James Watkins: Valentine's Day, Lenten resources, Bobby Knight's big but, . . .

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JAMES WATKINS' HEAVY TOPICS WITH A LIGHT TOUCH

January 28, 2008: Webzine
heavy topics with a light touch

• Top topic: Expelled challenges academic censorship

• Another mass killing in midwest takes six lives

• Bobby Knight's great big but

• Last issue's heavy topics with a light touch

• Just five shopping days until Valentine's Day!

• Looking for a few good writers in Colorado Springs

• Meet my soul brother, James Robert Watkins

• Million to one chance for million-seller

• Play USA Today's candidate "match game"

• Space limited at Jesus' feet?!

• Top ten most popular sites at jameswatkins.com

• Top ten things I'm giving up for Lent

• Would Jesus stay at the luxurious Broadmoor Hotel?

With a kabillion sites you could visit, thanks for stopping by here! I hope you'll come back regularly for constantly updated humor; commentary on sex, society, the supernatural; and, of course, my plot to overthrow society as we know it. (Please save it as a "favorite," then tell a friend.)

Friday, February 15, 2008
another mass killing in midwest takes six lives

In the last few months, eight people were murdered in the Omaha Mall, five in a women's clothing store south of Chicago, and yesterday, six students at Northern Illinois University. And this less than a year since 33 students were killed at Virginia Tech. The identity of the recent shooter has not been disclosed—and I'd like to see it remain that way to avoid the mall shooter's claim, "Now I'll be famous!" These deranged gunmen shouldn't be allowed the delusion of fame.

Once again, here are some resources for dealing with this latest mass murder:
• Dealing with school shootings
• Dealing with death and grief
• Dealing with questions of "why" as a Christian
• Dealing with renewed gun control debate (two points of view)
• Resources from Gospelcom.net

Saturday, February 9, 2008
just five shopping days until valentine's day!

Unless you want to be home alone watching Survivor next Thursday, visit my Valentine's Day page with lots of resources on love, relationships, marriage and more.
• Valentine's Day articles, columns, humor and love songs

Later Saturday
meet my soul brother, james robert watkins

February is "Black History Month," so I want to introduce you to my soul brother: James Robert Watkins, an escaped slave who became an author and poet. Here's an excerpt from his 1852 book Narrative of the Life of James Watkins, Formerly a "Chattel" in Maryland, U. S.; Containing an Account of His Escape from Slavery, Together with an Appeal on Behalf of Three Millions of Such "Pieces of Property," Still Held Under the Standard of the Eagle. The title is almost as long as the excerpt!
• Click here

Friday, February 8, 2008
would Jesus stay at the luxurious broadmoor hotel?

Just one year ago, I was staying at a guest house in Zambia; eight years ago this month in the YMCA in Mumbai, India. Last week I was representing Wesleyan Publishing House at the Writing for the Soul writers conference at the Broadmoor Hotel. I went online just to see the nightly rate for my three-room corner suite overlooking the Rocky Mountains that I was provided: $735! (Thankfully, the conference covered my expenses.)

Two things struck me—hard. First, why can I get a free breakfast and free broadband Internet in my room at Holiday inn Express, but not at a five-star luxury hotel? And two, where would Jesus be most comfortable? My three-suite or a cobbled shack in India or a hut in Zambia? Click here for a clue.

However, I do think He'd enjoy the chocolates on the pillows each night!

Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008
top ten things i'm giving up for lent

I have in my right hand, direct from my home office, the top ten things I'm giving up for Lent:

10. Kidney stones
9. Sushi
8. Adam Sandler movies
7. Multi-level marketing schemes
6. UFO abductions
5. Golf pants and clip-on ties
4. Rap music
3. Body piercing (other than the usual household repair accidents)
2. Political correctness
1. Cats

I think I can go forty days without those things. In the meantime, here are some articles and columns you might find helpful or humorous as you prepare for Easter:
• Click here

Later Wednesday
bobby knight's great big but

When Bobby Knight abruptly resigned as head basketball coach at Texas Tech Monday, he went down as having won more NCCA Division I games than any other head coach. He led Indiana to three NCAA championships, coached Michael Jackson and the “Dream Team” to their 1984 Olympic gold medal and led the Hoosiers to a 32-0 season in 1976. He was an incredible coach . . .

. . . but in 1979, was charged, tried, and convicted of assaulting a Puerto Rican police officer during practice for the Pan American Games.

. . . but in 1982, shoved an LSU fan into a trash can during the NCAA finals.

. . . but in 1985, hurled a plastic chair across court during a Purdue game.

. . . but in 1988, told Connie Chung, "If rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it."

. . . but in 1993, kicked his son, Patrick, during a game with Notre Dame.

. . . but in 1999, attacked two men in a restaurant parking lot.

. . . but in 2000, was fired from Indiana University for grabbing a student who didn’t show him the respect he thought he was due.

. . . but in 2006, struck a Tech player under the chin for not looking at him when he was scolding him.

. . . but again in 2006, had to be restrained by police when a Baylor student heckled him.

. . . but in 2007, allegedly fired a shotgun toward a hunter who wandered too close to his home in Texas.

So many athletes, politicians, pastors, actors, etc., attain great success in their fields, but end their lives with a great big "but" following their list of accomplishments. And Bobby Knight may have one of the biggest buts of all.

Monday, February 4, 2008
million to one chance for million-seller

I had a wonderful time at Jerry B. Jenkins' Writing for the Soul conference in Colorado Springs. However, there's the temptation for wannabe writers to believe that they too will sell 64 million copies of their books just like his Left Behind series. Here's a reality check. According to Publisher's Weekly, in 2004, of the 1.2 million book tracked by Nielson Bookscan:

950,000 (79%) sold less than 99 copies
200,000 (17%) sold less than 1,000 copies
25,000 (0.02%) sold more than 5,000 copies
500 (0.0004%) sold 100,000 copies
10 (0.0000008%) sold more than 1,000,000 copies

And here's the most amazing statistic: The average book sold 500 copies! I'm not sure if that's encouraging or discouraging!

• My page of writers' resources
• My slightly better-than-average-selling books
• My next writers' conference: Bradenton, Florida, February 27-March 2

Tuesday, January 29, 2008
play usa today's 'candidate match game'

America's newspaper site has an amazing compurized candidate compatability quiz. Select your positions on global warming, tax reform, same-sex marriage, health care, immigration and the Iraq War. It also allows you to weight the issues. Then, it matches you with the candidate who most closely aligns with your views. Really cool! (My only complaint is that abortion is not listed as one of the issues. That would certainly skew my results.)
• "Candidate match game"
• USAToday.com's poll tracker (another cool page)

Monday, January 28, 2008
expelled challenges academic censorship

Ben Stein has served as a speech writer for President's Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, played a nerdy science teacher in film and television and hosted the game show "Win Ben Stein's Money," but his most ambitious role is challenging academic censorship.

According to Web site for EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed, the film "is the controversial documentary that will chronicle Ben Stein's confrontation with the Neo-Darwinian machine, exposing widespread suppression and entrenched discrimination in his heroic quest to bring back freedom in our institutions, laboratories and most importantly, in our classrooms, with the help of the world's top scientists, educators and thinkers."

Stein writes on his blog, "I am sorry to say, freedom of inquiry in science is being suppressed. Under a new anti-religious dogmatism, scientists and educators are not allowed to even think thoughts that involve an intelligent creator. They cannot even mention the possibility that–as Newton or Galileo believed–these laws were created by God or a higher being. They could get fired, lose tenure, have their grants cut off. This can happen. It has happened."

Coming to a theater near you in February. In the meantime, here are some thoughts on the subject:
• Judge rules science text books evolved over millions of years
• Does DNA disprove evolution?
• EXPELLED official site [off site]

February 4: EXPELLED's release has been delayed until April due to difficulty securing theaters. Suppression?!

Later Monday
looking for a few good writers in colorado springs

I'll be representing Wesleyan Publishing House at Jerry B. Jenkins' "Writing for the Soul" conference in Colorado Springs this weekend.
• "Writing for the Soul" conference site
• What I'm acquiring there

Even later Money
space limited at Jesus' feet?!

I just finished re-designing a Web site for a women clergy conference called "Come to the Water: Sit at Jesus' Feet." I copied and pasted their ad copy, then found this suprising paragraph:

If you are thirsty and weary, come to the water and drink. If you are filled to overflowing, come to the water and share. If

you are called and yearn for the Master's teaching, come to the water and listen. At the feet of Jesus, there is always room. Space is limited so register today!

That's going in my collection of bloopers I've caught while editing! The Wesleyan/Holiness Women Clergy organization is a great group (Lois is on their board) and it was a privilege to work on their site. If you're a woman in ministry, check it out.
• Wesleyan/Holiness Women Clergy
• My page on women in ministry issues
• My interview with Christians for Biblical Equality

Tuesday, January 15, 2008
last issue's topics

• Top topic: Jesus on race, gender, religious and social prejudices

• Hating people who hate is, well, hateful

• Indian Christians warned to 'covert or die'

• King's niece asks, 'How can dream survive?"

• Presidents, prophets and politics

• "Right to life" also civil right issue

• Ten years ago today: Drudge dredges dirt on Clinton

Friday, February 1, 2008
january's top ten sites

January ranking (December)

1. Home page / blog (1)

2. God hates godhatesfags.com (—)

3. Top ten reasons I'm not divorcing my wife (4)

4. Women in ministry issues (9)

5. "Jim Shorts" on sex (7)

6. "I just want to die" (—)

7. One nation under the Supreme Being of your choice (5)

8. Is it a life or a choice? (8)

9. The hidden habit: masturbation (—)

10. Dealing with death and grief (—)

And finally . . .
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