Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 278

Discovery of the site of Jesus’ trial?

Archaeologists have found what they are identifying as Herod’s palace in Jerusalem, which many scholars believe was the headquarters of Pontius Pilate and the site of Jesus’ trial. From Archaeologists find possible site of Jesus’s trial in Jerusalem – The Washington Post: It started 15 years ago with plans to expand the Tower of David [Read More...]

What about New Year’s Resolutions?

A time-honored custom is to make New Year’s resolutions, decisions to use the new beginning offered by the new year to improve one’s life in some way.  Reportedly, 50% of people make such resolutions, but 89% fail to keep them. This can be seen as evidence for the theological teaching about the bondage of the [Read More...]

Obamacare employer mandate goes into effect

Now that it’s 2015, the next phase of Obamacare kicks in:  Employers of more than 100 people must give them insurance benefits.   This provision of the Affordable Care Act had been delayed by executive decree, but now it goes into effect. Most employers in this range already provide health insurance to their employees, though [Read More...]

The Hobbit movie as “tedious havoc”

I was greatly disappointed in the third part of Peter Jackson’s makeshift trilogy based on The Hobbit.  The Battle of the Five Armies was mostly, to use Milton’s words, tedious havoc.  It was two-and-a-half hours of killing orcs, with little story beyond that. But here is what artists who aspire to the genre of fantasy [Read More...]

Happy Circumcision & Name of Jesus Day!

I hope you had a big celebration last night and stayed up past midnight to see in the big holiday today.  Namely, the commemoration of the circumcision and naming of Jesus, a ceremony that took place one week after His birth.  To honor the occasion–and, oh, yes, it’s also New Year’s Day, isn’t it?–I am

Make your predictions for 2015

Now it’s time for you to make your predictions about what is going to happen in the new year that begins today.  Then, on New Year’s Eve of 2015, we will review them to see who is the most far-sighted prognosticator. Again, the more specific, out-of-the-blue, and surprising predictions fare best.  The example I keep [Read More...]

Checking your predictions for 2014

You readers made some pretty good predictions last year.  More than one of you predicted that gasoline prices would drop, that more states would legalize gay marriage and marijuana possession, that the Supreme Court would rule in ways that they did, in fact, rule.  Some mentioned North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, including that he would [Read More...]

The #1 most popular Cranach blog post of the year

The year’s most viewed post by far was not written this year, but rather in July 2011.  And it wasn’t written by me, but by my liberal Democratic Southern Baptist musical genius brother, Jimmy.  Here it is: The Devil’s interval. People who google this legendary evil-sounding musical lick–and I presume most of these are heavy [Read More...]

The funny year in review

One of my long-time customs leading up to New Year’s is to read Dave Barry’s annual year in review.  I like the month-by-month survey of what happened in the previous year.  And that his commentary is hilarious. Just read the whole thing: Dave Barry’s Year in Review 2014 | The Miami Herald.

The war in Afghanistan is over

The war in Afghanistan officially ended on Sunday.  It lasted 13 years, the longest armed conflict in American history.  The number of American and NATO soldiers killed was some 3,500. Once again, the United States ends a costly war far short of victory.  In fact, the Taliban is claiming victory.  Are they pretty much right?  [Read More...]