On a rather non sequitur note, I’m on my way up the coast in the Downeaster out of Boston to Dover, NH. I have taken this train once before (all the way to Portland, ME) and the upgrade to business class ($8) is worth it; It is by far the most pleasant trip on a train in the entire northeast.

Now, back to memorizing most of the countries in the world!

Gratia et Pax!

The book is written care and precision that is almost unparalleled in much war writing. It is not simply the account of the events with some anecdotes from witnesses, but rather there is a much larger story arc present throughout the work; a story arc of a reluctant world power, unsure and confused as the the path forward internationally when it came to projecting that power against threats. Halberstam is scathing in his criticism of both General Almond and General MacArthur as well as the entire pre-war and early conflict intelligence filtered through General Willoughby’s intelligence service.

I was most struck by the pedagogical intent behind much of the work - it was as if Halberstam felt our involvement in Iraq was a clear sign that we had not learned our lessons, neither in Korea nor in Vietnam. The Coldest Winter was not simply critical, but hopeful; The valor of the enlisted men and officers who fought at the front lines, the eventual democratization of South Korea, and the enduring American spirit for democratic freedom and liberty were positives that can also be learned from.

Ultimately the work is a massive (736 page) read, which carried me though a story I thought I knew and blew my mind with his detailed descriptions and overarching understanding. The work was both a story of individuals and their units, but also a story of great powers finding their way in the early atomic age. A definite must read for anyone seeking to fill a gap in their knowledge regarding the Korean War or someone seeking a read that will leave them a little different at the finish than at the beginning.

18 March 2008

War is Boring - A quick gloss as to the issues facing the replacement of our current fleet and getting the US Navy up to the planned 313 ships.

The Blazing Center - We’ve all sat there, thinking about box scores when we should be paying attention to the sermon… Stephen Altrogge gives some good and clear tactics when approaching this coming message on the Lord’s Day. I find it very hard to listen with humility and listen critically at the same time, I appreciate his comments

19 January 2008

Ben Witherington - He brings an excellent and trained eye to Deepak Chopra’s new book, The Third Jesus, he has said all I wanted to say and in a manner far better than I could say it!

Jesus did not, and does not come to take us to a higher spiritual plane, so that we might better get in touch with the little bit of God that is in us all or our own God-consciousness. Indeed, he seeks to lead us to have a relationship with the God he called Abba who is wholly other, and who urges us to recognize the Creator Creature distinction. We are not God, nor is God inherently in us or a part of our being. The end result of navel gazing is that we may well get more in touch with ‘our inner child’, but we do not get more in touch with the ‘outer’ God who created the universe and all that is in it. The former sort of spirituality is a form of narcissism, or at its worse, self- worship. The latter form of spirituality reinforces the Creator/creature distinction and leads to worship of the one true God.

Thank you brother Ben, ἀμήν!

20 March 2008

The Thomas Watson Blog - Highlights events surrounding the discussion of covenant children

21 March 2008

The Riddleblog - Kim posts an excellent meditation for today, Good Friday (in the western church), and is well worth looking at a couple of times throughout the day if you are so inclined.

—–Side Notes:

Covenant Blog has been kind enough to post explanations of both Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (which they get from the Society of Saint John the Evangelist.

Also, this is my first time attending a church that does not change its worship to reflect the liturgical year. I’m still trying to figure out what I think of it… perhaps I’ll try and address it in a post when I can do so thoughtfully.

edit: Ecto seems to have mangled this every time I post it, hopefully I’ve gotten the kinks out. Apologies if you saw it and it looked mangled, it was!

The Agony

Philosophers have measured mountains,
Fathomed the depths of seas, of states, and kings,
Walked with a staff to heaven, and traced fountains:
But there are two vast, spacious things
The which to measure it doth more behoove:
Yet few there are that sound them: Sin and Love.

Who would know Sin, let him repair
Unto Mount Olivet; there shall he see
A man so wrung with pains that all his hair,
His skin, his garments bloody be.
Sin is that press and vice, that forceth pain
To hunt his cruel food through every vein.

Who knows not Love, let him assay
And taste that juice, which on the cross a pike
Did set again abroach; then let him say
If ever he did taste the like.
Love is that liquor sweet and most divine
Which my God feels as blood; but I, as wine.

George Herbert (1639)

Many thanks to the Mere Comments Blog over at Touchstone Magazine for this in their original post.

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For those who are wondering, alpha is the stage before beta, which is generally the stage where you get kinks out… in the alpha you are still adding features! So lets be clear, if you want this to be perfect out of the gate, wait until it is shipped GM (gold master.)