ESPN Preview of the Georgia-Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl

My two favorite college teams in the world are going head to head today.
Oh the agony. . . .

Here is what ESPN is saying:

Both Texas A&M and Georgia had mediocre seasons in part due to defenses that consistently struggled, but that could make for an exciting offensive showcase as the Aggies and Bulldogs meet in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., on Dec. 28.

While Texas A&M allowed more points (32.7) and total yards (431.3) per game than any other Big 12 team, Georgia's defensive woes prompted coach Mark Richt to fire three of his assistants, including defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. . . .

The Bulldogs will have a tough task in stopping Texas A&M's Jerrod Johnson, who has thrown for 3,217 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions while also rushing for 455 yards and eight scores.

The 6-foot-5 junior anchors the nation's fifth-ranked offense, which racks up 465.3 yards per game and boasts a potent ground attack led by freshman Christine Michael and sophomore Cyrus Gray. . . . 

These teams have appeared in the Independence Bowl before. Texas A&M beat Oklahoma State in 1981 and lost to Mississippi State in 2000, while Georgia beat Arkansas in its only appearance in 1991.

The Bulldogs have won 12 of their last 15 bowl appearances. Texas A&M hasn't been as successful in the postseason, losing 10 of its last 12 bowl games.

A history of Christmastime winter weather events in North Texas

Yes, it is true.
We had our first white Christmas in 80 years in Dallas.
While the snow was not really "fun" on Christmas Eve (blowing at 40 mph), today it was beautiful.

Here is a history of "Christmastime" snow in Dallas from The Dallas Morning News.

Prayer for Christmas Day

From the Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born this day of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Sarah Palin: Rendezvous with America

My good friend Mark Nusbaum has written his first book on the rise of Sarah Palin on the national political scene.
I just got my copy yesterday and am looking forward to reading it.

Here is the publicity blurb on the book:

In the political battlefield of 2008 where politicians were hiding under their desks and making sorry excuses for their overspending and irresponsible leadership, Sarah Palin took America by storm. Chronicling Governor Palin’s life, Mark Nusbaum reveals the “real” Sarah Palin amidst the political turmoil unfolding around her. He describes in detail why her passion for individual liberty, limited government, and fiscal prudence is capturing American hearts and minds. . . . With masterful precision Mark Nusbaum weaves the ebb and flow of Governor Palin’s 2008 campaign message into a platform of ideas that are destined to shape America’s future. As she has spent her career fighting for and delivering transparency, accountability, limited government, and pro-growth economic policies for the citizens of Alaska, Sarah Palin is now on the edge of leading a movement to take America back from big government liberals.

You can order the book from the following places:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Once I get the book read over the Christmas break, I will report back with a fuller report.

Powered by ScribeFire.

What Doctors and Patients Have to Lose Under ObamaCare

From Scott Gottlieb in The Wall Street Journal:

Democrats are touting the American Medical Association's endorsement of President Obama's health plan. But there's an important reason why the American College of Surgeons and 18 other specialty groups are opposed.

The plan's most tangible efforts to restrain medical costs are through its controls on specialist physicians. Based on the government's premise that they often make wasteful treatment decisions, the health-care legislation in Congress will subject doctors to a mix of financial penalties and regulations to constrain their use of the most costly clinical options. The penalties and regulations are aimed first and foremost at surgeons and the medical devices that they use, largely because that's where the bulk of spending is.

It all starts with the sweeping power that the Senate bill gives to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The agency will be given the authority to unilaterally write new rules on when medical devices and drugs can be used, and how they should be priced. In particular, the Obama team wants to give the agency the power to decide when a cheaper medical option will suffice for a given problem and, in turn, when Medicare only has to pay for the least costly alternative.

Read the full article here.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat

From the English Standard Version:

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Powered by ScribeFire.

Dallas-area families take the pledge to eat together

From today's Dallas Morning News:

Studies by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse have consistently found that teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week) are less likely to smoke, do drugs and drink, and are more likely to have better grades, go to religious services and have good relationships with their parents. 

Eliminating the dinner distractions makes a difference, according to the center's survey released this fall.

The survey found that teens who have fewer than three family dinners a week are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana, and more than 1 ½ times likelier to use alcohol. The results are worse among teens who have infrequent family dinners and when people at the table use cellphones, BlackBerries, laptops or Game Boys. Those teens are three times likelier to smoke pot and tobacco, and 2 ½ times likelier to use alcohol.

Read the full article here.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Prayer for Christmas Eve

From The Book of Common Prayer:

O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Our Divine Distortion: We can't see God clearly without Jesus. O come, Emmanuel.

Recent article by Carolyn Arends in Christianity Today:

Jesus is the antidote to our misperceptions. When we speak of the Incarnation, we acknowledge that Jesus is "God con carne"—God with meat on. Our questions about God's character—Is he really about mercy, justice, and a love that just won't quit?—are answered in the person of Jesus.

In one sense, Adam and Eve were right to fear facing God. The consequences of their choices were painful. But even God's seemingly harshest judgment—banishment from the Garden and the Tree of Life—was rooted in love. If the first humans had accessed eternal life in Eden, they would have remained in their brokenness forever. God chose another way—a death and resurrection way that would cost him much—because he was and is and always will be with us and for us.

Christmas clarifies this resoundingly. That's why every time the angels announced Christ's birth they said, "Do not be afraid." Yes, we should fear sin's consequences. But we need not fear the perfect love of a God willing to come and shiver in our skin to save us.

We do not have the power to change God's character. Our Father is our Father. Always has been, always will be. But we will never see him for who he really is until the Son gets in our eyes.

Read the full article here.

Top 25 Chirstmas Movies

Here is the list from the Chicago Tribune.
Do you agree with the list?

Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine

From the 1961 Operation Coffee Cup Campaign against Socialized Medicine as proposed by the Democrats, then a private citizen Ronald Reagan Speaks out against socialized medicine.

The Jesus Trail: Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus

There was an article in today's Dallas Morning News about this tour group.
Looks interesting.

From their website:

The Jesus Trail™ offers an alternative for travelers and pilgrims to experience the steps of Jesus in a way that is authentic, adventurous and educational by hiking through the rugged and beautiful landscape of the Galilee in Israel.

The main Jesus Trail™ route is 65km and begins in Nazareth and passes through Zippori, Cana, Kibbutz Lavi, Arbel Cliffs, the Jesus Boat, Tabgha, Capernaum, and the Mount of Beatitudes. An optional return loop to Nazareth passes through Tiberias, the Jordan River, Mount Tabor, and Mount Precipice.

World's Worst Christmas Specials

Powered by ScribeFire.

Oral Roberts Speaks No More

Interesting reflection on the life of Oral Roberts by Ben Witherington on his blog.
As a kid who remembers watching his program on Sunday mornings.
A very interesting man indeed.

Powered by ScribeFire.

The Future of Western War

Very interesting article by Victor Davis Hanson of Hillsdale College.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Texas A&M to play Georgia in the Independence Bowl

As a graduate of Texas A&M and as a person who did college ministry at the University of Georgia, this game is either my worse nightmare or my ultimate fantasy game. Not sure right now which one. While not thrilled about Shreveport, it is a short drive from Dallas.

From aggieathletics.com:

Texas A&M University has accepted an invitation from the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl to play the University of Georgia in the 2009 bowl matchup to be played Monday, Dec. 28 with kick scheduled for 4 p.m. (central) in Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

"We are excited about this opportunity to play in the AdvoCare Independence Bowl," Texas A&M Director of Athletics Bill Byrne said. "To be matched with a storied program like the University of Georgia will present a great challenge to our young squad. I am proud of the way these Aggie players and coaches have fought throughout this season. The preparation is also important for the development of our team and program. I am certain the 12th Man will be in stands in Shreveport."

This will mark the third time Texas A&M has played in the Independence Bowl and the first since dropping a 43-41 overtime decision to Mississippi State in 2000 in the "Snow Bowl". The other previous appearance came in 1981 as the Aggies defeated Oklahoma State, 33-16, behind the play of Bowl offensive MVP quarterback Gary Kubiak.

"I am proud of our squad," Aggie Head Football Coach Mike Sherman said. "We have a great group of seniors. This is a very unselfish group that took in the younger players and helped in their development which in turn helped us reach a bowl game."

"I know Georgia is a quality SEC team and they will be well-coached," Sherman added. "I have never participated in the Independence Bowl, but I am certain it will be a great experience for our program."

The 2009 bowl appearance is the 31st for the Aggie football program and A&M has an overall bowl record of 13-17. A&M has faced Georgia once before in a bowl contest, the 1950 Presidential Cup played in College Park, Maryland, with the Aggies topping the Bulldogs, 40-20.

The last time A&M and Georgia faced each other on the gridiron was 1980 in Athens with a Bulldog freshman running back by the name of Herschel Walker leading Georgia to a 42-0 victory. The overall record is in favor of A&M, 3-1. The Aggie Presidential Bowl victory in 1950 (40-20), a 14-12 A&M decision over Georgia in a game played in Dallas in 1953, and an Aggie 6-0 victory in 1954 played in Athens, which was the first A&M win for new head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.

"I'm excited and this should be a fun experience getting to play an SEC team the caliber of Georgia," Aggie senior defensive back Jordan Pugh said. "It's hard to believe these four years are coming to a close. It would be very special for this group of seniors--we have seen some ups and downs; to go out with a bowl victory against a very good Georgia team."

"This is another chance for this group of players to win a bowl," Aggie quarterback Jerrod Johnson said. "I would not consider us a young team anymore because we have been through so much. The guys worked extremely hard in the off-season and spring, then we had the new guys join our team and they learned quickly the work ethic needed to play in the Big 12. Now it is up to us to focus on a good Georgia team and prepare to the best of our abilities."

Michael C. Munger: Why meetings always start late

This ran in today's Dallas Morning News but originally ran in The Chronicle of Higher Education:

Look, most of us don't like waiting. In fact, we hate it when someone else is late. But most of us also avoid being early; we seem happy to force others to wait around for us. All of that time spent waiting around has given me a chance to pick out some patterns. Here are four. I predict as soon as you read my four rules of lateness, you will recognize the behavior of several of your colleagues, and maybe yourself.

1. The Platonic traveler
2. The paradox of the busy
3. Closeness hurts
4. The first will be last

Read the full article here.