Well, I’m in Toronto and after visiting two pubs where the one TV was tuned to last night’s basketball game, my friends and I finally found a real Canadian pub that actually had more than one cable feed and had the hockey game on the big screen (as it should be in Canada!).
The game went as I predicted and the Edmonton Oilers are now on their way to the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s been a few years; it’s time that Lord Stanley’s Cup makes its way home back to Edmonton!
Go Oilers Go!
I leave tomorrow morning for The Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (CSBS) 2006 Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario. This year’s meeting is being held at York University and runs for three days (May 28-30).
A glance at the programme reveals many interesting papers related to the Hebrew Bible, including papers in the Ancient Historiography Seminar (For those interested more in New Testament/Christian Origins or the history of interpretation there are many papers that would interest you, so check out the full programme).
Here are some highlights of papers relating to the Hebrew Bible:
8:45-12:00 (ACE 002) Hebrew Bible/Old Testament / Bible Hébraïque/Ancien Testament
8:45-12:00 (ACE 005) Curses and Curse Stories in Antiquity / Les Malédictions dans l’Antiquité Ancienne
13:30-16:15 (ACE 002) Literary Approaches I / Approches littéraires I
19:00-21:00 (Vanier College 135) Special Joint Lecture / La Conférence Conjoint
8:45-12:00 (ACE 002) Ancient Historiography Seminar / Groupe de Travail sur l’Historiographie Ancienne
Function of Historiography – Hebrew Bible / La Fonctionne de l’Historiographie – Bible Hébraïque
Ancient Historiography Seminar / Groupe de Travail sur l’Historiographie Ancienne
13:30-16:30 (ACE 002) Function of Historiography – Classics, Intertestamental Literature, and the Gospels / La Fonctionne de l’Historiographie – Les Littératures Classiques et Intertestamentaire, et les Évangiles
13:30-15:30 (ACE 003) Literary Approaches II / Approches littéraires II
As with last year, I will provide daily reports on the sessions, so stay tunned.
The revealing tell-all interveiw with this month’s “Biblioblog of the Month” (yours truly!!) has been uploaded at biblioblogs.com. It is a riveting exposé of one of the most influential inconsequential bibliobloggers ever to write a piece of html! I laughed, I cried, and in the end I wanted more. Here is the picture of myself I wanted to include with the interview:
Seriously, I would like to thank Brandon Wason and Jim West for the honour of being Biblioblog of the Month – and for maintaining biblioblogs.com. These are the sorts of things that will provide cohesion to the biblioblog community. Cheers!
I can’t believe it — I am no longer worthless! (see here and here for previous laments). Or at least my blog is not worthless! For months I have been silently weeping because when I checked how much my blog was worth, it always was a resounding $0.00.
But now, prompted by Loren Rosson, whose blog also is no longer worthless. (Hmmm… it is, however, of significantly less worth than my blog! I wonder if I should associate with him anymore?!) I’m actually worth more than a number of other significant blogs (who will remain nameless, ahem, Jim, lest I be called boastful)
My blog is worth $53,066.76.
How much is your blog worth?
Wow… I’m not sure what I’ll do with all of this money. Perhaps I will redecorate! Shag carpeting anyone?
I have a request for those of you who are praying folk. The brother of two of my students (one former and one current) and the nephew of a good friend, Michael Barker could use our prayers. He was in a serious truck accident last Wednesday and is in the University of Alberta Hospital with a broken neck and a base skull fracture. He has no feeling below his chest but has movement of his arms and hands — though it appears that just last night he lost feeling in his hands. His brothers have set up a blog to keep people informed: A Brother Like No Other. Please pray for Mike and his family.
For those of you who prayed for Tim Bauslaugh, you will be pleased to know that he is steadily recovering. He is now posting messages on the blog that was set up when he was in the hospital.
I have just uploaded the final papers for this year’s Ancient Historiography Seminar, which meets in a week at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (CSBS) at York University in Toronto, Ontario (May 28-30, 2006).
This will be the inaugural year for the Seminar and it looks like it will be a great meeting with a lot of interesting discussion.
The papers are all available in PDF format, though you must be a member of the CSBS to download them. If you are not a member of the CSBS, then you will have to contact the paper’s author for permission and then contact me for the username and password.
As I did last year, I will be summarizing the Hebrew Bible sessions of this year’s conference, so stay tuned!
I guess “the critics” (who exactly are “the critics”?) didn’t care for Ron Howard’s The Da Vinci Code. It premiered at the 59th Cannes Film Festival yesterday (17 May 2006) and was panned by most critics according to Reuters. That makes Ron sad — again according to Reuters.
I enjoyed the book, though I would never say it is a literary masterpiece. I would have figured it would make an entertaining movie. Of course, historically and theologically it is a bunch of bunk… but it’s entertaining bunk nonetheless.
Of course, it will still make tonnes of money considering that most movie-goers don’t really pay much attention to what those “critics” say. And I think many people will see it just so they can see what all the controversy is about.
I will likely see it with my sister who will be in town for the weekend.
My blogging has been thwarted by the Oilers, my kid’s soccer, and plans to buy some bunnies (and work, of course!). I really need to get back on track, though I would be lying that the break from blogging has been refreshing.
Go Oilers Go!
Wow — what a great game tonight! It looks like sharks can’t swim in oil! Next, we’ll defeat the Mighty Ducks (how can a duck be mighty? C’mon, really!), and then it is Stanley Cup time! I really think the league needs to get rid of some of the new rules. I understand they are to open up the game, but when a penalty is called and for the life of you you can’t figure out what the penalty is, something is wrong (and then when they show it on replay it doesn’t look like a penalty!).
Funky Pickles Rule!
That’s right — the Funky Pickles — that’s the name of the all girls under 10 soccer team I coach. My daughter suggested the name, and go figure, the other eight and nine year olds liked it! In Edmonton, May and June are outdoor soccer months. That means a couple nights a week you are out on the pitch cheering on your kids. This is my seventh year coaching and I really enjoy it.
Bunnies, Bunnies, Bunnies!
My kids have been wanting a pet for some while now. My wife and I really didn’t want to get a dog or a cat due to the work involved and the fact that some close family members have allergies. I raised rabbits as a kid, so I suggested we get a rabbit or two. Rabbits are also nice because they can be kept outside for most of the year but can still be brought inside the house on occasion. If we are to get some bunnies, then of course I needed to build a rabbit hutch. I think I have outdone myself with the two storey deluxe rabbit hutch I have contructed (I will have to post some pictures).
So that is a bit of what I have been doing in my evenings and weekends.
I have a number of plans for future blog posts, but please bear with me as I actually have a bit of a life! 🙂
Good news for those of us who were weaned on the original Star Wars motion pictures — LucasFilm is releasing DVDs containing the original Star Wars films this fall! No more having to watch Han acting in self defence when Greedo shoots at him; no more CGI Jabba the Hut. Of course, you will have to buy the digitally enhanced versions along with the originals, but such is life.
Read more about the announcement in Wired News (a very funny article).
May the force be with you (now where did I put that wooden dowel I used as a Light Sabre as a kid?)
The Canadian Medical Association has announced a new national symbol for choking. Please inform all of the people in your safety department.
(Sorry Michael, couldn’t resist!)