Virtual Wedding Guests

This last weekend, my brother Stephen got married to Jenn!  Unfortunately, we couldn't be there.  I was really disappointed.  They offered to postpone the wedding till we could be there, but that wouldn't have been until Summer 2012.  No one wants to wait another year to get married!

HOWEVER, we were still able to 'attend' via Skype!  That's right, my dad set up a computer in the wedding hall (that already had wireless) and Alison and I got up at 1:30am to watch the festivities.  I was able to connect the computer to the TV as we stumbled out of bed and headed for the couches.  The computer on the other end was set up so we could see the bridal party and, most importantly, the bride and groom.  As Stephen and Jenn walked out at the end, I think they could see the computer.  I gave them a thumbs up, though I'm not sure that they could see it.  I didn't stay up for the rest of the festivities (I still had to be up for work the next day).

It's only been a couple of days since the wedding, so there aren't very many photos. In fact, this one is the only one I could find.  I'm sure more will pop up.

Congratulations, Stephen and Jenn! 

Christianity in the American Constitution

I like politics, Christianity and the biting humor of comedy news such as The Daily Show with John Stewart.  Below are three videos which comprise the full, unedited interview with John Stewart and David Barton, a constitutional scholar who works as an advocate in protecting religion.   He is conservative (and Stewart is certainly liberal), but the interview is really good.  I liked it for the following reasons.

• Steward doesn't play the 'gotcha' game.  He's quick to bring the discussion back to the relevant point and make sure he understands what Barton is saying without trying to take Barton out of context.  He allows Barton to clarify points of confusion.  Pundits, both liberal and conservative, often seem more intent on scoring quick points.  This is why I believe I am better off without cable news in Bahrain. 
• Both are polite, focused on the discussion and are genuinely kind towards each other.  So often interviews with opposing sides seem to turn into scoring points with cheap shots.  Neither do this. 
• Barton is extremely knowledgeable. He's also extremely consistent (which Stewart points out towards the end of the last video).  He's knowledgeable about the constitution and thousands of documents surrounding the constitution and the founding fathers. 
• Stewart is humble.  As Barton deconstructs some of the mis-characterizations that The Media has (based on the questions Stewart has for him) and Stewart is savy and humble enough to recognize that his own ideas about Barton were wrong and he needs to readjust his schema.
• Barton is genuinely polite.  Whenever Stewart presents a mis-characterization of Barton's ideas, or has a wrong idea about the constitution (see the third interview and the Treaty of Tripoli), Barton is quick correct what he believes is wrong, but in a kind and helpful manner. 

The videos are long, but they are really interesting. 

The Daily Show - Exclusive - David Barton Extended Interview Pt. 1
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Daily Show - Exclusive - David Barton Extended Interview Pt. 2
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Daily Show - Exclusive - David Barton Extended Interview Pt. 3
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Ethan Coombridge Photography

There is a teenager in our small group, Ethan, who has taken up photography.  He and his dad came to the hospital to visit (with a fantastic gift for Eva, I might add!) and he snapped a couple of really great photos.  Below are my two favorite of Gabe and Eva.  You can see more of his work at his website: Ethan Coombridge Photography.  It also has great back ground music, so browsing his pictures is perfect for a lazy afternoon while your children and spouse take a nap. 

Ethan printed this photo and framed it for us.  It's sitting in our living room.  Absolutely fantastic picture. 

This one of Eva is also really great.  Such an innocent look for such a mischievous child!

Gabriel and Eva - the first momments

Alison has a reputation of being a tough big sister.  She is particularly fond of a picture of herself pouring a bucket of water on her little brother, Brian, when they were little kids.  One of my favorite stories is when she and her friends went into the kitchen to concoct various drinks made of random ingredients - pepper, sugar, various juices, random pieces of food - and made Brian drink it.

I'm sure Eva and Gabe will have a great relationship (or, I hope they do).  Already, we've seen various sides to their friendship.  Eva has been very kind and gentle with Gabe (in a 16 mo old sort of way)...

...and has already started giving Gabe kisses.




But she also asserts her dominance.




But you can see that she generally likes him and will grow to love him.

Pictures of Gabe!

Here are some of the pictures, I'm sure there'll be more to come!  If you are on FB and can't see the pictures, you'll need to go directly to my blog.  I'll also post a couple videos later on.