Recently in Outtakes Category

Hancock

Release Date: July 2 (Note: This video loads slow but looks great (its in Super HD).)

Iron Man

Release Date: May 2

The Dark Knight

Release Date: July 18

Blurb Meme -- Ten years ago Rob Suggs wrote a humorous article for Christianity Today that mentions the (entirely fictional) book, "The Collected Blurbs of J. I. Packer. Any book worth reading has a short dust-jacket recommendation from J. I. Here are hundreds of the best cover endorsements from the 'King of Blurbs'." A decade later, the octogenarian theologian is still viewed as the most prolific blurber in Christendom. (Just today I received a book to review titled "Sex, Sushi, & Salvation" and prominently displayed on the cover was a recommendation from...J.I. Packer.)

Since I have hundreds of books in my library I thought I'd have a dozen titles endorsed by Packer. So I checked them all and to my surprise I found only nine books had his stamp of approval. In fact, Packer came in second to Chuck "Prince of Blurbs" Colson who had ten blurbs. Coming in a distant third and fourth was Dallas Willard with six and J.P. Moreland with five blurbs. Five other blurbers (James Sire, Jim Skillen, Mark Noll, Os Guinness, and Richard Mouw) tied for fifth place with four each. (The most unexpected blurb I found was seeing Rev. Jeremiah Wright's name on Ron Sider's Just Generosity.)

Who are the most prolific blurbers in your library? Any names in your library pop up more than ten times?

Countdown to the ESVSB Launch -- My friend Justin Taylor recently announced the launching of the website for the ESV Study Bible. The ESB doesn't come out until October but it's already getting rave reviews. And no, Packer didn't blurb it--he's the theological editor for the edition.

Christian Rock Rocks -- Daniel Radosh, author of "Rapture Ready: Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture" has compiled a list of "Ten great Christian rock songs":

This is a list of 10 great Christian rock songs. Really. I know what you're thinking. I'm a secular Jew who always took it for granted that Christian rock stinks. Indeed, until a couple of years ago I knew virtually nothing about Christian rock except that it stinks. But after spending time inside the "evangelical bubble" I had to admit I was mistaken. It turns out there's Christian music that never gets played on those radio stations you accidentally stumble across on road trips -- and that doesn't reduce all expressions of faith to crass evangelism, anodyne praise, or crypto-romance.

On his website, Radosh even has audio versions of each of the songs on the list.

Friendly Spam -- How to Deal with Hyperactive Friends on Facebook

Mitt Romney, Comedian -- At the recent Radio and Television Correspondent's Dinner, Mitt Romney told the assembled crowd the top 10 reasons why he quit the race:

No. 10: There weren't as many Osmonds as he thought.
No. 9: Got tired of the corkscrew landings of his campaign plane while under fire
No. 8: As a lifelong hunter, I didn't want to miss the start of varmint season.
No. 7: There wasn't room for two Christian leaders in the presidential race
No. 6: I was upset that no one bothered to search my passport files.
No. 5: I'd rather get fat, grow a beard and try for the Nobel prize.
No. 4: Got tired of wearing a dark suit and tie, and I wanted to kick back in a light colored suit and tie.
No. 3: When my wife realized I couldn't win the GOP nomination, my fundraising dried up.
No. 2: I took a bad fall at a campaign rally and broke my hair.
And the No. 1 reason Romney dropped out: His campaign relied on a flawed campaign strategy that as Utah goes, so goes the nation.

Surprisingly funny. Looks like Romney got Huckabee to write his material. (HT: Holy Coast)

Know Your White People -- Stuff White People Like is a blog devoted to taking a "scientific approach to highlight and explain stuff white people like." Take a peek at the full list of SWPL and you'll see that it's an uncannily accurate assessment. The blog should add itself to the list.

Garfield minus Garfield -- What happens when you remove the title character from their own comic strip? You turn a terribly unfunny strip into, as Garfield minus Garfield says, "an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolor disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life."

Internet Radio Appearance -- On Monday night I'll be joining Rick Moore of HolyCoast.com ON THE AIR to discusses presidential politics. The show airs at 7pm PST/10pm EST but you you can listen online anytime or download it to your iPod.

New Blog Alert -- I think I'm one of three people in the Reformed community whose favorite Piper is not named John. Though Dr. Piper comes a close second, I'm partial to his son Abraham, the web content editor for Desiring God. Abraham recently launched his own blog, 22 Words, in which each post is limited to 22 words or less.

New (Old) Blog Alert -- Southern Appeal, one of my favorite group blogs, has returned from hiatus as a solo venture.

Free Stuff -- For a limited time, Modern Parables films are available for free viewing in iPod/iTunes format. (I'll have a review of the complete series posted in the next few weeks. )

Wheatstone Academy -- Matt Anderson sends along a promo video for Wheatstone Academy, an offshoot of the Torrey Honors Institute of Biola University. John Mark Reynolds calls it a "boot camp for the mind." I'm looking forward to sending my daughter there in a few years.

Stem Cell Silence -- Neither Clinton nor Obama commented on the recent news about the stem cell breakthrough. Mark I. at RedState thinks he knows why they remained silent:

These Democrats are the ones who claim to have so much compassion for the suffering and afflicted and who label their political opponents as heartless and cruel. So, why the silence on this advancement? In some cases it could be because the campaigns are seeking a way to appear to praise the announcement while not offending embryonic stem cell research advocates among the their supporters. For Sen. Hillary!™ Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, it may be because in a crucial vote for ethical stem cell alternatives taken earlier this year, they voted no.

Although I follow this issue fairly closely, I wasn’t aware these Senators had voted against the HOPE Act. Democratic voters should ask why their leading Presidential nominees voted against funding such promising research.

Christians & Government -- Matt Kaufman has a very good article at Boundless that provides a basic understanding of the biblical role of government and how it should affect our vote. Kaufman contends that the primary purpose of government is protection of its citizens.

On Boundless's blog, The Line, Motte Brown adds some useful thoughts on the subject:

We see elsewhere (Proverbs 8:15,16; Romans 13:4) that God established government to make and enforce laws specifically so "that we may live peaceful and quiet lives." Beyond protection, there's no clear mandate for governmental responsibility found in Scripture, even when it comes to the physically poor. Proverbs 29 and Psalm 72 speak of rulers dealing justly with the poor. So the government has some responsibility. But not much. According to the Bible, the needy are to be cared for first by the family, and then the church.

Both Kaufman and Brown appear to take the "conservative" view of the Biblical mandate for government, a position on which I largely agree. I'd be interested to hear how politically liberal Christians use Scripture to justify the expansion of the role of government.

Politics as Vocation -- At Theolog, the blog of The Christian Century magazine, David Heim has an excellent post on Christian engagement in politics. He begins by noting that some "significant voices on the right that are disillusioned about political engagement."

Skepticism about politics is always healthy. But it strikes me that [David] Kuo's and [Gregory] Boyd's comments reflect a broad, unhelpful tendency in American Christianity to oscillate between two poles: either a fervent engagement in politics for the sake of the gospel and the world, or an equally fervent detachment for the sake of the purity of the gospel and the health of the church. Isn't there something between the two poles?

Calling Greg Boyd a "voice on the right" will surely raise a few eyebrows. But aside from that minor quibble, Heim makes an important point worth considering:

Meanwhile, however, individual Christians have their particular vocations. In a democracy, all people have the vocation of citizen and so are in some degree called to the work of politics. Beyond that, a certain number of individual Christians are called to a more specific vocation: to study, analyze or participate in the day-to-day workings of politics. They make arguments and pay attention to data. They look for affinities between the gospel and political philosophies and programs. They listen to what constituents say and arguments other people make. Their work is fallible, limited, pervaded by sin, always subject to revision—but so are lots of vocations.

I think this is exactly right. My particular vocation (both my career and, to some extent, this blog) focuses on politics and public policy. And while I think it is important work, I certainly don't think it is any more or less important than most other vocations (though it can certainly be much duller than other fields, such as business or ministry). I also agree with Heim that the work is fallible, limited, pervaded by sin, and always subject to revision. If only we could be reminded of that fact every day before we begin our work, the world would be much better off.

(HT: A Thinking Reed, which also adds some useful thoughts to the discussion.

The Full Bard -- The BBC is planning to produce new versions of all 37 of Shakespeare's plays:

[The BBC] has enlisted Sam Mendes, Oscar-winning director of American Beauty and Road to Perdition, and his Neal Street company to produce the entire canon over a 12-year period.

Some of the country's biggest stars – including Kate Winslet, who is married to Mendes, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Jude Law, Dame Helen Mirren, and James McAvoy – are being tipped to take part in what will be one of the BBC's most expensive and ambitious drama series.

With quality television drama costing up to £900,000 an hour, the final bill could touch £100?million.

Jim Gaffigan on Hot Pockets

Brian Regan on Food Labels

Mitch Hedberg

Hey, Big Spenders -- The average Democrat in Congress sponsors more savings bills than the average Republican, says the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. An examination of the cost or savings of all bills introduced in Congress found that on average, a typical House Democrat sponsored 5 spending reduction bills, versus 2 for the typical Republican.

Unfortunately, each House savings bill was outnumbered over 20 to 1 by bills to increase spending. For each bill introduced in the Senate that would reduce federal spending, there were over 30 bills to raise spending.

A Little More Jesus, A Little Less Amway? -- Brian Hollar, from Thinking on the Margin, wonders, " Whatever happened to Christians believing in the power of the Holy Spirit moving in the hearts of men? Why is it necessary to supplement the gospel with cheesy slogans and blatant manipulation?"

The Geek King of Hip Hop -- Move over Timbaland. The greatest hip-hop composer in music today is Ronald Jenkees, a brilliant, goofy white kid with wicked keyboarding skills.

Check out more on his YouTube Channel

The National Institute for Student Ministries has discovered a new method of evangelism. The Evangelism Linebacker deals directly with student fears about sharing their faith. As the EL says (after knocking some people out who don't evangelize), "Get off the floh' and go doh' to doh'"

(HT: The Thinklings)

Coach, Wrong Ball

Wassup (Milk Edition)

I've seen numerous knockoffs of the of the original Wassup commercial, but this is by far the best -- and cutest.

A Deer Jumps Over A Motorcyclist

(HT: The Presurfer)

Lost on Gilligan’s Island

Shameless Self-Promotion -- National Review Online has published my op-ed on "Theocracy in America". (Note: Its a rehash of former blog posts, so most EO readers will have seen it all before.)

Aggies are #1? It's No Joke -- Move over Harvard--Texas A&M is now ranked as the “best” university in the country. So says The Washington Monthly magazine in its annual College Guide, which was designed as an alternative to US News & World Report and similar guides. Texas A&M takes the number one spot among national universities on the Washington Monthly list, while Princeton, U.S. News’s top-ranked school, comes in at 78.

UCLA and UC Berkeley place second and third respectively among national universities in the Washington Monthly rankings. Among liberal arts colleges, Presbyterian (SC), Smith (MA), and Wheaton (IL) take the top three spots respectively, far above their US News rankings. The magazine also ranks the best community colleges in America.

Religion and Human Rights - Legal scholar Rob Vischer argues that "a belief in God is, in general, more supportive of a belief in human rights than atheism is." (See here, here for Vischer's claim and various rebuttals.)

Online Theology Program -- Reclaiming the Mind Ministries has a six course program of systematic theology that is created for lay-people. Online courses begin in September. Philosopher J.P. Moreland gives it a strong endorsement: "The Theology Program is the best thing I have seen to date and recommend it with great excitement."

Baptism Brawl -- A few days ago Justin Taylor pointed out that Wayne Grudem had revised his view of baptism in his influential "Systematic Theology." John Piper responded prompting Grudem to respond to the response. Soon after, Mark Dever, Aaron Menikoff, Abraham Piper, and Sam Storms all joined in the debate. It's an interesting discussion but its real value is as a model for how to argue without rancor. Adrian Warnock has rounded up all the major posts on the debate.

Internship Alert -- My friends at Americans United for Life (AUL), a national public-interest bioethics law firm defending human life through vigorous legislative, judicial, and educational efforts, are looking for two highly-qualified and motivated law students to serve as legal externs during the fall semester.

Daisy (Lyndon Johnson 1964)

The Bear (Ronald Reagan 1984)

Morning in America (Ronald Reagan 1984)

Willie Horton (George H.W. Bush 1988)

Topsy Turvy

I didn’t even know this was possible. (Note: Nothing significant happens after the 1:15 mark. The driver is unharmed.) (HT: One Man's Blog)

Jiffy Lubed

This driver needs a lesson in hand and arm signals. (HT: One Man's Blog)

Crazy Car Compilation

Study: Multiple Stab Wounds May Be Harmful To Monkeys

Repeatedly stabbing monkeys with sharpened objects may have an adverse effect on their health, according to a new study.

Are Our Children Learning Enough About Whales?

Panelists discuss a new report that found only 84% of education funding goes to teaching children about whales.

Report: Many U.S. Parents Outsourcing Child Care Overseas

Due to rising domestic wages, many American parents are saving money by using unregulated overseas workers.

Laughing Babies Montage

Kung Fu Baby

Funny Babies I

Epuron GmbH

This ad for Epuron GmbH, created by the Nordpol+ Hamburg agency, won the Golden Lion for best advertising spot at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes. It's weird at first, but it makes sense in the end. (HT: Neatorama)

German Coast Guard

Color Like No Other

Here's a behind the scenes video of the making of this Bravia ad.

Tony vs. Paul

Amateur

Game Over

"AirTap!" on Lap Guitar (Erik Mongrain)

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on Ukulele (Jake Shimabukuro)

"Ocean" on Acoustic Guitar (John Butler)

Cards from Air

(HT: Neatorama)

The Coin Matrix

David Blaine's 360 Degree Arm Twist

Here's how to do this trick:

Flight of the Conchords sing about one of the most important issues of the day: why people should stop touching monkeys.

(Wait around until (or skip ahead to) 2:30 in the video to hear my new favorite song.) Direct link to video

Children See. Children Do.

Get Good Karma

Galactic Nuisance

Dancing the Charleston to Daft Punk

This ingenious mashup of electronica and 1920s-era Charleston moves is one of my all-time favorite dance videos.

Fat Boy Slim - Weapon Of Choice

Before Christopher Walken became one of the strangest (and most ubiquitous) actors in Hollywood, he was a dancer. (Walken received his childhood education at Professional Children’s School in Manhattan, during which time he trained specifically to be a dancer.) This video directed by Spike Jonze shows off his amazing footwork.

Thien Thu Thien Nhan

This breathtaking routine is purportedly by a troupe of deaf Chinese girls performing in Vietnam.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- Trailer

Michel Gondry, a French Academy Award winning screenwriter, film, commercial, and music video director, is one of the most innovative commercial artists of his generation. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was his second feature film and remains one of the most moving comedies of the decade.

Michel Gondry Solves a Rubiks Cube with his Feet

Here's a short video clip explaining how he did it.

Björk - Beachelorette

Gondry's work is almost as strange as Bjork's which is why the two often collaborate. But this video, a intriguing surrealist narrative, is by far their best work.

The Soccer Partner

Stick around until the end to understand this charming commercial.

Wheee…

Luck

The Trunk Monkey

Combing two things all men love: cars and monkeys. [Link to YouTube]

The Fastest Gunman in the World

How fast? 8 rounds on 1 target in 1 second; 8 rounds on 4 targets in 1.46 seconds; 6 shots, reload, 6 shots in 2.99 seconds. [Link to video]

The Fastest (Production) Car in the World

Top Gear--the brilliant British car show that even non-gearheads can love--pushes a Bugatti Veyron to its top speed of 253mph. [Link to YouTube]

Job Interview

I don’t know much about New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson -- and apparently neither does most of the Democratic Party. In a self-deprecating campaign video--possibly the best of its genre--Richardson is able to reveal some of the bullet points on his resume. The fact that two junior Senators with thin resumes are ahead of him for the Democratic nomination says a lot about how seriously we take the role of the Presidency. [Link to YouTube] (HT: Outside the Beltway)

Men in Black

This amazing four-minute animated video tells the harrowing story of an ambush in Mosul. It's based on a blog entry by former Army infantryman Colby Buzzell. Not to be missed. [Link to YouTube].

Talk to the Fifth Guy

The Placebo Diet -- Harvard University psychologist Ellen Langer and her student Alia Crum found that many of the beneficial results of exercise are due to the placebo effect:

The researchers studied 84 female housekeepers from seven hotels. Women in 4 hotels were told that their regular work was enough exercise to meet the requirements for a healthy, active lifestyle, whereas the women in the other three hotels were told nothing. To determine if the placebo effect plays a role in the benefits of exercise, the researchers investigated whether subjects' mind-set (in this case, their perceived levels of exercise) could inhibit or enhance the health benefits of exercise independent of any actual exercise.

Four weeks later, the researchers returned to assess any changes in the women's health. They found that the women in the informed group had lost an average of 2 pounds, lowered their blood pressure by almost 10 percent, and were significantly healthier as measured by body-fat percentage, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio. These changes were significantly higher than those reported in the control group and were especially remarkable given the time period of only four weeks.

Convincing myself that I have a "healthy, active lifestyle" will sure be easier than going to the gym. [Here is the full paper online.] (HT: Collision Detection)

13 Rules from a Father to his 6 Kids -- Jamsco has a useful list of parental rules. Sample: "6. Unless you are sitting on it or cleaning it, there is never a reason to touch a toilet."

The Political Web -- Stony Brook University is conducting an online survey designed to help them understand what Americans like you think about internet advertising, modern campaigns, and politics. Click here to take the survey.

Huckabee on Climate Change -- From a Newsweek interview of Gov. Mike Huckabee:

The Human Cost of Mexicans

A prime example of why we need to do something about illegal immigration -- before we're all forced to move into our summer homes. (HT: OTB)

Nuclear Weapons Transparency

Good magazine has produced an informative short video illustrating the amount of active nuclear weapons held by each country. It ends by showing what would happen if a nuke was set off at the base of the Empire State Building.

Not like a Shamrock At All -- Theologian Fred Sanders on analogies for the Trinity:

As soon as you use an analogy to explain the Trinity, you introduce complexity. It’s ironic, but the simplest way to explain the Trinity is to tell the story of Jesus Christ. Jesus is sent by the Father to earth where He is empowered by the Holy Spirit. When he ascends to the right hand of the Father, he sends the Holy Spirit to us.

A good analogy can be helpful sometimes, but can’t possibly please God when the word ‘Trinity’ makes us think primarily about ice cubes and shamrocks rather than the incarnation of the Son and the outpouring of the Spirit.

Historical Inerrancy -- Jeremy Pierce has an excellent post that disputes the claim that concept of inerrancy is recent development in church history: "So here is what I consider to be absolutely clear statements from some historical figures long before the 19th century holding to views that seem to me to be pretty much the same view as the inerrancy of the Chicago Statement of Biblical Inerrancy, which has become a standard account of contemporary evangelicals mean by the term."

Death of the Firstborn Camel -- Don Bloesch has a great post on a topic that I've regrettably never given much thought too: how within the Biblical narrative the fate of creation is tightly bound to the actions of the people (i.e., Egypt and Israel).

Apologia for Book Buyers -- In a digression on a recent post about John Newton, Justin Taylor provided a comment that has helped alleviate my guilt over my inveterate book-buying:

Baghdad Firefight, March 2007

Multi-National Force - Iraq set up a YouTube channel to "give viewers around the world a "boots on the ground" perspective of Operation Iraqi Freedom from those who are fighting it." (Note: none of the videos are graphic) In this clip American and Iraqi infantry come under fire while patrolling as part of Fardh Al-Qanoon, the Baghdad Security Plan. These soldiers make getting shot appear to be nothing more than a dull task that has to be endured.

Don't Stop

In this Snickers ad--not shown in America--stick figures on the illuminated Walk/Don’t Walk signs come to life and engage in a West Side Story–worthy rumble. (The city scenes were shot in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the animation was assembled in Amsterdam, and the hip-hop song in the background is Kuwaiti.) (HT: Very Short List)

Arab O'Reilly Factor

This clip from Al Jazerra starts out as a bizarrely amusing squabble over the execution of Saddam Hussein. But it takes a turn toward the absurd when one of the panelists says: "As you know Saddam executed my own brother and many of my relatives. He executed the uncle of my children. But the way he was executed proved Saddam was a brave man. He has truly become our martyr."

The video supports Tarek Heggy's claims about the "Arab Mind" (specifically points 1-5, 14-16, 19, 20).

Tear Down This Firewall -- This blog is apparantly too subversive for the commies because I've been banned by the Great Firewall of China. (HT: Acton Blog)

Calvin Quoter -- Ever been frustrated because you couldn't find the reference for a quote by that great philosopher-theologian Calvin? No, I don't mean John Calvin. His stuff is easy to find. I'm talking about the other Calvin, the one with the stuffed tiger named Hobbes. Now, thanks to this super-cool transmogrifier-thingie, you can search by keyword to find Calvin's pearls of wisdom. (HT: Tim Challies)

Red Scare -- Sure, we all know that one day California is going to break off and fall into the ocean. But do the people of San Fransisco really need to be reminded of that fact by the Red Cross? Jason DeFillippo has more photos from this disturbing ad campaign.

Your Business Blogger -- How can you tell if a job applicant will lie, cheat, and steal? He doesn't go to church.

The Daily Dalrymple -- The British physician and culture critic Theodore Dalrymple always has something interesting to say. His latest column in The New English Review is a prime example:

Two main questions arose in my mind during the neuropsychiatric conference. The first was whether any scientific self-understanding was possible. The second was whether, if possible, it was desirable. My answer to both questions was, and is, no.

In the first place I find it difficult even to conceive of what a scientific self-understanding would actually be like. My patients often used to ask me, 'Doctor, why am I like this?' or 'Why do I do the things I do?' I would sometimes then ask them what they would consider an adequate and satisfactory explanation, and not a single one (including the highly intelligent and educated) was able to tell me.

Talent Show -- This PSA is aimed at kids but its a message that should be heeded by all of us in the blogosphere:

Economics Explained

If you’ve ever been bored sitting in Econ 101 you’ll enjoy this refreshing explanation by Yoram Bauman, "the world's first and only stand-up economist." I love how he differentiates between macro and micro: “Microeconomists are people who are wrong about things in specific. Macroeconomists are people who are wrong about things in general.” (HT: kottke.org)

A Girl Like Me

In an illuminating series of interviews with black girls in her high school, Kiri Davis (age 16) explores how American standards of beauty affect self-image. She also reconducts the “doll test” initially conducted by Dr. Kenneth Clark, which was used in the historic desegregation case, Brown vs. Board of Education, with heart-rending results. (HT: Your Daily Awesome)

Badminton Made Exciting

An rousing exchange in a badminton championship. No, seriously. It makes badminton look like a cross between volleyball and tennis. (HT: glumbert.com)

Ira Glass on Storytelling

Filthy Rich -- Anthony Esolen of Touchstone magazine reminds us of the unnoticed gift of trickle-down decadence:

The rich can afford their vices, for a time anyway; the poor have no such margin for comfort. They are, in fact, endangered by the vices of the rich. I don’t simply mean that the rich man can extort his will from the poor, or wield the law as a club to keep the poor man in his place. He can do worse: He can infect the poor man with his vice, and that may be the quicker way to destroy him.

Easy to Answer, Hard to Live -- Jennifer Hardy explains the meaning of life.

What is "Poverty"? -- From The Economist: "Now that poverty means a risk of obesity, rather than starvation, it is harder to decide what constitutes the minimal decent standard of living a society should provide. On the one hand, there are those who feel that the minimum should basically be some fixed fraction of the top incomes—in essence, that it is indecent for anyone to be more than X times richer than the worst off. On the other hand, there are those who believe, as P.J. O'Rourke so pithily put it, that "the biblical injunction is to clothe the poor, not style them." (HT: In the Agora)

Tax Time Tips -- 10 don't-miss tax breaks

Sunni or Shiite? -- ABCNews.com has a test to see how much you know about who's who in the Middle East (I only got 6 out of 8).

Virus 2 -- This simple, infectious online game can cause lead to frustration, amusement, and memory loss (you'll wonder where the time went). (HT: Kottke.org)

Heresy Hunters -- Macht makes an interesting point about a blogosphere phenomenon: "The watchblogger is the guardian of truth, calling out those who dare deviate from orthodoxy. Out of all the types of blogs that I read, the only two types of blogs that have watchbloggers are Christian blogs and science blogs."

Blography -- As Bob Edwards is to NPR, The Baltimore Sun's John Linder is to podcasts. Lindner is a terrific interviewer who is even able to illicit half-way interesting discussions out of even the lamest guest -- someone, for instance, like me. I may have a face for radio but my voice is definitely for print. Yet Lindner fe