I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island but it was just an optical Aleutian.

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ERRATA
Mike, you're absolutely correct (see his comment on Monday's post). The very early Indian Motorcycles didn't have a throttle. The rider adjusted the speed by advancing or retarding the spark. (Some of you can picture the lever on the steering column of a Model T or Model A. Same thing.) Adjusting the spark was done via the right hand grip. So when Indian decided to add a throttle for controlling the amount of fuel/air mixture that got through the carburetor they chose the left hand grip for that control.
Brad Pitt rides two motorcycles in the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and one of them is an old Indian. The other is a vintage Triumph.
As long as we're at it, and because y'all really care about this kind of thing, Indian was the first to put floorboards and an electric starter on a motorcycle.

I was hoping Joe Pa would get the win this afternoon. Bummer.

I don't think I should take the time, but I'm thinking about using portions from this piece in my sermon intro Sunday. After a two month break we're getting back to our series in 1 Corinthians. This week we'll work through 1:18-31. This essay by Christopher Hitchens illustrates Paul's point well. How do you react to Hitchens' thoughts? How would you respond to him if you had the opportunity to talk to him?

It's been awhile since we had a video.
Human Slinky

Few things are as impressive or as moving as a good rifle drill team.
Silent Drill Platoon

Senator Pell died today at age 90. A lot of college students took him for granted.

I almost feel sorry for the Democrats. Here they are with the ultimate in shining moments ready to bathe them in glory and this Blagojavech mess just keeps getting worse. Now it looks like his appointment of Roland Burris will end up in court, maybe even going to the Supremes. The last time an election went there they could blame the Republicans. This time they're doing it to themselves. How badly do you think the Obama team wants this to go away?

Channel 17 (ION TV) showed the movie "Double Impact," in which Claude VanDamme plays identical twins avenging their parents' murder. Immediately after that they showed it again.

I have said for a very long time that as the leadership goes, so goes the church. By leadership I mean the pastor(s) and other elders. I figured that out early in my ministry and tried to drive it home to my students.
Great elders may not be able to save a church from self-destruction if the congregation is determined to go there. But no matter how healthy and vibrant the church is, bad leadership will eventually destroy it. That's why the NT is so clear and consistent about the qualifications and functions of elders (incl. the pastors).
The leadership sets the direction of the congregation. They also set the tone for the congregation, wittingly or unwittingly. A lack of unity and cohesion among the elders will quickly show up in the church as a whole. And sooner or later a crisis of one sort or another will hit every church. How that crisis is handled, as determined by the leadership, will turn that crisis into a growing experience, with the church living out the Word of God, or a downward spiral into disaster.
Pray for the elders at your church. Ask God to give them grace and wisdom. And if you have a church with good, Godly elders (I do) thank God for them. (I do.)