Mind the puddles.

It is 7:30. See that yellowish stuff in the 50's? That's here right now. See that purple stuff in the 10's? That'll be us in a few hours. At the rate it all appears to be moving, that blue line of scrimmage looks like it will cross us within the next two hours. Here's to driving home at 10:30 after rehearsal!

Forecast for the Day After Tomorrow

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ TUESDAY TO 10 AM EST /9 AM CST/ WEDNESDAY.

A STRONG WINTER STORM WAS DEVELOPING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATE MONDAY EVENING. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM WILL RACE RAPIDLY EASTWARD INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN BY TUESDAY EVENING. AHEAD OF THIS FRONT... RAIN SHOWERS AND EVEN SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON. AS THE FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE REGION...WINDS WILL RAPIDLY STRENGTHEN TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THEN TEMPERATURES WILL CRASH...QUICKLY CHANGING THE RAIN TO SNOW. ANY RESIDUAL PONDING OF WATER AND SLUSHY SNOW WILL FREEZE IN PLACE... CREATING TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL CAUSE OCCASIONAL WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES... PARTICULARLY FROM MID TUESDAY EVENING TO EARLY MORNING WEDNESDAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM LOGANSPORT TO WARSAW TO COLDWATER WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE.

Do you ever think the National Weather Service just gets bored and takes out its frustrated novelist tendencies on the national broadcast system?

Samson

by Regina Spektor. This song is beautiful, but I've been a little puzzled at what exactly it means. I think I'm finally starting to understand it. Or maybe I'm just starting to develop what it means to me.

When the Saints

Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I cannot let it go

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it often overwhelms me
but when I think of all who've gone before and lived the faithful life
their courage compells me
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

I see the young missionary and the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear

I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sisters standing by the dying man's side

I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door

I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
and when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

--Sara Groves

Brilliant Idea of the Month

I graduate from law school in May. This means I will possess a juris doctor degree and all of the debt that goes with it. It does not mean I will be authorized to practice law. To practice law, I have to take (and pass) the bar exam in July. This situation, common to almost all law grads (exception to those who graduate and practice in Wisconsin—an odd arrangement to be sure), inspires most of us to devote the summer following graduation solely to study and preparation for the exam.

Common way to tackle this task:

• Enroll in BarBri course ($2200)*
• Food and incidentals for 8 weeks ($150 x 8 = $1200)
• Rent and utilities for 3 months ($550 x 3 = $1650)
• Take the bar exam ($1200)

Total cost: $6250
Pros: fairly fool-proof, structured way to get the information needed to pass the test.
Cons: boring as all-get-out, spend all summer in a sterile classroom under commercial fluorescent lighting. I don’t have that much money.

Consider an alternative:

• Buy bar study books ($200)
• Find 2 to 4 friends with similar study plans to come with me (provide safety, study companions, and split up carrying books)
• Plan short distances between shelters to maximize study time during daylight hours.
• Buy hiking supplies: subtotal $910
• Sleeping bag rated 0 degrees or lower ($200)
• Sleeping pad ($100)
• camp chair ($30)
• Hiking boots ($140)
• Backpack ($200)**
• Platypus ($30)
• Water filter ($50)
• Rain gear ($70)
• Appalachian Trail guide ($50)
• Pepper spray (for bear protection) ($40)
• Plan weekends (trips into town): subtotal: $1220
• 8 Saturday nights in a hotel (sharing rooms) ($35 x 8 = $320)
• 8 Saturday dinners out ($15 x 8 = $120)
• 8 loads of coin laundry ($2.50 x 8 = $20)
• 8 trips to the grocery store for restocking ($100 x 8 = $800)
• Local church Sunday morning (free)
• Taking the test: subtotal: $1750
• Rent/utilities for 1 month ($550)
• Take the bar exam ($1200)

Total cost: $4050
Pros: WAY more fun and memorable. You only get to do this once, and it may be your last chance to structure your own time for a long while. Also, you get to bite your thumb in Barbri’s general direction by refusing to participate in its unfair competition practices. And you save money.
Cons: More risky. Have to have friends who will enforce accountability for studying.

So, um… Anybody game?

*Figures are based on the cost of taking the North Carolina bar. Other states may vary.
**I already have a backpack that may be fine.

Evidence thoughts

From United States v. James, 169 F.3d 1210 (9th Cir. 1999) (Kleinfeld, dissenting):

The victim was a bad man. Some people would say, in private and out of court, that "he deserved it," or "he needed killing." But no one says such things in a courtroom, because the law does not permit murder, even of very bad people.

Are finals over yet?

Christmas in Africa

Too good not to post. Hat tip to Ryan.

Can't wait!

The trailer for Prince Caspian is out! Coming in May.

In case you forgot...

Chris Sligh is still good. I just wanted to remind you. He's working on a recording project and it looks like he's really exploring the more explicitly Christian music side. I really like the first song on the link's demo, Empty Me. Wow. I could listen to this all day.

Happy Rediscoveries!

The house was getting a little too quiet for me this evening, so I reached into my record shelf and mindlessly grabbed something I haven't played in a while and put it on. Much to my delight, it was Elgar's Enigma Variations! I forgot I had that gem. My house is filled with glorious sounds. :-)

BTW, the NDSymphony Orchestra will be playing this wonderful piece next semester! Stay tuned. But if you can't wait to hear it live (which I do every week during rehearsal--yay!), just drop by for a cup of tea and I'll let you listen to my record. Benjamin Britton is on the flip side!

Some numbers and stuff

This is really interesting: SharperIron posted a survey of young fundamentalists to try to gauge the direction of the movement (at least, I think that's why). I don't think it was exceptionally well defined, but maybe that's because I don't fully understand what it is trying to discover. Some of the more surprising things to me come from what choices were given or not given in questions. For example, Number 26, Which statement best describes your view of sanctification? the responses are

• Once a believer is saved, he is not sanctified until he totally surrenders at which time he can then achieve a state of Christian perfectionism with the perfect love toward God and man.
• Once a believer is saved, he lives a defeated life until he lets go and lets God. This consecration leads to the victorious life of inward rest and outward victory.
• Once a believer is saved, his process of sanctification is a gradual growth in holiness through spiritual disciplines. There is no second decision.
• Once a believer is saved, he is carnal until he accepts Christ as Lord. He then becomes a spiritual man and begins to slowly grow to become more like Christ.
• I don't know.

Ok, I recognize Weslyanism, Keswick theology, Evangelicalism (maybe?), and I don't know what the penultimate one is. But what about "Once a believer is saved the Holy Spirit sanctifies him and produces fruit." Or something like that? I mean, that's a common view, isn't it? Isn't it?

Also of note:

• Over 100 respondents (about 10%) believe in gap theory of creation. Really? I didn't realize that one was still around.
  
• On Question 31: Which view most closely resembles your belief about the millennium? Amillennialism is not an option. At all. Neither was "none of the above." Nevermind that it is the predominant belief in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed churches, among others. I mean, I expected it to be in the minority, given the survey selection, but I figured it would at least be given as an option. It didn't occur to them that at least one of the 1000+ respondents might pick it?
  
• Over 72% believe the Lord will return during their lifetime.
  
• 133 respondents agreed with the statement "Women are equal with men but cannot be in leadership over men in the church, home, or society." Society? Really? Well, there goes Hillary... I guess that one's not that surprising, now that I think about it.
  
• 14% strongly disagreed with the statement "The preaching of most fundamental evangelists is healthy for believers."
• More respondents were members of the Green Party than the Democratic Party.
• More respondents believe smoking marijuana is always morally wrong than extramarital sex. Smoking is close.

The survey is fascinating and, I confess, a little depressing.

Corrections:
Upon looking more closely at the survey, I see now that I mistook some of the items.

1. There WAS a choice for amillennialism. It garnered 8% of the vote. I had overlooked it.
   
2. I reread the choices for views on Creation. Over 10% chose day-age theory, not gap theory. There's a difference. I guess. But still.
   

It's like Christmas around here!

We got a tree for the apartment. Puck is ecstatic.

Brilliant!

I am totally going to open up one of these one day. What could be better than a cup of something warm and a fuzzy kitty to snuggle (or snorgle, if you're an ICHC lurker)? I'm thinking this would go well in a college town where there are a lot of 18-24 year old women living in apartments that don't allow pets.

Here's Calico's website. It's in Japanese, but if you click the second link down on the sidebar on the left you get pictures of all their cats.

More on Fundamentalism

In the course of the ongoing discussion about Fundamentalism that rages on the interwebs, a recent part of which cropped up over at Lincoln's place (and at Camille's), Joanna sent me a link to a 2005 address by Dr. Bauder to the American Association of Christian Colleges and Seminaries. In it he acknowledges that Fundamentalism is in crises, and makes a case for salvaging it rather than rejecting and replacing it.

I wish I had time right now to form a fuller response to it, because it's really interesting. For now, I'll cite the first three paragraphs, which I think are really crucial to the argument:

At this meeting we are asking how we can retain the next generation of leaders for fundamentalism. The question assumes that the younger generation may decide to leave fundamentalism. If we were to lose the next generation of leaders, we would lose fundamentalism as we know it. In effect, the question that we are considering is, “How shall we save fundamentalism?”

This question puts the cart before the horse. If our efforts to attract future leaders are to be anything more than salesmanship, then we must offer the kind of fundamentalism that is worth living in and living for. Rather than asking how to save fundamentalism, we would do well to ask why fundamentalism should be saved, or, more specifically, what kind of fundamentalism is worth saving.

In answering this question, I first distinguish fundamentalism as an idea from fundamentalism as a movement. As I have said on other occasions, fundamentalism is a great idea. As an idea, fundamentalism is essentially a doctrinal and ecclesiastical reaction against unbelief masquerading as Christianity. Ideal fundamentalists affirm that all doctrine is important, but they recognize that some doctrines are more important than others. They assert that some doctrines are so important as to be essential to the gospel itself. These essential or fundamental doctrines are held to be indispensably bound to the very definition of Christianity. While ideal fundamentalists certainly do not believe that Christianity can be reduced to a doctrinal statement, they affirm that Christianity rests upon an inviolable doctrinal foundation. To add to or subtract from that foundation is to deny Christianity itself. Moreover—and this is the crux of the matter—fundamentalists insist that no Christian fellowship can exist or should be pretended with people who deny the gospel.

What strikes me immediately about the description of "ideal Fundamentalism" is the impression that Fundamentalism at its inception is trying to reinvent the wheel. What's wrong with the Nicene Creed? The Apostle's Creed? For centuries before anyone called himself a Fundamentalist these were tests of orthodoxy. Didn't Fundamentalism essentially do what Dr. Bauder argues against: reject an ill-used system and start over?

Update: It's spread. Also at Andrew's place.

The joy of forums

Forums are great. They are interesting, engrossing, a great platform for influencing people and finding information, and a massive time warp. I just found and joined a new one, and boy is it fun! Read all about what people in South Bend are saying about South Bend at Southbendforum.com!

Every city should have an online water cooler. Seriously!

Thanksgiving "Break"

Happy day after Thanksgiving!
Look! It snowed yesterday. Lake effect at its finest. This will all be gone by the end of tomorrow, if not today, but it sure is pretty while it lasts. This snow is perfect. It came down thick and fast, in huge, sticky flakes. I cannot confirm or deny whether it makes excellent snowballs with which to hit my friends.
Folding laundry seems to be an invitation to flop down on whatever I'm trying to fold. It works every time.

Holiday herbs

Winter is setting in. We've already dipped into freezing range a couple of times at night, but my herbs are hanging in there. Actually, everything looks pretty good except the basil. The catnip and the mint are flourishing.

But tonight it's supposed to snow, and tomorrow is projected to be in the mid-twenties, so I figured it was about time to bring the pot in and see if I can save it for the winter. I put it up in my room on a plastic plate.

When I came into my room to go to bed, I found Puck sitting by the catnip side of the planter licking his chops. I tried to push him away from it, and he attacked my hand, missed, and fell over. Crazy stoner cat.

Cheap good music!

The Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra is playing this Thursday at 8:00 in DPAC. Tickets are $6 ($3 for students). We're playing The Nutcracker, An Invitation to the Dance (Weber), and Copeland's Rodeo. It's really a fun program. Oh, and the DPAC page for the concert (linked above) has a picture of the horns on it from the Dave Brubeck concert a few weeks ago! You can see me three people in. Heh.

Okay, okay, I'll post the picture. It's at the top of the post.

The Islamabad Bar Association objects.

It looks like Pakistan is struggling a little with the whole "rule of law" thing right now. The lawyers have taken to the streets in protest over the declaration of emergency rule. The forced judges who took oaths under emergency rule out of the courtroom by threatening to throw eggs at them.

I can't say I've ever wanted to throw eggs at a judge (a witness or two maybe), but I would like to keep the option open. "You're honor, I emphatically object!"