Rotundus.com

A sunny beach, a beer, and a book make a great way to spend an afternoon. Got through most of this book in such a fashion last week. All said, I recommend both the beach/book/beer combo and this particular book.

When we become too humble to aspire, we've stopped being humble.

Humility should never be an excuse for inactivity. Our humility should harness our ambition, not hinder it. Taking about your dreams for God isn't proud - it's essential. If you're too humble to dream, maybe you have an incorrect understanding of humility. The servant who is faithful with little still has an eye on the much. John Stott has it right:

Ambitions for self may be quite modest... Ambitions for God, however, if they are to be worthy, can never be modest. There is something inherently inappropriate about cherishing small ambitions for God. How can we ever be content that he should acquire just a little more honour in the world? No. Once we are clear that God is King, then we long to see him crowned with glory and honour, and accorded his true place, which is the supreme place. We become ambitious for the spread of his kingdom and righteousness everywhere.

Are you getting the picture? The stoking of godly ambition is far from inconsequential. Without it, exploration fails, research stops, kids spoil, industry stalls, causes fail, civilizations crumble, the gospel stands still. We can't let all of that happen in the name of humility. If our ambitions are to be worthy of God's glory, they can never be modest.

To allow such passivity is to cut out the very heart of humility, leaving it devoid of the power and grace God promises to the humble. The "old" humility, true and biblical humility, has a name big enough for the largest of godly ambitions. We must be ambitious for this kind of humility

- Dave Harvey, Rescuing Ambition, p. 117

Mother sues son she abandoned at age 15 for parental support

There are a bunch of details given in the story, but here I'll just note that this is a Canadian tale, taking place in British Columbia.

Too much of a good thing: Growth in wind power makes life difficult for grid managers

This is one of the issues that crops up in my research. Much of renewable energy is volatile.

The Web Means the End of Forgetting

An interesting, feature length piece in the New York Times on privacy in the online realm. It fits nicely with another article with some of the Google's CEOs comments on the end of privacy.

Protest Sign Reminders: What The Liberal Rallies From The Bush Years Were Like

Both the left and the right have the extra-crazies.

Just got back into town this evening after extending a school-related trip with a few days in the sun visiting relatives and just enough time back in YVR to do have dinner with my parents and sister.

One lesson learned on the trip: a book, a beer, and a beach today make a great way to spend an afternoon.

How Liberal Do You Think You Are?

Interesting to find a study suggesting that many people "believe themselves to be more left-wing than their actual beliefs on a substantive issue might suggest."

Can you change what you want?

David Powlison of CCEF says Yes

F-bombs away: Canadians proudly saltier of tongue than Brits, Americans

I'm a little surprised although, at the same time, really not all that surprised.

Social Security to pay out more than it takes in for first time ever

What do you expect to happening with population aging and a birth dearth? Canada appears to be in slightly better shape, but I'm not sure that it's all that much more sustainable.