The Newest Mac?

This is for all my friends who think that on the eighth day, God created the Mac. Enjoy.

Bailout Bumper Sticker

In light of our bailout crazy congress, available now is the bumper sticker above.
These are available from the Tennessee Republican Party.

Love the Sham-Wow (or at least the song)

If you are up late at night, I am sure you are familiar with the sham-wow infomercial. If you are not, you clearly should be. But as good as the infomercial is, this song is better. Check it out.

2008: Year of the Study Bible

I think that anything we can do to make the Bible more likely to be read, the better. For example, my oldest son has a New Testament that is designed and published like a magazine for boys. I don't love this particular translation or edition, but if he will read it, that is what is most important. If you can imagine a niche Bible, there is likely a publisher that already produces it. I think the thing I am a little uncomfortable with is the idea that we look for a Bible that reflects our own style. We want a Bible that is about us. Sounds a little selfish, does it not? On the other hand, that does not mean we all need to use only a black, leather-bound copy of the same version.

These niche Bibles often market to the consumer to a degree that it is easy to forget that we are talking about the Word of God. These Bibles often make it difficult to understand the Bible in its original context and turn out to be little more than a fashion accessory.

On the flip-side, Bible publishers seemed to return to what they do best in 2008. They produced high-quality study Bibles. Study Bibles seem to be intended for a more general audience, the whole church. I like study Bibles. I think they do a phenomenal job of assisting the reader glean more insight from his reading. I have at least five study Bibles. They are the NIV Study Bible, the Life Application Study Bible (NIV), the Scofield Study Bible III (ESV), the ESV Study Bible, and the NLT Study Bible. The last two were just released in 2008, and are among the best. My major concern about the ESV Study Bible is that it could almost as honestly by titled the Extreme Calvinist Study Bible. My personal favorite, both as a translation and as a study Bible is the NLT Study Bible. It does a great job of taking into account the various orthodox interpretations and let the reader interpret the text rather than leading the reader to the editors' interpretation.

Do you use a study Bible? Which one(s)? What are your preferences in a particular edition of the Bible?

Review: Cafe Frontera

One of my favorite things in life is to enjoy a nice meal out with She Who Must Be Obeyed. Yesterday, I was able to experience such a meal at lunchtime. We had a few errands to run, so we included lunch in the list. There is a fairly new restaurant on Tyler's southeast side called Cafe Frontera. I had not seen any advertisements or even heard anything about the place, but I am always up for trying something new. It was interesting to walk into a restaurant with absolutely no preconceived notions. I suspected by the name that it would at least be Mexican influenced, but that was my only guess. I was wrong. The food is full-on Mexican food. The menu had a great variety of items that I have not seen on other menus in town. Many of the items reminded me of the food you would find on the menu of a small diner in South Texas. The building was pretty non-descript. It is part of a small strip that is of recent construction. The inside is clean and fresh. It is sparsely decorated, but I was there for the food.

To order, you approach the counter and place your order and pay. The menu is pretty extensive, so you may want to take one to your table to decide what you want before you go to the counter. They will give you a number and bring the food to your table.

My lunch partner was not very hungry and tends to be a little bit of a picky eater. She opted for a simple lunch of two beef fajita tacos with cilantro and crema Mexicana (a light sour cream). They were very good. I had been wanting seafood, so I chose the grilled Tilapia. It was served in a sizzling skillet on a bed of onions and green peppers with rice, beans, and flour tortillas on the side.
The fish was grilled perfectly and served with a roasted pablano and tomato sauce.

There were a couple of things about Cafe Frontera that appealed to me. One of those is the breakfast menu. I really enjoy eating breakfast out. This is a basic breakfast menu that sounds very appetizing to me. The other is the free wi-fi that is offered. I did not have my computer with me, but I will likely return with it. I enjoy going to breakfast, taking my time and reading or doing some homework. I am confident that I will be back again.

The menu at Cafe Frontera includes options for children. The staff was friendly and helpful. The prices were affordable. I will close by saying that I enjoyed my meal and will definitely be visiting Cafe Frontera again.

Have you been to Cafe Frontera? What did you think about your visit there? Feel free to share in the comments.