July 2011
157 posts
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Go See This Movie on the Fourth Of July--You'll Be...
It’s the Fourth of July. Independence Day. (I’m having fun with it while working on a project with folks in England—to them Monday is just another work day). To me, the day is really captured in a film I like to watch and have many times. And my daughter Rachel understands all too well why we both love this film. It is as American as apple pie. The layers are “All...
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The World's Most Powerful Celebrities--Guess Who...
(Find the Forbes list HERE; you can sort the data any number of ways for some interesting insight into who is considered a powerful celebrity based on not just money, but web and social media presence.)
The men and women on our annual Celebrity 100 list—the most powerful people in the entertainment business this year—earned $4.5 billion over the last 12 months by starring in...
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Mac vs. PC: How We Are Different
Our latest data project was to analyze how self-described Mac and PC people are different. The infographic you can link to breaks it down. Keep reading after the Infographic for more background and analysis, including some comparisons to findings from 18 months ago when we first looked at this issue. Back in ye olden days of Hunch — November 2009 — we explored the differences in...
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“Today television news is watched more often than people read newspapers, than...”
– Roger Ailes’ Secret Nixon-Era Blueprint for Fox News
Twitter Blog
200 million Tweets per day
Halfway through 2011, users on Twitter are now sending 200 million Tweets per day. For context on the speed of Twitter’s growth, in January of 2009, users sent two million Tweets a day, and one year ago they posted 65 million a day. For perspective, every day, the world writes the equivalent of a 10 million-page book in Tweets or 8,163 copies of Leo...
June 2011
55 posts
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Cost of war at least $3.7 trillion and counting
Staggering as it is, that figure grossly underestimates the total cost of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the U.S. Treasury and ignores more imposing costs yet to come, according to a study released on Wednesday.
The final bill will run at least $3.7 trillion and could reach as high as $4.4 trillion, according to the research...
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Organizational Charts
This one goes out to Dan, Noah, Tdurbs and all my other geek friends.
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Bruce Springsteen’s Eulogy to Clarence Clemons
The Big Man died last week, and here is what Bruce Springsteen had to say about his friend. A good read about a part of rock and roll history. Link through the photo or at the bottom of this post.
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Income Levels Around the World (Hint: The HIGHEST...
Here’s an amazing new graphic from National Geographic that maps income levels on top of world population densities. In a glance you can see where humans live on earth and at what wealth level. Click through for the full thing, plus more demographic information (on pages 2-4) broken down by income level. This is a great way to see just how rich we are and how poor most of the rest of the...
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“But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we...”
– Morning and Evening, Charles Spurgeon reflecting on Hebrews 12:2, June 28
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Cease and desist: Rocker Tom Petty tells Michele Bachmann she can’t use his music on campaign trail
Republicans still don’t get it. Rock and Roll is all about rebellion and anti-establishment sentiment, even a bit of anarchy. Hardly family values. (NOTE: we’re talking real rock and roll here; Ramones etc.). So read on to see why good old “Free Fallin’” Tom...
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The Emerging Epicenters of High Tech Industry
Well, here’s a chance to see where the jobs are going to be in the future. Link over to the article at WIRED to use this interactive map for more details on what’s happening in high tech.
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Google Launchs 500,000 Machines A Day--And is...
Google is up to something—-again. First, news that Android’s march towards smartphone market dominance continued on Tuesday, as Google’s Android chief Andy Rubin disclosed that activations continued to grow at a torrid pace. “There are now over 500,000 Android devices activated every day, and it’s growing at 4.4% [week over week],” he tweeted early...
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BAD (but Fun) Country Music Titles
They tell me that the following are the actual, honest-to-goodness titles of real country music songs. I’ve tried to verify the list, but who cares? I love them. The photo for this post is good old David Frizzell (Lefty’s brother) who gave us one of my favorites—“They’re Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate My Home.”
Anyway, as a tribute to Jordan Fouts,...
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WatchHere’s a video from New Beginnings in Uganda. It’s the children of the village singing. What a contrast to life without the hope of Jesus. Our team from Lexington—Brenda Sawyer, Hayden Murrell, Josh Pugel and Crawford Ifland—will be joining a team from Norn Iron to help do relational work with the children of the village. Be praying for them—they leave on July 14...
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Fring and Lace in the News--Again →
Well, I could not be more proud of some folks than my son (Aaron) and favorite daughter-in-law (Natalie) (and her great partner, Aubree Phillips) and their venture Fringe and Lace. The link at the bottom of this post will get you to the Fringe and Lace web site, but for now enjoy this great write on the two fashion folks who are bringing a great idea to life with hard work, determination and a...
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WatchStill trying to get the Coldplay set for you to watch (only available in England), but in the meantime, here’s Paul Simon performing So Beautiful or So What at the just concluded Glastonbury Festival. Will be loading up some Elbow, Kaiser Chiefs and some surprises soon. Check out the website as well. Enjoy.
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This May Be Our Next President ?
Yes, it’s that look the camera in the eye lady Michele Bachmann. And she is something else. Given the crowded Republican field, it may be best to start to sort these folks out by learning a little more about them—before it’s too late. Please read this piece in the Rolling Stone here titled “Michele Bachmann’s Holy War: The Tea Party contender may seem like a...
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Cars 2--Mater Takes Over and Lots of Spy Stuff
What sidekick has not dreamed of stepping into the limelight? After dinner in their split-level cave, Betty and Barney, convinced that they were the modern stone-age family, must have fantasized about pitching “The Rubbles” “to the suits at Hanna-Barbera.
So begins A.O. Scott’s review of the new Pixar movie “Cars 2” which you can find here. It’s sidekick...
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““It just feels like the thing running our country is a bank, money,”...”
– Katy Perry on politics, health care, her body and aliens.
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Charity Goes Mobile to Enlist Teenagers in Service... →
Interesting read. Something we need to consider in Student Ministry in deciding how to do service projects.
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Why Students Abandon Their Faith →
Good discussion of why students walk away—particularly after High School. We need to stay aware of this trend. Lessons we can learn from William Wilberforce.
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Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
It’s here. The end of the Harry Potter run after ten years. (Interestinglly, only the BIble has outsold the Harry Potter books over the last decade). To get you ready for the movie, here is a link to the Internet Movie Database story on the movie, and links to Trailer One and Trailer Two. In additon here is the Official Movie Web Site, and early blog style review of the film and a piece...
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“All that Mary knew we also may discover. Do you wonder that we should say so?...”
– Morning and Evening; Spurgeon commenting on Luke 11:27-28, Friday, June 24
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Adele-Set Fire to the Rain
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Third Day--Angus Dei/Worthy
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Southland Students--A Chance to Help the City this... →
Hey Southland students—if you’re looking for a way to serve Jesus and our city this summer, and to serve students who will one day call the Richmond Road Campus home, take a look at this post. The link here is to an article from today’s paper that explains how students are volunteering and joining the Commission on Youth Development and Public Safety, a task force formed out of...
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“In one word, the great pillar of the Christian’s hope is substitution. The...”
– Morning and Evening, Spurgeon reflecting on 2 Timothy 2:19.
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Northern Ireland Spring Trip 2011
Northern Ireland Mission Team 2011
Reflections and Observations
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the...
Jamie and Sara O'Brien Baby Jokes
Baby number two is due soon, so here we go with some tried and true jokes for the soon to be prents of the next O’Brien:
Jamie spoke frantically into the phone, “My wife Sara is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart!” “Is this her first child?” the doctor asked. “No!” Jamie shouted, “This is her husband!”
Crib notes: Music...
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“So, in Am I Really a Christian?, I look at five things that the Bible says will...”
– From Mark Dever at the 9Marks blog
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“Oh, Jesus! thy power, thy grace, thy justice, thy tenderness, thy truth, thy...”
– Morning and Evening, Charles Spurgeon, Morning of June 21, 2011, commenting on Psalm 45:2
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“Rich were the blessings of this day if all of us were filled with the Holy...”
– Morning and Evening, by Charles Spurgeon, reflecting on Acts 2:4
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Marriage, Family and Children--Charts and Grafts →
The title link is to a PowerPoint of data on just what is happening to family and marriage. if you’re more of a visual person, this PP is for you. You can link to the entire report HERE as well. If you were challenged by what Donald Miller said at Southland on Father’s Day weekend, this is something you need to study.
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Mom and a Biblical Mother →
We just finished Father’s Day, but Mom’s funeral was Monday. We spent a lot of time reflecting on Mom and spoke about her at the service. Mom got “living unto the Lord” as a wife and lived it out for 62 years with Harold as a Proverbs 31 woman. (Interestingly, 31 times two is 62.) God designed us so that a man is motivated in his view of work by the woman’s...
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Hazel Rose Wilson Sawyer →
Mom passed away on Friday, June 17, 2011 at 90. She and Dad were married for 62 years. I’m who I am today, particularly my life in Christ, because of Mom and Dad. I didn’t borrow their faith, but they cared enough about me to make sure I had an opportunity to make faith in Jesus the foundation of my life. Read a bit more about Mom in this copy of her obituary.
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Russians Adopt U.S. Tactics in Opposing Abortion →
While the United States is often derided as a model of immorality in Russia, its anti-abortion movement has become a model for Russian activists, who have even adopted the English-language term “pro-life” as their own.
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A Great Hymn to Reflect On
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
By Philip Bliss—1875
From Isaiah 53
“Man of Sorrows!” what a name For the Son of God, who came Ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude, In my place condemned He stood; Sealed my pardon with His blood. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless we; Spotless Lamb of God was He; “Full atonement!” can it be? ...
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The Sword and Trowel →
This is the web site we’ve set up for students and anyone interested in going deeper into the Word. It has hundreds of resources and a way to stay current on all messages by great teaching pastors. There are devotionals, Bible commentaries, blogs, study materials, mission information, church information, current events, purity resources, and lots more—all for FREE.
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