• Culture,  Humor

    I hate Macs

    A clever article in a British paper scores one for PC users everywhere. In “I hate Macs,” the author lampoons Mac computers and their pretentious new ad campaign: PCs are the ramshackle computers of the people. You can build your own from scratch, then customise it into oblivion. . . PCs have charm; Macs ooze pretension. When I sit down to use a Mac, the first thing I think is, “I hate Macs”, and then I think, “Why has this rubbish aspirational ornament only got one mouse button?” Losing that second mouse button feels like losing a limb. If the ads were really honest, Webb would be standing there with…

  • Culture,  Music,  Sports

    Prince’s Performance and the Wisdom of Solomon

    The reviews of Prince’s Superbowl halftime show are already rolling in. The New York Times says: “Just when it seemed time to give up on that quaint ritual known as the halftime show, along comes Prince. His performance last night at Super Bowl XLI will surely go down as one of the most thrilling halftime shows ever; certainly the most unpredictable, and perhaps the best. ‘Dearly beloved,’ he whispered, intoning the famous first words of ‘Let’s Go Crazy.’ What followed was a dizzying demonstration. . .

  • Culture,  Music

    Prince’s Rave Reviews

    “Arguably the best halftime show in Super Bowl history” – Chicago Sun-Times “One of the most thrilling halftime shows ever; certainly the most unpredictable, and perhaps the best.” – New York Times “While I’m no expert on Super Bowl halftime shows, that might be the best once I’ve seen since U2’s emotional 2002 show in the wake of 9-11.” – Paul Newberry, Associated Press

  • Culture,  Politics,  Theology/Bible

    Southern Baptists Taking a Hit in the Wall Street Journal?

    John Wilson writes in today’s Wall Street Journal about Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton’s “New Baptist Covenant.” I am happy to read that Wilson is not too keen on this new coalition of “above the fray” Baptists (a.k.a., moderate and liberal Baptists). Even though the former Presidents are Baptists, it still takes a lot of chutzpah for two politicians to pose as the new uniters of Christendom, especially when the big meeting is set to take place in 2008 right in time for the Presidential primaries. The whole thing smells more of politics than of piety. So I share Wilson’s low estimation of the so-called “New Baptist Covenant.”

  • Sports

    Football is not for girls.

    With the Superbowl approaching, there are many football stories circulating in the media. One story in particular caught my attention, and I have to say that it is rather disturbing. MSNBC.com reports: On 80 teams across the nation, women are donning pads, hitting hard, breaking bones and launching the ball in a way that gives an entirely new meaning to throwing “like a girl.” One of the female players explains how she got hooked on the game:

  • Politics

    Biden Sinks His Own Ship

    Senator Joe Biden has announced that he will run for President of the United States, but I think he may have deep-sixed his candidacy on his first day out. According to the New York Observer, Biden offered this reflection on Senator Barack Obama’s candidacy: “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man” (audio). The worst part about this quote is that it appears that neither Biden nor the interviewer perceived the implicit racism of the statement. If any of the other candidates (like this one) chooses to make hay of this boner, I…

  • Book Reviews,  Personal

    Reviews of Microsoft Vista and Office 2007

    I do not plan to be a guinea pig for Microsoft’s release of its new Vista operating system. Even though I have already read one review in which a Mac user is switching to a PC in order to use Vista (Gasp!), I will not be drinking the Kool-Aid any time soon. As with all Windows operating systems, it will take a couple of years to get all the bugs worked out. I don’t have time for that.