This Joyful Eastertide

Easter has to be my favorite holiday of the year. Now, I've explained why in previous year's blog posts, so I'll simply leave my observations to this one statement: Christ is risen!

Prince Caspian Quiz 29
67. When does Miraz’s army arrive around Aslan’s How?
A. After the Pevensies arrive
B. At the same time as the Pevensies
C. Before the Pevensies arrive
D. They never get there

68. Why do Susan and Lucy leave Aslan’s How?
A. They have had enough of fighting
B. They never go to Aslan’s How, but instead follow Aslan on another errand
C. To go find Aslan in the forest and get his help
D. They plan to go to Cair Paravel

69. Who suggests the idea of single combat with Miraz?
A. Peter
B. Edmund
C. Reepicheep
D. Caspian

Election Results

We had a local election here yesterday, and the results were particularly interesting to me as a voter and as an observer.
As a voter, I faced the perplexing dilemma of a no-win situation. The city residents were asked to vote on a 0.5% increase to our sales tax, the purpose of which was to raise money to pay for repairs to streets, guttering, street lights, curbs, etc. The city has been deferring maintenance on streets for the past 10 years, spending money that should have gone to maintenance on other, less important items. So, I found myself trapped in a no-win vote. If I voted "Yes," I voted to give the city more money to waste because it has already shown that it will not spend its funds appropriately. If I voted, "No," then I'm guaranteeing that the infrastructure will decay because the city already has shown the inability to assess budget priorities correctly. So, when I went to vote yesterday, I just stood there, debating between "Yes" and "No" for several minutes. I finally voted "No" because I was not convinced that the city would use the funds properly.
As an observer, this election also was fascinating. First of all, the headline in the local paper about the sales tax vote was a classic case of media bias. "Sales Tax Receives Emphatic Yes" ran the headline. The vote, though, was 57%-43%, which I would hardly call emphatic. If the vote were 67%-33% or 75%-25%, I would call that emphatic. But a measely 4% spread is hardly emphatic. The headline, then, tells us two things: the opinion of the headline's author about the sales tax increase (he supports it) and the general political outlook of the author (politically towards the liberal side). I can't believe that the media try to deny that they have a liberal bias!
The second interesting aspect of this election was the vote over allowing the city council to be able to override a mayoral veto. Because of a mistake in the city charter, the mayor was allowed to veto any decisions by the council, but the council could not override the veto. The ordinance was designed to fix that. It explained its purpose, and anyone who followed the news at all would know that such was the purpose of the ordinance. Unfortunately, there were quite a few uninformed voters on this issue: 35% of voters voted "No" on this ordinance. There is no logical reason to vote "No" on this ordinance, unless, of course, they didn't understand the ordinance, which means that they were not following the issues at all. That lack of awareness saddens me a little. If we are to vote on issues as a society, what good is voting if a significant portion of the electorate is unaware of what they're even voting on?
Thankfully, this election cycle is over. The presidential elections last year soured me on the political process a little, and these results have not improved my attitude towards the efficacy of the process. Unfortunately, our process is the worst form, except for all of the others. I guess I'll just have to live with it.

Prince Caspian Quiz 28
64. How far does the process of summoning the White Witch go?
A. The White Witch appears in crystal and nearly comes back to life, only to be interrupted at the last second
B. It brings her back
C. The beginnings of the ceremony are interrupted
D. It fails. They wind up conjuring up Arwen instead

65. Who is present when the ceremony to start the White Witch begins? (choose as many as apply)
A. Caspian
B. Nikabrik
C. Dr. Cornelius
D. Trufflehunter
E. A werewolf
F. A hag

66. Who interrupts the ceremony to summon the White Witch? (Choose as many as apply)
A. Peter
B. Edmund
C. Trumpkin
D. Lucy
E. Susan
F. Dr. Cornelius

If You Don't Like the Weather...

The old saying, "If you don't like the weather in Kansas, wait 30 minutes, and it'll change" has never been more true than these past couple of weeks. We've had several strong cold fronts push through the region in that time, causing temperatures to fluctuate rapidly. It's April, and yet here I am planning on covering many of my plants up tonight to prevent them from freezing. Lows are supposed to be in the 20s these next two nights.
In reality, we were spoiled during the early part of this decade with warm Springs. These past couple of years, however, we're seeing a return to more typical weather. It's not odd, or unusual, or alarming. But it does take some getting used to.

Prince Caspian Quiz 27
61. What event motivates Nikabrik to suggest summoning the White Witch?
A. He is bored
B. Several days of resounding defeats of the Narnian army
C. Because she told him to call her
D. The failed attack on Miraz’s castle

62. When is the bridge at Beruna completed?
A. Well before the Pevensies even arrive back in Narnia
B. While the Pevensies and Trumpkin try to get to Aslan’s How
C. After the failed castle attack by the Narians
D. It is never built

63. When is Miraz crowned king?
A. Immediately after his son is born
B. Before the story begins
C. Right before attacking Caspian’s army at Aslan’s How
D. He is never crowned king

Prince Caspian Quiz 26

58. How does Edmund signal the troops during the castle attack?
A. A giant white flag
B. A flashlight
C. The Bat Signal
D. They never attack the castle

59. How many minotaurs do we see die during the castle attack?
A. 2
B. 3
C. 0
D. What castle attack?

60. What is the outcome of the castle attack?
A. The Narnians are forced to retreat and loose a significant part of their army
B. Miraz surrenders
C. Miraz dies
D. For the last time, they don’t attack the $@#! Castle!

Government and Caspian Quiz 25

We're continuing the Truth Project in Sunday School at church, and today was an interesting day: the State. This examination of the role the Bible lays out for government got me thinking about two different aspects of government: its basic role and the idea of sphere sovereignty.
The basic role of government, of course, is social order, to condone good and punish evil. To do so, of course, the government has to know what good and evil are, something I fear is becoming lost in American society in general. Still, I think our government is still doing a decent job here. It's not perfect, of course. It couldn't be. Overall, though, this country is not lawless.
The other interesting aspect, sphere sovereignty, was popularized by Abraham Kuyper. Basically, the concept says that the different social institutions that God has created (government, family, church, education, community) have specific rights, responsibilities, and structures, and that no one sphere has the right to exercise authority over another. The American concept of Freedom of Religion derives in part from this idea: the government is one sphere and it should not be directly controlling the church. Still, if we examine this idea and then look at the state of governments around the world, we see to varying degrees that sphere sovereignty has been violated. In many places, the government has sovereignty over areas in which it has no business being involved (such as the family size limits of China or the attempts in the US to re-define marriage.
I like the concept of sphere sovereignty, but bringing it to a practical level is tricky. These institutions all involve the same groups of people, and the part that's hard for me to grasp is where the boundaries are. For instance, is it a violation of sphere sovereignty for the government to enact child labor laws? Is it a violation of sphere sovereignty for the government to enact minimum wage laws? I instinctively want to say no to the first and yes to the second, but I feel like I'm contradicting myself.
While we are blessed here in America to have a decent government and to be able to be involved in government, I am becoming increasingly concerned that as a country, we are looking to government to be for us what it cannot be: God, our source and our provider. But that is a discussion for another post.

Prince Caspian Quiz 25
(This one should be easy)
55. How does the Narnian army sneak into Miraz’s castle to attack?
A. They don’t sneak in; they launch a frontal assault
B. They ride in on gryphons
C. They scale the walls
D. They don’t attack Miraz’s castle. They know better.

56. When Caspian reaches Miraz’s bed chamber, what does he do?
A. He offers Miraz a chance to join him
B. He doesn’t ever reach Miraz’s chamber because they never attack the castle.
C. He puts a sword to Miraz’s throat and almost kills him.
D. He says, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die.”

57. How does Dr. Cornelius escape from the Miraz’s castle?
A. He is rescued by Caspian during the attack on the castle
B. He sneaks away before Miraz can do anything
C. He pretends to be going to gather herbs and never comes back
D. He rappels out using a bed sheet

500th Post! And Caspian Quiz 24

According to the official blog statistics, this is post 500, quite a milestone, I guess, for a blog that only publishes twice a week (usually). So, yay for 500. Now, on to the quiz...

52. Once Peter arrives at Aslan’s How, what course of action does he first suggest?
A. Challenge Miraz to single combat
B. Attack Miraz’s army by night
C. Attack Miraz’s castle
D. Attack Miraz’s army by day

53. What is Peter’s attitude toward Aslan once he arrives at Aslan’s How?
A. We don’t know
B. He thinks that Aslan won’t help them this time and that they will have to fight on their own
C. He trusts Aslan, but knows that Aslan has given him the task of dealing with Miraz
D. He wishes Aslan were there

54. Whose idea is it to attack Miraz’s Castle?
A. Peter’s
B. Reepicheep’s
C. Trufflehunter’s
D. Dr. Cornelius’s

Springs Begins, As Does the Weather & Caspian Quiz 23

Astronomically-speaking, Spring began on Friday. As far as the weather goes, I would say that Spring begins tomorrow, with our first real chance of significant severe weather in the region. Unfortunately, the factors all are forecast to be in place tomorrow for some sort of severe weather to occur throughout the Central Plains. From what the Storm Prediction Center has said over the past couple of days, it appears that they think the main threat for significant weather lies just to the south of Topeka (and by just, I mean about 10-15 miles) and then roughly along I-35 down to Oklahoma City. Still, that risk could shift slightly north or south as we draw nearer to Monday and as we see how the weather system evolves. The models have been wrong plenty of times before. Still, it appears that the late afternoon and early evening hours tomorrow could contain some active weather for many living nearby. Hopefully, nothing serious occurs. Severe weather would be a terrible way to start off Spring.

Prince Caspian Quiz 23
49. Which of the following enters Aslan’s How first?
A. Caspian
B. Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin
C. Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy
D. Peter and Edmund

50. How do the Pevensies find out what Aslan’s How is?
A. They discover the Stone Table on their own
B. Caspian shows them the Stone Table
C. Peter figures it out based on Trumpkin’s description of it
D. The tourist guide to Narnia that they picked up at Beruna tells them

51. How many of the Pevensies visit Aslan’s How?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4

Flu, Spring Break, and Prince Caspian Quiz 22

It's been a beautiful week in terms of weather, so far. I had great plans to get some yard work done, to do some little errands around the house, maybe take a day trip out of town, etc. Unfortunately, those plans were thwarted by a nasty case of the flu. If you haven't had the flu virus that's floating around, let me tell you that it's one nasty bug. I get colds aplenty, about 1-2 times a year, but it's a rare thing for me to get the flu. This time, though, I got it in its fullest: high temperature, body ache, stuffiness, and nausea. By the grace of God, the high fever has vanished, but I'm still not 100% back, yet. It could be another day or two before I'm 100%, and I sure hope so. There's a lot coming down the pike over the next couple of weeks.
The only good thing about getting the flu is that I got it over Spring Break. Now, don't get me wrong. I would have loved to have had a week of rest and relaxation instead of a week of sickness. But if I have to be out for a week, it's far easier on me psychologically to be out on a week when I don't have to do anything than to be shut down on a normal week when I would have 6 classes for which I have responsibility. Still, I'm ready to be up and about, again. I'm sick of being trapped inside the house, and I'd like to get a little bit of real rest prior to the last leg of the marathon sprint that is 4th quarter.

Prince Caspian Quiz 22

46. How does Caspian’s army get weapons? (Choose all that apply)
A. Reepicheep leads a party to raid the Telmarine army at Beruna
B. They make them
C. They find them hidden in Aslan’s How
D. We don’t know

47. How does Caspian feel about Peter?
A. He never meets Peter
B. He both likes and dislikes Peter
C. He sees him as a challenge to his authority
D. He likes him and defers to his authority

48. Who decides that Aslan’s How will be where the Narnian army sets up camp?
A. Peter
B. Caspian
C. Dr. Cornelius
D. We don’t know

How I Read When in a Hurry and Prince Caspian Quiz 21

I find it quite interesting how I read when I'm in a hurry. I only read the first couple of sentences and then the last sentence or two in each paragraph, skipping that's all in between. As a result, I can say without disagreement that the proliferation of biscotti has led to an increase in tea consumption throughout the macro-economically under-performing sectors of the global economy. This fact in no way diminishes the fact that gerbils taste great when cooked on a grill after being marinated in a light orange sauce. Using an orange sauce, however, barely beats out the drilling of ice cores in the South Pacific as a way of determining historical temperature records. And we must never forget that baking soda and baking powder are two different substances. Have you ever read only the first and last couple of sentences in something? If so, then what's in the middle will be as meaningful to you as what I just wrote in the middle of this paragraph.
Too often, it seems, authors waste time on meaningless details in the middle of their paragraphs instead of just making their point. Admittedly, however, the meat of many arguments can be found in the middle. So, whether I skim or not depends on the era the author is from and how interested I am in the subject matter.

Prince Caspian Quiz 21
43. How do the Pevensies and Trumpkin meet Caspian and his army?
A. They encounter the army as it moves through the woods
B. Aslan leads the Pevensies and Trumpkin to Aslan’s How
C. Caspian meets them at Beruna
D. They never meet

44. What is the nature of the first encounter between Peter and Caspian?
A. Peter helps Caspian in a fight that breaks out in the war council under Aslan’s How
B. Aslan introduces them
C. They fight
D. They bump into each other at the grocery store

45. How many of the Pevensies meet Caspian?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4

Prince Caspian Quiz 20

41. When does Lucy see the trees dancing/alive, and is she awake or dreaming?
A. Before they cross the river, awake
B. Before they cross the river, dreaming
C. After they cross the river, awake
D. After they cross the river, dreaming

42. How many of the Pevensies and Trumpkin see Aslan by the time they reach Aslan’s How?
A. 3
B. 2
C. 1
D. 5

On Ideas that Disappear and Prince Caspian Quiz 19

It seems like during the week, I have all sorts of good ideas about what to write about on this blog, but when the time comes for me to write something, all of them have vanished into the same hole that a portion of our country's economy has gone. I guess it's time for me to write down these ideas as they come to me. That way, I'll have something meaningful to post here. For now, I'll have to settle for posting this lament.

Prince Caspian Quiz 19
38. When the Pevensies and Trumpkin arrive at Beruna, why can they not cross the river?
A. They are attacked by sentries from Miraz’s outpost at Beruna
B. Miraz’s army is busy building a bridge
C. The river is flooded
D. They cross the river

39. How do the Pevensies and Trumpkin cross the River Rushing?
A. They swim
B. Lucy falls through a weak place on the edge of the upper bank, which leads them to safe path across
C. Aslan leads them up the gorge of the river and across far upstream
D. They ride gryphons

40. At what time of day do the Pevensies and Trumpkin cross the river?
A. At sunrise
B. Day
C. At sunset
D. Night

Prince Caspian Quiz 18

36. To where are the Pevensies and Trumpkin headed in order to meet Caspian?
A. The Shuddering Woods
B. Aslan’s How
C. The Fords of Beruna
D. The Pit of Despair

37. What is the response of Old Narnians to the thought of Caspian helping them?
A. They flatly reject him
B. They all recognize him as king and accept him with relative ease
C. They decide to let Roonwit the Centaur lead instead
D. They do not accept him until a centaur convinces them otherwise

Prince Caspian Quiz 17

33. When is Trumpkin first called “dear little friend” or “DLF?”
A. When the Pevensies bring him ashore at Cair Paravel
B. After Edmund beats him in a sword fight at Cair Paravel
C. While the Pevensies and Trumpkin are walking towards Aslan’s How
D. At the very end of the story

34. Who first refers to Trumpkin as “dear little friend” or “DLF?”
A. Peter
B. Susan
C. Edmund
D. Lucy

35. What is Trumpkin’s response to being called “DLF?”
A. “Oh, that’s not at all patronizing, is it?”
B. “Quite the nickname, eh? Why don’t I start called you PESL?”
C. “No more of that, your majesty, if you love me.”
D. “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Interesting Statement about Climate Change

I ran across an interesting statement given before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee by Dr. William Happer on February 25, 2009. In it, Dr. Happer lays out some solid, scientific reasons why global warming is not the major cause for alarm. You can read the original statement, in PDF form, from the U.S. Senate Archives, or in HTML form from Captialist Magazine. The two are identical, so choose whichever will work in your browser. I'm partial to original sources, myself.
The debate about global warming is far from over, despite attempts by many to stifle it. Read Dr. Happer's statement for some fascinating scientific arguments.

Prince Caspian Quiz 16

31. How many times are Caspian and company attacked by Telmarine soliders as the seek out Old Narnia?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3

32. Who gets wounded when the Telmarine soldiers attack Caspian and Company?
A. Caspian
B. Trufflehunter
C. Nikabrik
D. No one. They are never attacked

Prince Caspian Quiz 15

29. What member(s) of Old Narnia does Caspian meet first after he leaves Trufflehunter’s cave?
A. The Bulgy Bears
B. Pattertwig
C. Reepicheep
D. The Centaurs

30. How does Caspian meet Reepicheep?
A. Reepicheep shows up at the Council of Old Narnians
B. Reepicheep tries to attack Caspian, mistaking him for a Telmarine solider
C. Trufflehunter introduces them as he takes Caspian around to meet all of the Old Narnians
D. He shows up at Aslan’s How

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalm 19:1, NIV).
The past two weeks in Sunday School, we've been focusing on the purpose of science, on how the universe declares God's glory if we'll stop long enough to look, and on the materialistic view of science that has produced modern Cosmology and Evolutionary Theory. Part of what fascinates me is that many of the theories advanced in the last 150 years are starting to fall apart. The Standard Model, for instance, cannot explain why there was a singularity from which it says everything came. And Darwinian Evolution is on the ropes. Between a lack of gradual transition forms, the irreducible complexity argument, and the intricate workings of even the smallest cell, scientists are discovering that life is so vastly complex that it cannot have evolved as Darwin proposed. The vast complexity of life and the wonderful intricacies that make up this world in which we live point strongly to the possibility that everything in this world, including us, has been designed by Someone greater than ourselves. As Christians, we know that this Someone is the Triune God of Scripture. The skies do indeed proclaim that they are the work of God's hands.
Interestingly, despite the evidence from all aspects of Creation, most scientists are not willing to say that there had to be an intelligent designer. This reluctance is partially understandable. We've taught our children for the last 150 years that science deals only with what can be measured, analyzed, and probed. A Creator outside of the system cannot be scientifically investigated in this manner. Another aspect to this reluctance, however, is a moral/philosophical one. If there is a Creator, then we are all accountable to Him. And we humans do not like to be accountable to anyone but ourselves. We want to live how we want to live without anyone telling us how to live. The Bible calls that "sin," and unless they repent and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, they have set before them an eternity without the blessings of our loving Creator. Given that every good and perfect gift is from God, this separation from Him is not something to be desired, cynical comments from atheists notwithstanding.
And I digress. My point is that many scientists who continue to cling to Evolutionary Theory are doing so not because of the scientific evidence but because of a philosophical predisposition. As a result, whenever the Theory of Evolution (for example) comes into question, they have very little evidence to support the Theory, instead resorting to ad hominem attacks. It is disappointing that a true scientific debate cannot occur on these issues, but I've already shared some of my thoughts on this part of the issue in my post about the movie "Expelled."
The debate, obviously, will rage on, ad hominem attacks or not. The "particles-to-people" theory of evolution is on the ropes, but it's not down, yet. And even if it is shown to be false, I would be shocked if Intelligent Design took its place as the dominant theory. Too many scientists are too committed to materialistic science to allow I.D. to become the main theory. After all, if I.D. is right, and God exists and has a legitimate claim on them, then they have a lot to lose.

Prince Caspian Quiz 14

27. When Caspian leaves Trufflehunter’s cave, where is going?
A. To find his horse
B. To meet the other Old Narnians with Trufflehunter and company
C. Out on his own to try to find the other Narnians
D. To his agent to check on whether he’s won the Oscar for Best Actor, yet

28. Who goes with (or follows) Caspian? (Choose all that apply)
A. Trufflehunter
B. Nikabrik
C. Trumpkin
D. Saruman

Tempus Fugit and Prince Caspian Quiz 13

Every so often, I have a sort of existential moment, where I find myself wondering, "What happened to the last 4 or 5 years of my life? In some ways, I don't feel that far removed from 24, yet here I am, more than a couple of years older." I noticed it today, when I was looking over the people in the sanctuary at church and noticed that a lot of them seemed like kids. Then, I realized that these "kids" had toddlers with them. And then I started feeling sick.
I realize that a part of life is getting older, but why does age have to creep up on us so subtly? I'm not that old, yet, and yet I'm obviously older than I think I am. In my mind, I'm still at about 27, maybe even 25. Yet, when I look in the mirror and see the first hints of gray hair, or when I look around church like I did today, I can't help but feel that, somehow, time is getting away from and I'm not doing with my life everything that God would have me do. I feel like I'm missing something, but I can't quite put my finger, yet, on what it is I'm supposed to do.
Maybe I'm just over-thinking everything. I could be doing exactly what God wants me to do. And there certainly have been some wonderful blessings in the past 7 years of living here in Topeka. But at the same time, I don't ever want to become complacent. I need to be as responsive to His leading as I was 7 years ago, when I moved here. He may not have me be here the rest of my life, or He might. The important thing is that I stay aware of His voice and His leading, so that if it becomes time for the Lord to lead me elsewhere, my response is, "I'll start packing."

Prince Caspian Quiz 13
25. Under what circumstances does the bear attack Lucy?
A. It bursts at her from out of the trees
B. It sneaks up on her from behind
C. It charges at her from in front of her
D. Lucy tries to talk to it and it charges her

26. Who kills the bear?
A. Peter
B. Susan
C. Edmund
D. Trumpkin

Prince Caspian Quiz 12

23. What happens to Dr. Cornelius after Caspian escapes?
A. He switches sides and helps Miraz locate Caspian
B. He is arrested by Miraz and thrown into the dungeon
C. He sneaks away from the castle before Miraz can detain him
D. Nothing of any consequence

24. Where are the Pevensies and Trumpkin when Lucy gets attacked by a bear?
A. At Aslan’s How
B. On the shore of a river
C. In the forest
D. At Cair Paravel