On this date, exactly two years ago, I made the following predictions.

Monday, January 18, 2010
Predictions
Posted by Philip @ 2:24 pm CST

1-Mitt Romney will win the Republican Nomination in 2012... but will ultimately lose to Obama.

2-Wearing your pants too low will finally go out of fashion, the direct cause being the "Pants on the ground" song which the general public will start singing behind the backs of guys wear their pants that way. The harassment will just become too much, and one man will have destroyed a fashion with a little song as catchy as a commercial jingle, and decent Americans everywhere will rise up and call him a hero.

3-Arnold Schwarzenegger will make another Terminator movie after he moves out of the governor's mansion...because he will be desperate for popularity.

4-Joe Biden will not return for Obama's second term, citing family and personal reasons, and Hillary will insist on being VP.

5-Obama will kill the "From Moon to Mars" space program, saying we need the money here on earth.

6-Joel Osteen will resign from public ministry because of depression. Dude's gonna burn out.

7-We will find Osama Bin Laden.

So how am I doing?

Status So Far
1- Looking good so far. The probability that I will be right has increased.
2- Looking good so far. What do you think? Seen anyone wearing their pants too low lately?
3-Looking really good so far. News Story from April, 2011 that Arnie will star in Terminator 5 and will be directed by Justin Lin.
4-Not looking good, but not out of the question. People are talking about it.
5-Partially right. Obama killed the Bush version of the plan that involved going to the moon by 2020 and then Mars after that for financial reasons as I predicted. However, the plan now is to go to an asteroid and then Mars.
What I meant was that he'd cancel "Project: Constellation" which he did, but we are still going to Mars, so I wasn't totally correct. Sigh.
6- Not looking good. At all.
7- Done. Nailed that one. My one definite so far.

I was introduced to this by youngest daughter. At first I didn't know what to make of it, but I think it's darn funny (and innovative).



Fact!

(also, though we share a surname, there is no relation that I know of to the BoredShorts people).

Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Thinklings on Vimeo.

I swear this wasn't planned, in light of all the conversation around here these days.

Today is our youngest son Blake's 14th birthday, and we were at the grandparents tonight to celebrate. Blake's grandmother got him a Tebow jersey, and, well, watch the video if you're interested in seeing the Tebow jersey celebration.

. . . or this is Divine Intervention baby!

(from Failbook)

[H/T Althouse]

From the "Series of Unfortunate Events" Series, book #11 - "The Grim Grotto"

When you are invited to dine, particularly with people you do not know very well, it always helps to have a conversational opener, a phrase which here means "an interesting sentence to say out loud in order to get people talking."

Although lately it has become more and more difficult to attend dinner parties without the evening ending in gunfire or tapioca, I keep a list of good and bad conversational openers in my commonplace book in order to avoid awkward pauses at the dinner table.

"Who would like to see an assortment of photographs taken while I was on vacation?" for instance, is a very poor conversational opener, because it is likely to make your fellow diners shudder instead of talk, whereas good conversational openers are sentences such as "What would drive a man to commit arson?," " Why do so many stories of true love end in tragedy and despair?," and "Madame diLustro, I believe I've discovered your true identity!," all of which are likely to provoke discussions, arguments, and accusations, thus making the dinner party much more entertaining.

So there you go. What conversational openers would you put in your commonplace book that are sure to make for an interesting evening (if a bit controversial)? Please make suggestions under comments.

Here's a few of mine:

"I don't know about you, but I'm thinking about a nose job."

"Did anybody here have trouble finding matching socks today?"

"Can you tell me if my nose hair trimmer was working before I left the house in a hurry to come here?"

"You look just like someone who beat me up once."

"The last time I saw a necklace like that was the night before someone stole it from my grandmother."

"Why are soda cans measured in ounces while large bottles are measured in liters?"

"What celebrity do you most look like?"

"I think it would make for a great evening if we all ate our spaghetti with our elbows. Who's with me?"

"If I ran for president would you vote for me?"

You get the idea...Now let me hear yours...

Big Time Rush is strangely compelling . . .

It might make you feel better. Don't believe me? How about NFL Defensive Lineman Rosey Grier.



FYI - Grier played with the Giants from 1955 to 1962, during which he led the team to a NFL Championship in 1956 and the Eastern Conference Championship in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1962. Grier was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1956 and 1960, and was named All-Pro at the defensive tackle position in 1956 and 1958–1962. Grier was traded in 1963 to the Los Angeles Rams. He was part of the "Fearsome Foursome", along with Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, and Lamar Lundy,often considered one of the best defensive lines in football history.
(Oh, and he also tackled Robert F. Kennedy's assassin. Now if that don't qualify you for the man card, I don't know what does.)


Still don't believe me AND Rosey Grier? Read the post below. If that won't convince you, nothing will. :gcryingsmiley:

Nerdiest Correction Ever? Bah. In my opinion this is just the New York Times performing a vital public service.



[H/T Instapundit]

In case you have no idea what this is about, here is the original version of the song that caused all the hooplah. It's amazing how songs can be redeemed.

Just like lives.

If you are like me and wondering what is going on, read this article.

Silver Carp are an invasive species that are infesting midwestern waters. They are even now threatening the great lakes. They get spooked by boats and start jumping like that. So this video is quite funny, but in reality Silver Carp are bad news. (Some have taken to bowhunting them when they jump.)

Is this worth a minute and a half of your time? You bet it is! (Hey, "bet" starts with "B"!)

Cool Footwear....you may have to explain why it's funny to some people...but in this case I think that explaining the joke will only add to the enjoyment.



Hint...click the link or right mouse click and view image info if you haven't gotten the joke yet...

Oh and as a bonus, when you wiggle your toes, his tongue wags.

- I literally had no idea who Justin Bieber was until about 4 weeks ago. I still don't really know anything about the dude, except for the fact that Phil thinks he's charming and Jared hates him with a perfect hatred.

- I'm looking forward to the Gospel Wakefulness Conference. I hope I win a door prize.

- Farewell, Rob Bell.

- I still love my Kindle, like a man loves a woman -- well, not quite like that I guess. The iPad, smartphone, and Nook snobs just don't understand the beauty of a high-tech device that isn't backlit and doesn't have a touch screen. At breakfast one day, a friend of mine said, "If it's not backlit, how do you read it?" I picked up the menu and said, "The same way you read this."

- The other night there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I was walking to our barn to close the chicken coop, and was just dumbstruck by the beauty of the night sky. No painting, no piece of music, no human creation at all, could be as beautiful as the moon and the thousands (millions?) of twinkling lights, shooting stars (saw one), and other heavenly delights that are ours to enjoy, just by looking upwards at night. Wow.

- Farewell, Bigfoot atheists. (Just kidding. Maybe. We'll see. Fingers crossed. :-)

- This clip is funny and scary all at the same time. Hat tip to my homey at Counted As Righteousness:



- Have a great Saturday. Here in Waco, the weather is drop dead gorgeous.

- Oh, on more thing:

Where oh where can my Billboy, be? The Lord took him away from me. He's gone to Heaven [apparently], so I've got to be good, so I can see my Billboy when I leave this world [this is bad theology, by the way]

I've never heard his music or seen him perform and I probably never will. (I'm sure I'd hate it.) I've never even heard the kid speak out loud. But I still have 5 reasons to root for him.

Reason #1 - I'm not supposed to. I'm almost 40. I'm male. And he's the latest pop craze. Guys like me are supposed to roll our eyes and make fun of cute little teen idols like him. He's supposed to be the easy butt of jokes (like Barney the Dinosaur). So because I'm a rebel, I like to like people I'm supposed to hate. (I'm going against the grain...at least for my demographic!) Plus his Cinderella story is pretty cool. Kid got a record deal because his mom put him on Youtube. Man, put away your cynicism for a minute. That's cool. (Yaaay Mom!)

Reason #2 - Reviews of his new movie "Never Say Never." One minute movie review guy points out that it is a hagiography, so he isn't surprised that he comes out of the film liking Justin Bieber. Just the same, it seems that there is genuine material there to work with. (Making this "documentary" wouldn't have been like trying to make Charlie Sheen or Anna Nicole Smith likeable.)

Focus on the Family's Plugged-In Online has this to say:

"Me and the guy from Extreme Home Makeover have the best job in the world," manager Scooter Braun tells us at one point. "We get paid to make people happy." Illustrating the point, a lengthy, heartwarming segment shows the tour crew wading into throngs of people gathered before each show, looking for a few unfortunates who don't have tickets … and then giving them choice seats.

The movie also goes out of its way to show that the people around Justin are striving mightily to make sure his story doesn't turn out like that of so many other teen stars before him. Braun says, "Ninety percent of my job is helping him become a good man." And the camera pauses respectfully as several folks in Justin's entourage pray for him. Those around him are portrayed as being levelheaded and determined to help him navigate the almost certain pitfalls that lie ahead.

It's not fair, though, to end with dour doubts about the future when I began with such pleasant surprise about the present. Because for now at least, whether he's wearing a shirt or not, what Justin Bieber offers his legions of young fans is a relatively wholesome alternative to the racier offerings of many of his teen contemporaries—and most of his adult ones.

Reason #3 - The Plugged-In Online review of song "Pray" Now, I haven't heard the song, nor do I care to. But I liked what I read.

The tune—the only new song on Bieber's My Worlds Accoustic album—suggests that the pop star does pray. And not, apparently about his own celebrity weirdness. Rather, he prays "for the brokenhearted … for the life not started … for all the ones not breathing … for all the souls in need."

"I just can't sleep tonight," he sings, "knowing that things ain't right/It's in the papers/It's on the TV/It's everywhere that I go/Children are crying/Soldiers are dying/Some people don't have a home."

It's tempting to treat this song as just another bit of pop fluff from the prince of pop fluff—an innocuous slice of pseudo-spiritual milquetoast for fans always eager to believe the best of him even as adults worry that the boy is becoming ever more a part of (and perhaps a leader of) the cynical, soulless pop machine. But that isn't exactly fair. Bieber, we know, was raised by a churchgoing mother. And when secular record labels came calling, she was reportedly wary. "God, I gave him to you," Pattie Mallette recalled in an interview with The New York Times. "You could send me a Christian man, a Christian label!" Bieber, of course, did not end up on a Christian label. But "Pray," more than anything the young Canadian crush has recorded to date, perhaps indicates that his mother's spiritual convictions and influence have not been completely in vain.

Once again, let's give it up for Justin's Mom! (Update: I later looked this quote up, and in context, Mom's not making a strong statement of faith, she was reacting to the fact that Scooter Braun was Jewish.)

Reason # 4 - For his 17th Birthday, Justin is asking his gazillion fans to give $17 each to Charity: Water.

"I have had an incredible year and it is all due to the fans helping me live my dream. I'm turning 17 years old on Tuesday and have so much to be grateful for!" Bieber wrote on the charity's website. "So this year, I really want my birthday to be all about helping others. Instead of asking for gifts, I'm asking friends, family and fans to consider donating $17 for my 17th birthday to help make a change," he continued. "One hundred percent of all donations go directly to building clean water projects in developing countries with Charity: Water, and we'll be able to see photos and GPS of the projects we helped build!"

The teen star then gave his fans some facts about they should get involved. "Together, we've made a big difference for many causes. Did you know that about 4,500 kids die each day from waterborne disease?" he shared. "By building clean water projects for villages that need them, we can prevent this! I want to make my birthday matter this year — let's make it so more kids can grow up to have a 17th birthday like me. Join me to make a change.

"I'm really so grateful for my family, friends and fans — and I believe we can do something big to help bring clean water to people in need," he added. "Even if you don't have $17 to give, I just ask you to go out in your community and try and make a positive difference. Even the smallest act of kindness can go a long way. Thanks and God Bless! #makeachange."

As it turns out, his call has already been answered by his fans. Charity: Water tweeted, " Thanks to all you Beliebers, we hit $7 million raised on mycharity: water today! #makeachange."

(Source.) $7 Million dollars all because Justin was willing to take a few minutes to write a note to his fans. Wow. The kid seems to realize the power he has right now, and wants to use it as a force for good. It seems that at least right now, he is trying to be a good steward of what he's been given and not squandering it on riotous living.

Reason #5 (And possibly the best) - Kid's got mad B-Ball Skillz, Yo.




UPDATE: Don't go out and buy Bieber records for your daughter based on this post. I don't actually think he's a "Christian role model."

going through your head all day. Trust me. It's educational. :-) You'll thank me later.



You're welcome!