The Kansas City Star just posted the schedule for this year's Big 12 - Pac 10 Hardwood Challenge, a smash-mouth brawl of a series where the Big 12 holds a slight edge. This fall, KU will be traveling to UCLA for what will surely be the most closely scrutinized match-up. Here's details:

Kansas goes to UCLA, Missouri plays host to Oregon and Kansas State entertains Washington State as the pairings and dates for the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series were announced Monday.

Most of the games will be played from Dec. 3-6, with three games occurring outside the window.

Last season, the conferences split the 12 series games, but the Big 12 held a 10-7 advantage in all games between the conferences.

Television and tip-off times will be announced at a later date.

Nov. 29

Nebraska at Southern California

Dec. 3

Washington at Texas Tech

Southern California at Texas

Baylor at Arizona State

Dec. 4

Colorado at Oregon State

Dec. 5

Oregon at Missouri

Iowa State at California

Washington State at Kansas State

Dec. 6

Kansas at UCLA

Arizona at Oklahoma

Dec. 16

Oklahoma State at Stanford

Dec. 22

Texas A&M at Washington

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Last year I stumbled upon Great Lake Swimmers, and ended up loving their 2007 record, Ongiara.

For the next 24 hours, you can pick up their new album, Lost Channels, for just $3. This record doesn't tamper much with the classic GLS formula, merely adding some talented backing vocalists and a little more energy to the banjos, hushed singing, and sense of open, sweeping, outdoor spaces.

If you like Iron and Wine, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, or Sufjan Stevens, you'll find something to like on this album. Especially for $3.

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How Good Will KU Be Next Season?

So you've probably heard by now that Xavier Henry and brother C.J. are headed to KU and now the Jayhawks are the clear-cut pre-season #1. In case you're wondering, I've already filled out my 2009-2010 NCAA bracket with KU winning it all...

However, while many national hoops pundits are wildly praising Bill Self's recruiting jones--deservedly so--only a few are seriously considering how good Kansas basketball could be next season, and the array of talent Self will have at his disposal. One of those sources is Upon Further Review...who, ironically, was lambasted for saying that Xavier Henry would never set foot at KU.

But after eating a little crow, this blog serves up some of the best KU 2010 Starting Lineup analysis I've found. Check it.

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On the day I sat down and slammed out my Best Earbuds post, I had no idea it would become the most popular page on this site. Apparently lots and lots of people want to find a decent pair of earbuds without breaking their bank account. How about that?

I was a penniless student when I wrote the post, and now I'm a mostly-penniless graduate/church planter, so the original concept of strong bass + solid treble range + designer colors + low price continues to appeal.

Apparently it grabs other people too, because according to my Amazon stats, the now-famous V-Moda "Bass Freq" earbuds continue to sell well, and continue to be well-reviewed by other users.

These earbuds come in a good range of colors, so the other day I found myself wondering if that was a big part of their selling point. Are people getting drawn magnetically to the V-Moda color palette? I mean, "tambarine orange" earbuds don't exactly grow on trees.

It was clearly time for some quick market research. According to my stats, here's the breakdown on the most popular (best?) earbud colors.

Bling Bling Black: 50%
Platinum White: 25%
Blue Steel: 16%
Hot Pink: 16%
Tambarine Orange: 16%
Rocker Red: 8%
Rouge Red: 8%

What can we determine from this off-the-cuff market analysis? Well, Jaded Green has fallen on hard times. And the majority of people don't want to get very adventurous with their earbud colors. Maybe it takes more-than-average confidence to pull off a Blue Steel or Rocker Red, I dunno. I should also mention that 8% of earbud shoppers jumped up a price category, opting to make more of an investment in the V-Moda "Vibe" earbuds.

But apparently the greatest attraction of my "best earbuds" are not the color choices. Which, despite the fact that I still think Tambarine Orange is an extraordinary option, is probably a good thing. Great earbuds should primarily be about the ability to deliver great music.

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No doubt timing had something to do with it, but Mark Driscoll’s latest book, Vintage Church, is my favorite in his Re:Lit series to date. (If you’re looking at the total Driscoll canon, Confessions of a Reformission Rev is still at the top of my list.) Having written on topics like Jesus, the Atonement, church leadership, and the Bible, the biblical foundations for church was a logical next topic for Driscoll to tackle. And tackle it he does.

In Vintage Church, Driscoll’s propensity for landing verbal punches is displayed to good effect. Why? Because the Bible delivers all kinds of body blows to our pride and preferences, and this is never more true than when God speaks about his community, the church. So when we talk about the topic of church, teachers need to let God’s dictates fall. Driscoll does:

The Bible is clear that every Christian is a part of the larger church body and is expected to participate in the life of a local church with the gift(s) God has given him or her. This is so God may be glorified and so his people may be built up through their service to one another. It is therefore a sin for someone who claims to be a Christian not to be actively loving his or her Christian brothers and sisters and seeking to build up the church as fathful members of a church. - Vintage Church, 51

Tough ecclesiology like this leads to a robust explanation of what God’s people are to be and do. Driscoll hits on obvious questions like Who Is Supposed to Lead a Church? Why is Preaching Important? What Are Baptism and Communion? He fleshes his positions out with scriptural care, but also with a practitioner’s eye:

Preaching is like driving a stick: you only get better the more you practice, and the hope is not to kill anyone as you learn, while accepting that a few dents are inevitable. - Vintage Church, 92

Driscoll also discusses topics less-frequently discussed, like church discipline, technology use, and the active role of members. And while I’ve developed a gag reflex for blog posts and titles featuring the word “missional,” “What is a Missional Church?” is one of the best chapters in the book. A few lines…

A missional church goes to great lengths to understand the people God has sent them to. It seeks to know the culture and people better than any other organization, even businesses…(224) Such labor is “for the sake of the gospel,” which means that any church that only does evangelism without first studying the culture in an effort to contextualize does not truly care about the gospel (228).

[Many people] still live under the myth that missions is something that happens across the world rather than across the street, and that missionaries are special people and not normal Christians. This is a sin to be repented of (230).

Too often, what is called a missional church is nothing more than a hip, trendy gathering of the disgruntled children of other churches, where few if any true conversions are experienced (232).

Countercultural living requires becoming a stakeholder in the culture (235).

Gerry Breshears, Driscoll’s co-author, does a very solid job fielding common questions after each chapter, a feature that adds to the book’s blue collar tone. Vintage Church is highly recommended.

Cross-posted on my church plant blog.

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/film gives us an update on the consistently excellent Jason Bourne movie series:

Producer Frank Marshall updates us on the status via Twitter saying that Bourne Ultimatum/Ocean’s Twelve scribe George Nolfi “should have a draft by June” 2009 and that the film “is in the works for Summer 2011.” This of course would mean that the film would need to go into production by Summer 2010, October at very latest. “It really take long to get these scripts right! :),” admits Marshall. Marshall has previously stated that he would like to see Bourne go to South America in his next adventure, which will be the first movie not based on a Robert Ludlum novel.

The bar for action and intrigue was set so high in the first three movies that I'm almost surprised that Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass are taking aim at a fourth. Not to mention that with the advent of the amazing new Bond films, any additions in the Bourne series will also have to answer to the golden 007 standard. Still, when this one drops, I will be heading to the theater.

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While Asher has adapted to the Living Room and Bedroom environments, the Kitchen is his native habitat.

Cross-posted on arieljvan.com

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Back in 2006, my three-year seminary education had not yet siphoned off my mental enthusiasm, and I wrote a very thorough article on C.S. Lewis‘ perspective on the Atonement—that is, on the reality and significance of Jesus’ death on the cross. Eager to share my findings with the world, I posted an excerpt on my blog.

Then, several months later, a British intellectual (allow me to flatter myself) contacted me and told me I should get the article published somewhere. I thought, Heck yeah, we could use some money to make rent. So I sent it in to Touchstone, an ecumenical theological magazine with a soft spot for Lewis scholarship. The subtitle reads, A Journal of Mere Christianity. I thought this was a good sign. The mag also happens to be endorsed by J.I. Packer, a man I greatly respect.

Then-editor David Mills replied to my query, Dear Mr. Vanderhorst, I believe we have a spot for your article. I was like, Dear Mr. Mills, Right on! At which point I eagerly and tongue-in-cheekly announced to the world that I would soon be a published theological author. But apparently these things take time.

Cut to Spring 2009. Mills had stepped down as general editor. I wasn’t told. My article languished in Supposedly Being Published Limbo. I got angry every time I thought about it, which was about once every four months, since I was busy doing other things like graduating, planting a church, and trying to make rent. Then, in January, I had my quartlerly thought about the Lewis article for the first part of 2009. I decided to throw over Touchstone and David Mills, who would not answer my emails (because he was gone) and go find another publisher.

Then, the very next day, Touchstone’s new editor contacted me, said nice things about my article, apologized profusely, and told me he wanted to get it published. Well, OK, I said. But only if you pay me more than a dollar. So we had a deal.

My Lewis article, Mere Atonement, will appear in the April edition of Touchstone, but you can read it for free online. I am planning to go read it myself in order to discover what Lewis’ perspective on the Atonement is. After all, I wrote this piece about 5 years ago. Still…better late than never!

Cross-posted on arieljvan.com.

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This guy is hilarious, and captures the reason I have Duke losing to Texas and North Carolina losing to Butler. If I had the time, I'd write a column just like this. :)

Picking against Duke just because you hate Duke is ridiculous — except that in this space in 2006, I correctly used that theory to pick VCU to beat Duke in the first round. And in 2007, I correctly used that theory to pick West Virginia to beat Duke in the second round. It is, in fact, my single most successful strategy over the past few years. So until I’m proven wrong, I’ll stick with the “hate” approach. (And, let’s be honest: It is SO much more fun that way. It’s hating Duke! It’s watching them lose! It’s earning office-pool points on your bracket for hating Duke and watching them lose!)

Worked for me the last couple years as well! Also, the bit about getting gunned down by your 3-yr-old rings true. Aidan always beats me, and his strategy is devised entirely of choosing the better mascot. Some things are just not right in this world.

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Despite the Wall Street Journal's number-crunching, which reveals that KU had better not overlook North Dakota State, I was thrilled to discover that I'm not the only one picking the Jayhawks to make the Final Four again.

Disregard the Spock pseudonym and you'll realize this guy makes some excellent points. :)

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