{"id":4678,"date":"2017-09-01T15:09:13","date_gmt":"2017-09-01T23:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=4678"},"modified":"2017-09-01T15:09:13","modified_gmt":"2017-09-01T23:09:13","slug":"things-glen-found-interesting-volume-116","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2017\/09\/01\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-116","title":{"rendered":"Things Glen Found Interesting, Volume 116"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4396\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1200%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=1680&amp;ssl=1 1680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way.<\/p>\n<h3>Things Glen Found Interesting<\/h3>\n<ol class=\"simple-list\">\n<li>The flooding in Houston is crazy, and I say this as someone who grew up facing hurricanes in Louisiana on a regular basis. If you want to help, Convoy of Hope is our recommended disaster-relief organization. You can learn more about what they\u2019re doing at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.convoyofhope.org\/blog\/features\/disaster-response\/convoy-hope-responds-hurricane-harvey\/\">Hurricane Harvey Response<\/a>. So far they\u2019ve served over forty thousand people. More hurricane reading:&nbsp;<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/science-and-health\/2017\/8\/28\/16217626\/harvey-houston-flood-water-visualized\">All the rain that Hurricane Harvey dumped on Texas and Louisiana, in one massive water drop<\/a> (Javier Zarracina &amp; Brian Resnick, Vox): \u201c\u2026over six days, 27 trillion gallons of water fell over Texas\u2026. That\u2019s one million gallons of water for nearly every person who lives in Texas.\u201d The infographic is stunning.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/philmagness.com\/?p=2126\">Houston flooding in historical perspective: no, zoning would not have stopped Harvey<\/a> (Phil Magness, personal blog): \u201cthe very notion that Houston is a giant concrete-laden water retention pond is itself a pernicious myth peddled by unscrupulous urban planning activists and media outlets. In total acres, Houston has more parkland and green space than any other large city in America and ranks second overall to San Diego in park acreage per capita.\u201d The author is an economic historian.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/lauraturner\/people-were-waiting-for-a-reason-to-hate-joel-osteen?utm_term=.atPY055Koe#.pvDD6RRApX\">The Joel Osteen Fiasco Says A Lot About American Christianity<\/a> (Laura Turner, Buzzfeed): I thought this article was mostly fair and was interesting throughout. This bit towards the end rang true to me: \u201c[Lakewood Church spokesman Doug] Iloff offered a different version of events than the one shared by critics on social media. The church was never locked,\u2019 he told me. \u2018The people who showed up were let in; it\u2019s just that very few people came.\u2019 This, he says, was due to flooding around the building and the surrounding highways. And church leaders didn\u2019t initially offer Lakewood as a shelter in part out of concern that it would flood during the weekend\u2019s heaviest rains, Iloff said. \u2018If we had let people in and that water had flooded, you would be writing a whole different story now.\u2019\u201d Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getreligion.org\/getreligion\/2017\/8\/29\/flood-him-with-criticism-let-he-who-is-without-sin-cast-the-first-stone-at-joel-osteen-and-his-church\">Flood him with criticism: Let him who is without sin cast the first stone at Joel Osteen and his church<\/a> (Bobby Ross, Jr, GetReligion),<a href=\"http:\/\/www.snopes.com\/is-osteens-megachurch-affected\/\"> Was Joel Osteen\u2019s Houston \u2018Megachurch\u2019 Affected By Hurricane Harvey?<\/a> (Snopes). Based on the evidence I\u2019ve seen, Lakewood Church not only acted defensibly but actually acted wisely and helpfully, which makes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/acts-of-faith\/wp\/2017\/08\/29\/heres-why-people-hate-joel-osteen\/?utm_term=.f040826f6106\">Here\u2019s why people hate Joel Osteen<\/a> (Kate Bowler, Washington Post) timely.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/08\/31\/opinion\/hurricanes-climate-capitalists-wealth-.html?mcubz=1\">Hurricanes, Climate and the Capitalist Offset<\/a> (Bret Stephens, NY Times): \u201cHarvey truly is an astonishing storm, the likes of which few people can easily remember. Then again, as meteorologist Philip Klotzbach points out, it\u2019s also only one of four Category 4 or 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the United States since 1970. By contrast, more than twice as many such storms made landfall between 1922 and 1969.\u201d I did not know&nbsp;that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.peterkreeft.com\/topics-more\/20_arguments-gods-existence.htm\">20 Arguments For God\u2019s Existence<\/a> (Peter Kreeft, personal website): \u201cYou may be blessed with a vivid sense of God\u2019s presence; and that is something for which to be profoundly grateful. But that does not mean you have no obligation to ponder these arguments. For many have not been blessed in that way. And the proofs are designed for them\u2014or some of them at least\u2014to give a kind of help they really need. You may even be asked to provide help.\u201d I was reminded of this by a conversation with an alumnus. The author is a philosophy professor at Boston College.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.weeklystandard.com\/a-beating-in-berkeley\/article\/2009498\">A Beating In Berkeley<\/a> (Matt Labash, Weekly Standard): \u201cOne of them, Will Johnson, announces that he is a black American and a Christian. \u2018This is not a neo-Nazi, white supremacist rally,\u2019 he says. \u2018I don\u2019t know where they got that from. I actually called Nancy Pelosi\u2019s office and asked her to change that. There\u2019s no way I am a white supremacist.\u2019\u201d An amazing article. Well worth reading.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jmp.princeton.edu\/announcements\/some-thoughts-and-advice-our-students-and-all-students\">Some Thoughts and Advice for Our Students and All Students<\/a> (an open letter from some Harvard, Yale and Princeton professors): \u201cThinking for yourself means questioning dominant ideas even when others insist on their being treated as unquestionable. It means deciding what one believes not by conforming to fashionable opinions, but by taking the trouble to learn and honestly consider the strongest arguments to be advanced on both or all sides of questions\u2014including arguments for positions that others revile and want to stigmatize and against positions others seek to immunize from critical scrutiny.\u201d Interestingly, at least four of the signatories (nearly 20%) are people who have previously made an appearance in these emails.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/static.currentaffairs.org\/2017\/08\/wait-do-people-actually-know-just-how-evil-this-man-is\">Wait, Do People Actually Know Just How Evil This Man Is?<\/a> (Nathan J. Robinson, Current Affairs): \u201cAnd I am worried that even those who detest Trump and are appalled by this pardon do not entirely appreciate the depth of Arpaio\u2019s evil, or understand quite how indefensible what Donald Trump just has done is. Frankly I think <i>even<\/i> <i>Trump<\/i> may not fully realize the extent of the wrongdoing that he has just signaled his approval of.\u201d Depressing reading.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ribbonfarm.com\/2017\/08\/17\/the-premium-mediocre-life-of-maya-millennial\/#more-6047\">The Premium Mediocre Life of Maya Millennial<\/a> (Venkatesh Rao, Ribbonfarm): \u201cPremium mediocre is the finest bottle of wine at Olive Garden. Premium mediocre is cupcakes and froyo. Premium mediocre is \u2018truffle\u2019 oil on anything (no actual truffles are harmed in the making of \u2018truffle\u2019 oil), and extra-leg-room seats in Economy. Premium mediocre is cruise ships, artisan pizza, Game of Thrones, and The Bellagio. Premium mediocre is food that Instagrams better than it tastes\u2026. premium mediocrity is creating an aura of exclusivity without actually excluding anyone.\u201d The article is far too long. Read the first few paragraphs and you\u2019ll get the&nbsp;idea.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/slatestarcodex.com\/2017\/08\/29\/my-irb-nightmare\/\">My IRB Nightmare<\/a> (Scott Alexander, Slate Star Codex): \u201cWe, as the patient\u2019s doctors, would make the diagnosis and write it down on the chart. But we (as study investigators) needed a full signed consent form before we were allowed to access the diagnosis we had just made.\u201d This is simultaneously disturbing and entertaining, and so is the <a href=\"http:\/\/slatestarcodex.com\/2017\/08\/31\/highlights-from-the-comments-on-my-irb-nightmare\/\">follow-up post<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/marginalrevolution.com\/marginalrevolution\/2017\/08\/cost-running-harvard.html\">The Cost of Running Harvard<\/a> (Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution): I assume broadly similar statistics are true of Stanford.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Things Glen Found Amusing<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"simple-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.today.com\/popculture\/cafe-wall-optical-illusion-will-have-you-wondering-why-you-t114921\">The Cafe Wall optical illusion<\/a> \u2014 this breaks my&nbsp;mind.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imgur.com\/gallery\/C4M2o\">Trick or treat<\/a> (imgur)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imgur.com\/gallery\/hmPiK\">Col Potter\u2019s wisdom<\/a> (imgur)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/babylonbee.com\/news\/non-denominational-church-exposed-undercover-baptists\/\">Non-Denominational Church Exposed As Undercover Baptists<\/a> (Babylon Bee): this is a humor article, but I am shocked at how many students think they go to a non-denominational church that 100% belongs to a denomination. Check your church\u2019s website (usually the information will be in the \u201cabout us\u201d or \u201cwhat we believe\u201d section or on the pastor\u2019s bio&nbsp;page).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/babylonbee.com\/news\/progressive-evangelical-leaders-meet-affirm-doctrine-sola-feels\/\">Progressive Evangelical Leaders Meet To Affirm Doctrine Of \u2018Sola Feels\u2019<\/a> (Babylon Bee)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Things Glen Found Interesting A While&nbsp;Ago<\/h3>\n<p>Every week I\u2019ll highlight an older link still worth your consideration. This week we have <a href=\"http:\/\/www.verber.com\/mark\/xian\/weight-of-glory.pdf\">The Weight of Glory<\/a> (C.S. Lewis): originally preached as a sermon and then printed in a theology magazine. Related: see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/CSLewisDoodle\">C. S. Lewis Doodle YouTube channel<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s really good! (first shared in <a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2016\/02\/12\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-36\">volume 36<\/a>)<\/p>\n<h3><b>Why Do You Send This&nbsp;Email?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors \u201cwho understood the times and knew what Israel should do\u201d (1 Chron 12:32). In a similar way, we need to become wise people whose faith interacts with the world. I pray this email gives you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Disclaimer<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey\u2019s agenda and we are not about the elephant\u2019s agenda \u2014 we are about the Lamb\u2019s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass <a href=\"http:\/\/econlog.econlib.org\/archives\/2011\/06\/the_ideological.html\">the ideological Turing test<\/a> and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say \u201cI agree\u201d or \u201cI disagree\u201d until I can say \u201cI understand\u201d) and may at times share articles that have a strong partisan bias simply because I find the article stimulating. The upshot: you should not assume I agree with everything an author says in an article I mention, much less things the author has said in other articles (although if I strongly disagree with something in the article I\u2019ll usually mention it).<\/p>\n<p>Also, remember that I\u2019m not reporting news \u2014 I\u2019m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There\u2019s a lot happening in the world that\u2019s not making an appearance here because I haven\u2019t found stimulating articles written about&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<p>Archives at <a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/category\/links\">http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/category\/links<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way. Things Glen Found Interesting The flooding in Houston is crazy, and I say this as someone who grew up \u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2017\/09\/01\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-116\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \u201cThings Glen Found Interesting, Volume 116\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"I found so many good things this week. Click for a defense of Joel Osteen, a condemnation of Joe Arpaio, and much more.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[131,124,152,117],"class_list":["post-4678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-of-random-interest","tag-academia","tag-apologetically-interesting","tag-free-speech","tag-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-1ds","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4678"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4682,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4678\/revisions\/4682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}