tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75724682011-04-21T16:10:45.729-05:00A blog about inner-city Minneapolis. Faith. Politics. Ministry. Life.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comBlogger1601100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1131743197666429472005-11-11T15:05:00.000-06:002005-11-11T15:06:37.676-06:00

My blog has moved to a permanent home at peterrieke.com. Stop by and say hi.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1131569368915479392005-11-09T14:41:00.000-06:002005-11-09T14:49:28.930-06:00

Reuters geefully proclaims that last night's election results represent "trouble for Bush."Maybe so. What does it matter? It also means trouble for the Left, since they seem to keep forgetting that Bush WILL NEVER STAND FOR ELECTION AGAIN.The simple fact is that if principled, viable Republican candidates emerge in 2006 and 2008, the Republicans will easily maintain their control of federal

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1131394753227781372005-11-07T14:06:00.000-06:002005-11-07T14:19:13.236-06:00

I catch the bus each morning at the corner of Bloomington Avenue and 27th Street in South Minneapolis. The corner is usually populated with a colorful assortment of drug dealers and purchasers, prostitutes and single moms with kids in tow. This morning as I waited for my bus into downtown, a school bus happened to drive past. One of the dealers who was standing on the corner picked up a rock,

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1129828111891490352005-10-20T11:44:00.000-05:002005-10-20T12:08:31.986-05:00

Today's Star Tribune contains an opinion piece by state Rep. Phil Krinkie, who is chairman of the Minnesota House Taxes Committee. After the obligatory (and deserved) pot shot at the Vikings' Love Boat cruise, Krinkie vows that no new tax money will be allocated for stadium without a public referrendum. Anoka and Hennepin counties are currently considering sales tax increases to fund new

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1129564918857323312005-10-17T10:48:00.000-05:002005-10-17T11:01:58.863-05:00

The idiocy of the Minnesota Vikings over the past ten days has motivated me to return to the blog.In case you haven't heard, several Vikings players have been implicated in an out-of-control party cruise on Lake Minnetonka over the bye week, at which there were duffel bags full of sex toys, strippers, and sex acts being performed in full public view. On any other team, we would call this a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1126788872417335172005-09-15T07:52:00.000-05:002005-09-15T07:54:32.423-05:00

I'm toying with the idea of leaving this site for something else.I'm testing out Xanga right now.Updates to follow.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1126621640498148232005-09-13T09:27:00.000-05:002005-09-13T09:27:20.543-05:00

The Wall Street Journal's Brendan Miniter hits the nail on the head with today's column, which carries the subtitle, "long before Katrina, the welfare state failed New Orleans' poor." He writes: We still only have anecdotal evidence to go on, and we can be hopeful as the death toll remains far below the thousands originally predicted. But it's reasonable to surmise that Sen. Kennedy is correct

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1126534233221613892005-09-12T08:50:00.000-05:002005-09-12T09:10:33.266-05:00

At least we scored more points than the Packers.Unfortunately, the Vikings weren't playing the Packers yesterday, they were playing the Tampa Bay Bucs, to whom they lost 24-13 at the Metrodome.After a near-perfect preseason, Daunte Culpepper played his worst game as a pro. He committed five turnovers (including two interceptions in the red zone) and could only manage 233 yards passing. He was not

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1126208387473794922005-09-08T14:39:00.000-05:002005-09-08T14:39:47.513-05:00

I’m going to post my NFL picks each week this season. Feel free to post yours in the comments – maybe I’ll make enough money blogging to sponsor a prize at the end of the year. (Winners are in bold.Oakland @ New EnglandHouston @ BuffaloCincinnati @ Cleveland (who cares?)NY Jets @ Kansas CityDenver @ MiamiTampa Bay @ MinnesotaTennessee @ PittsburghChicago @ WashingtonNew Orleans @ Carolina (Going

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1126192672661785722005-09-08T10:17:00.000-05:002005-09-08T10:17:52.710-05:00

It’s always sad when smart people embarrass themselves by saying stupid things in public. It’s especially sad when someone as smart as insightful as Thomas Friedman takes stupidity to a new level like he does in his latest column. A wire-to-wire bash-fest aimed at the President, Friedman’s offering is so full of falsehoods it’s remarkable that it passed his paper’s fact-checkers.Of course, his

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1125495413662004332005-08-31T08:24:00.000-05:002005-08-31T08:36:53.666-05:00

22-year-old Matthew Koso of Falls City, Nebraska is charged with raping a 14-year-old girl. Who happens to be his wife. And the mother of his baby.Apparently, Mr. Koso started "pursuing" his now-wife Crystal when she was twelve and he was twenty. After getting her pregnant (and to his credit, if you ask me), Matthew and Crystal got married with her parents' approval in Kansas, where such

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1125460173688279792005-08-30T22:37:00.000-05:002005-08-30T22:49:33.696-05:00

The latest from Northwest Airlines' mechanics union:In a show of support, a long line of Democratic politicians and community members told striking Northwest mechanics Saturday to hold strong against a war being waged on labor by corporations across the nation. Hundreds of mechanics, some dressed in their work uniforms and others wearing black T-shirts with "scab hunter" emblazoned on them,

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1125454284627616422005-08-30T21:03:00.000-05:002005-08-30T21:11:24.633-05:00

To say the least, it doesn't look good for New Orleans and southern Mississippi.For those looking to get involved, I am reccommending a donation to the Compassion Ministries arm of the Evangelical Free Church of America. The EFCA is the denomination I belong to, and it has an urban ministry center locaed in New Orleans, as well as a number of churches in the area. It will work through them to get

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1125009275995819912005-08-25T17:34:00.000-05:002005-08-25T17:36:29.916-05:00

Shane Raynor at WesleyBlog has a post up about whether unborn babies feel pain, and the possible implications for the abortion debate.One commenter pointed out what he viewed as hypocrisy on the part of Christians who oppose abortion but support the Iraq war and the death penalty:Life is life- whether it's in the womb, standing on a street corner in Iraq, or sitting on death row.The following is

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124830099373166542005-08-23T15:48:00.000-05:002005-08-23T15:48:19.373-05:00

65 Girls At Area School Pregnant. Quote from article: "School officials are not sure what has caused so many pregnancies ..." Wow. I hope someone is looking into it.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124822935379135242005-08-23T13:38:00.000-05:002005-08-23T13:51:06.676-05:00

LifeSite has an interview with Howard Phillips, former Presidential candidate and one of the few conservatives who opposed David Souter’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Phillips expresses doubts about John Roberts’ commitment to overturn Roe v. Wade should such an opportunity present itself. His take: Basically my position has been that in the case of Sandra Day O’Connor and in the case of

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124814655124102042005-08-23T11:29:00.000-05:002005-08-23T11:30:55.130-05:00

Piper:... God himself is the foundation for our commitment to a pluralistic democratic order—not because pluralism is his ultimate ideal, but because in a fallen world, legal coercion will not produce the kingdom of God. Christians agree to make room for non-Christian faiths (including naturalistic, materialistic faiths), not because commitment to God’s supremacy is unimportant, but because it

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124811471781026682005-08-23T10:31:00.000-05:002005-08-23T10:51:24.386-05:00

Tim Ellsworth blogs about the nationalized education curriculum proposed by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano. Among other problems which ought to be obvious (e.g., control of schools transferred from the local level to Washington), it will cost $325 billion over the next 10 years.I have ranted and raved before about the amount of money we flush down the toilet on education. Tim's analysis pretty

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124800639356836702005-08-23T07:37:00.000-05:002005-08-23T07:37:19.360-05:00

Does it work now (test)?

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124799245687460732005-08-23T07:14:00.000-05:002005-08-23T07:14:05.766-05:00

Anybody know why my Haloscan comments and trackback keep disappearing?

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124753399761998262005-08-22T18:29:00.000-05:002005-08-22T18:29:59.766-05:00

I grew up in the golden age of the Quiet Time Craze. If you attended an evangelical church in the United States between 1994 and 2000 (approximately), you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not sure who invented it, but everyone was being told that the solution to every spiritual problem - and many non-spiritual problems as well – was certainly the absence of a Quiet Time. Feeling lonely

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124751053038993342005-08-22T17:50:00.000-05:002005-08-22T17:50:53.043-05:00

I started using the Blogger add-on for MS Word. I like it a lot. I’ve always been driven nuts by the tiny little composition box that Blogger has. The BlogThis! Tool is a slight improvement, but doesn’t have all of the formatting options I like. Funny thing is, Word’s spellcheck doesn’t recognize the word “blog.” I foresee great things for the future of Microsoft.As you may notice, I changed blog

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124750253485379712005-08-22T17:37:00.000-05:002005-08-22T17:37:33.490-05:00

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124671462009284942005-08-21T19:41:00.000-05:002005-08-21T19:44:22.013-05:00

Local boy done good.Marvin Olasky at WorldMagBlog posted on a comment I made about good works as a response to faith.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124374055061561972005-08-18T09:07:00.000-05:002005-08-18T09:07:35.123-05:00

I have yet to post on the sad (and fast-becoming pathetic) story of Cindy Sheehan, the Army-mom-cum-war-protester who is currently camped outside of President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, TX. A lot of people have introduced the subject of Ms. Sheehan and her protest by saying something to the effect of, “I don’t want to judge a grieving mother.” I’m not going to do that. Quite honestly, I have no

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1124290073029995992005-08-17T09:47:00.000-05:002005-08-17T09:47:53.080-05:00

A good Laff. Today's lead editorial in the Star Tribune trots out the tired old lefty line that tax cuts don't help the economy. Talk about beating a dead horse. The Strib editors are sort of partially correct when they point out that the federal deficit increased after Kennedy's tax cuts in the 1960s, after Reagan's tax cuts in the 1980s, and after Bush's tax cuts last term. While that's true,

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1123869403192161472005-08-12T12:56:00.000-05:002005-08-12T12:56:43.230-05:00

One might add that the relationship between being a Muslim terrorist and being a Muslim is more than a statistical fact, it is a logical tautology. By definition, all Muslim terrorists are Muslims. If Colbert King and the rest of the political elites don't like this association, they should take their complaint to Osama bin Laden. Until Osama, in deference to Americans' delicate sensibilities

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1123785350356321632005-08-11T13:22:00.000-05:002005-08-11T13:35:50.363-05:00

Local Stuff: Nick Coleman's radio show got canned.Hat tip: Fraters Libertas.Nick Coleman, the Star Tribune's hard-left, unintentional satirist apparently had his daily radio program cancelled by our local Air America station. Much to the disappointment to those of us who counted on Nick for a daily dose of lefty illogic good for an eye roll and hearty laugh (which, they say, is good for your

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1123783557369183552005-08-11T12:57:00.000-05:002005-08-11T13:05:57.376-05:00

The Rich Young Rulers of Orange County.Morgan Murray, guest blogger at It Takes A Church and a pastor in San Juan Capistrano, CA, has some interesting thoughts on churches reaching out to young professionals based on the story of the Rich Young Ruler: In a recent conversation with a colleague, I said that I believed there was no “silver bullet” for the outreach-to-young-families problem. “Oh,

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1123778979238216472005-08-11T11:08:00.000-05:002005-08-11T11:49:39.296-05:00

Sort-of book review.I've been reading D.A. Carson's book Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications and have been fairly impressed so far.My assumption is that those reading this blog will at least be somewhat familiar with the emerging church, those who aren't can get a pretty good idea here, here and here.Carson notes some of the many strengths

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1123775571782608032005-08-11T10:35:00.000-05:002005-08-11T10:52:51.813-05:00

Next week will be a good week for music.The re-release of Robbie Seay Band's Better Days comes out on Tuesday. Audio clips are available on the band's website, and they make this sound like a really promising album. RSB is one of the two or three best Christian acts at the moment, but they have yet to achieve much commercial success. The new album has better hooks and a slightly more mainstream

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1123774062852997752005-08-11T10:09:00.000-05:002005-08-11T10:27:42.856-05:00

A coup on the throne of Christian thought.David Bayly of Baylyblog has an interesting series of posts going about the place of philosophy in Christian understanding, in reaction to this post, which argues that the "high priesthood" of the church (presumably, the Evangelical church) is being passed from psychologists to philosophers. I think that is, to an extent, a good thing - the touchy-feely

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1123601761386554392005-08-09T10:36:00.000-05:002005-08-09T10:36:43.306-05:00

Start the Revolution.New York Times columnist David Brooks writes about positive social trends that have been taking place since the early 1990s:Teenage pregnancy has declined by 28 percent since its peak in 1990. Teenage births are down significantly and, according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the number of abortions performed in the country has also been declining since the early 1990'

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1123595269033229472005-08-09T08:47:00.000-05:002005-08-09T08:47:49.080-05:00

New World. WorldMagBlog is one of my most frequent stops in the blogosphere due to its excellent writing and Christian perspective on each day's news. Some of the commenters are so conservative they make me look like a hippie, but that just adds to the entertainment. It's a very well-run site. So it's excellent news that WorldMagBlog's new editor is Joe Carter of Evangelical Outpost, also one of

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1122930192199126772005-08-01T16:03:00.000-05:002005-08-01T16:03:12.233-05:00

Short-term missions trips with long-term impact. Tod Bolsinger at It Takes A Church has a really insightful series of posts on the topic of short-term missions trips. Having gone on five such trips during my high school years and a couple more in college, I can agree with a lot of what he has to say. Especially this: Every mission experience should last at least a year. Now I don’t mean that

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1122906090514491192005-08-01T08:33:00.000-05:002005-08-01T09:21:58.486-05:00

Go and make disciples ...Joe Carter of Evangelical Outpost has a great post on the "Seven Deadly Trappings of Evangelism" that is definitely worth checking out. Carter does a great job of pointint out how we evangelicals often act like Jesus told us to go and make converts rather than disciples. According to Joe, the offending fixtures are:(1) The Sinner's PrayerI'm totally with Joe on this one.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1122405716172698672005-07-26T14:10:00.000-05:002005-07-26T14:21:56.176-05:00

"Poverty wages" from today's Washington Post:This summer, Lorelei Emma, a 28-year-old special-ed teacher at Columbia Elementary in Annandale, teaches summer school in the mornings, tutors, dog-sits, house-sits and drives out to Lexington each weekend to work at her family's flower shop. Even with all that, and with mom's help on her student loan and car payments, Emma lives in a small bedroom

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1122394796375439432005-07-26T11:19:00.000-05:002005-07-26T11:19:56.433-05:00

One way to eleminate spam: A notorious Russion spammer was found dead in his apartment on Sunday, after apparently suffering repeated blows to the head. Don't say the thought never crossed your mind.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1122250540129747942005-07-24T19:04:00.000-05:002005-07-24T19:15:40.136-05:00

Don't exegete the painting, exegete the Word as you paint.Tim Ellsworth got me thinking with a post on a recent PBS interview with emerging church guru Brian McLaren. McLaren was popping off about how much better emergent worship services are, and made reference to "exeget[ing]" a painting in place of a traditional sermon.Tim and some of his commenters did a good job of giving Mr. McLaren the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1122060527747415932005-07-22T14:28:00.000-05:002005-07-22T14:28:47.790-05:00

Don't drink the water. The EPA is going to start testing for arsenic in the soil of East Phillips. They say it's just going to be a couple guys walking around with canning jars and trowels. I'll be on the lookout for hazmat space suits anyway. According to the handy map provided, my house is just outside the testing area. Which may mean that my beloved postage-stamp lawn is arsenic free, but

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1122041625393372512005-07-22T08:43:00.000-05:002005-07-22T09:13:45.426-05:00

Amazing.Anita Hill wrote an opinion piece for Newsday complaining that President Bush's nomination of John Roberts for the Supreme Court is "a step back for diversity." She wonders,[W]as John Roberts chosen because he's the best choice for the court or because he may easily be confirmed? And why not choose a woman to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman on the Supreme

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1121955080331610612005-07-21T09:11:00.000-05:002005-07-21T09:17:13.153-05:00

I agree with a Star Tribune editorial.Everyone go buy lotto tickets and somebody check the temperature in hell.Today's Strib endorses a bill proposed by Minnesota Rep. Martin Sabo called the "Income Equity Act." Without getting too inside baseball, it works like this: Corporations are allowed to deduct the cost of doing business from their taxable earnings. One such cost is paying the company's

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1121836092127513652005-07-19T23:56:00.000-05:002005-07-20T00:13:48.123-05:00

Justice John Roberts.He gets lots of praise from Hugh Hewitt, who used to work with him in the White House Counsel's office. Red State reports that his wife used to serve as the EVP of Feminists for Life, and the kind of person with whom you share your bed says something, at least to me. Nonetheless, there's some carping over at World over a statements Roberts made about Roe v. Wade being the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1121787081509110922005-07-19T10:08:00.000-05:002005-07-19T10:31:21.523-05:00

Murderapolis. Murders in the city of Minneapolis are up 55% this year. Scott Johnson of Powerline attributes this to opposition from liberals who derride effective policing strategies as racial profiling. I think that's part of it. Katherine Kersten gets a little deeper in noting that the young black males who are responsible for most of the violence are victims of poverty. Not economic

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1121785490354291522005-07-19T09:44:00.000-05:002005-07-19T10:06:51.056-05:00

Birth control is the topic of the day - I'm embroiled in discussion here and here about what the right path for Christians is on this issue. This article by John Piper has been most influential in forming my thoughts, which are:1. Children are a gift from God to be accepted with joy. This isn't how the rest of the world views them, but it's how Christians should.2. Scripture seems fairly clear

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1121276642978459392005-07-13T12:44:00.000-05:002005-07-13T12:44:03.003-05:00

After The Loss is a blog started by a woman who recently had an abortion. "Recently" as in last week. I encourage everyone, whether a supporter or foe of abortion, to read every word. With the abortion debate being revived big-time in preparation for the upcoming Supreme Court nomination, I'm finding it hard to remember what's really being debated. Beneath the political circus are real

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120839953208943062005-07-08T11:05:00.000-05:002005-07-08T11:25:53.223-05:00

Supreme Speculation.RedState reports that "Conservatives across Washington really are buzzing that [Supreme Court Justice] Stevens will leave before [Chief Justice] Rehnquist."Conventional wisdom says that the Court's liberal wing will hold on as long as possible, in the hopes that a Democrat will get elected President in 2008. Or that the Dems will win the Senate back in 2006, thus denying Bush

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120800453107472302005-07-08T00:14:00.000-05:002005-07-08T00:29:22.986-05:00

Bombs in London.The Belmont Club gets it ...Just a few comments in the aftermath of the attack on London. The first and most important hard fact to grasp is that this Al Qaeda strike, their first against an Anglosphere city since 9/11, has caused much less damage than that on New York. This despite the fact that Al Qaeda has had nearly four years to brood on its humiliations and losses and to

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120760098042047002005-07-07T12:10:00.000-05:002005-07-07T13:14:58.043-05:00

I added some new links to my blogroll:Tim Ellsworth - good site I happened upon. Church stuff, politics, sports, etc. Author appears to be a Cardinals fan, and Cardinals fans are widely known as the smartest in baseball. I say this because it's true, not because he's linking to me. Mostly.Confirm Them - Good coverage of the upcoming SCOTUS nomination fight.RedState.org - A good political

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120706456475189412005-07-06T22:20:00.000-05:002005-07-06T22:20:56.506-05:00

Here's what passes for logic these days over at the Star Tribune editorial board: Moreover, Congress itself has some culpability in the airlines' predicament. It deregulated the industry in 1978, opening the market to a batch of new carriers such as Southwest and JetBlue that operate without the burden of traditional labor benefits taken on by "legacy" carriers such as Northwest and Delta in

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120593920587754872005-07-05T15:04:00.000-05:002005-07-05T15:05:39.843-05:00

Couldn't have said it better myself:Look, I understand that Attorney General Gonzales is your friend, Mr. President, and I admire your loyalty to him. But understand this: I don't like being played or lied to. And if you nominate Gonzales over all the other fine originalist (and much more qualified) candidates on your short list, that is exactly what you will have done to the judicial and social

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120579156455526622005-07-05T10:59:00.000-05:002005-07-05T10:59:16.486-05:00

Overturning Roe v. Wade could backfire on the GOP, according to Peter Wallsten of the LA Times: Strategists worry that overturning Roe would make abortion a top-tier political issue again, galvanizing liberals and moderates who have long assumed that the issue was settled. At the same time, it would eliminate a major organizing principle of the evangelical movement that gained prominence in last

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120570186518817482005-07-05T08:29:00.000-05:002005-07-05T08:29:46.523-05:00

Fred Barnes on how to keep the nominee for Sandra Day O'Connor's seat from getting Borked.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120568621017085142005-07-05T07:45:00.000-05:002005-07-05T08:03:41.023-05:00

More on the follies of Live8 from Mark Steyn of the Daily Telegraph:The system that enriched them [the Live8 performers] could enrich Africa. But capitalism's the one cause the poseurs never speak up for. The rockers demand we give our fokkin' money to African dictators to manage, while they give their fokkin' money to Winthrop Stimson Putnam & Roberts to manage. Which of those models makes more

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120489797379142172005-07-04T10:09:00.000-05:002005-07-04T16:08:21.863-05:00

"The only way for us to come out of poverty is to work hard." So said Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene after calling the Live8 concerts that took place on Saturday "a fake." The Washington Post has an excellent story on the disconnect between the G-8 summit objectives and the real needs of poor Africans. I was unimpressed by the Live8 concerts for several reasons. For one thing, watching

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120229833514982182005-07-01T09:57:00.000-05:002005-07-01T09:58:06.240-05:00

Sandra Day O'Connor is retiring from the Supreme Court. As long as Rhenquist decides to stay on and gun for the longest tenure in the Court's history, this is excellent news for Bush. It's an opportunity to replace a habitual swing-voter with a solid conservative jurist. Frighteningly, every major news story I've read mentions Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as a possible replacement.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120224606064451962005-07-01T08:28:00.000-05:002005-07-01T08:30:06.073-05:00

Mark Hemingway agrees with me in National Review. If teachers want to increase the diminished prestige of their profession and be compensated better — they can be allowed earn what they deserve. In some cases that might be a fortune. But to complain about teachers being underpaid without addressing the issue of merit pay is like staring down the barrel of a gun and fretting about being

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120145956279820052005-06-30T10:39:00.000-05:002005-06-30T10:39:16.323-05:00

Today's Pioneer Press editorial page shills for higher teacher salaries. It's an unremarkable and predictable opinion piece save for this bit of creative mathematics: Earlier the man claimed to have proof that public teacher salaries in Minnesota take up 85 percent of district budgets. Eighty-five percent. He didn't mention what we both knew, that most teachers are (gulp) women and belong to a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120133072686781612005-06-30T07:04:00.000-05:002005-06-30T07:05:49.320-05:00

This is the funniest thing I've heard in months:Weare, New Hampshire (PRWEB) Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter's land.Justice Souter's vote in the "Kelo vs. City of New

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120071594841310322005-06-29T13:59:00.000-05:002005-06-29T13:59:54.846-05:00

Two blocks away this time (from the Star Tribune): A man was found shot to death today in an alley in a south Minneapolis neighborhood. Police responded to a call about shots fired and found the man about 7 a.m. near the 2800 block of 14th Avenue S. in the Phillips neighborhood. No other details are available at this time. It's the city's 31st homicide this year.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1120070434406773062005-06-29T13:40:00.000-05:002005-06-29T13:47:18.570-05:00

I'm not a fan of Nick Coleman. 99% his columns either piss me off or make me laugh at their stupidity. Funny thing is, when he stays away from politics and just writes about things happening around the Twin Cities, he usually turns out something decent. Case in point are two pieces he wrote about the recent shootings in the Phillips neighborhood. This one is about Anthony Johnson, who was shot "

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1117807937104191212005-06-03T08:43:00.000-05:002005-06-03T09:12:17.143-05:00

St. Paul's human rights director recently wrote a letter in which he called gang activity a "terrorist act." Tyrone Terrill, who was appointed to his post by then-mayor Norm Coleman in 1997 urged gang members to give up the criminal life by June 1 or "suffer the consequences of their actions." He writes:NOW is the time for is to stop saying that our kids do not have summer jobs and recreational

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1117771472043108562005-06-02T22:50:00.000-05:002005-06-02T23:04:32.050-05:00

I saw myself on the street corner today. I was walking to the bus and noticed two young women standing on the sidewalk, watching traffic on Bloomington Avenue. As I approached, one of them gave me a puzzled look and asked, "you a cop?" "No," I replied. What I thought I heard her say next was, "Are you on your way to work?" to which I answered "Yes." I realized when she put her arm around my

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1117770498427375872005-06-02T22:17:00.000-05:002005-06-02T22:48:18.433-05:00

"Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your posessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." - Matthew 19:21"Hey man, can you spare me a dollar?" I groan to myself every time I hear it. The sound of rich and poor, have and have not, colliding in an all-too-common moment of incredible awkwardness. It's like a pop quiz on the real life

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1116957791546929422005-05-24T13:03:00.000-05:002005-05-24T13:03:11.586-05:00

Hasidic Reggae Rap

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1116939935326699362005-05-24T08:05:00.000-05:002005-05-24T08:05:35.360-05:00

7 Republicans abandoned their party last night and agreed to a slimey, backroom horsetrade with Senate Democrats to "end" the Donks' filibustering of some President Bush's judicial nominees. The Republican signatories to this farce are Sens. Mike DeWine of Ohio, Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island, John McCain of Arizona, John W. Warner of

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1116429351211427942005-05-18T10:15:00.000-05:002005-05-18T10:17:00.566-05:00

Today's Strib editorial on the Newsweek fiasco is entirely predicatble (Oh yeah? Well ... well ... Bush lied!) save for this little gem:The White House response fits a pattern of trying to intimidate the press from exploring issues the administration doesn't want explored. Compare it, for example, to the Dan Rather report on President Bush's military service. To this day, we don't know if what

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1115990463875925242005-05-13T08:21:00.000-05:002005-05-13T08:22:10.986-05:00

Victor Davis Hanson makes and excellent case for eliminating tenure at American universities:No equivalent for chief executive officers or for dishwashers exists. Politicians, lawyers and others who take unpopular stands also lack guaranteed jobs. Doctors do not enjoy them. They can lose their posts, despite 30 years of reputable work, because of a single missed diagnosis.Professors, however,

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1115735123978355822005-05-10T09:25:00.000-05:002005-05-10T09:25:24.083-05:00

Progressive Protestant posts about the liberal view of Scripture. This paragraph more or less summarizes it: I cannot endorse the notion that Scripture should be the final authority on theological matters, nor that it should be read as an infallible document. I firmly believe (as you can see from the comma to the left) that God is still speaking to humanity; in that sense, Scripture cannot be

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1115412234060953442005-05-06T15:43:00.000-05:002005-05-06T15:43:54.063-05:00

Busy weekend ahead - leading worship at a church planting conference, leading worship for church on Sunday morning, heading home for a Mother's Day meal and trying to do as much packing as I can in between. Should be fun. See you Monday.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1115141213839486442005-05-03T12:26:00.000-05:002005-05-03T12:26:53.840-05:00

Shane Raynor (Wesley Blog) has an interview with Beth Stroud, the United Methodist pastor (and practicing lesbian) who was defrocked but later reinstated due to a technicality - UMC law bans the ordination of "practicing homosexuals" but fails to define what a "practicing homosexual" is. I was impressed by the thoughfulness of both interviewer and interviewee - it's not often you can have an

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1115039856959444212005-05-02T08:17:00.000-05:002005-05-02T08:18:21.070-05:00

I'm glad someone mentioned it.And yet, unspoken in some of the reports, disguised in others, is the stark fact that this huge, 14-attendant, 600-guest monstrosity of a wedding where the couple according to the officiating pastor are "crazy in love," where the "Lismore Tall crystal by Waterford and Solitaire china by Lenox...have been purchased," where the pastor has crafted the vows for a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1115039315818572452005-05-02T08:08:00.000-05:002005-05-02T08:10:46.996-05:00

Evangelical Outpost has an informative post pointing out the absurdity of liberal panic. Makes one wonder if they even know the meaning of the term. Money quote:When those of us on the “religious right” hear such paranoid ranting it naturally elicits a chuckle. After all, more than half of American evangelicals are either Baptists or non-denominational. We don’t even want a centralized church

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1115038478461613252005-05-02T07:54:00.000-05:002005-05-02T07:55:07.610-05:00

The point is that government meddling created the suburbs where walking is not practical and now they propose more meddling to fix the problem they created. Look at all of the anti-growth initiatives of the last 30 years, from the disastrous Urban Renewal to the current Smart Growth BS and you’ll find numerous examples of the government screwing up neighborhoods and housing.Now imagine this; in

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114695492220208412005-04-28T08:38:00.000-05:002005-04-28T08:39:23.723-05:00

La Shawn Barber comments on the racial threats recieved by students at Trinity International University (my denomination's school) that were recently exposed as fake:Had the perpetrator been white, particularly a white male, this story would have been filled to the brim with harsh words and overtones of retribution, peppered with references to “slavery,” “oppression,” and the “KKK.” But what

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114694385773309892005-04-28T08:19:00.000-05:002005-04-28T08:19:45.773-05:00

Former NAACP president Kweisi Mfume has been accused of misusing his authority in that organization to assist the careers of women with whom he sexually harassed or had relationships with. Mfume intends to run for the Maryland Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Paul Sarbanes. One has to wonder when the black community will reach the boiling point with the scandalous behavior of its

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114693119233384032005-04-28T07:58:00.000-05:002005-04-28T07:59:38.373-05:00

Someone thinks we might be gaining a couple more states if the collapse of Canada's government comes to fruition.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114613937160466402005-04-27T09:58:00.000-05:002005-04-27T09:58:57.160-05:00

They're at it again.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114518292425579072005-04-26T07:24:00.000-05:002005-04-26T07:25:57.913-05:00

The brilliant Thomas Sowell has an intriguing piece in today's Wall Street Journal in which he argues that today's blacks are being held back not by race and racism, but by their continued embrace of "redneck" culture:For most of the history of this country, differences between the black and the white population--whether in income, IQ, crime rates, or whatever--have been attributed to either race

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114472333211616982005-04-25T18:30:00.000-05:002005-04-25T18:39:55.823-05:00

Tomorrow is National Pro-Life T-shirt day, sponsored by the American Life League. In previous years, students sporting pro-life gear have taken flack from school administrators, but ALL director of youth outreach Erik Whittington reminds students, "There is absolutely nothing illegal about wearing a pro-life T-shirt to any public school."He's correct, but ... what's the point? I suppose a T-shirt

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114198380999992182005-04-22T14:33:00.000-05:002005-04-22T14:33:01.000-05:00

Daily Kos. cheers that Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) has called on James Dobson to "repudiate" Focus on the Family board member Rev. Al Mohler for the following utterance on Larry King in 2000: "I believe that the Roman church is a false church and it teaches a false gospel," Mohler said at the time. "And indeed, I believe that the pope himself holds a false and unbiblical office." Salazar is no

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114109043544055382005-04-21T13:44:00.000-05:002005-04-21T13:44:03.543-05:00

AP caption: "The nature of Garciaparra's injury was not immediately clear." 

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114107415967654302005-04-21T13:16:00.000-05:002005-04-21T13:16:55.966-05:00

The current issue of Christianity Today throws down the gauntlet: All Churches Should Be Multiracial. It may be stunning or even offensive to some that we state our argument so imperatively. But before deciding whether we go too far, we hope the reader will carefully examine the biblical and sociological evidence. Given how far we are from this reality, we issue a call for the emergence of a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114094080343911792005-04-21T09:34:00.000-05:002005-04-21T09:34:40.343-05:00

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114044586409920352005-04-20T19:49:00.000-05:002005-04-20T19:49:46.410-05:00

Atrios wonders: [W]hy in contemporary society much of religion is all about the sex, and especially gay sex. Last I checked there were all kinds of sins and all kinds of sinning going on. The Church may never stop considering homosexuality to be a "moral evil." But, they consider lots of things to be "moral evils." Why the obsession with hot gay sex? He's apparently asking seriously, so here

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114043124812689162005-04-20T19:25:00.000-05:002005-04-20T19:25:24.813-05:00

"Archbishop" Desmond Tutu lent his opinion on Pope Benedict XVI. According to Tutu, "God is not a Christian and we sometimes make out that God is the preserve of one particular faith." Tutu goes on to push for a lifting of the church's ban on condom use as a remedy to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. I'm sorry, but what an idiot. His home country of South Africa has the one of the highest HIV/AIDS

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1114014251525949252005-04-20T10:48:00.000-05:002005-04-20T11:24:11.526-05:00

And so it begins. The entirely predictable hyperventilation by the media and liberals the world over began as the smoke still hung over the Sistine Chapel. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, former Archbishop of Munich, Germany was elected Pope Benedict XVI yesterday, and to hear some people tell it, the College of Cardinals just handed the church's top job to Lucifer himself. Seizing on Ratzinger's

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113911993985249032005-04-19T06:59:00.000-05:002005-04-19T06:59:53.986-05:00

Today, about half of the nation has money invested in stocks. The other half doesn't earn enough to afford the freedom to invest. Despite their inability to save for their future, these low- and middle-income workers are forced to pay 12.4% of their income into Social Security--a system that generates no wealth. An individual can work for 20, 30 or 40 years, but if he dies without children under

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113831115643441932005-04-18T08:31:00.000-05:002005-04-18T08:31:55.643-05:00

Well, that’s the point, isn’t it? Cosby was filling auditoriums precisely because he has a big mouth, because he was being judgmental. His blunt talk seemed a refreshing tonic to the sense that the standard bromides about the inner city’s troubles weren’t getting blacks very far. Forty years after the War on Poverty began, about 30 percent of black children are still living in poverty. Those

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113573536094702232005-04-15T08:58:00.000-05:002005-04-15T09:02:36.003-05:00

The U.S. trade gap isn't growing larger because of free trade. It's swelling because some of our biggest export customers, namely Western Europe and Japan, over-tax and over-regulate their economies. Consequently, stagnant growth abroad contrasts with strong growth at home. So, while the healthy U.S. economy is exporting at an impressive 9 percent pace, we import at a much higher 17 percent pace.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113572269054233092005-04-15T08:37:00.000-05:002005-04-15T08:40:20.423-05:00

...the silver lining of the AMT is that it will drive blue-state Democrats into the tax reform debate later this year. Their own constituents will be demanding some relief. So far this year, Republicans are again proposing a temporary AMT fix that would spare some taxpayers from its clutches for another year or two. But maybe they should instead let this class-war Frankenstein continue to

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113488431946173612005-04-14T09:20:00.000-05:002005-04-14T09:20:31.946-05:00

Thousands of years before the broken-window theory, the Jewish people had already captured the idea in shalom. Although popularly translated "peace," the connotations of the term are actually much broader than the absence of hostilities. Shalom refers to peace in a positive sense, the result of a rightly ordered community. When people live together according to God's moral order -- in shalom -

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113484023196936262005-04-14T08:07:00.000-05:002005-04-14T08:07:03.196-05:00

St. Paul is now mulling city-wide WiFi access, shamelessly trying to keep up with Minneapolis. I'm all for having WiFi access everywhere at all times, but as a St. Paul resident I have to ask ... could we figure out how to PLOW THE FREAKING STREETS first?

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113414045108083492005-04-13T12:40:00.000-05:002005-04-13T12:42:49.880-05:00

Clearly, there are some Evangelical scholars and pastors who believe there is really such a thing as "biblical theology," truths that can be extracted from Scripture without employing the resources of philosophical analysis. But such a scholar, whether he denies it or not, approaches the biblical text with a cluster of assumptions about the accessibility of theological truth as well as texts and

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113413628004870612005-04-13T12:33:00.000-05:002005-04-13T12:33:48.003-05:00

Tip #10: Never give another human being to whom you are not legally married the power to mess with your credit. Broken hearts eventually heal. Bad credit ratings endure. The rest of them here.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113413144506046172005-04-13T12:25:00.000-05:002005-05-03T08:09:44.310-05:00

My name is Peter Rieke. I was born on May 11, 1982 and grew up in Wayzata, MN. I graduated from the University of St. Thomas in May 2004 and currently work as a financial analyst. I live in the Phillips Neighborhood in South Minneapolis and maintain this blog as a forum for discussing issues of faith, culture, art, poverty, politics, life in the city, and anything else that strikes me as

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113329618826653372005-04-12T13:13:00.000-05:002005-04-12T13:13:38.826-05:00

Minneaplis just announced its plans to install a city-wide Wi-Fi network within two years. Access will cost $18-$24 per month. Sweet!

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113310761437667482005-04-12T07:59:00.000-05:002005-04-12T07:59:21.436-05:00

But this champion of compassion also spoke forcefully against the use of condoms, even as AIDS killed tens of millions. Stop for a moment and picture the lives of 12 million children orphaned by AIDS. Twelve million, and the Pope would not relent. Because condoms might encourage sex, and the church cannot countenance sex, except to make more babies, no matter how many babies already live without

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113309430378841932005-04-12T07:37:00.000-05:002005-04-12T07:37:10.376-05:00

The images of rap music that offend us so are the product of kids digesting a message, delivered by our popular culture, of a materialistic society devoid of meaning. If our ultimate values are acquisition and power, then it doesn't matter how we behave or how we acquire these things. Dealing drugs is as reasonable a means to this end as getting an MBA. Star Parker of the Coalition on Urban

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572468.post-1113245150178274602005-04-11T13:45:00.000-05:002005-04-11T13:45:50.180-05:00

Here.Love it.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971226937757824169noreply@blogger.com