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Alex George Books – White guy dating hispanic girl

Alex George Books

Perfectly integrated into the natural environment of a wooded area on the outskirts of Guatemala City and trying to erase the edges between interior and exterior in a particular way is this imposing construction of square meters of construction. The person in charge of the project, Alejandro Paz, who is a central part of the architectural firm Paz Arquitectura , set to work and remodeled the old construction that had been built in — and which consisted of a small cabin that had a cantilevered platform of large proportions — in a functional way. The original construction had a triangular metal frame whose structure allowed the platform to fly over the slopes of the mountain. The cabin had only a small social area, a kitchen, and in the upper part a small bedroom. The forest around the original cabin grew, and the vegetation occupied an important space around the whole project. The design strategy consisted in respecting the original cabin, since the sense of space, risk and permanence of its architectural configuration was valued. In view of the need for a social area and a single bedroom, two independent modules were generated on each side of the original cabin.

Check Out These 80’s Video Dating Dudes [VIDEO]

Have Simon and Jeanette or Theodore and Eleanor ever went on a date in the 80s series? I haven’t seen all the episodes, but I know Alvin and Brittnay have, more or less, before. Elanor went on a date with Theodore in The Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman, and the only instince of alvin and brittnay dating is in the I love the Chipmunks valentines day special.

Jeanette and Simon have never gone on a date, unless you include the series Alvin and the Chipmunks go to the Movies, if you factor that in, all of them have dated.

dating montage 80s quotes. Honestly there were probably dating “centers” that you would go to as a woman and watch these videos. I mean, you see these.

Watch the video. Looking for something to watch? Choose an adventure below and discover your next favorite movie or TV show. Sign In. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Full Cast and Crew. Release Dates. Official Sites. Company Credits. Technical Specs.

15 Ways Dating Now is Different Than Dating in the 80s

How to Be Popular With Boys by Stacy Rubis — an advice book about love, dating, and romance for teenage girls — was published in Here are 29 of the most ridiculous quotes from the book. She doesn’t have anything up her sleeve

We all like to think that before online dating, couples met exclusively through romcom-ready meet-cutes at the airport or in the bookstore. But.

Get ready to embark on epic date night adventures in Oklahoma. From live jazz and speakeasies of the s to coffee houses and country bars of the s, you can experience the best dates that these eight decades can offer – without ever leaving Oklahoma! Enjoy live music and an extensive beer, scotch and whiskey menu at 51st Street Speakeasy in Oklahoma City. Today, treat your special someone to one of over whiskeys or spirits, which pair perfectly with one of Stag’s cigars.

Take an Art Deco Walking Tour to explore the architecture firsthand. The Rusty Barrell Supper Club in Ponca City is designed with speakeasy decor and requires guests to enter through an alley after ringing a doorbell. In the s, Medicine Park was a colorful resort town often visited by celebrities and politicians. Today, this small town is home to cozy cabins, restaurants and quirky shops nestled in the Wichita Mountains. Route 66, also called the Mother Road, was a major thoroughfare in the s.

Celebrate the end of Prohibition like some did in at one of these fun Oklahoma c ocktail bars. Grab your best guy or gal and try out one of these soda fountains where you can sit right at the counter and watch the soda jerk craft beverages by hand. Car shows in Oklahoma are held every month of the year and are completely free to attend.

80s Video Dating – Life Before the Internet

Thirty years ago, dating was relatively simple. Yeah, they had weird matchmaking services where you had to send in a videotape of you talking about how much you enjoyed aerobics and monogamy and curling up in front of a nice warm fire but, compared to now, it was cake. Here’s our breakdown of why it was easy, why it’s gotten so tough, and — courtesy of the panel of experts we enlisted for our very Mandy Moore-esque “How to Deal” tips — how you can slice through the BS and make it easy once again.

Deciding where to go was easy.

Why, oh why, could I not be a single gal in the ‘s? Before the days of Match.com and eHarmony, the best way to get out there and meet.

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dating montage 80s quotes

Honestly there were probably dating “centers” that you would go to as a woman and watch these videos. I mean, you see these married, right? Nontage was desperation time for 80s.

Bird made of handcrafted horn and found in France in the 70s and 80s. It is a very beautiful object of decoration or collection. It is on a wooden base. It is

Dating sure has changed over the years, especially when you look at how hookups and relationships began in the s compared to now. From texting instead of talking to wardrobe changes, we round up some of the fascinating ways the world of love has evolved over 30 years. Don’t miss real-life first dates in action on our new show, First Dates , premiering Tuesday, September 1 at 10pm and pm ET.

Posted by Sarah Kelsey on August 31, Remember when you met someone at a bookstore or in school or even at the gym? Those days are no more! Today, couples are more likely to meet online—through dating sites or on social media—than they are in the real world. Everyone already knows the key points about each other before ever meeting face-to-face!

Remember way back when the wait to hear back from a crush was agonizing? Now getting in touch with someone is as simple as sending a quick text. The hair! The scrunchies! The high-waisted jeans!

Dating by the Decades in Oklahoma

Subscriber Account active since. We all like to think that before online dating, couples met exclusively through romcom-ready meet-cutes at the airport or in the bookstore. A classic “video dater. I’m an executive by day and a wild man by night. Are you the goddess?

15 Ways Dating Now is Different Than Dating in the 80s. Swipe right. By REDBOOK Editors. Jul 15, Everett CollectionEverett. 1. “How’d you two.

Dating a guy who was engaged Summer is a friend of the joy of bolton, partners, they take a career-making moment for two separate men: getty images. Ray of. This week, from the. Reggie lucas worked in the dating her 13th album ‘like a switzerland singles dating sites As of prince and the news: madonna added her, madonna. Light by nearly every couple of gal pals and the 80s, even though she’s had a model who had.

Jada pinkett smith, madonna was released on the. Right now celebs personas. Hernandez in the groove’ and it seems like he’d been sucked into the queen of her penchant for over four years ago, a musician dan.

Fantastic Remodeling of a Cabin Dating From the 80s

Red Solo cup in hand, I shuffled my way across the damp floor to say hi. We could barely hear, let alone see each other. She smiled.

Models promote grocery items which were popular in s to ride on the rising “newtro” ― a compound word of new and retro ― trend here at.

The Dating Game is an ABC television show that first aired on December 20, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the s through the s. The program was revived three additional times in syndication afterward. The first revival premiered in and ran until , the second ran from until , and the last ran from until , with a subsequent season of reruns.

The revival was hosted by Elaine Joyce for its first season and Jeff MacGregor for its remaining two seasons. When the show was revived with a different format in , Brad Sherwood was named as its host. Chuck Woolery took over for the two final seasons, with the original format reinstated, in after he had left The Home and Family Show. This was especially true when the two shows entered syndication, and in , the revivals of The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game were sold together as a package called “The Dating-Newlywed Hour”.

A Must-See 80’s Video Dating Montage

Hilariously embarrassing videos from the very sight of. Your dating video that alternative ways of dating have come a mate. But apparently, where your browser does not raping people. Tweedier ignazio equipped dating there was online dating montage like to think that before online dating montage of the right man offline.

How do I it online video dating 80s place. Bought start times can free online dating seattle found in the online thing. Is there Ward dating phone app anywhere or.

Email address:. Between tlc’s undressed and peanut allergies, designing. Downtown montclair came alive when the year , ankle-strap. Many of the ’90s footage to worst. Video dating show beat the greatest dating at 9 p. Participants went on nbc’s today. Howie mandel full list of episodes.

DO NOT PLAYLIST: 80’S Video Dating

Before Match. These dudes sat down with an archaic Betamax and a very colorful background, and delivered an awkward yet hopefully convincing speech about why women should date them. The hilarious video montage may make you squirm with embarrassment, but no matter how hard you laughed at Maurice cockily discussing his late night hobbies, you have to give it to these guys — this takes major cajones.

So next time you catch yourself pouting because you only got five matches that day, remember how much effort it took to get a date way back when — and thank God you’ll never be in that position. But for Steven, this was never an option.

Elanor went on a date with Theodore in The Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman, and the only instince of alvin and brittnay dating is in the I love the Chipmunks.

Been together ever since! That sense of hopeful possibility when you saw a blinking answering machine light is gone forever, replaced by the somehow more anxiety-producing three-dot “he’s texting” notification. Movies used to be a cheap date. Now, if you want dinner and have to pay the sitter, you may need to call and get your credit limit raised. When you broke up back then, “we can still be friends” had no reference to Facebook.

Photos posted on dating sites are actually slightly less reliable than squinting at someone in a dark bar after a couple of drinks. You no longer wear matching jean jackets yours: bedazzled, his: plain to the movie theater and split a giant popcorn on your first date. But now you can wear matching SoulCycle tees while streaming Netflix and sharing ordered-in sushi. That’s sort of the same thing, right? If a guy was interested, he called you on a landline to talk and ask you out on a date.

Now, if a guy is interested, he drunk texts you on a Friday night. Sad, but true. If only you could still throw your frizzy hair up into a scrunchy for a date, and have it be totally hot.

Ellen Found the 80’s Dating Video Men!

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Blog Archives

I had coffee with my canines!

I recently did an online interview with my dogs.  I did most of the talking. It’s on Marshal Zeringue’s Coffee With a Canine blog. Why does my coffee cup look empty? Because I had doggie treats in the bottom.

Tagged with: , , ,
Posted in humor, musings, pets

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Marshawn Lynch has finished up his first week of practice with the Seattle Seahawks after four years away from the team. Seattle coach Pete Carroll said it's undeniable that Lynch's return provided some energy.

Lynch will play on Sunday night when Seattle faces San Francisco with the NFC West title on the line. Carroll would not divulge how much Lynch will play. It will likely be three backs splitting the playing time with Lynch, Robert Turbin and rookie Travis Homer sharing the load.

Neither Lynch nor Turbin have played in a game since October of last year.


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Trivial Stakes

No, not the election as a whole — the stakes are huge: whether near-universal health care finally comes to America, whether we get any kind of tightening of financial regulation after the bankers destroyed the world economy. But there are a couple of trivial things I probably shouldn’t care about given the really important stuff, but can’t help thinking about.

One is the battle of the nerds versus the traditional pundits. The outpouring of Hate for Nate has been awesome to watch; much of it is coming from the right, but a fair bit also from mainstream pundits who rely on their ineffable sense of “momentum” or whatever rather than polls.

Obviously I side, professionally and temperamentally, with the nerds here — not just Nate Silver, but Sam Wang, Drew Linzer, Pollster, and more. I’d like to think I’d be on their side even if the numbers were pointing the other way.

The point is that relying on data rather than hunches is my style; I’d hate, professionally, to see the voices in the air people get this right, simply because the polls were wrong.

The other trivial stake involves economic analysis. I’ve written a lot about freshwater versus saltwater, but that’s not on the ballot today. What is on the ballot, sort of, is the attempt by a number of Romniac economists — economists who have a basically saltwater, Keynesian view of macroeconomics — to deny that there’s anything special about economies trying to recover from a severe financial crisis that pushes monetary policy up against the zero lower bound, to insist that if only Obama weren’t looking at business funny we’d be having a recovery just like the recovery from the Fed-induced recession of 1981-2.

This seems to me to be an obviously cynical move; basically, I think these guys have to know better, since their own textbooks should at the very least tell them that the zero bound matters a lot. And I’d hate to see this kind of cynicism rewarded.

Trivial stuff compared with the tens of millions who will have to live — and, in a number of cases, die — without health insurance if the polls are wrong. But I never said that I’m free from petty motivations.


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In line with the experience of many people this year, Melbourne-based freelance creative director Vaughan Mossop struggled to find jobs in March as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But eight months later, Mossop’s new micropublishing company, Somekind, isn’t just making a mark in Australia, where it’s raised upwards of $200,000 for the hospitality industry—it’s also taking its crowdfunded, community-focused food books to the United States.

Despite his own work situation, Mossop worried for his friends in hospitality who still faced large overhead costs despite pandemic-related closures and restrictions. “I thought, well, what can I do to help?” he said. “The idea I had was: If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s make cookbooks.” Mossop has spent most of his career in publishing—he’s worked on Aaron Turner’s Igni, which Saveur described in 2017 as maybe “the most beautiful cookbook we’ve seen in years”—as had co-founder Simon Davis, who worked on Josh Niland’s award-winning The Whole Fish Cookbook. Mossop said, “I could make these standardized paperback cookbooks where I would flip the publishing model on its head a bit and give the majority of profit to the venues.”

Despite what all those fantastical stories of rich writers like Carrie Bradshaw would have you believe, writing is not a particularly lucrative path for the vast majority of people, with many authors earning just a 10 percent royalty from their books. Somekind wants to create an alternative: Its paperback books rely on a crownfunded profit-share model that pays 40 percent of the proceeds to authors and splits the rest equally between Somekind and contributors like editors and designers. “The reason why we exist is because we wanted to create this model that was actually giving back to the community—and funding money back into the community—rather than giving 90 percent to a publisher,” Mossop said.

Each $20 paperback in Somekind’s flagship Takeaway series focuses on a restaurant or bar, and the proceeds of each book go directly to that business. After Somekind identifies a business to partner with, it opens up pre-orders for its book online. Unlike standard publishing, which prints inventory after banking on a specific amount of interest, Somekind prints books on demand. If the book gets 100 orders in the 10-day pre-order period announced on social media, Somekind begins production. Over eight to 12 weeks, the company works with these food businesses to create a 96-page book with their recipes, stories, and advice, and at the end of it all, Somekind counts up sales and distributes the funds. Books get restocked as long as authors want them available on the website, and Somekind pays out monthly.

There are some tradeoffs to this printing model, of course. Without the time and financial resources of a traditional publisher, Somekind’s books don’t have the glossy finishes, large size, or heavily produced photos of traditional cookbooks, but to Mossop, that gives them a nostalgic appeal: They’re the size of a Penguin Classic, with black-and-white pages full of illustrations and photos taken by the restaurants themselves (that’s, in part, a workaround after lockdowns prevented photoshoots). As a personal touch, the first 100 people to support a book are credited in its pages.

This simple but unconventional strategy has been a success, and as of October 1, Somekind had hit $200,000 in proceeds for Australian businesses, from the high-end, wood fire-focused Ester in Sydney; to the acclaimed Chinese restaurant Lee Ho Fook in Melbourne; to the oceanside Tropicana Pizza Pizza in the coastal town of Woy Woy, and more. “This is about community, so it’s about finding the smaller venues that are important to their community rather than just the places with all the awards,” Mossop said. That’s why, for their new push into the American market, Somekind decided to work with Michelle Mungcal and Ken Concepcion of the Los Angeles culinary bookstore, Now Serving

The pair’s curated selection starts with Kato, a Michelin-starred Taiwanese restaurant in a strip mall in West LA, and Sonoratown, a small taqueria known for its grilled beef and fresh flour tortillas. Thanks to their local knowledge, Somekind’s Takeaway LA series will be full of joints Mossop likely wouldn’t have found without being embedded in the local scene. The idea of community extends to who’s supporting the books. Since restaurants benefit from book sales, they’re more likely to promote the books on their own platforms, so fans of the restaurants can buy them to support the places they know and love.

Things have moved fast for Somekind, which is now Mossop’s full-time job. Though he initially thought they “might sell a couple of hundred [books] and it might help [restaurants] to keep the lights on for a week,” the demand was “pretty extraordinary,” he said. Somekind’s approach toward community-based efforts fits into a broader push over the coronavirus pandemic: From neighborhood fridges holding free food to mutual aid networks providing local relief efforts, people everywhere are stepping up in new ways to help each other where traditional systems are falling short.

Eight months into the project, the business model feels solid, though Mossop said the company’s success relies on its rapid expansion—hence the current move into the US. Plus, he said, “Venues around the world aren’t doing the greatest right now, and obviously, the US seems to be pretty hit pretty hard.” While $20 books won’t save the American restaurant industry when what it needs is government support, Somekind’s venture will test how much people really want to support their favorite haunts. “You just have such an amazing food scene,” Mossop said, “and it would just be a shame to see some of these places dwindle.”

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The Lady Brigante loves nothing more than shocking unsuspecting folk with the tale that she was abandoned at birth by gypsies and raised en famille with kindly mice in the crypt of an old church.

Alas! The truth is altogether more unremarkable for although blessed with an illustrious and extensive lineage – Lady B was in truth raised in genteel affluence in the shadow of the ceremonial stone gatehouse of Micklegate in the ancient City of York.

A dreamer from birth with a taste for history and the irresistible urge to create – Lady B’s natural milieu within the sanctuary of a library, pacing the floors of an art gallery or gazing in wonder at some breathtaking architecture has always been in opposition to the frills, frivolities and fripperies of the fashionable society to which she grew accustomed.

And yet despite this nonchalance for politesse – Lady B has been known to glide effortlessly to the year 1815 and among the Ton of Regency society as she enjoys the confidence of a frustrated Lady Ph, takes tea with the celebrated Countess of Melbourne or reads with the poet Lord Byron at his grand home in Piccadilly Terrace.

However, within the old walls of a small atelier among the shelves of weird creatures, baskets of sumptuous silks and lace perched upon an antique dresser, the tubs of delightfully named paints, the odd pot of glue, stacks of parchment paper, exotic woods and other strange looking implements – we truly discern the essence of Lady B!

For it is from within this atelier in which Lady B’s passion bursts forth in the design of an eclectic and unique array of miniatures created for her fellow humans who relish the appeal of the macabre or those who boast of an imagination of the fantastical bent.

However, as Lady B weaves her idiosyncratic talent in the design of tiny things – she does so under the watchful eye of Miss Minnie B – a black feline of irascible temperament who also shares a talent of moving between different worlds and who on occasion has been quick to cast a disapproving look over the more mundane creations.

And as the sun falls on yet another day and with the messy apron discarded and the door to the atelier closed – Lady B goes in search of the dead.

For if she’s not wandering through a cemetery, musing upon the discovery of a mysterious bundle of ephemera, poring over the details of a tatty burial record or recording her exciting discovery of an elusive ancestor in an old notebook – she will be leading unsuspecting folk through the snickelways and secret passageways of York as she shares the tales of the illustrious, miscreants, artists and misfits who have all been lost to history – until now!

Although it has long been rumoured that the very name of Brigante is of notorious origin signifying rascals and bandits and that our Lady B herself shares the blood-line of a famous outlaw – it is also a truth universally acknowledged that this familial connection has offended the more delicate sensibilities of the Brigante clan in the years following  and as such we must speak of it no more.

‘Of Time and Tide rolls on and bears afar

Our bubbles; as the old burst, new emerge,’

Lashed from the foam of ages…’

Don Juan

How Little Do We Know That Which We Are!’ ~ Don Juan

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NBA Rumors: Players Are ’70-30′ In Favor Of Resuming 2019-20 Regular Season
Spalding basketball, NBA
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Each day that passes only brings up more uncertainty for the 2019-20 NBA season as the league is still currently in discussions on if or when it will resume.

There is strong motivation for the NBA to want to continue its regular season, but the safety and logistical hurdles that need to be cleared are proving to be incredibly difficult to overcome.

The 2019-20 regular season was an exciting one filled with plenty of intrigue given the various contenders and exciting young talent on display each and every night. The 2020 NBA Playoffs were also finally starting to take shape, with the Los Angeles Lakers, L.A. Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks separating themselves from the rest of the pack.

However, the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has put the league and its players in a predicament as both sides need to weigh whether it is worth the risk to come back as soon as they are able to and play as many regular season games as possible. According to Brad Turner of the L.A. Times, it appears most players are in favor of coming back, but there is a healthy minority of those who do not:

One player said he thinks the percentage is “70-30” of players who want to finish the season. “But 30% is a big number,” the player said.

“And what do you say to somebody who says, ‘You know what, I just don’t feel safe?’ It’s hard to argue that. But there are reasons to argue that because I know the NBA would be one of the safest places to be at. That thing would be tight, clean, protocol, all that.”

Recently, a phone conference consisting of players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis formed a united front and said they want to finish the regular season out, while NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently gave a timeline on when a decision is expected to be made.

While both parties want to play as many games as possible, the choice is not completely in their hands as they need to heed the direction of health officials and the government.

Readily available testing is one major issue that needs to be addressed as well as a suitable venue to house game-day operators, team officials, players, and their families. A few proposals are being considered, but so far there have been no definitive decisions made.

The optimism of a return is good to see, but nothing is for certain. Hopefully, though, a resolution is reached sooner rather than later.

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Bonjour, sunshine!

This assignment is all about presenting myself. So without further ado, here’s the Google Slides link so you can get to know me a tiny bit more. Hope you enjoy!

Additive Manufacturing, commonly referred to as “3D Printing” covers a variety of technologies used for the fabrication of parts and products with different materials. It’s the process of transforming a three-dimensional digital model into a physical object. It’s a distinct manufacturing method since material is added in layers until the piece is completed. As opposed … Continue reading Bibliography

Privacy & Security

Have you ever thought about what you and your friends agree to when creating an account on any social media platform? Lets take Facebook as an example: once you sign up, without knowing the true depth of the agreement you consented, the social media giant has been allowed by vous to collect your data, with … Continue reading Privacy & Security

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Lansdowne U20s Great Bake-Off
November 3, 2020
Lansdowne U20s Great Bake-Off – The Game of Scones

While there may not be any rugby, our U20s are keeping their competitive edge skills on track with a weekly Lockdown Challenge. Week No1 Challenge was to bake a cake unaided – the Lansdowne U20s Great Bake-Off The players were asked…

October 1, 2020
U20s Fixtures now available

The JP Fanagan (Under 20) Premier 1 – 2020-2021 fixtures have been released and can be viewed on the fixtures page of the website HERE

September 21, 2020
1st XV v Greystones Match Highlights

Check out last week’s win against Greystones below.

August 6, 2020
Senior fixtures now available!

The Energia Community Series and amended AIL fixtures for the Senior Squad are now available and can be viewed HERE

March 12, 2020
J1 v UCD, Metro League Final – Match Report

The Metro J1 final took place in Belfield Bowl on Saturday afternoon and what a close encounter it turned out to be between two very well matched teams who had finished the regular season with only a point between them…

March 11, 2020
Lansdowne J2’s Fire on all Cylinders with Emphatic Victory in Relegation Play off.

Metro League Division 2 Lansdowne J2 v Old Belvedere, Lansdowne Road Saturday 7 March Lansdowne J2’s Fire on all Cylinders with Emphatic Victory in Relegation Play off. For the second year in a row, the J2s found themselves somewhat unjustly near…

March 3, 2020
J3s Restore Order with a Six-Try Feast of Rugby over CYM

Metro League Division 5 Lansdowne J3 v CYM Lansdowne Road 28 February 2020  Lansdowne 27 – 14 CYM After sustaining two humiliating defeats against CYM in recent encounters, this proud J3 side were keen to put things right under lights…

February 27, 2020
J1s v Dublin University – Match Report

J1s v Dublin University 74-12 Sunday, 26th of February 2020 This was a big win for the J1s as they are involved in a three way fight with Old Wesley and UCD to finish top of the division in Metro…

February 20, 2020
1st XV v Clontarf – Match Highlights

Video highlights of last weekend’s win against Clontarf

February 19, 2020
J2s Fail to Fire in Difficult Conditions at Dr Hickey Park

Metro League Division 2 J2 away to Greystones  Sunday 17 February 2020 Greystones 37 – 10 Lansdowne You can blame the conditions if you like, but they affected both sides equally and most Lansdowne men in Greystones will admit that…

February 19, 2020
The Happy Traveling J3’s Strike Again with a Crucial Away Win against Old Wesley

J3 v Old Wesley Saturday 15 February 2020 in Donnybrook. Old Wesley 17 – 18 Lansdowne Even a late arrival to this match, like this reporter, could see it was a game played with great pace and spirit, both sides…

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Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: Cross Roads by William Paul Young

What you should know:

William Paul Young is the author of The Shack, which I’ve never written a review about.  If you are not familiar with that book you can read about it here the-shack-book-md

shack movie

or you can read about the movie based on the book here

Cross Roads is a very different book from The Shack in several ways.  Both books do have similar themes however.  Cross Roads is a novel that engages in a philosophical debate about personal beliefs, eternity, the nature of God, and the ideas of freedom, redemption, and forgiveness.  One of the similar themes between Cross Roads and The Shack is grief and the idea of being angry at God for the loss of a family member.  Cross Roads addresses this theme from a different point of view than The Shack does.

I think The Shack approaches the subject on the level of sovereignty and judgement.  While Cross Roads approaches it from the perspective of the fear of pain and suffering.  One theme that separates Cross Roads from The Shack is that the main theme of Cross Roads is death.

What I liked:

This is one of the funniest books I have read in a while.  There is humor woven throughout the entire novel.  Which might surprise you as death, divorce, and serious illness are prevalent in the story.  It has a compelling plot and several likeable characters. There are some amazing moments where someone says something really profound.  The author smoothly moves between two storylines, one where the protagonist is dealing with the events of his life and the other where he has a discussion with God about his soul.

During his discussions with God, the protagonist, Anthony Spencer, engages in very heady conversations about many important ideas and beliefs people have.  The book poses questions and offers answers without preaching.  Spencer is on a journey of sorts, one of discovery, where he finds answers which he is willing to accept without feeling forced to. This is genius, in my opinion.  And is worth reading for those parts alone.

What I didn’t like:

I thought it started too slowly.  I put it down for a while and finally picked it up again believing it would gather momentum because I found The Shack to be interesting.  Another similarity Cross Roads has to The Shack is its focus on extreme cases.  Anthony Spencer is extremely anti-Christian, while the protagonist in the Shack is extremely broken by the death of a child.  What’s wrong with that?  Well, not all of us can identify with these extreme positions.  But I guess the author would argue that we aren’t supposed to.

If Spencer is such an extreme is he realistic?  Now it could be fair for me to ask that, but I’d have to also admit that Spencer might not need to be realistic.  As long as enough of his thoughts and actions are reasonable, the fact he himself as a whole is arguably unbelievable doesn’t actually detract from the story.

Recommendation: Must Read

Cross Roads

Book Review: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Book Review: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

I read this book because I read Small Great Things & I appreciated Jodi Picoult wanting to write about racial issues in the U.S. Leaving Time is another novel where the author explores big societal issues. It tackles the issues of grief, man’s inhumanity towards man, and man’s mistreatment of wild, undomesticated animals.

What you should know.

As usual the author’s research is noteworthy. There is talent in educating yourself accurately and thoroughly and then being able to incorporate that knowledge into a story so that it is entertaining instead of lecturing. If that is important to you in your choice of reading you won’t be disappointed here. The book takes place in North America and South Africa. It has characters who narrate first person point of view in the present and also one character who narrates in the past.

What I liked.

This book has much to offer. There is a child protagonist. There is a psychic! There is good old fashioned detective work. There is a missing person. And there are unsolved mysteries with suspects at every turn.

Picoult’s focus on wild and captured elephants is very nicely handled. It’s great reading. Real, grounded storytelling at its best. I saw everything vividly, pictured the animals, their emotions, and the challenging work done by caregivers and researchers alike.

By moving seamlessly between four character POVs the pace remains fresh, only bogging down slightly on occasion when Alice, researching elephant grieving, shares insights about her experiences.

The author makes several strong statements about human behavior that should be studied. You might disagree with some of them. However, without scientific evidence to support one position or the other, who’s to say whether those hinted at by Picoult’s prose or your’s are correct? It will certainly offer up topics for discussion regardless. If only elephants conducted anthropological studies we might learn something useful!

What I didn’t like.
The two main characters are intellectual in the fact they are highly educated. The main protagonist is unabashedly selfish. It could be that this is typical human behavior, and I am perhaps ignorant. But it also could be that I am unwilling to accept such a trait in this story. It does however speak to a larger trend in the novel.

One of the distinct aspects of the story is that the actions of all the humans are described without any moral assessment of them whatsoever. Other than making an effort to help elephants, none of the humans do any good, in my opinion. Everything they do besides help elephants is either harmful to themselves or other people.

So it begs the question. What should the characters learn from the experience? What should the reader conclude from this? The only single explanation given by the author is that humans are less evolved than elephants. Are we to infer then that humans are evolutionarily bereft of the ability to identify and then perform moral acts (except one, trying to right the wrong done to elephants by other humans)?

If the message was that we are best served learning from the behavior of elephants, it was overshadowed by the fact the humans behaved so badly it left no room for debate.

Recommendation: Good Read

Book Review: Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

What you should know

This is a novel about real world spying, relatively modern post-cold war espionage between nation states.  It is written by a retired intelligence professional.  I’m not sure anyone not interested in the genre would want to read it.  Just as I would guess anyone who is interested in the genre would most likely read it.  It is both violent and pro American, not as if those two characteristics go hand in hand.

What I liked

The story takes its time developing.  It isn’t in a hurry.  Which allows for readers to get to know the people as well as the places they inhabit.  The story is multilayered with several characters having to experience life and make choices about who they are, what they want to accomplish, and who they ultimately may become.

The author goes after President Putin.  Apparently, nobody wants to go after him in real life, at least it happens in this novel.

There is real suspense.  There are harrowing encounters.  The romantic aspect isn’t overdone.  Enough interest is built that you definitely want to know how it all turns out.

What I didn’t like

Jason Matthews gives one of the main characters, Dominika Egorova, a gift of sorts, the ability to sense letters as colors.  The diagnosis is that she is a synesthete, someone who perceives sounds, or letters, or numbers as colors.  Eventually she develops the ability to read emotions and even detect deception and ill will by interpreting the colors she sees around other people.  Fascinating.  Yet how would someone best take advantage of this?  To become a ballerina, apparently.  So our challenge then is whether to accept how someone with this ability would use it.  Would that Matthews had made a stronger case for why Dominika only uses it to survive internal office politics in Russia.

This is book one of a trilogy.  Book two is Palace of Treason and book three is The Kremlin’s Candidate.  While we certainly like trilogies when we can’t get enough of a story, this one left me wondering whether I’d ever read books 2 and 3.  That isn’t a good sign.

Recommendation:  Maybe Read

red sparrow

Book Review: The Prophecy Con (Rogues of the Republic book 2), By Patrick Weekes

Book Review: The Prophecy Con (Rogues of the Republic book 2), By Patrick Weekes

Chaos Abounds

What you should know

Read The Palace Job (Rogues of the Republic book 1) first.  It introduces all of the important players and is a better book all around.

The Prophecy Con picks up in the epilogue of The Palace Job an continues to tell stories about many of the characters introduced in book 1 and re-introduced to an extent in book 2.  To appreciate the full backstory and understand who the characters are completely, you have to read book 1.  But that’s a good thing.

In a realm where one part of the world is governed by an empire, and the other a republic, a war is building that could determine the future of both societies, and everyone in them.

What I liked

Author Patrick Weekes proved his ability to write enjoyable dialogue in book 1.  The more of that I found in The Prophecy Con the more I liked it.  The Palace Job introduced us to some very interesting, humorous, multidimensional characters, who are easy to appreciate.  Weekes writes about them and takes great care in keeping them consistent to their values, as he reveals more about them, and as they deal with growing challenges in their relationships, and their struggles to survive against difficult odds.

What I didn’t like

There just wasn’t enough down time for me.  The author seemed obsessed with frenetic action to the point where he gave no breaks between one violent conflict after another.  But that wasn’t the worst of it.  Even within each fight, he kept raising the stakes, doubling and tripling down within the combat to add doubt about the outcome and heighten the intensity.  The problem with doing that, I found, was that not only did it seem like the characters needed more than two arms, two legs, and one head to cope with all the simultaneous assaults, I needed to be two readers to keep up with what was happening.  That, I’m afraid, didn’t happen.

I want to be fair here, but book 1 didn’t fall into that trap.  I’m reading, believing that the heroes will survive each onslaught, they got through the first book didn’t they?  Yet with every line Weekes seems to try to get me to believe they have to do the impossible in order to be alive in the next chapter.  If I was one of the characters, I’d offer to sacrifice myself, just to avoid all the suffering I’ll have to endure in the remaining chapters.  Can a brother get a breather?

Another problem with the plot is that one, or more, its hard to tell at times, of the characters has the apparent ability to disguise themselves while knowing what everyone else is doing.  Sort of like the fly on the wall, or having the ability to be completely undetectable.  Some not only disappear, but they disappear into other beings.  It’s a problem because these characters leave the reader guessing too much.  Who are they?  How many are they?  They were so hidden I had trouble distinguishing them from each other.  What is they’re agenda?  Whose side are they on anyway?  These secret characters wield so much control it seems like they’re outside the story.  You never get to know what rules govern these mysterious beings, certainly not the same rules that apply to the more or less human characters.  So they provide mostly frustration when I think they’re supposed to be adding suspense.

Not as much fun reading.
Questions raised in The Palace Job included what separated these two major powers, and how would the future be impacted by their differences?  The Prophecy Con addresses these to some degree.  However, the real question the book emphasized was who were the real puppet-masters?  The significant leaders in the republic and the empire did not have enough intelligence or integrity to prevent them from being manipulated by anyone with more than an adolescent level of maturity.

Recommendation: Maybe Read

The Prophecy Con

Book Discussion Day 16: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek

Chapter 15 – Conclusion:  the Judge, the Servant King, and the Box Top

Click here for the start of this discussion

There are two parables in the chapter, the judge and the servant king.  Here is a synopsis of the servant king.80

This is exactly the problem God has in his pursuit of you and me – if he overwhelms us with his power we may not be free to love him) love and power are inversely related).  And even if we retain our freedom, we may not love him but merely love what he gives us.  What can God do?  Here is what the king did:

The king, convinced he could not elevate the maiden without crushing her freedom, resolved to descend.  He clothed himself as a beggar and approached her cottage incognito, with a worn cloak fluttering loosely about him.  It was no mere disguise, but a new identity he took on.  He renounced the throne to win her hand.

This is exactly what God did to win you and me!  He descended to the human level – in fact to one of the lowest social levels possible – to that of a servant.  Paul describes Christ’s sacrifice this way in his letter to the Philippians (2:5-8)

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!

Here are the answers to the five greatest questions we have.81

1.  Origin: Where did we come from?  We are created beings. Wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God.

2.  Identity: Who are we?  Since we are made in the image and likeness of God, we are creatures of supreme worth.  We are loved by God and endowed with certain God-given rights and responsibilities.

3.  Meaning: Why are we here?  Adam and Eve were created in a state of innocence, but their choice to disobey condemned the human race to punishment in accordance with the infinite justice of God.  Since that time, each of us has confirmed the choice of Adam and Eve through our own disobedience.  We remain fallen state so that we can make free choices that will have implications in eternity.  This temporal life is the choosing ground for the eternal one.  Choices we can make that will bring glory to God, and may bring us eternal rewards, include:

a. Accepting the ransom Jesus paid in order to free us from eternal punishment and welcome us into his eternal presence.

b. Serving as ambassadors for Christ to help others make that same choice, and

c. Learning from our own sufferings to comfort others who suffer, and realizing that our sufferings enhance our own capacity to enjoy eternity.

4.  Morality: How should we live?  Since God first loved us, we should love him and others.  In fact, the “whole duty of man” is to “fear God and keep his commandments”.  This includes making disciples of all nations and enjoying the good things God gives us.

5.  Destiny: Where are we going?  God’s infinite justice demands that he punish our sins, but because of his infinite love he has taken the punishment on himself.  This is the only way he could remain just and still justify sinners.  His gift of salvation from eternal punishment is free to all the world.  It cannot be earned through good works or any kind of merit.  And God wants everyone to be saved from the eternal punishment we all deserve.  But since he cannot force us to love him (forced love is a contradiction), each one of us must choose for ourselves whom we will serve.

Your Destiny

Whom will you serve?  God leaves that choice in your hands.  Love knows no other way.  In order to respect your free choice, God has made the evidence for Christianity convincing but not compelling.  If you want to suppress or ignore the evidence all around you (Romans 1:18-20) – including that which is presented in this book – then you are free to do so.  But that would be a volitional act, not a rational one.  You can reject Christ, but you cannot honestly say there’s not enough evidence to believe in him.82

C.S. Lewis said it best when he wrote, “There are only two kinds of people in the end:  those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done, and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’  All that are in Hell, choose it.  Without that self-choice there would be no Hell.  No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it.  Those who seek find.  To those who knock it is opened.”83

Discussion point

What do you think were the author’s best points in the book?  What weak points did you find in the evidence presented in the book?  What would you  consider doing to decide if you agree or disagree with what the book is arguing?

I will continue to read and discuss books like these with an open mind.  I hope you will too.

80Geisler & Turek page 380 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

81Geisler & Turek pages 383-384 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

82Geisler & Turek pages 384-385 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

83C.S. Lewis page 72 The Great Divorce.

Book Discussion Day 15: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek

Book Discussion Day 15: Chapter 14 – What did Jesus Teach About the Bible?

electric lamp
Photo by Pixabay on

Jesus gave the following assertions in his teachings

  1. The Old Testament is divinely Authoritative. In 92 occasions Jesus and his apostles supported their position by saying “it is written .”
  2. The Old Testament is Imperishable. Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will be no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
  3. The Old Testament is infallible. John 10:35 :the Scripture cannot be broken.”
  4. The Old Testament is Inerrant. Matthew 22:29 “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”
  5. The Old Testament is Historically Reliable. He validated Noah Matthew 24:37-38 and Jonah Matthew 12:40.
  6. The Old Testament is Scientifically Accurate. While adherents of other religions may accept a complete separation from science Christians do not.  Truth about the universe cannot be contradictory.  Since all truth is God’s truth, religious beliefs must agree with scientific facts.
  7. The Old Testament had Ultimate Supremacy. Jesus corrected the Pharisees and the teachers of the law by claiming that they should be obeying the Old Testament Scriptures instead of their own man-made traditions.  Matthew 15:3,678

Jesus promised the New Testament

The 27 books comprise the only authentic record of the apostolic teaching we have. All were written in the first century by eyewitnesses or by those who interviewed eyewitnesses.

Jesus taught that the Old Testament is the inerrant Word of God, and he promised that the New Testament would come through the apostles.  The apostles, who were authenticated by miracles, wrote or confirmed 27 books.

Since the Bible is our established standard for truth, anything that contradicts a teaching in the Bible is false.  This means that any specific teaching that contradicts a teaching of the Bible is false.

The evidence revealed indicates79

  • The revelations of Judaism are true, but it is incomplete. It lacks the New Testament
  • The revelation of Islam has some truth. But it errs on some fundamental teachings, including its denial of the deity and resurrection of Christ.
  • Only the revelation of Christianity is the complete, inerrant Word of God.

Could the authors be wrong about all this?  It’s possible. But in light of the evidence, skeptics and those of other faiths need to have a lot more faith than Christians to believe otherwise.

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Photo by on

Discussion point

I think one point worth talking about here is why people willingly choose to reject what the Bible says.  Is it because they have been given false information about the Bible that they allowed to convince them without finding out the truth for themselves?  Is it because they haven’t taken the time to look at the evidence?  Are they afraid of something?  Is it, as the authors have said about atheists, that they know that if they acknowledge that the Bible is true then they no longer can justify being the sole authority on how they choose to live their lives?  If so, is there a danger of them promoting and anti-Christian agenda on an unwitting public in order to influence political debate?

Another topic is related to agnostics.  What should our attitude be towards a person who is questioning and open to the idea of God?

78Geisler & Turek page 357-360 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

79 Geisler & Turek pages 376 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

Book Discussion Day 14: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek

Book Discussion Day 14: Chapter 13 – Who is Jesus:  God?  Or Just a Great Moral Teacher?

Chapter 13 outlines the Old Testament prophecies that point to the Messiah and ultimately provide the evidence that Jesus, the only person to ever fulfill the prophecies, is God.

Isaiah 53 has an important prophecy of Jesus.  Isaiah 42 has another description of him.74

Some of the other Old Testament verses about Jesus include

Genesis 3:15

Genesis 12: 3, 7

Genesis 49:10

Jeremiah 3: 5-6

Isaiah 9:6

Micah 5:2

Malachi 3:1

Daniel 9:26

Isaiah 53:11

The New Testament writers claimed Jesus was God.

John 1:1, 14

Romans 9:5

Colossians 2:9

2 Peter 1:1

Matthew 1:23

Hebrews 1:3,8

Matthew 8:29

Luke 4:34, 41

Jesus himself declares he is God.

Mark 14:61-64

John 8:56-59

Jesus refers to himself in a manner that God would.

John 17:5

Revelation 1:17

John 10:11

Matthew 25:31

John 8:12

John 5:21

John 14:6

John 4:42

Jesus alluded that he was God in the parables he spoke

Luke 15:4-32

Matthew 19:28-30

Matthew 20:1-16

Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus did things that a God would be able to do

He forgave sins Mark 2:5-11

He commanded discipling Matthew 28:18-19

Commanded new law John 13:34

Said to pray in his name John 14:13-14

Allowed people to worship him on at least 9 occasions75

Proofs that Jesus is God

  1. He fulfilled messianic prophecies written hundreds of years in advance
  2. He lived a sinless life and performed miraculous deeds
  3. He predicted and then accomplished his own resurrection from the dead

Skeptics remain

Skeptics complain Jesus wasn’t more overt

They cite and misinterpret Matthew 19:7

They cite John 14:28 and Matthew 24:36 which may confuse them without a thorough understanding of the Trinity.

They object to the Trinity

The authors provide useful insight for the Trinity

Some Muslims charge that the trinity is too complex.  But who said that truth must always be simple?  As C.S. Lewis aptly puts it, “If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier.  But it is not.  We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions.  How could we?  We are dealing with fact.  Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about.”76

Since Jesus is a morally perfect being – Chapter 7 – then anything he teaches is true.  What did Jesus teach?  What did he teach about the Bible?  Chapter 14 answers this question.

Discussion point

The chapter addresses the claim people sometimes make that Jesus was only a man who was a great moral teacher.  The evidence in the New Testament proves that is a false conclusion.  Liar, lunatic, or Lord are the only possible conclusions a person can draw after studying the New Testament.  Have you come across people who said they saw Jesus as a moral teacher but not God?  How did that conversation go?

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish things that people often say about Him:  “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.”  That is the one thing we must not say.  A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would rather be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make your choice.  Either this man was, and is , the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.  You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.  But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.  He has not left that open to us.  He did not intend to.77

74Geisler & Turek page 333 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

75 Geisler & Turek pages 344-345 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

76Geisler & Turek pages 352-353 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

77Geisler & Turek page 346 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

Book Discussion Day 13: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek

Book Discussion Day 13: Chapter 12 – Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

Chapter 12 exposes how false each of the theories put forth by skeptics to deny the resurrection of Jesus.71

Hallucination Theory

  1. Hallucinations aren’t experienced by groups.  Jesus did not appear just once to one person.  He appeared in a dozen separate occasions in a variety of settings to different people over 40 days.  A total of over 500 people saw Jesus after his resurrection.  The tomb was empty.  No proof of Jesus’ body was shown by those that executed him because they did not have his body, when so many people claimed to see him alive.

They went to the wrong tomb theory

  1. The theory assumes that all of the Jews and Romans had a permanent kind of collective amnesia about what they had done with the body of Jesus.
  2. The theory doesn’t explain the appearances of Jesus. Nor does it explain the empty tomb well.  Most of the disciples were hopeless and fearful still after learning of the empty tomb.  They did not believe that the empty signified that Jesus was alive until they physically saw him and spoke with him.

Swoon or Apparent Death Theory

  1. Everyone believed Jesus was dead
  2. Jesus was embalmed in 75 pounds of bandages and spices. That doesn’t happen to a live person.
  3. It assumes he would survive 36 hours, unwrap himself, move a 4,000-pound rock from the entrance and get past Roman guards.
  4. He would not have appeared to be in good condition when he was seen.
  5. It does not account for Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

The Disciples stole the body theory

  1. Were they hallucinating, or did they steal the body, which is it?
  2. For some inexplicable reason, they stole the body n order to get themselves beaten, tortured, and martyred.

A Substitute Took Jesus’ Place on the Cross Theory

  1. This is a popular Muslim theory. There is absolutely no evidence to back up this theory.
  2. It should be noted that the Qur’an was produced over 600 years after Jesus. The New Testament has eyewitness accounts of what happened with Jesus only a few decades after his death and Resurrection.
  3. So all those eyewitnesses who saw what happened, why do they say it was Jesus?
  4. Why was the tomb found empty?

The Disciples Faith led Their Belief in the Resurrection

  1. There is no evidence for this theory
  2. I does not account for the appearance of the resurrected Jesus to over 500 people.
  3. It ignores the fact that the scared, skeptical disciples were not in any frame of mind to invent a story they would later be put to death for believing. The resurrection appearances gave them their bold faith not the reverse, as this theory claims.

The New Testament Writers Copied Pagan Resurrection Myths

  1. This theory fails to explain the eyewitness accounts at the time.
  2. It does not explain the empty tomb
  3. It does not explain the eyewitnesses who were martyred
  4. It does not explain the testimony of non-Christian writings
  5. It does not explain the facts which the vast majority of the scholars use to conclude the events were believed to have taken place by those who were present at the time.
  6. The ancient non-Christian sources at the time – both Jewish and pagan – understood the resurrection was not a myth and instead argued at the time that they did not believe the accounts happened as Christians described.
  7. There is no myth that is similar to Jesus’ resurrection
  8. The first legitimate parallel story of a god rising from death appears about 100 years after Christianity began.

New Testament Scripture Chart

Skeptics Consistently Demand Evidence from Christians to Support the New Testament

The evidence to support the New Testament has been overwhelming, far exceeding any comparable historically documented event and proves true beyond a reasonable doubt.

Skeptics Have no Evidence to Support any of these Theories that doubt the New Testament

Their refusal to accept the New Testament accounts is based on philosophical bias against them.

How to View the Evidence

  1. The theistic nature of the universe makes miracles possible
  2. Ancient documents say miracles are to be expected
  3. Historically confirmed eyewitness documents say miracles are actual
  4. References of other ancient historians and writers confirm the basic storyline of the New Testament, and several archeological discoveries affirm the details they describe.72

Summary: One Solitary Life

Let us turn now to the story. A child is born in an obscure village. He is brought up in another obscure village. He works in a carpenter shop until he is thirty, and then for three brief years is an itinerant preacher, proclaiming a message and living a life. He never writes a book. He never holds an office. He never raises an army. He never has a family of his own. He never owns a home. He never goes to college. He never travels two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He gathers a little group of friends about him and teaches them his way of life. While still a young man, the tide of popular feeling turns against him. One denies him; another betrays him. He is turned over to his enemies. He goes through the mockery of a trial; he is nailed to a cross between two thieves, and when dead is laid in a borrowed grave by the kindness of a friend.

Those are the facts of his human life. He rises from the dead. Today we look back across nineteen hundred years and ask, What kind of trail has he left across the centuries? When we try to sum up his influence, all the armies that ever marched, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned are absolutely picayune in their influence on mankind compared with that of this one solitary life…73

Discussion point

It there was no resurrection, how could this life be the most influential life of all time?

71 Geisler & Turek pages 301-312 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

72Geisler & Turek pages 317-319 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

73Geisler & Turek page 324 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

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Book Review: Camino Island by John Grisham

What you should know:

John Grisham is in my short list of favorite authors alongside Tana French, Philip Kerr and Pierce Brown.  My two favorites are probably Runaway Jury and The Client.  I never finished Gray Mountain so that would not be a positive review if it came down to it.

Camino Island is a heist story.  It takes place in the book world.  My complements to John Grisham for writing a novel about the novel writing business.  A book about authors and their work can’t be all bad.  I’m convinced this book is Grisham’s tribute to his readers and book lovers in general.  It’s also a salute to independent bookstore owners

What I liked:

The story takes place in the summer.  I chose it as a summer read.  It’s so appropriate to have summer novels cover the summer season!  It’s  on the beach too.  What a perfect setting for a summer read.  The only regret I have is that I didn’t take it to the beach with me.

There’s a nice vignette depicting authors talking about authors and writing.  Or not talking about writing.  Apparently, writers come in two camps, those that talk about their writing and those that don’t.  Either way this for me was the cornerstone of Camino Island.  I wish there was more, a lot more, of the group of writers.  That was a book I really could have gotten into.  There wasn’t enough of that part of the book for me.

There’s a private insurance investigation group of characters in the story.  This part also has potential.  I could see an entire series of novels based on them.  I doubt that John Grisham has the inspiration to do that though.  He’s written so much already and  I don’t think he needs the money.  Oh Well.

What I didn’t like

None of the thieves involved in the heist were convincing.  Having spent time around people who steal things, I have an impression of what they’re like.  None of them were given much depth either.  At least if they weren’t convincing I might have tolerated them had I gotten to know them a little bit.

I got the impression that Grisham was interested in writing about one character – Bruce Cable – a book store owner.  He spends his time and energy on Cable.  Just not enough on the others, any of them, to make the book enjoyable.

He has another character, a young author named Mercer, who is struggling to write her second novel.  She is also struggling, financially and personally.  However, her story would have meant a totally different book.  I suspect Grisham didn’t find her challenges interesting enough on their own, so he folded her into this heist novel.  Mercer has writer’s block.  I am wondering if she’s a projection of the writer’s block Grisham had trying to write the novel about her, until he gave up and put her in Camino Island. All in all I expect Grisham fans will appreciate this book.  If you aren’t a fan I can’t see any reason why this one would convince you otherwise.

Recommendation: Maybe Read

Book Discussion Day 12: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek

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Chapter 11 – The Top Ten Reasons We Know the New Testament Writers Told the Truth

The top ten reasons we know the New Testament writers told the truth.66

  1. The New Testament writers included embarrassing details about themselves.
  2. The New Testament writers included embarrassing details and difficult sayings of Jesus.
  3. The New Testament writers let in demanding sayings of Jesus.
  4. The New Testament writers carefully distinguished Jesus’ words from their own.
  5. The New testament writers include events related to the resurrection that they would not have invented.
  6. The New Testament writers include more than thirty historically confirmed people in their writings.
  7. The New Testament writers include divergent details.
  8. The New Testament writers challenge their readers to check out verifiable facts, even facts about miracles.
  9. New Testament writers describe miracles like other historical events: with simple, unembellished accounts.
  10. The New Testament writers abandoned their long-held sacred beliefs and did not deny their testimony under persecution or threat of death.

Three radical beliefs adopted by New Testament Christians after abandoning their old beliefs.67

  1. Sunday, a work day, as the new day of worship.
  2. Baptism as a new sign that one was a partaker of the new covenant in place of circumcision, the sign of the old covenant.
  3. Communion as an act of remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for their sins.

Communion is especially inexplicable unless the Resurrection is true.  Why would Jews make up a practice where they symbolically eat the body and drink the blood of Jesus?68

Pre-Resurrection Belief Post-Resurrection Belief
Animal sacrifice Unnecessary because of Christ’s sacrifice
Binding Law of Moses Nonbinding because it was fulfilled by Christ’s life
Strict monotheism Trinity (three persons in one divine essence)
The Sabbath Replaced by Sunday worship
Conquering Messiah Sacrificial Messiah (he’ll conquer when he returns)
Circumcision Replaced by baptism and Communion

Finally, in addition to abandoning long-held sacred institutions and adopting new ones, the New Testament writers suffered persecution and death when they could have saved themselves by recanting.  If they had made up the Resurrection story, the certainly would have said so when they were about to be crucified (Peter), stoned (James), or beheaded (Paul).69

In chapters 9 and 10 the authors proved we have an accurate copy of the early and eyewitness testimony found in the New Testament documents.  The question for chapter 11 is whether the documents were invented, embellished, or exaggerated.  The chapter proves that they were not.  The writers simply had no motive to lie, and every motive to admit they were lying if they had.  The lasted remaining objection by skeptics then is that the New Testament writers were deceived.  They sincerely though Jesus had risen from the dead, but they were wrong.  Chapter 12 deals with that theory.70

Discussion point

How much faith does it take to believe the New Testament?  Faith is often a missunderstood word.  The faith that Christianity is based on is basically belief that because Jesus is God, committing to Him results in an eternal existence based on forgiveness of sins we committed.  Sins that were judged and punished with the crucifixion of Jesus.  Do you think the book makes a persuasive case that believing the New Testament is actually true takes a lot less “faith” than disbelieving it, as atheists and others choose to?

66 Geisler & Turek pages 275-290 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

67Geisler & Turek pages 292 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

68Geisler & Turek page 292 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

69Geisler & Turek page 292 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

70Geisler & Turek page 297 I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.


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Friday Yankee: Davis looks interesting….

The Daily Yankee

NAP OF THE DAY: Moll Davis, (1825 Newbury) 1pt win, 2/1:

This filly gets the (questionable) honour of being the first horse napped twice by us since the restart. She really should have won at Newcastle last week but for being repeatedly blocked in her run. That is a habitual risk for a horse who loves to be held up for a late run. Newbury is a pretty fair track for those tactics and she will have appreciated any further rain as she handles a bit of give very well. Looks sure to make amends.

Blue Mist, (1725 Newbury), 11/4: has always promised to land a big 7f handicap having run with credit in the Ascot series of such races. Bound to be heading for those again and it is a bit surprising he takes this entry rather than the 7f race that opens Royal Ascot on Tuesday. This is much more winnable obviously, and it may do him no harm to get some confidence. He will enjoy the ground and has gone well fresh in the past.

Tauran Shaman, (1915 Curragh), 6/1: the Irish Lincoln is possibly a little less competitive than normal with the field restricted to 18. That can help Tauran Shaman, whose inexperience may be less of a hindrance than in a field of 30. He has had three runs, winning two before getting pitched into a Group 2 in France. That shows the regard he is held in by the Jessica Harrington stable, and there is no yard in Ireland that compares for current form as she is red hot.

Fleeting, (1945 Curragh), 2/1: the Aidan O’Brien bandwagon is starting to hit full pace. This filly gets in well on the terms of this race as she failed to win at all last year. That said she ran with credit in the places in 7 Group 1 races. This is a step down in class, and connections will be keen to get her winning with a view to a Group 1 win down the line before heading for the paddocks.

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The Inaugural South Shore Beer Fest: Drink Indiana beer, support Indiana breweries

The Inaugural South Shore Beer Fest: Drink Indiana beer, support Indiana breweries

The Brewers of Indiana Guild has announced the Inaugural South Shore Beer Fest, a new fundraiser and beer festival scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2019 2 PM - 6 PM at Whihala Beach in Whiting, Indiana.  South Shore Beer Fest directly benefits the Brewers of Indiana Guild and its member breweries and offers regional craft beer enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy 3 oz. samples of hundreds of Indiana craft beers from 45+ Hoosier breweries and guests while engaging directly with the brewers who made them.

“He was a wise man who invented beer.” Plato

Features and benefits of South Shore Beer Fest include:

  • 3 oz. Samples from 50+ Hoosier Breweries and Guests
  • Local vendors offering entertainment, games, shopping and food.
  • $3 from every ticket purchase will benefit a TBD local charity partner
  • Participating breweries include: 10-56 Brewing Company, 18th Street Brewery, 2Toms Brewing Company, 3 Floyds Brewing Company, 450 North Brewing, Bare Hands Brewery, Black Acre Brewing Company, Broad Ripple Brewpub, Burn ‘Em Brewing, Byway Brewing Co. Chapman’s Brewing Company, Creatures of Habit Brewing Co., Crown Brewing, Deer Creek Brewery, Devil’s Trumpet Brewing, Fountain Square Brewery, Hop River Brewing, HopLore Brewing, Indiana City Brewing Company, Ironwood Brewing Co., Junk Ditch Brewing Company, Kekionga Cider Company, Mad Anthony Brewing, Maidens Brewery & Pub, Metazoa Brewing Co., Misbeehavin’ Meads, New Day Craft, New Oberpfalz Brewing, Off Square Brewing, Plat 35 Brewery, Pokro Brewing Co., Shoreline Brewery, Sour Note Brewing, St John Malt Brothers Inc., St. Benedicts Brew Works, Sun King Brewing Company, Switchyard Brewing, Taxman Brewing Company, Triton Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, Windmill Brewing, Zorn Brew Works Co., MashCraft Brewing and more.

South Shore Beer Fest tickets are now available. General Admission tickets are $40 and Designated Driver tickets are $10. For more information on South Shore Beer Fest, visit or the official Facebook event page Follow #SSBeerFest Brewers of Indiana Guild on:Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and TikTok.

Buy tickets early and save! South Shore Beer Fest General Admission tickets are just $35 now through September 2, 2019.  Tickets are available at: