Jonathan's blog

If you got a kick out of the improveverywhere blue shirts mission, have a listen to Episode 286 of This American Life (my favorite radio show...I like to pass out that superlative, apparently). We happened to listen to that episode this weekend, and there was a good segment about improveverywhere...especially for you indie rock types who can imagine what it would be like to form a band, record a few songs, put them on your web site, go on your first tour, show up as unknowns for a show in NYC, and have 35 rabid fans go wild at your show.

This is one of those stories that sounds like a fake...like it's from The Onion, but it was reported in my favorite magazine (The Week), The Brussels Journal (whatever that is), and other Spanish-language sources.

Spain's Socialist government last week introduced a measure to grant the equivalent of human rights to gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos. The law would recognize great apes as "kinds of persons," protect them from mistreatment, and prohibit their use in circuses and scientific experiments. "We need to break the barrier between the species," said parliament member Francisco Garrido. Opponents, including the Catholic Church, said the proposal denigrated human beings. "Too much ‘progress' becomes ridiculous," said Archbishop Fernando Sebastian.

Not that I think it's a bad idea to be kind to the great apes. Insert obligatory Planet of the Apes reference. By the way, I've heard of bonobos on several science shows lately. For some folks, I think, bonobo society would sound like an attractive proposition.

Elliot tested for his yellow stripe today at Taekwon-Do.

From an AP article of the same title by Murray Evans appearing on Tacoma, WA's NewsTribune.com:

The turning point for Jeff Walling came two decades ago at a church youth conference. Sitting with arms folded, he listened to 3,000 teenagers singing and praising God with a guitar accompaniment - and felt ashamed. Walling, the son of a Churches of Christ preacher, had adamantly held to his group's teaching that using instrumental music in worship was wrong. But as he heard the youths worship, he began having doubts. Now Walling and other Churches of Christ leaders are at the forefront of what could be a seminal moment for their fellowship: a possible reconciliation with a group of independent congregations 100 years after the two became recognized as separate... Local congregations, known collectively as the "Churches of Christ," shun practices not contained in the New Testament, in particular the use of musical instruments in worship. The "independent Christian" or "instrumental" churches, use musical instruments and generally associate with the annual North American Christian Convention. But the two groups have common roots... The two groups claim a combined 2.6 million members in 20,000 U.S. congregations. But some, particularly within Churches of Christ, aren't excited about the possibility of reconciliation, as they believe that to compromise on the instrumental-music issue is akin to risking one's salvation. They maintain there is no New Testament example of instruments being used in worship, and that Christians need to be silent where the Bible is silent. "While we love our brethren very much, we don't feel that we can approve unauthorized worship," said Phil Sanders, the minister at the Concord Road Church of Christ in Nashville, Tenn. "Until we can get past that issue, we can't approve the reuniting of our fellowship."

The article goes on to discuss in some detail the history of the "Restoration Movement."

Last Saturday we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, cleared brush, canoed, etc. with our friends on their property. Here are some photos: