Tired from Studying

It is nice to know that I'm not the only one who has hit the mid-semester slump.

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Gee. Thanks.

Paul L. Caron:

Tax Prof Jack Bogdanski has launched The Complete Internal Revenue Code Podcast Project. The goal: to make the entire Internal Revenue Code available via podcast.

Zzz.

About this Video

The following video has been posted for the amusement of several folks, and especially for my good friend at The Basement Studio.

H/T: Instapundit.

Thought of the Day [Updated]

Shane Raynor finds a fun quote by Brent Castillo, writing for Knight-Ridder:

If you don't go to church, which fewer than half of Americans do each week, would hymns appeal to you? The lyrics are written in formal English, using out-of-date terms, and the melodies are usually slow and accompanied by a somber organ.

I like hymns, but to use them to the exclusion of modern Christian music is like driving an old car cross-country with a "Best of Bee Gees" tape stuck in the eight-track player. It's OK for a little while, but you'll end up bitter.

My take:

If you don't go to church, which fewer than half of Americans do each week, would contemporary Christian music appeal to you? The lyrics are written using plain, unpoetic English, using contemporary terms, and the melodies are usually slow, simplistic, and accompanied by one of a few standard three-chord guitar riffs.

I like contemporary music, but to use it to the exclusion of traditional Christian hymns is like driving an old car cross-country to the sound of white noise stuck in the in-dash DVD-CD-MP3-player-with-iPod-attachment. It's OK for a little while, but in the end you'll end up brain dead.

Hang in there, folks! We've almost made it to the weekend!

UPDATE: I want to make sure I'm clear. I like all kinds of music, contemporary and traditional. However, when it comes to selecting church music, the principle criterion should be that it not suck.

MORE: Harsh words about the music of Marty Haugen. I like some of Haugen's stuff, but others folks, well...

EVEN MORE: The Ten-Step Marty Haugen Song Writing Program.

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On the Reading List

I just received a copy of Glenn Reynolds' new book Army of Davids. I'm interested to know if Glenn's idea is applicable to the wider Church. More to come.

A Blogoversary

Four years ago on this day, at 1:13 pm, :: What Next? :: came into existence. During this time, I've been transformed from "conservative political pundit" to "Presbyterian seminarian concerned with faith and public life. " It has been a wild ride. I send my sincere thanks to all who have stopped by to read!

Something to Consider

Cameron Stracher at OpinionJournal.com:

Lawyers and blogging go together like witches and stoning. According to a survey conducted by blogads.com, lawyers ranked fourth among both readers and posters to blogs. Many of the best-known blogs, such as instaPundit.com, are run by lawyers. It's easy to understand why blogging attracts the J.D. set: Few professions combine as much creative talent with so much mind-numbing work.

Shouldn’t pastors rank pretty highly among readers and posters? Many pastors are competent writers, and I think blogging can afford many pastors with a creative outlet they might not otherwise have in their ministries.