James Watkins on Supreme Court fight, intelligent design, Harry Potter. . .

Friday/Saturday (11.11/12)
Harry Potter: the good,
the bad, the muggly

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is ready to ignite more debate concerning the boy wizard. Critics are calling the film, which premiers next Friday, "darker and scarier." But is there anything to fear from the phenomenon?
- Some thoughts on Harry
- Some thoughts on witchcraft
- Your comments
- Your vote (our totally unscientific poll)

Thursday (11.10)
Seventeen survey discovers 'Generation Pure'

The teen magazine survery reveals that more teenage girls have decided against premarital sex for a number of reasons. Seventeen calls these young women members of "Generation Pure."
- Resources for keeping pure from The Why Files: When Can I Start Dating?
- "Good Morning, America" report on survery

can 'war on terrorism' be won?

Terrorists struck three five-star hotels in Amman Jordan Wednesday killing nearly 70 people and wounding 300. Meanwhile in Iraq, insurgents killed as many in bombings and assasinations the same day as they continued their attacks seemingly unchecked. Can terrorism be stopped? I don't think so. Here's why . . .
- Click here

Wednesday (11.09)
study freelance writing online

This being national writing month, just a reminder that I'm teaching an online class at Taylor University Fort Wayne called "ENG472E Freelance Writing." Okay, not a catchy title, but it teaches you everything you need to know to get published. It's a fully accredited four-hour class that you complete at your own pace completely online. Check it out.
- Class sylabus
- Enrollment information

writers' workshop Friday, Saturday

Wesleyan Publishing House's Christian Writers' Workshop with Keith Drury, Gloria Gaither, and moi will be held in Noblesville, Indiana, November 11 and 12.
- Click here for details
- Click here for my lecture notes from Online Writing
- Click here for my lecture notes from Self Editing

Tuesday (11.08)
unintelligent debate on 'intelligent design'

The court trial of Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District in Harrisburg, PA, has revealed just how threatened and insecure evolution proponents are. While they argue that any other theories of life's beginning are based on "religion," science itself is raising serious questions about the validity of their unproven theory.
- Does DNA disprove evolution?

- Georgia judge rules textbooks evolved [satire]
- San Francisco Chronicle coverage of Harrisburg trial
- Click for larger drawing of "simple cell"

Monday (11.07)
groups battle over interpreting Constitution, Bible

Long before U.S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor announced her retirement (and the President tried to find a replacement), battle lines were drawn concerning new Supreme Court nominees: pro-abortion vs. pro-life, pro-same-sex-unions vs. pro-traditional-marriage, [pro-fill-in-the-blank] vs. [pro-fill-in-the-opposite-blank]. Those fronts get Headline News coverage, but the real court conflict pits “strict constructionism” (what the Constitution says is what the Constitution means) against the “living, breathing document” front (what the Constitution says is open to interpretation and is evolving in our changing times). Hmmm? That sounds familiar to an even more important battle over how God’s law, the Bible, is interpreted in today’s world. Here are some thoughts, plus where I stand on issues facing the court:
- What does the Bible really say?
- Abortion
- Civil unions
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Prayer in public school
- Ten Commandments displays

Last week (10.30-)
November is writing month, so . . .

. . . how to break into a publisher's office, authors v. google, ten most influential books in my life, National Novel Writing Month, "I Love to Write" Day, Writers on Writing off the press, and that holiday on October 31.
- Click here

But wait, there's more . . .
enjoy 300 articles, book excerpts, humor . . .

archives
book reviews
comedy/drama
devotions
ecards
Espanol

forums
health
holidays
humor
issues
kid's page

love and sex
media
music
parenting
polls
quotations

spirituality
top ten lists
travel
writing tips
more

Read a book excerpt, then go to amazon.com and buy them for yourself, family, friends, co-workers, next door neighbor, paperboy, dentist, pastor, . . .

and now a word from our sponsor . . .

Thanks for stopping by! Hi, I'm Jim Watkins. Each week I try to bring my guests "heavy topics with a light touch" in articles and editorials on a variety of subjects—everything from sex to sects.

Email me at jim@jameswatkins.com and let me know how I can better serve you.

And, if you enjoyed your visit, please save it as a bookmark or favorites and come back for new material each week. Link it from your site. Then tell all your family, friends, and email pals know about it! Thanks!

You can also sign up for Friday's Spam-O-Gram with the best (?) of my writings for the week. To subscribe simply send an email without subject line or message to SPAM-subscribe@jameswatkins.com.

Finally (this is the last commercial, I promise), you can be a Pal and help Pay expenses for this site by contributing securely using any major credit card with PayPal:
"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well" (3 John 2).

fine print

© James Watkins. All text and graphics on my sites, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted © in my name, James N. Watkins, and are protected by United States copyright law and international copyright law under the Berne Convention. Please visit the press room for information on reprinting any text or graphics. Thanks!

WARNING: Reader assumes full responsibility for the proper and prescribed use of this site. For external use only. Discontinue if rash, redness, irritation, or swelling develops. If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. Side-effects may include drowsiness or mild to severe agitation. Do not read while operating heavy machinery. Keep away from open flame. Do not store above 475 degrees. Do not use near or place in water. Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of XarisCom.com, GospelCom.net, any other person using the name James Watkins, or any other person real or fictitious, living or dead. Void where prohibited.

This site is brought to you by XarisCom.com and hosted by . . .

We support . . .