MSN Recognizes Duct Tape--We Beat Them To It

MSN's home page today features duct tape's wart-curing ability among other home remedies.

I am pleased to remind you that thanks to stealthy readers, we featured the secret long before MSN discovered it. Way to go readers!

The Advanced Art of Petty Vandalism

Busted
Every good A/P has two stories. The great practical joke where you escaped justice, and the great practical joke where you got caught. Points are accumulated for conquests depending on the degree of risk required for the target. For example, if you roll a house where the residents are known to chase would-be pranksters down the driveway with a shotgun, that’s obviously more impressive than a run-of-the-mill prank.

Tsk, Tsk
One California lady just became the Mecca of all rolling conquests. After her lawn was rolled, Katja Base tracked grocery store purchases, watched surveillance videos, and eventually nailed the six teens responsible. I congratulate her detective work but warn her that she has now unwittingly become the Golden Egg for every high school student on the West Coast. To roll her house and get away with it would be like climbing Everest. Be prepared Katja, the party is only just beginning.

Rolling 101
My secret is to roll a house when the resident is out of town. It’s a zero on the risk factor, but it sure makes for the most impressive results you can imagine. Of course the sad part is that somehow my sins still tend to find me out. In one classic example, as payback, the clever resident retaliated by posting for sale signs all over our 20,000 student college campus for my car (which was NOT for sale). He definitely had the last laugh.

P.s. – Where I’m from, we call it “rolling”, but I see many “TP” references elsewhere. Have we discovered another dialect anomaly?

P.s.s. – This post is a “do as I say, not as I do” entry. Do not try this at home, kids.

Other Offbeat News
An Ohio waitress carded a patron and was handed her very own ID which had been stolen three weeks earlier. What are the odds? Someone get this lady to buy me a lottery ticket. I’m kidding.

New Blogger at Month & Updates on The Commune-ity

New Blogger
GYD President Todd Gaddy is our August monthly blogger! Really! Besides the priceless youth ministry insight I'm hoping for, Bro. Gaddy admits to being "a political junkie" and brings to the table some interesting commentary on U. S. Civics.

And...
Speaking of youth ministry insight, The Commune-ity kicks off this week! Check A Month in My Life for live blogs Thursday through Saturday.

Bad Blogger, No Biscuit
Meanwhile I can't buy a comment. I've questioned if A/P guys backslide more than A/P gals, if The Passion of the Christ really made an impact or not, and so on. I fear my ability to investigate thought-provoking issues is waning. Woe is me.

Oh well, that's what I get for being an infrequent blogger. A series of out-of-town stints leaves me with a camel approach to blogging these days. I go two or three days with no chance to blog and then explode with monsterly long blogs. Long-winded preaching analogies abound, but I'll refrain.

Skipping Church for Fam Time
Anyway, I am glad to see discussion on the subject of family time vs. church time. I think there is a happy medium somewhere. Where? I don't know.

Lagniappe [Cajun French = Extra]
I had a great conversation tonight about the history of the Three Stooges. No kidding. And if you're like me, you had no idea there were other Stooges beyond the Larry, Curly, Moe trio. Seriously. Imaginary roll of duct tape awarded to anyone with names of the extra Stooges.

Source: http://www.three-stooges.com/

Mel Gibson, Passion of the Christ, and Trouble

Mel's Meltdown
If you haven't heard, Mel Gibson was arrested for driving under the influence and made anti-Semitic remarks during the confrontation. It's a sad indication of Gibson's state, and it's an unfortunate blow to the movie that raised so much Christianity awareness.

The Movie... Again
Am I the only one on the planet who never saw The Passion of the Christ? I've been asked about it. I don't have an impressive explanation. On an embarrassingly simple level, I can only say that I always like the book version better than the movie version. In my mind, I have my own picture of Calvary, and I don't want Gibson's vision imposed on it. Selfish? Close-minded? I'm not sure. It's just the choice I have made for that reason--along with the fact that I'm not sure yet how I feel about an R-rated version of a passion play.

Still...
I will echo my initial comments about the film. I'm always glad when people turn to Christ, even if the spurring force is not something I personally endorse. Whatever your view of the film, it did its part to raise a tremendous amount of awareness about Cavalry.

Or Did It?
I found a 2004 study that claims the impact of the movie was not that extreme. Here's an excerpt from "Resurrection Questions about The Passion of the Christ":

Gallup asked "did seeing the movie strengthen your religious faith?" (78% yes). Related, Gallup also asked "did seeing the movie give you a new understanding of what your religious faith is about?" (64% yes).

However, when probing more specifically about changes in religious beliefs or practices, the Barna data reflect a far less profound influence for The Passion. When asked if the film had affected their religious beliefs in anyway, 16% said it had. When asked specifically what these shifts might have been, roughly 3% of the aggregate audience for the film indicated each of the following: 1) a shift in the perceived importance of how they treat others; 2) becoming more concerned about the effects of their life choices and personal behavior; and 3) gaining a deeper understanding of, or appreciation for, what Christ had done for them through his death and resurrection.

As the Barna report notes, despite heavy speculation that the film would serve as a conversion tool for Evangelicals, less than one-tenth of one percent of respondents who had seen the film said that they made a profession of faith or accepted Jesus Christ as their savior in reaction to the film's content.

In Conclusion
I'd like to see the research behind the poll because I thought the film made more impact than that. And even though I don't have a personal testimony concerning it, I would think the film carved out its own special place in the canon of mainstream Christian film, if there is such a thing.

Back to Gibson
Gibson's remarks may cast a negative shadow over the film, but I bet this week's DVD sales and rentals jump up just because of the extra press.

New on Ninetyandnine

Our Good Friend Is Back!
This week's cover at Ninetyandnine is "Acceptable Sins: A Parable" by none other than Wendy Scoggins. I join the ranks of Wendy fans who are glad to see her back in full form.

Bible Quizzing
Jennifer Holdaway gives "A Shout Out to Bible Quizzing". Between this and coverage of Senior Finals on Collideoscope this week, quizzers have lots to keep up with.

More...
As always, there are lots of other good articles, devotions, Gabby chat, and more--all brought to you by the good folks who love healthy A/P dialogue and, thankfully, duct tape.