Mail Bag 7-23-07

It is quite obvious that neither one of you has ever watched Survivor. 95% of the people on that show are "snakes," not the nice people you are portraying them to be. They turn on each other all the time, and connive on how to get rid of others. They all make alliances and then turn around and break them, they back-stab, etc. The name of the game is to Outwit and Outlast. There are very few really nice people on that program.

I have never shared your admiration for Hok. He is a terrific dancer in his field, but so one-dimensional. He cannot adjust over and for that reason alone, he should have been let go weeks ago. I think Sabra and Dominic have a good chance of winning - but things could change in the next couple weeks when they change partners. I never liked Dominic in the beginning, but he has grown on me. Jaime does not seem to have the well-roundedness required to win ( great dancer and great personality). I think Pasha is quite good, and Danny may be a great dancer, but does not have the winning personality required. I think Lacey can dance, but she doesn't ring true to me on her personality. It should be very interesting the next couple of weeks.

I am still hanging in on Pirate Master. I do not agree with you - I do not care for Azmyth at all. He pretends to be giving the crew a fair share, but inside I think he is quite diabolical and out to win no matter what the cost. I know this is the nature of reality t.v. - maybe it is his horrible dreadlocks that really turn me off. I think that Jupiter played dumb last week, and was not surprised to see her go. Up till then I would have thought she could hang in there closer to the end. At this point I have no idea who will win, and I am not passionate about any one person. But I do wish that the red tream could pull a win on one of these scavenger hunts. They need to change the pecking order up a little bit.

I do not believe that animals and the environment are here for our consumption and use. I think God put them in our care, and we should take care of it all as best we can, without using it too much for our own selfish needs, but sparingly so there they both will be here for the future generations to come.

Jay, that was a great quote - this world has everything, but nothing......... I didn't get to write it all down, would you send it to me?

You're still doing a great job, the both of you. You kind of got side-tracked from the initial discussion of this guy who was brought up on charges for making animals fight. But the discussion was good. Keep up the good work.

Here are the full lyrics to Derek Webb's "This World"
There's tarnish on the golden rule
And I wanna jump from this ship of fools
Show me a place where hope is young
And a people who are not afraid to love

This world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could want and nothing that I need

This world is making me drunk on the spirit of fear.
So when you say who will go, I am nowhere near.

'Cuz this world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could wanted and nothing that I need

But the least of these look like criminals to me
So I leave Christ on the street

This world has held my hand and has led me into intolerance
So now I'm breaking up, now I'm waking up
I'm making up for lost time

This world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could want and nothing that I need (2x)

Wine 7-22-07

Fetzer Valley Oaks 2005 Merlot:

Here's what they say

You’ll first notice a rich, medium Ruby Red color in this Merlot,
with aromas of black cherry, cassis, red licorice, plum and a hint
of sage, balanced with notes from the oak aging, including vanilla,
toffee and toasty oak. The light to medium tannins provide some
heft for the wine, easing into a soft structure that offers a well
balanced wine that’s easy to drink. Surprisingly rich flavors of
cherry, vanilla and mocha combine with toasty oak. This is
one of our best vintages of the past few years.

Just as Confirmation

Regarding the "Cross Section" book on this week's discussion, here's the proof that it does in-fact exist.
Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections

Everything Brian

Come on ladies, what's not to love about Element: C3's most eligible bachelor? If you want to contact this epitome of masculinity send us and email elementc3@hotmail.com. Post your comments here! Think of this as an extra simple service project for this week.

Mail Bag 7-9-07

Not to appear partial but regarding the written contract discussion, I have to side more with Jered, sorry Eric. When I say “side more” that does not mean totally. A written contract or statement gives you a better chance, but it is no lock. How many professional and college coaches have walked away from written contracts; I don’t know the answer but it is a lot. As for written warnings regarding safety issues, it doesn’t mean squat. How about the sign in coat check room that says “not responsible for items etc. or signs on trucks that say they are not responsible for objects that fly off the truck; the signs mean nothing, they just are there to let you think they are not liable. Pre-empting another misguided thought; why do consumer products companies put warnings on consumer products? Easy answer –bureaucracy! I spent many years in the chemical industry and we had warnings on how to handle safely all over the place ( we even did safety training); when accidents happened and the poor soul that got hurt sat in front of the jury; I never remember us winning.

Here’s an idea, walk down the street with a sign around your neck reading “I am very dangerous and I am not liable if I hurt you”. Kick the crap out of somebody and bring your sign as evidence to the judge. Hey! You warned him of the danger!

Here come de judge!

Bold Bengals Pre-Predictions

Baltimore: Jered W Eric W
@ Cleveland: Eric W Jered W
@ Seattle: Jered W Eric L
New England: Eric L Jered L
@ Kansas City: Eric W Jered W
Jets: Eric W Jered W
Pittsburgh: Jered L Eric W
@ Buffalo: Eric W Jered W
@ Baltimore: Jered L Eric L
Arizona: Eric W Jered W
Tennessee: Jered W Eric L
@ Pittsburgh: Eric L Jered W
St. Louis: Jered W Eric W
@ San Francisco: Jered L Eric W
@ Cleveland: Eric W Jered W
@ Miami: Jered L Eric W

Jered 11-5 Eric 11-5

Creation Museum

Video
http://creationmuseum.org/

"The Creation Museum presents a unique and unparalleled experience, a walk
through time portraying significant, life-altering events of the past,
illuminating the effects of biblical history on our present and future
world. Be prepared to experience history in a completely unprecedented
way. The state-of-the-art 60,000 square foot museum brings the pages of the Bible to life, casting its characters and animals in dynamic
form and placing them in familiar settings. Adam and Eve live in the Garden of
Eden. Children play and dinosaurs roam near Eden’s Rivers. The serpent coils cunningly in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Majestic murals, great
masterpieces brimming with pulsating colors and details, provide a backdrop for
many of the settings.

The area within the museum has been divided into unusually configured spaces that allow for personal interaction with each of the 160 exhibits. Several parts of the museum, including the stunning forty-foot high portico with its cliff wall and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, flaunt open spaces and remarkable designs. Walk through the Garden of Eden. The Tree of Life, central to the garden, stretches out its branches, laden with ripened fruits. Come face-to-face with a sauropod, a dinosaur of incredible dimensions. His monstrous frame moves through the low-lying thicket as he grazes on plants. Introduce yourself to our chameleons. Examine bones, a clutch of eggs from a dinosaur, an exceptional fossil collection, and a mineral collection. Walk
through the Cave of Sorrows and see the horrific effects of the Fall of man.
Sounds of a sin-ravaged world echo through the room. Finally, see the sacrificial Lamb on the cross, and the hope of redemption. The themes of the exhibits resound in the theater presentations: Men in White, Six Days of Creation, The Last Adam, and Dinosaurs and Dragons. Our Special Effects Theater, complete with rumbling seats and rising mists, takes visitors on a fantastic quest to find the real purpose and meaning of life. Each seat is a rocket launching pad in our Stargazers Planetarium. Prepare for lift-off. The digital projector showcases a spectacular gravity-defying spaceflight, a thrilling 22-minute ride billions of light years away to the vast outer regions of our universe. Breathtaking images and inconceivable distances make this cosmic journey under the dome a fully engaging experience.
See the scaffolding, smell the freshly-cut timbers in the busy work site of Noah’s Ark. Delve into the belly of the Ark and imagine the
stalls full of animals, in close quarters. Listen to the sounds of thunderous,
driving rains and the pounding of water against the sides of the great Ark.
You will find our dinosaurs living in our gardens and sauntering throughout
our exhibit halls. These eye-blinking, mouth-chewing, tail-swinging creatures
may startle a few of our guests. Children will be excited to see the variety of
sculpted dinosaurs in our collection, including the stegosaur, dilophosaur, and
of course, the giant Tyrannosaurus rex! They can saddle up on our triceratops
and have their picture taken with a dinosaur. "

Mail Bag (7-4-07)

First of all, So You Think You Can Dance - Good show. Do not think at this point that Lacey is a shoe-in or deserves to win. The entire last season, from fairly early on, I knew I wanted Benji to win. He had it all ( and you're right, he was not the best looking) but his personality was right up there with his dancing capabilities. His sister seems a bit phony to me - a kind of pseudo-bubbly personality and I don't think she has the cutest shape. I don't think her dancing is far and above everyone else's at this point, so I will have to watch a couple more weeks to see if she can "rise" to a winner's circle. I don't think she has done it so far.

Pirate Master - Maybe because I have missed a couple episodes, or maybe because I am an avid "Survivor" fan, the show doesn't seem to grab me too much. Perhaps you like it because you have never watched Survivor, or Amazing Race, or any other show when the contestants get cut-throat. The addition of money does not make it more interesting than when contestants become "ugly" just because they are. I probably will continue to watch it as there doesn't seem to be anything opposite it that is worth while, but I find the show a little lame.

Your topic about is America Christian? etc. is a good one. I do agree that it is easy for Americans to be Christian. Most have the finances for it and they never feel threatened for their religion or their help. Does government have some Christianity as a basis - I would say absolutely not. The government has lots of money and when doing the right thing, expects lots of votes in return. If something comes out of politics as "Christian," I do believe that it is an accident or a coincidence. Most people in power are more worried about their image than anything else. They give to groups who have a big "vote" capability - I truly believe that most of the time they are looking out for no.1. Maybe I have a warped view, but I don't think so.

Mail Bag 7-2-07 (Brian Speaks)

Just wanted to say how wonderful I thought your podcast was this week. I particularly enjoyed your continuous references to me. However, ifI'm going to critique it, I must say I was quite disappointed that thecigar and wine scale wasn't judged by "How many Brian's would you ratethis wine/cigar?". You missed a golden opportunity. Also, to clarify, code requirements for stairs (indoor) is 7" maximumrise (the height of the step) and 11" minimum run (the length of thestep), not 9". Outdoors it varies, but generally is a 4-6" rise (makesfor a more gentle step in bad weather conditions) and between 12-22"run. We can talk about ramps next time. In the meantime, check outthis link for "universal design" in homes, which eliminates all stairsin homes as well as other design changes to aid people of all ages andabilities. Therefore, it is my antithesis. I am the MC Escher of thearchitectural world... http://www.aarp.org/families/home_design/a2004-03-23-whatis_univdesign.html As for your talk on serving countries more in need than ours andspreading goodwill and love through our , I thought you guys would find this video from the church that I attend particularly poignant. Lastyear, 300 people traveled to Mamelodi, South Africa, built homes,planted gardens, played with children and spread love to the people ofthe poorest area of South Africa. This year, there are two trips and atotal of 600 (!) people making the trip. The next wave of volunteersare heading out this week. And by the way, the church funded NONE of the trip for all 600. Everything was raised through local donations. Quite a story... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRdS0T0X7_M&mode=related&search= Sincerely,Brian