Friday, November 28, 2008

Andy Borowitz: Obama's Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy

Andy Borowitz: Obama's Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy: "In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tic, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

But Mr. Obama's decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring."

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

News - South Africa: Woman tells of trauma of muthi claims

News - South Africa: Woman tells of trauma of muthi claims: "Vusi Sixikixa 19 Monwabisi Jali 25 and Sonwabile 'Sbhamu' Qhosha 24 have appeared in court charged with the murders. The case was postponed to May 8. 'Of course the lies are spread by people who know what they are doing. But it doesn t stop ordinary people from believing them ' said Dlongolo. 'It is very sad. If human parts were found in my tavern freezer why was I not arrested and charged I asked people to produce the body parts and tell me what had been done with them. No one has come forward and yet the rumours keep getting worse. 'If I was really a mastermind why have those boys who confessed to the murders not implicated me The police are under pressure to arrest the killers and they would have jailed me and announced they had caught the big fish.' '"

Friday, November 21, 2008

Anglican Wanderings: If You Think This is the Future, Look Away Now!

Anglican Wanderings: If You Think This is the Future, Look Away Now!: "If yes, it's pretty easy, most of them like new people joining and especially would love an ex-Anglican or Roman Priest to join. If no, then avoid GAFCON like the plague, because all the groups listed above are in full, equal communion with them. READ ALL ABOUT IT. I have said before that GAFCON do not share our faith or morals, our sacraments or understanding of the scriptures and that they are (and this is not a criticism, they are as welcome to their views as we are to ours) not, in any recognisable way, Catholic. We would make our bed with them at our absolute peril and at the danger of the destruction of ourselves and our realignment with a body as unconcerned with apostolic succession as they are with the sanctity of the Sacraments."

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

ORTHODOXY IN THE 21st CENTURY: PERSONALISM: a brief critique

ORTHODOXY IN THE 21st CENTURY: PERSONALISM: a brief critique: "While one cannot consent to the theology expressed in Personalism, it is an admirable philosophy, and since it includes the wonderful Dorothy Day, at least some of its adherents actually put its concepts into real practice. My critique is with regards to the theological precepts, not the philosophical concepts, and certainly not a critique of those self-less people who put those concepts into practice."

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Sword in the Fire: Acts 6 - Stephen and the First Deacons

Sword in the Fire: Acts 6 - Stephen and the First Deacons: "Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, & Nicolas were chosen by the Apostles as the first deacons. Although the word deacon never appears in this passage, it seems apparent based on later descriptions of the diaconate. Also Church tradition looks to this as the origin of the office of deacon.

Here are a summary of the lives of these men after they were chosen (taken from the OCA website)."

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Yosuke YANASE on TEFL and general affairs: Keywords for Prof. Alastair Pennycook's Critical Applied Linguistics #3

Yosuke YANASE on TEFL and general affairs: Keywords for Prof. Alastair Pennycook's Critical Applied Linguistics #3: "Keywords for Prof. Alastair Pennycook's Critical Applied Linguistics #3
1.2 Hisitorical / political terms

1.2.1 Enlightenment

A dictionary definition of the Enlightenment is 'a philosophic movement of the 18th century characterized by an untrammeled but frequently uncritical use of reason, a lively questioning of authority and traditional doctrines and values, a tendency toward individualism, and an emphasis on the idea of universal human progress and on the empirical method in science.' (Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary)."

phislosophical definitions, with useful web links. Includes liberalism, Marxism, feminism -- good summaries

How pluralism distorts biblical salvation

How pluralism distorts biblical salvation: "A clear definition of postmodernism can be elusive. One might say the view of postmodernism is characterized by irrationality of thought. Instead of saying a thing is either black or white, postmodernism says a thing can be black and white at the same time. Or, though a thing is obviously white, it can be non-white at the same time. The definition of postmodernism can be just as slippery as the phenomenon it attempts to label."

Postmodernism from a conservative evangelical Protestant point of view.

A fairly well-argued position.