Question of the Day

I've long been an admirer of blogger Glenn Reynolds and have read him daily for five years. I rarely disagree with him on politics. And that's why I've said that if he ever ran for President, I'd vote for him enthusiastically. Reynolds, however, lacks the Constitutionally prerequisite narcissism and pomposity to be a serious candidate for the Presidency.

But here's an even better idea than a Glenn Reynolds Administration: Ace of Spades as President of the United States. He runs a very serious and yet completely unserious blog and is a gifted humor writer. He's the sort of blogger I'd like to be if I had more talent, and his politics largely jive with mine.

Like Reynolds, Ace is probably too sensible to ever run for President, but I think that he could be tricked into announcing his candidacy if we Morons came together and got him drunk enough.
I know -- it's a pipe dream. Ace is far away in New York City, and I'm here in my undisclosed bunker, too far away to participate in such a project. It's a shame. An Ace of Spades Administration would be truly entertaining.

What blogger would you like to see run for President?

What If You Discovered That Your Whole Life Was Actually Just a Computer Program?

Specifically, Pac-Man.

[Video Link]

Question of the Day

What is your favorite work of art?

Commenting at Locusts & Honey

Okay, we've had some issues lately that I want to just be upfront about. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts and feelings in the comments on any post, but this blog is not clothing optional. Before you click on "leave a comment", put some pants on.

How Would You Approach This Ethical Dilemma?

A runaway trolley car is hurtling down a track. In its path are five people who will definitely be killed unless you, a bystander, flip a switch which will divert it on to another track, where it will kill one person. Should you flip the switch?

via

Hilarious Lenten Post

It's not Lent right now, and this is a couple of years old, but it's sheer brilliance.

Art Blogging: James Rosenquist

James Rosenquist (1933- ) is an American Pop artist. Born in North Dakota, he studied at the Minneapolis School of Art and the Art Students League of New York. His career began as a billboard painter, and from his time in that trade he developed a monumental approach in his work. Rosenquist is fond of juxtaposing enormous images as a way of creating narrative. His medium consists of the staging of paintings, prints, and sculptures formulated carefully for exhibition.

His breakthrough work was F-111 (paint on canvas and aluminum, 1964-65, the MOMA), a sectional work placed on four sections of a room, surrounding the viewer. It was considered to be a galvanizing symbol of the anti-Vietnam War movement. This is one of the four panels.

Star Thief (oil on canvas, 1980, Museum Ludwig in Cologne). This enormous work, measuring more than seventeen by forty-six feet, shows Rosenquist's indebtedness to the Surrealists. It is a story of travel and exploration. And that is the biggest piece of bacon I've ever seen. Mmmmm. Bacon....

The Swimmer in the Econo-mist (oil on canvas, 1997-1998, at the Guggenheim in Berlin). This work is an homage to the grandeur of Picasso's Guernica, as well as a reflection on the conclusion of the Cold War. Its name comes from the struggle of Germany to reunify. The swimmer represents the East German struggling through the economic confusion of the collapse of Soviet Communism.

FYI

My hovercraft is full of eels.

Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup

...is up.

Art Blogging: George Clausen

George Clausen (1852-1944) was a British Academic painter. Born in London, he was educated at the Royal College of Art. Affiliated with the Naturalist movement, Clausen became most famous for his depictions of British rural life. Like the Impressionists, Clausen used light to magnify his images, but true to his Academic training, he did not abandon the integrity of form.






Girl at the Gate (oil on canvas, 1889, Tate Gallery). Here is an example of what I mean. The spotty background of this painting is Impressionistic in its construction, but the central figure and her draping is traditionally Academic through crisp, clean lines.







The Mowers (watercolor, 1885).





Head of a Peasant Woman (oil on canvas, 1882).

The Grumpy Christian

Michael Spencer writes about the pervasiveness of the fake smile in American evangelicism:

Millions of unbelievers are far more emotionally healthy than we are because we have a crowd running around telling us we can’t be human, can’t feel human emotions, can’t be emotionally honest and so on. Instead, we have to be high, giddy and smiling like we’re possessed by grinning aliens so that we have a “testimony.” Ugh.

I’m so not going there. This, friends, is the person Jesus loves. I’m fat. I’m not giddy. I don’t feel the least bit of responsibility to telegraph to anyone that I’m full of happy thoughts, because I’m not.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winner

WINNER: Jeff the Baptist:

I'm sorry sir, you just can't bring those nail clippers onto the flight.

Art Blogging: Jean Puiforcat

Jean Puiforcat (1897-1945) was a French Art Deco designer, working primarily with silver. Born to a family of silversmiths in Paris, he studied sculpture with Louis-Aime Lejeure before beginning commercial work in 1922. Puiforcat reached the peak of his popularity in 1937, when an entire pavilion of the Paris Exposition des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne was devoted to his work. He fled World War II to Mexico, where he continued his work until his death in 1945.

[Above] Soup tureen (silver, 1935, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal).

Teapot (silver, gold, and lucite; 1935; Dallas Museum of Art).

A Beauty Contest for Nuns

But of course. Maybe it's time for me to drag out my old idea of the Methoblogosphere producing a swimsuit issue in order to raise money.

HT: This+That

Emerging Trend: American Christian Circumcisions

This is an interesting Washington Post article. It says that increasing numbers of American Christians are circumcising their baby boys for religious reasons -- and in the home, by a mohel no less. I think that Paul put to rest any theological justification for circumcision, although he circumcised Timothy.

Before we found out that we were having a little girl, I researched the subject and determined that there was barely any medical justification for infant circumcision, and certainly none to offset the potential risks.

Well, enough of the serious talk. This is Locusts & Honey after all. Here is a great clip on circumcision from the Mel Brooks film Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

[YouTube Link]

What do you think of the practice of routine infant circumcision?

Changes in Children's Health Care

Study: Most Children Strongly Opposed To Children�s Healthcare

Weekend Retro Music: Roam by the B-52s

[YouTube Link] I've long enjoyed the playful, joyful music of the B-52s.

Man's Best Friend

Sometimes -- shoot, most of the time -- dogs are more decent than people:

A newborn baby that was abandoned outdoors by her 14-year-old mother during the Argentina winter was found safe Thursday after being kept alive and warm by a mother dog and her brood of puppies, Reuters reported.

Like Will Rogers said: "If there are no dogs in Heaven,then when I die I want to go where they went."

HT: The Corner

Zombies Speak Out on the Presidential Candidates

[Video Link] This a good exploration of what zombie voters are thinking this year. Who do you think will get the undead demographic this time?

Art Blogging: Nicholas Roerich

Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) was a Russian painter. He was raised and educated in St. Petersburg, where he drank deeply of the artistic revival of fin de siècle Russia. He and his wife traveled widely in Russia and founded the Buddhist sect known as Agni Yoga.









White Stone, tempera on canvas, 1933.


I really enjoy Roerich's stark landscapes composed of sharp, angular lines vibrant colors. They strongly remind me of the animation of Genndy Tartakovsky.
Glory to the Hero, tempera on canvas, 1933.


St. Francis, tempera on canvas, 1932.



The Sage, tempera on cardboard, 1944. Set design for Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring.

A Great Christian Humor Site

I've only just discovered The Sacred Sandwich. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.

Be sure to check it out. Especially The Gallery of Dubious Photojournalism.

HT: Growing Vertical

Art Blogging: Nikolai Getman

Nikolai Getman (1917-2004) was a Ukrainian painter who spent eight years in a Soviet gulag and chronicled the experiences of that institution's victims. He attended the Kharkov Art College in the 1930s, where he developed a strong appreciation for vibrant and rich colors:

"The most important thing in a picture is color. It is through your use of color that you will make the viewer sense the mood of your canvas. Without color there is no art."

In 1946, Getman was at a cafe table with several other artists, one of whom sketched a cartoon of Stalin on a piece of paper. For this, he was convicted of "anti-Soviet" activity and dispatched to forced labor camps in Siberia. Upon his release, Getman used his skills to produce official, pro-Soviet propaganda, but secretly memorialized the gulag experience in paint.

Magadan Hills. In 1932, the Soviet Union began building a settlement in the Magadan hills of Siberia, using gulag labor to work and die in the frozen wasteland. Getman's works demonstrate an existential hope in the sacrifice of Christ on this Golgotha built out of the gulag's victims.

This work strongly reminds me of Evelyn De Morgan's The Red Cross.

Eternal Memory in the Permafrost. Two prisoners are buried beneath blocks of ice in a funeral conducted by a ragged Russian with a crude wooden crucifix and a praying Japanese POW.

Torture by Mosquitoes. In this crucifixion scene, Christ shares in the worst sufferings of the prisoners. Torturing a prisoner through mosquitoes was so common that the technique even had a name -- komarki -- and was usually done beyond the barbed wire in full view of the other prisoners.

What if We Were All Just Characters in a Role-Playing Game?

[Video Link]

Honesty

Honesty is a series of short films that take place in a world where everyone says exactly what they think. Here's one about a funeral. It's a hoot!

Funny Videos Funny Cartoons More Video Clips

[Video Link]

Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup

...is up.

Uncomfortable Moments in Parenting

[Video Link]

Imperial Forces Invade San Francisco

[YouTube Link] via Wired

The Happy Life

A short film by Bert Dombrecht.

[YouTube Link]

Question of the Day

Which Superhero Would You Like to See as President of the United States?
	Batman
	Spiderman
	Cyclops
	Green Lantern (John Stewart)
	Jeremy Feeple
	Green Arrow
	Spawn
pollcode.com free polls

Before anyone brings up Superman, Wonder Woman, or Wolverine, remember that they aren't natural-born U.S. citizens, and are therefore disqualified.

Subversive Postmodernism

Where Rainbows Come From

Are they pretty? It's all a matter of perspective.


Via

Yeah, This Is Pretty Much True

more graph humor and song chart memes

Retro Music: "Silent Lucidity" by Queensryche

I simply adored this ballad when it came out in 1990.

[YouTube Link]

The Quality of Christian Fiction

Megan McArdle asks:

On a vaguely related note, why is Christian popular fiction so awful?

I've read a fair sample of the big names--Frank Peretti and of course, a few of the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Left Behind novels. I don't think they're bad because of the religious aspects; though I'm not myself a believer, I have a healthy respect for other peoples' faith. Besides, if I can suspend disbelief for Dark Knight, I think I can manage a few demons and angels.

The problem is, the writing is dreadful. The Left Behind series reads like it was written by a fourteen year old B student with a HUGE crush on Jesus Christ. To call the characters cardboard cutouts would be an insult to paper dolls, which are vastly more realistic than anything created by Messrs Lehaye and Jenkins. The dialogue reads like it's been triple-starched. And the plot belongs in a churchyard.

Her first commentor nails the answer.

Question of the Day

Jeremy Smith has a post up about a church that refused a $600,000 donation from a member because that person gave from lottery winnings. Jeremy writes about the moral dimensions of personal and church funding, and concludes that the church acted properly. What do you think?

Should a church refuse offerings generated from lotteries and other forms of gambling?

Johnson & Johnson Introduces 'Nothing But Tears' Shampoo To Toughen Up Newborns

Now this is an interesting new product: a baby shampoo guaranteed to make the baby cry, so that a child will learn early on about the hopeless, hellish existence that is the human experience.

After rigorous product testing at the company's research headquarters in New Jersey, the new "Nothing But Tears" shampoo was found to give newborns up to three times greater resilience than the leading competitor, as well as a stronger grasp on the crushing disappointment that is life. In addition, when combined with Johnson & Johnson's new line of bleach-based conditioners, the shampoo resulted in noticeably thicker skin after only six uses.

In recent years, a growing number of parents have begun looking for ways to raise more adequately jaded toddlers, and Johnson & Johnson is not the first company to respond to the rising demand. In 2003, Fisher-Price unveiled a new adventure play set containing 85 easy-to-choke-on pieces, and in 2006, the Walt Disney Company introduced an interactive DVD entitled Baby's First Brush With A Cruel And Unforgiving World.

Christian Libertarianism, II

In our recent discussion on Christian commonalities with libertarianism, Brian of Growing Vertical left a comment so interesting that I've decided to quote it here in full:

I appreciated Bryan's comments on Romans 13 and 1 Samuel 8. I find verse 7 of 1 Samuel 8 very informative.

And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

Israel wanted a king, a new form of government. In rejecting the former government, the Lord said they were rejecting Him. What was that previous form of government?

In Exodus 18, Jethro directed Moses to establish representatives, chosen by the people, who would judge between cases. It was an appellate court. From a human perspective, the entire "government" of Israel was a representative appellate court.

God established three spheres of authority: the family, the Church, and the state. A family is responsible for itself, for training the children, for providing for the elderly and infirm within it. The Church has the responsibilities of the Gospel, the Sacraments, discipline for restoration. The Church is also responsible for widows and orphans - those without families to protect them. The State is responsible for justice.

Statism is alway antichrist. That may sound like a strong statement, but consider the "preamble" to the Ten Commandments:

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

The moral law is binding to us, because the Lord is our deliverer, our Savior. Christ has delivered us out of the kingdom of darkness, therefore we are bound to obey Him.When the state oversteps its responsibility and begins claiming the responsibilities of the other spheres, it operates outside God's established order.

When a state assumes the right to train the children, to care for the widows and orphans, it robs the family and the Church of their responsibilities.When a state steps in to provide welfare, to deliver you from disappointment and provide for your material comfort, the state has assumed the position of Savior. As a savior, the state can demand your obedience.

Consider again Romans 13:1

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Ever soul should be subject to the governing authorities, not because the state is their Savior, but because the authorities that exist are appointed by God.I have the same problem when a pastor wants to take Ephesians 5 and make it a legalistic passage. Wives submit to husbands and husbands love their wives, not because the husband is Lord or because the wife is beautiful and perfect. There is mutual love and respect in marriage because Christ so loved the Church. Ephesians 5 should not be separated from Ephesians 1-3. You love your wife because Christ is your Savior. You submit to your husband because Christ is your Savior. And what you are really doing is loving Christ and submitting to Christ.

And so with the state. In America, we have a government which is of the people, by the people and for the people. It is our duty as Christians, in so far as we are able, to work together to bring the state back into its Biblical sphere of responsibility.

That is why I believe a Christian should be a libertarian, a minarchist, a Constitutionalist.

Methodist Blogger Profile: Mark Manis

Mark Manis of Along the Narrow Path

I'm a special education teacher in Northern Kentucky who accepted Christ in the spring of 2007. I have been married to my wife, Becky for almost 10 years and own 4 cats and a Labrador Retriever.

Why do you blog?
I blog to give my thoughts on things I experience and detail what is going on in my life.

What has been your best blogging experience?
My best blogging experience was when I wrote about vacation bible school.

What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Everyone has to start somewhere and don't get frustrated when you don't receive comments.

If you could read only three blogs a day, what would they be?
Sandpiper's Thoughts always inspires me with her thoughts. I enjoy reading Andy Bryan's Enter The Rainbow as well as Allan R. Bevere's blog.

Who are your spiritual heroes?
I would have to say for me, Job and Paul are my spiritual heroes. Considering what they went through and how they were tested, they give me hope when I feel like life is testing me.

What are you reading at the moment?
In the Bible, I am reading Isaiah. In books, I am reading Words to Live By by C.S. Lewis, and Encouragement for Life by Charles Swindoll, on top of my devotionals I read.

What is your favorite hymn and why?
"Here I Am, Lord" because that hymn speaks to me whenever I hear it.

Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind?
I used to be pro-death penalty, but I have changed my mind since coming to Christ. I feel that the taking of another human being isn't going to erase the crimes that person committed.

What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
I think we need to fight the idea that God is a member of either political party. I think that Christians in general have been taken for granted as sheep to politicians. God is neither a Republican nor a Democrat.

If you could effect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
I would have term limits for both houses of Congress. If members of Congress knew that they could only be in office for a limited amount of time, I think more would get done.

If you could effect one major policy change within the UMC, what would it be?
I really don't have an opinion on the policies of the UMC.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Life isn't fair, but how you react to what life throws at you will determine what happens next. If you give your problems to God, He will work in your life.

What, if anything, do you worry about?
I worry about family member's health and for people who are in need. I take it to God in prayer though and know He will work in His own way. Before I surrendered to Christ, I was a real worry wart.

If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
Nothing in the broad scope of things.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
Greenup, Kentucky where I was originally from. I miss the beauty of Northeastern Kentucky.

What do you like doing in your spare time?
I enjoy writing poetry. I have one book self-published and I have started turning some of my work into hymns with the help of my pastor.

What is your most treasured possession?
Although not a possession, I value my wife and pets. My wife brings joy to me each and every day.

What talent would you most like to have?
I wish I had the talent to sing as beautiful as Chris Tomlin or Mac Powell of Third Day.

If you could have any three guests, past or present, to dinner, who would they be?
Jesus, Billy Graham, and Charles Wesley. It would be a treat to hear what they would have to say and what kind of writing Charles would have produced from that meeting.

Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup #163

...is up.

Individualism and the Christian Life

Andrew Thompson speculated about the pervasiveness of individualism in American culture and asked:

Is it possible to embrace a robust understanding of individualism without that including narcissism or selfishness as well?

And if not, doesn't that present an enormous problem for the church when it is forced to exist in a consumer culture like the one we've got in America?

My own thoughts are here.

The Death of the Apostrophe

BooksForKidsBlog has a lengthy post up about how prolifically people -- even published authors with editors -- are misusing the apostrophe.

So, a short lesson:

The apostrophe only denotes contraction or possession. It can never be used to denote pluralization.

Examples:
Correct: The Ewoks didn't have enough beer. [contraction]
Correct: John Wesley brought them a six-pack of Killian's Irish Red. [possession]
Incorrect: The Ewok's were pleased. [faulty pluralization]

I remember seeing a preschool advertising itself with an incorrect pluralization in its name. I knew immediately that I would never send any children of mine there during their formative years.

Although I hope that the Klingon-language tapes that we've been playing in utero will give our baby a sound foundation in conceptual grammar. I'm starting her on the Nerf Bat'leth at six months.

HT: Instapundit

Animals in Church

When I was in library school, there was a dying tradition in rural Ohio of having "library cats" -- a residential cat in a library. Theresa Coleman writes about a hardware store in her area that has a cat and contemplates:

I wonder what church would be like if we did have cats and dogs in the church. I wonder what it would be like to have a cat sit in your lap during service or have a dog help out at Sunday School. Or at least, a cat in the church office. I wonder what it would be like if dogs did roam in the sanctuary, looking for crumbs under the communion table. I do wonder.

One Brave Woman Breaks the Glass Ceiling

[YouTube Link] Once a bastion of patriarchal phallocracy, the Illinois State Fair's annual hog calling contest has been won, for the first time, by a woman: Doris Probst.

I am woman, hear me squeal. You've come a long way, baby.

HT: Neatorama

Question of the Day

How should the U.S. respond to the genocide in Dafur?

Favorite Non-Fiction Works

A couple of weeks ago, I listed 20 favorite works of fiction. I thought that I would list (in no particular order), the works of non-fiction that have had the most sustained meaning for me over time:

1. A History of Rome by Michael Grant. A comprehensive and easily-read history of the Romans that I always keep close at hand.

2. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. An imminently useful book. Even if you find Machiavelli's methods or advice loathsome, be aware that those around you are using them.

3. The Art of War by Sun-Tzu. As with The Prince, Sun-Tzu offers us practical advice about how to deal with real world conflict, such as "There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare."

4. The Confessions by Saint Augustine. Even in translation, Augustine's skills as a wordsmith who cut at the heart of the human experience. One of my favorite lines: "One day, I was called upon to give a speech in praise of the emperor. In it I told many a lie and for my lies I was praised by men who knew that I was lying."

5. The Bible. For obvious reasons.

6. The Lost Art of Listening by Michael Nichols. This has been, to me, the single-most influential in seminary. Nichols explains how it is so easy to not listen to others. This book has made me a better pastor, friend, and husband.

7. The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius. Lady Philosophia is (usually) a welcome visitor in the midst of our sorrows, I have found, as she was for the imprisoned Boethius.

8. Webster's New World Thesaurus. A good thesaurus is a critical tool for any writer, and this one, I found, was organized properly and provided very sound choices. A great reference book.

9. The Human Adventure by Cappalluti and Grossman. This was my older brother's 8th grade world history textbook, and what a gem of textbook it was: chronologically and geographically balanced, well-chosen topics, clearly-written, but intellectually challenging.

10. The Fondue Book by Ed Callahan. My favorite type of food to make is fondue, and this book was my introduction to the craft.

Lunch

more cat pictures

Questions of the Day

Wonder Twin powers, activate!

Form of a...?

Shape of a...?

Christian Libertarianism

Here's an interesting article. Halliday argues that not only is libertarianism compatible with Christianity; that libertarianism is the only political philosophy that is compatible with Christianity. His argument appears to be to be a pacifist, as Jesus was, one must necessarily be a libertarian.

It's certainly an intriguing proposal that pacifists must be libertarians. Unfortunately, Halliday wholly ignores the most statist New Testament passages.

Question of the Day

Was the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki morally justified?

Periodic Table of Awesomeness

All permutations of awesomeness in the world are actually composed from 118 different, immutable "awesomements". This is only a partial image. Click on the picture for the full view.

HT: Neatorama

Caption Contest

Previous contest winner

WINNER: John Battern:

Lance Armstrong enjoys showing off his honeymoon pictures.

Art Blogging: Ivan Aivazovsky

Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900) was a Russian-Armenian Academic painter. Born in poverty in Crimea, he studied at a prestigious academy in St. Petersburg. He became commercially successful in 1837 after exhibiting an award-winning seascape. Aivazovsky then travelled throughout the Continent and developed a free-flowing style of painting seascapes that required very little preliminary work.

He was a very prolific artist, and produced over 6,000 works during his lifetime. Under long-term a commissions by Russian Navy, he produced many works glorifying naval warfare and travel.

The Great Roads at Kronstadt (oil on canvas, 1836, the Russian Museum). Seascapes make up the vast majority of Aivazovsky's corpus, and are noteworthy for their romantic (rather than realistic) depiction of motion.

View of Tblisi. Although Aivazovsky is not well-known for his landscapes, my favorite work of his is this depiction of the Georgian capital city for its careful perspective and vibrant colors. I can't locate any provenantial information about this work, but I am reasonably confident that it is his.

Yes, Dear

more cat pictures

Barack Rolling

[YouTube Link] It's the new alternative to RickRollin' someone: Rick Astley's song replaced with speeches from Obama. HT: Neatorama

My Favorite Episodes of Star Trek

From the original series: The Doomsday Machine, for its razor-sharp dramatic tension and timing:
[Full episode, no embedding available]

From The Next Generation: The Inner Light, in which Jean-Luc Picard experiences an entire lifetime on an alien world in the blink of an eye.

[YouTube Link]

From Deep Space Nine: Duet, when Kira Nerys encounters a Cardassian trying to atone for the sins of his people.

[YouTube Link]

From Voyager: Endgame, the conclusion to the series. I like Captain Janeway, but I love Admiral Janeway for her sheer ruthlessness.

[YouTube Link]

I've only seen one episode of the animated series and about a dozen from Enterprise, so I have no favorites there.

What are your favorite episodes of Star Trek?

The Travails of Parenting

Amazing Dance Group

It's called Pilobolus. Simply astounding. I've never seen anything like it.


[YouTube Link]

The Return of the King

Shane Raynor, the father of the Methoblogosphere, has announced that he shall return to blogging on September 2 at his new site, The Wesley Report.

How the Evil Overlord List Can Make You a Better Pastor

One would think that it would be self-evident, but John Meunier takes a different approach.

Technical Difficulties

Blogger has been devouring comments for the past couple of days. If you've left a comment, it hasn't been deliberately deleted.

The Boy Scouts Sure Have Changed

I never made it past Webelos in the Cub Scouts, but I can see that the Boy Scouts of America have made changes in their merit badge system to reflect modern, useful skills. There's even one for blogging. (HT: Neatorama)

So, here are a few samples from the new merit badge list. Your task is to match each badge with the blogger that you think best deserves to be noted for a particular accomplishment.


A. Tent Burning







B. Snoring







C. Roadkill Grilling







D. Outhouse Tipping







E. Lawnmower Racing







F. Fart Lighting






G. Disorienteering







H. Cow Tipping. [My brother did this once when he was 16 and we were living in Pittsburgh. Except that in the dim light, he accidentally pushed over a bull. It's a very good thing that he was a track star.]






I. Cat Herding







J. Belching

1. Jeff the Baptist
2. Dan Trabue
3. Gavin Richardson
4. Dale Tedder
5. Beth Quick
6. Allan Bevere
7. Theresa Coleman
8. I.C.
9. Andrew Thompson
10. Kansas Bob