asisaid Challenge Returns: Predestination

The Rules of the Challenge
You are on your honor not to Google or otherwise use electronic search tools to find the answers. The points will only be awarded to (a) regular commenters on asisaid or (b) people I know well via other means. I reserve the right to determine what these two categories mean and further reserve the right to disqualify any participant at any time for any reason. Call it unconditional election, if you wish and think that isn't potentially presumptuous coming from a mere mortal.

There is no guarantee of prize value or receipt and no purchase necessary to receive it. The prizes have no cash value and will be awarded at the sole discretion of Timothy R. Butler. I reserve the right to end the Challenge at any time. Domain registration, if chosen, will be provided through Universal Networks and its registrar affiliate. Void where prohibited. You must be of legal age, typically 18 years old, to participate in this challenge for a prize. All ages and locales are welcome to participate “just for fun.”

Jack and Squat

If you didn't catch this going around the internet yet, here is a little presidential address from last Saturday to brighten your day.

Tullian's Take

I don't claim to be well versed enough in the situation to make a clear statement on who is right in the Coral Ridge conflict, but I like what Tullian Tchividjian said in an op-ed published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

Finally, whenever you see any of us who claim to be “Christ followers” behaving in a manner that is unlike Jesus, please forgive us. And please let that be a reflection on us, and not on Him. As imperfect people, we will continue to let you down and disappoint you, but Jesus will never let you down—he will never disappoint you. This conflict has “given the world the justification they're looking for to disbelieve the gospel”, and I am sorry.

Very true.

Can You Tell Helvetica from Arial?

Think you know your fonts? Try this quiz that takes famous logos using the Helvetica typeface to see if you can spot the (original) Helvetica version versus the Arial version.

HT: John Gruber. (Incidentally, I got 20/20, which means I get at least a brief moment to glory over the aesthetically astute John Gruber.)

Preparing to Preach

I'm trying my first attempt at preaching a Psalm this week. I'm preaching from Psalm 54, which is related to either 1 Samuel 23 or 26. Here's the text of the Psalm (ESV):

TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A MASKIL OF DAVID, WHEN THE ZIPHITES WENT AND TOLD SAUL, “IS NOT DAVID HIDING AMONG US?”

O God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
O God, hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah
Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your faithfulness put an end to them.
With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.
For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

I'm excited.

Love Story

Is it just me, or is it extremely encouraging that a song that has been consistently sitting near the top of both country and A/C charts for the better part of the year alludes to two major pieces of literature, one of which forms the overarching conceit for the song?

Of course, it will be a sad day when a teacher gets an essay exam back with the answer to “Who was Romeo?” being “a character in a song by Taylor Swift.” Sad, but inevitable.

Musical Answers

Melissa tagged me on Facebook with a meme in which one takes a recording artist's song titles and attempts to answer a series of questions using only those titles. It was a challenge, but I thought I'd give it a go:

1. Pick your Artist:
EVANESCENCE

2. Are you a male or female:
THE ONLY ONE

3.Describe yourself:
IMAGINARY

4. How do you feel:
HAUNTED

5. Describe where you currently live:
GOOD ENOUGH

6. If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
YOUR STAR

7. Your favorite form of transportation:
GOING UNDER

8. Your best friend is:
TAKING OVER ME

9. You and your best friend are:
FARTHER AWAY

10. What's the weather like:
WHISPER

11. If your life were a TV show, what would it be called:
ALL THAT I'M LIVING FOR

12. What is life to you:
SWEET SACRIFICE

13. Your current relationship:
MISSING

14. Your fear:
MY IMMORTAL

15. What is the best advice you have to give:
LOSE CONTROL

16. Thought for the Day:
LACRYMOSA

17. How you would like to die:
MY LAST BREATH

18. Your soul's present condition:
TOURNIQUET

19. My motto:
BRING ME TO LIFE

Snow Leopard Bible

I'm excited. Tomorrow is launch day. No, not of Snow Leopard (though I am excited about that too), but of the Snow Leopard Bible. Two really excellent writers, Galen Gruman and Mark Hattersley, wrote most of this book and I think it will be a great resource for those wanting to tackle Snow Leopard head on. But, there is “one more thing:” they wrote most of it, but I'm thrilled to say I was the third (albeit minor) contributor.

This is my first contribution to go into book form and it was a genuine pleasure to work on. I contributed the chapter in the book on Mac OS X's UNIX functionality, which was a topic I am certainly excited about. Aaron Black, the purchasing editor, and Marty Minner, the project editor, were both top notch folks that made the task enjoyable and I'm glad I had the opportunity to work with them.

Certainly, getting to work with Snow Leopard ahead of its release was great too, although not being able to talk about it for months was a frustrating!

If you'd like a copy of the book, you can get it in print or pulp-free Kindle editions over at Amazon.com (associate links).

Ben's Back

The majority of the Fallen-era Evanescence has regrouped as “We are the Fallen.” This notably including Ben Moody and John LeCompt, the two lost pieces of the ever firing and hiring band known as Evanescence that I think were the biggest losses. The band lives up to its name in ways. While I am not nearly as critical of the Open Door era Evanescence as many — I actually have grown to like that album quite a bit — I do think the firing of LeCompt afterward it came out was a huge loss that will surely show in the 2010 album.

And, while I didn't dislike the second album, there is no doubt that the band shifted tone after Moody left. Something of the old Evanescence is worth continuing to explore and I think there is potential for the two distinct bands now headed by Moody and Amy Lee to produce interesting music in the future. I'm looking forward to seeing what “We are the Fallen” comes up with.

This video shows promise, picking up some distinctly Fallen-esque tones. In another video of inferior recorded quality, the band performed “Going Under” almostly exactly as it sounded on Fallen.

Certified Pre-Owned Cats

Ingenious marketing. The only question: since when are cats “owned” and not “owners”?

Hat tip: Autoblog