Go 'head Mr. Windell

Seriously, as clearly evidenced by the above Google Analytics chart, nothing drives traffic to Not Prince Hamlet like anything that has anything to do with Windell Middlebrooks.

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Windell Middlebrooks Update

Here's an excerpt from Windell's appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Monday night.


And here's the video of the whole show, with Windell's appearance beginning at 31:19 (click the second dot from the right on the scrollbar). Sterling College is surely bursting with pride at its beer-selling alum. Got get 'em Windell!

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Biden Watch

The VP heads to Germany next week to address an international conference on security policy.

Also, the Google Earth satellite photo of the VP's residence in Washington D.C., which had been blurred during Dick Cheney's tenure, became clearly visible shortly before the inauguration. Talk about transparency.

Finally, Biden has apologized to Chief Justice Roberts for joking on him last week. When was the last time a U.S. Vice President apologized for anything. Dumb joke; classy recovery.

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Windell Middlebrooks Update

It's been awhile since we had one of these, and Windell's appearance on The Tonight Show this evening provides the perfect impetus. Those of us not having televisions obviously missed it, but if you saw the SC alum and former theater-mate of this blogger, how was he?

Bob Garfield of AdAge (and On The Media) thinks Windell's wonderful. Watch below as Bob awards him with the 2008 Bobby award for best commercial performance by a male actor. It starts at about 4:50.

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Bagging ON Biden

When I read the story about Joe's crack on Chief Justice Roberts during Wednesdays swearing in of senior staff, my reaction was, "Where's the story?" I still don't think it's a story, but having watched the video of it, it's clear that the President was not amused and that Biden was unclear about what was going on. It didn't look good. It's a funny line--"My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts"--but, in the context of what was happening and when, it wasn't helpful. You can read it all over Obama's face.

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A Year with the Institutes, Day 20

In chapters six and seven of Book one, Calvin turns to a doctrine of Scripture. The doctrine whose seeds are laid in these chapters is for theologians to exposit, for it boasts concepts like the two-fold knowledge of Scripture, concepts which I satisfy myself to merely comprehend, let alone critique.

Much of chapter seven is given to refuting the claim that the authority of scripture rests upon the church's declaration. These aren't arguments we're having anymore, so they read a bit like historical glosses. Besides, for someone reared in evangelical-dom and schooled at a Reformed Tradition Beachhead, this stuff is in the water. But there is this:

" . . . they who strive to build up firm faith in Scripture through disputation are doing things backwards." (1.7.4)

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The Inaugural Poem (Full Text)

" . . . anything can be made, any sentence begun."

Beautiful.

Praise song for the day.

Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others' eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.

A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, "Take out your pencils. Begin."

We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, "I need to see what's on the other side; I know there's something better down the road."

We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by "Love thy neighbor as thy self."

Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.

What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light

Elizabeth Alexander

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