Obama’s First Hundred Days . . . at HBU!

Here in Houston, the time has come to issue judgment on the first hundred days of the Obama administration.  Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved, and Mike Gallagher are coming to the Dunham Theater of the Morris Cultural Arts Center at Houston Baptist University tomorrow night (Wednesday) to offer their critique of the president’s program so far.

The event is sponsored by the local conservative talker, KNTH 1070 AM and has provoked a lot of interest around the city.  We expect over 1000 Houstonians to attend, but there just might be a ticket or two left.  Here’s the link for the event.

And before the political balance police get up in arms, I would like to add the footnote that HBU is merely providing the forum to the radio station.  We did the same for the Holocaust Museum by hosting Madeline Albright several months ago.

What I’ve Had to Say Lately at Touchstone’s Mere Comments

Remembering Francis Schaeffer

Mary Ann Glendon’s Magnificent Valor

Thomas Howard’s Christ the Tiger

The Obama-Chavez Soulbrother Shake

Little Things in Everyday Life

When I first became a father, I was traumatized by the experience. There was part of me that rebelled in being tied down with such an awesome responsibility. I am thankful to God that he changed my heart and helped me accept the gift of fatherhood.

What I have discovered is that my greatest joys in life, bar none, relate to my children. Getting the right job, having an article published, making a book deal; none of those things compare to the exhilarating happiness I experience as a result of things my children do or say.

For example, I like to give my kids nicknames. My son Andrew can’t stand it. He is very strong on the rules. That means I can only call him Andrew. Not Bigstuff. Not Anderson. Not Handsome. Just Andrew. But little Grace, at age four, takes things a little more easily. We used to call her Baby Grace, then Baby G. Lately, I’ve taken to calling her Gracie-tot or Tabitha the Tot or little Tiger.

Yesterday, I picked her up in my arms and said, “I like to call you nicknames. Is that okay?”

She replied in the happiest little voice you ever heard, “Okay, Daddy. You can call me Pipsqueak. How about that?!!”

My heart melted in a pool of happiness at her goodwill, desire to please, and awesome overall cuteness.

Andrew, by the way, went to a new pediatrician with his mother yesterday. When the doctor asked Ruth whether Andrew was on a multi-vitamin, he precociously beat his mother to the punch by announcing, ” I have vitamins, but I never get to take them because Mom says I’m too late for school and I have to hurry.” He’s big on honesty.

For those of you who CHOOSE to be childless, think twice about it.  It’s true you won’t enjoy restaurants as much and your time won’t be your own.  But the emotional return on watching this little person, who really is part of you, grow up is impossible to duplicate with ski weekends or trips to Mexico.

Refining My Efforts

To the small community of dedicated readers of my personal blog,

I’m going to start using this blog for just the personal stuff.  Family stories, career developments, things like that.

The thought pieces are going to go to either Touchstone’s Mere Comments (reflections on faith), the Acton Institute blog (reflections on faith and economics/culture), or American Spectator (politics).

Thanks, all.  If you haven’t checked out the Touchstone blog and the accompanying magazine, please do.  it’s quite good.

HB

Richard John Neuhaus the Friend

I was late in receiving my Richard John Neuhaus tribute issue from First Things, so forgive my mentioning it after many have long read it.

Going through, one thing that stands out is that Richard John Neuhaus was so influential not only because of his tremendous proficiency and prolificity with words, but also because of his gift of friendship.  When great groups of friends stay together for a long time, it is often because there is one person standing at the center doing the work and exerting an almost magnetic attraction.  Neuhaus stood at the center of an incredible network of brilliant people.  That becomes clear as you read the tributes.

I had a friend like that in high school.  He made the friendships work.  We didn’t have a lot without him.  We got together recently in Chicago after twenty years apart.  The same dynamic was in place.

Stephen Barr’s tribute underlines the point:

[Neuhaus] also created a particular part of the public square that hadn’t existed before.  He created a place where a great throng of religious intellectuals, hitherto isolated from one another and often unaware of one another’s existence, could meet to share their thoughts and pool their intellectual resources.

Quite right.  And one man was brilliant at linking those people together in a culturally important way.  Who will be next?  Robert George?  Father Sirico?  I wonder . . .

Atlas Shrugged: The Film?

I’m no objectivist and Ayn Rand’s anti-Christian sentiments actually offend me quite a bit, but if the deal goes through for the Randall Wallace-helmed and written Atlas Shrugged film treatment, then I’ll be there on opening day.

Thoughts on Higher Education, Christian and Otherwise

I’ve posted a reflection on the future of higher education, with a particular emphasis on the Christian universities, over at the Touchstone Magazine Mere Comments blog. Catch it here.

Here’s a clip:

The economic downturn has had a substantial impact on colleges and universities.

The first shoe dropped when endowments everywhere took big hits from a rapidly falling market. When endowments go underwater, they produce no income and generally can’t be touched.

The other shoe will drop when we see how private colleges and universities do in terms of their student numbers for the fall. My casual conversations with peers indicates that the private schools are running behind in terms of student deposits. The buyers are not feeling flush.

The public universities, on the other hand, have their own problems. The ones that have endowments are down. They also rely on tax subsidies in a time when tax revenues are diminished. The trend of the last several years has been for states to offer less and less financial support. In-state tuition has risen substantially. Where they do not suffer is in terms of student numbers. They will be overwhelmed by bargain seekers in tough economic times. The question is whether they will have state funds to backfill the subsidized education they offer and how many they can admit. As it stands now, their facilities are often severely strained, teaching assistants do an awful lot of the instruction, and there are a large number of cattle call style courses.