2) |
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Today the Church celebrates the life and death of Pope St. Sylvester I, who died on 31 December in 335. The date of his birth is unknown, and his pontificate is better known for the apocryphal stories surrounding it than any actual occurrences: Take, for instance, the story of his 
The story of the Massacre of the Holy Innocents is told in the 
The trial and martyrdom of Stephen is recorded in the Book of 
Oddly enough, visions of sugarplums and fairies are not dancing through my head as I enter my sixteenth hour of delayed travel this Christmas weekend. After ten hours of hopeful anticipation at Baltimore-Washington Airport, I have concluded that claims of an "on time departure" are as dubious as the 
Today is the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle, our first New Testament saint (though other churches recognize his feast day as July 3rd, I like his inclusion during Advent). He is best known for 
They also seem to have any number of magical powers. God answers prayers, Santa answers wishes, but both, depending on your theological traditions, require a certain amount of good behaviour first. Both are all-knowing, omnipotent, and to ever get to the promised land of spiritual or material (i.e., present) paradise, they both require that you believe in them.
The Third Sunday of Advent finds the Church reflecting on the life and death of St. John the Baptist (and students hurriedly preparing for exams). Pope 
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