Reflecting on the Sox--Without Clemens

Ok, I no longer care whether Roger Clemens joins the Red Sox. I'm really starting to enjoy this current group of players and would almost hate to see it disrupted by a high profile addition. Besides, Curt Schilling provides enough drama as it is. Last night he bounced back from a few bad outings to sink the Yanks in a 6 strikeout butt kicking. I also enjoy how there is a good distribution of talent on this squad; of course Papi and Manny stand out as hitters, but Lowell, Youk, Willy Mo (gotta love the name), and others have been playing some solid ball. I know it's only the beginning of the season and a lot of things can happen, but I have to say I'm very impressed and, in a strange way, almost feel bad that the Yankees can't put up much of a fight.

24 Finale

Did anyone out there see the 24 finale? Overall, I thought this season was subpar, but I have to say that the writers really pulled it together at the end (yes, I realize it was all written earlier). I won't give the ending away but suffice it to say that I'm extremely excited about next season; the twist is a good one. For those who say the final episode, what did you think?

Nasar and Terrorism in the New Century

Craig Whitlock, at MSNBC, profiles captured Al-Qaeda leader Mustafa Setmarian Nasar. His tome on jihadist techniques for the new century highlights decentralization via small cells operating across the globe. The implementation of this stategy has already begun, notes Whitlock, as evidenced by the Madrid and London attacks.

Red (and Yellow and Blue) Badge of Hostility

This is not good news. Iran, it would seem, is not an up and coming homeland for minorities. Come on, how could anyone see malicious motives behind this new requirement foisted on Jews and Christians who make Iran their home? It’s just colored cloth right? As if it were required, here’s another apt reminder of the need to pray for Iran’s peoples.

Evangelicals and Gnosticism

N.T. Wright, appearing alongside Vampire-fan-turned-Jesus-admirer, Anne Rice, makes the fascinating observation that both sides of the cultural divide in North America exhibit gnostic tendencies. (The moderator--annoying most of the time--quipped that the two sides can be neatly divided according to their literary tastes: Left Behind or The Da Vinci Code.) In this context, Wright notes that many evangelicals follow the dualistic disdain for the physical here and now, in desiring to escape to the "there" of heaven, and possess the hubris-inspired certitude so characteristic of gnosticism. Are Wright's comments apt, or do they represent a caving in to postmodern relativism? Or somewhere in between?

Note: The interview is fairly long but worth listening to--for the most part.