OVERHEARD
Congratulations to Matt Damon. His movie “The Bourne Ultimatum” [was] the biggest movie opening ever in the month of August. It made $70 million. Today, Sen. John McCain asked Matt Damon to be his running mate.
– Jay Leno, “The Tonight Show”
Last night, President Bush did not call Barry Bonds after he broke Hank Aaron’s home run record, but today, Bush decided to make the call. Bush said, ‘I realized I had a rare opportunity to talk to the only guy in the country who is less popular than I am.’
– Conan O’Brien, “Late Night With Conan O’Brien”
I’m a heavy man, and wearing clothing while running makes me sweat profusely. I know what I did was wrong.
– Father Robert Whipkey, who was charged with indecent exposure after jogging nude in Frederick at 4:30 a.m.
COMING UP
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BY THE NUMBERS
1.1 million
Denver Water customers
48
Percentage of Denver Water used for single-family homes
54
Percentage of that residential water used for landscaping
13
Percentage of residential water that’s flushed down our toilets
Source: Denver Water
SECOND OPINION
From The Dallas Morning News
According to a recent decree from the communist leadership in Beijing, Tibetan Buddhist lamas must cease to reincarnate without the consent of the Chinese government.
Ah. China’s one-party state is certainly powerful, ruthlessly so. But claiming the power to regulate the metaphysical workings of the cosmos is absurd.
Though one should not underestimate the damage Beijing’s latest move to strangle Tibetan Buddhism stands to wreak on Tibet’s culture, it’s important to recognize that despite over a half-century of militant atheist dictatorship, religion is flourishing in China. Islam is spreading in the far west. Pop Confucianism is suddenly hot. And Protestant Christianity is on fire.
The authoritative Center for the Study of Global Christianity estimates 111 million Christians in China – 10 percent of the population- nearly all of them Pentecostals. Though other estimates of China’s Christian population are smaller, there is clearly an extraordinary cultural revolution under way.
Communism was the god that failed. Despite the party’s best efforts, the Chinese people appear eager for a god that hasn’t.
