It’s not Chicago, but it is the Great Midwest…Skye Jethani and the folks at Out of Ur blog are making their blog one of my favorite stops.Tony’s got a good post on blogging, journalism, and the ongoing evolution of media. He is commenting on Andrew Sullivan’s post about blogging.Here’s a good reason to read blogs: JR Briggs and the rock dropper.A long piece on reaching into the world of those with autism.Tim Keel tells a good story and I like his approach to the election. Thanks Tim. Erika’s question. Todd Hiestand has some funny comments about the first post of a number of bloggers. Abortion and voting: Ted Gossard weighs in. Eugene Cho speaks words of wisdom on some recent teaching recently calling into question stay at home dads. Rob caught a good one. iMonk lists what he’s reading, listening to and watching … good grief, brother, I’d need 40 hrs per day to get through that much. (I’m reading J. Kameron Carter, listening to The Beach Boys — but only when I commute in the car otherwise I’m not listening to anything — and I’m watching baseball and the news.) John Frye listened to Phyllis Tickle and then this picture — and I swear Phyllis must be shrinking. Don Johnson reflects on the tone to be used in pastor’s presentations of their budgets … good thoughts (as usual). Questions have changed, apologetics has changed, and many are attentive to the changes. TSK’s church signs. Bob Robinson’s begun a new series.A wonderful little interview with Karen. Writers have to choose according to Laura Barkat.George Will on the Episcopalian controversies with Robert Duncan. (I wasn’t aware Will wrote about issues of faith.)Big-time on Green.Baby animal pics:“It’s his best book yet…” Kris found this statement by our daughter Laura in a note to her brother Lukas on Facebook. Laura was talking about The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible. Fun to catch my kids talking about the books.Margaret Atwood‘s nice piece on the relationship called debt and credit.Interview with Anne Graham Lotz.The College Board devises a new test to assess students.An online Book Review site worth linking to.1. About half the size of Noah’s Ark.2. Warren Buffet’s principle: when others are fearful, he’s greedy; when other’s are greedy, he’s fearful.3. The Downturn’s benefits (according to Nicholas Kristof).4. Eye on the Earth. 5. Immigration as a European Union issue.6. Catholics, abortion, justice, and Obama.7. Good editorial on the difference between a liberation movement and political leadership — in South Africa.8. Collin Hansen investigates the Vatican’s discussion on Scripture.9. Well, then, if the dinosaurs danced then so can the Wheaton students. 8)10. The end of green?11. Have you seen this “rock ‘n roll” Christian band? [I got this from an Aussie and it illustrates shifts in Christian musical tastes. I promise if you listen to this three times you’ll never get the music out of your head!]Political comment: I like to read the NYTimes editorials; their relentless hammering away on Palin and McCain just got old. I ceased reading their political commentary two weeks back. It makes me wonder what they’ll have to write about from November 5th on. Here is how their editorial endorsement of Obama began: “Hyperbole is the currency of presidential campaigns, but this year the nation’s future truly hangs in the balance.” Well, this week I also saw a letter from James Dobson that worried over the apocalypse that could occur if Obama is elected. The book we’ve been looking at Prophesies of Godlessness: Predictions of America’s Imminent Secularization sets all of this rhetoric in context!Sports:Greg Olson, tight end for the Bears, saying “What happened to the Cubs!”Awesome series between Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.Congratulations to Mike Singletary, now head coach at SF 49ers.