Dan Poynter

Author's posts

Paul & Barnabas

Q: How do you know that Paul and Barnabas were Baptists? A: Acts 15:39 “And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other.”

#$@*!

Several years ago Jimmy, Timmy, and I were discussing profanity. Jimmy, who almost never uses profanity, mentioned this: “I don’t like to swear; however, I really like the word ‘#$@*!‘ It just sounds cool.” Later in the day while we were getting ready to leave for lunch, Jimmy was taking a long time and we …

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Quotable: Calvin Coolidge

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing in the world is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

What’s in a name?

Most people are familiar with the Biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego It’s funny that some people in the Bible are referred to by their Hebrew names, and others by their Greek or Babylonian names. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are the false-god-honoring Babylonian names given to three Jewish captives: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, respectively. Meanwhile, …

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My first book

The first book I remember buying was The Magic Pudding. I got it at a book sale in Metcalf South Mall when I was about 4 or 5, which probably helps explain my love of cheap used bookstores. I never did read the book; I bought it because I liked the illustrations (I had not …

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Three crosses

My dad had a funny sense of humor. One time we were passing a church with three crosses on it, and he made this observation: “You know, that one thief went straight to Hell, but he still gets his cross on the church.”

Quotable: Daniel Seaman

“I have to admire the residents of Iroquois territory for assuming that they have a right to determine where Jews should live in Jerusalem.” –Israeli Government Press Director Daniel Seamen, commenting on the Obama administration’s demand that Israel stop building in areas it acquired in the Six Day War.

Review: the Case of the Hard-Boiled Dicks

  John Blumenthal’s The Case of the Hard-Boiled Dicks is supposed to be a spoof of hard-boiled detective novels. The cover has a number of visual puns (hard-boiled eggs, a stiff wearing shoes with gum on the bottom), and the humor inside doesn’t get much better. A really good spoof understands the material being mocked; …

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Review: Up

Last night I saw Pixar’s latest movie, Up It was brilliant. For those of you who either haven’t seen it or, hopefully, haven’t even seen the trailers, I will just say this: go see it. Personally, I try not to watch trailers anymore, as it seems some of Hollywood’s most talented people make awesome trailers for …

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Afterneath

So I’m working and I hear this guy use the word ‘afterneath,’ as in “there is some stuff afterneath this other stuff.” I’ve never heard that word beforeneath now.