It’s extraordinary to me that the United States can find
$700 billion[one trillion dollars] to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can’t find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.
~ Bono (source: Sojourners)
At the beginning of the season I made my season predictions and fared pretty well sweeping the National League and missing out on the Devil Rays, Tigers, and Indians in the American League. I actually picked 6 of the 8 teams… not too shabby.
I’m not sure anyone really saw the Devil Rays come through like they did in the East, but it’s certainly an exciting story to follow in the postseason. That’s why I’m picking them in 5 over the White Sox. I think the White Sox are a dangerous postseason team and have the potential to go a long way, but they are also prone to massive cold streaks. I think the Devil Rays have the best possibility of taking them down early on.
Devil Rays v. White Sox
Devils Rays in 5
Angels v. Red Sox
With the Red Sox struggling with injuries to their pitching staff and a Manny-less existence in the playoffs, I’m not sure what kind of team we’ll see the post season. I like the Angels, but they played in arguably the worst division in baseball. I think these two teams might be more alike than not. I’m going to say this one goes the distance as well, but the Angels will prevail in 5.
Angels in 5
Angels v. Devil Rays
The Angels bullpen is too good, and their offense can be flat out destructive when they’re together. I think the Angles win it in 6.
Angels in 6
Phillies v. Brewers
The Brewers scuffled into the post season, and Ben Sheets has been completely shut down. Their starting rotation for a short series is in disarray, and they have major bullpen issues. I have a hard time seeing the Brewers even taking a game from the Phillies who look better than the have in a long time… but Sabathia will more than likely win a game for them. I think the Phils may be one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs this year.
Phillies in 4.
Cubs v. Dodgers
I hope the Cubs don’t overestimate the Dodgers. They have a decent starting rotation, a great bullpen, and a fair lineup with the addition of Manny. The Cubs however, are the most balanced team in baseball… when clicking on all cylinders. The Cubs were my preseason pick to win the world series and the Dodgers certainly aren’t going to sway my original pick.
Cubs in 4.
Phillies v. Cubs
This could go down as an epic battle between two very good teams. The Phillies bullpen is equal to the Cubs, however they have the advantage with Brad Lidge who’s had a perfect season thus far. The Phillies have a more potent offense, while the Cubs is more balanced (5 with 20 HR’s). The Cubs have a better starting rotation, but the Phillies rotation isn’t shabby. This could go down as an amazing series.
Cubs in 7.
Angels v. Cubs
Once the Cubs make it this far there’s no turning back. I think at this point they show their dominance.
Cubs in 6 (Picked in the preason—can’t turn back now!)
Saturday Night Live is doing a tremendous job of depicting Sarah Palin… and nothing better than using a long segment word for word… it’s the segment that makes absolutely no sense… and it starts at the 2:50 mark and goes for about 30 seconds.
Brilliant.
I wonder if she’ll ask for a life-line in the debate on Thursday.
(here’s a link to the word for word segment interview with katie couric.)
Sometimes you just fail. It’s those online paper jerks. The whole business is changing. They’re gonna be screwed once this whole internet fad is over.”
~ Dwight, to Ryan on a sales call
218 pages
Go out and buy this book right away!
Bell and Golden sum up the book this way:
There is a church in our area that recently added an addition to their building which cost more than $20 million. Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty.This book is about those two numbers.
It’s a book about faith and fear, wealth and war, poverty, power, safety, terror, Bibles, bombs, and homeland insecurity; it’s about empty empires and the truth that everybody’s a priest; it’s about oppression, occupation, and what happens when Christians support, animate, and participate in the very things Jesus came to set people free from.
It’s about what it means to be a part of the church of Jesus in a world where some people fly planes into buildings while others pick up groceries in Hummers.
This book is the story of the new exodus; the struggle of the Israelites who were delivered from slavery (Egypt), met God at the mountain (Sinai - “It is believed that this is the only faith tradition in human history that has as its central event a god speaking to a group of people all at one time.”), created their own Empire under Solomon (Jerusalem), and returned back to a life of slavery (Babylon). This is a story of a new exodus in which Jesus comes to free not only the Israelites but all of humanity from the oppressive system of empire once and for all.
Bell and Golden do a tremendous job of engaging the reader with their writing style (very much written in the same cadence with which Bell speaks) and incorporating a vast array of Biblical scholarship that speaks not only of the time it was originally written for (ancient Israel) but translates beautifully for us today — especially those of us living in the United States of America. This book will no doubt cause a stir and controversy along the political spectrum, but this work is a great contribution to the conversation.
“America is an empire. And the Bible has a lot to say about empires… What we see in the Bible is that empires naturally accumulate wealth and resources… America controls nearly 20 percent of the worlds wealth. There are around six billion people in the world, and there are roughly three hundred million people in the U.S. That makes America less than 5 percent of the world’s population. And this 5 percent owns a fifth of the world’s wealth.” (excerpts from page 121-122 of Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell & Don Golden.)
Bell and Golden go on to cite numerous statistics to contrast the vast amount of wealth that we, as Americans, have amassed over only two centuries of existence as a country. One example that stood out more than any to me was this: “More than half of the world lives on less than two dollars a day, while the average American teenager spends nearly $150 a week.”
We are a wealthy nation… we have become an empire. “Human history has never witnessed the abundance that we consider normal. America is the wealthiest nation in the history of humanity. We have more resources than any group of people anywhere at any time has ever had. Ever.” (page 123)
“One leader of the American government announced that “the American life-style is not up for negotiation. (George H.W. Bush at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992) (page 125).” “The US accounts for 48 percent of global military spending. Less than 5 percent of the world’s population purchase nearly half of the world’s weapons. In 2008, the US spent more on defense than the next forty-five countries combined. The US spends more on defense than on all other discretionary parts of the federal budget combined. Human history has never seen a military machine like the American armed forces” (page 127-128).
Earlier this year I wrote in a simiar vein regarding our true poverty as a country. I believe there is an unmistakable connection between our wealth and our military power. The more we accumulate as a country, the more we have to spend to protect that wealth… and the notion that we reduce our military spending is tantamount to heresy in the American Religion.
Could the perpetual rise in our military spending be equated with our materialism as a country? Could our wars
The question that I think we fail to ask as a country is “Why are we the targets of terrorism?” What have we done to breed a culture of hatred against us? Is it simple jealousy? Jealousy of our wealth? Or is it what we instead have done with our wealth — not much but spend over half of it to protect the other half instead of distributing it around the world to prop up the poorest of the poor. I wonder if that would be the best line of defense instead of bombs and guns. Sounds a little like Jubilee.
America is an empire… and not a good one… perhaps this is truly why we’re hated. It would be truly interesting to see how we are remembered in the annals of history.
———
If you haven’t seen the original sonseed video “Jesus is my friend” then click the link first… then watch David Crowder’s “dirty ska” version! Great stuff…
(ht: marko)
I was going to write something thoughtful and thought provoking today… but then a friend sent me this and, well, it’s profound enough.
i don’t want to give anything away… but “you spin me right ’round Jesus” is only the beginning of it! This one pales in comparison, I believe… because “we love the Lord-y.”
It’s a visual aid. For my performance review. Budget is tight, so if anyone’s getting a riase, it will be a fight to the death. I intend to win that fight. “DWIGHT … Determined. Worker. Intense. Good worker. Hard worker. Terrific.” … Magnificent worker.
~ Dwight
Pete Gall
293 pages
Pete Gall’s book, My Beautiful Idol is a memoir written in the same vein as Donald Miller’s Through Painted Deserts. Gall takes you through his journey during a painful, tumultuous and uncertain time in his life that spanned 5 years as he searched for direction, meaning, and ultimately wrestled with who he was and who he was becoming. There are some tremendously dark moments as he ventured inward revealing the thoughts and questions that ruled his life during this time, however at the same time this provided a breath of fresh air as his honesty and transparency revealed the truth that is prevalent in every human being - whether we accept it or not.
This is a great book to read during an inward journey to discover your place as a person as well as your “role” in the Kingdom. It can certainly provide a great deal of perspective, and point to the priorities that one should maintain. I think more than anything it gives the reader permission to evaluate their own life in a harsh light, perhaps more than one was previously willing to do. This, I believe, is the greatest benefit of this book because it forces you into your own darkness of self-actualization and coming out with a better understanding of the human condition as well as your own.
Started listening to Justin Nozuka as a recommendation… he’s good. Kind of a mixture of Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz.
|weekly bonus|*103 songs*7.7 hours*545.5 MB
