Jonathan's blog

From an AP article of the same title on beliefnet:

A liberal church that has been threatened with the loss of its tax-exempt status over an anti-war sermon delivered just days before the 2004 presidential election said Thursday it will fight an IRS order to turn over documents on the matter... The church's action sets up a high-profile confrontation between the church and the IRS, which now must decide whether to ask for a hearing before a judge, who would then decide on the validity of the agency's demands. IRS spokesman Terry Lemons would not comment specifically on the dispute but noted in a statement that the agency could take a church to court. "We recognize the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and religion," Lemons said. "But there is no constitutional right to be exempt from federal taxation." Religious leaders on the right and left have expressed fear that the dispute could make it more difficult for them to speak out on moral issues such as gay marriage and abortion during the midterm election campaign... Under federal tax law, church officials can legally discuss politics, but to retain tax-exempt status, they cannot endorse candidates or parties. The dispute at the 3,500-member Episcopal church centers on a sermon titled "If Jesus Debated Senator Kerry and President Bush," delivered by a guest pastor. Though he did not endorse a candidate, he said Jesus would condemn the Iraq war and Bush's doctrine of pre-emptive war. According to the IRS, the only church ever to be stripped of its tax-exempt status for partisan politicking was a church near Binghamton, N.Y., that ran full-page newspaper ads against President Clinton during the 1992 election season.

The Week is usually on-target with its TV recommendations. Here are some for this week:

• 30 Rock, Wed Oct 11, 8 PM, NBC
• Into the Fire, Fri Oct 13, 8 PM, History Channel
• Eye of the Leopard, Fri Oct 13, 9 PM, National Geographic Channel
• Saxondale, Fri Oct 13, 11 PM, BBC America
• Night of Too Many Stars, Sun Oct 15, 8 PM, Comedy Central
• Touch of Evil, Sun Oct 15, 8:15 PM, Turner Classic Movies

I started watching the third episode of Jericho but didn't make it through it. I probably missed too much by missing the pilot and second episode. Somehow it was reminding me of Invasion, which I stuck with last year only to see it cancelled. This confirms that I don't watch anything on CBS except Tom Selleck in the "Jesse Stone" made-for-TV movies. In other Tom Selleck news, I hear that a Magnum P.I. film is being prepared but with someone else playing the role of Magnum. Blasphemy.

The streak continued as I picked up my third consecutive loss this week, 68 to 63. It seems I'm whining every week about what could have been. I'm sure Scott F. can make his own list of many points that should have been (for example, Matt Jones-Drew scoring twice while he had him on the bench). It was kind of annoying, though, when I noticed that 3 of the 9 "Bad Breaks for Week 5" that Ladd Biro listed had happened to me:

• Chester Taylor, RB, Vikings. Three carries from inside the Lions' 7 were stopped at the 1.
• Steve Smith, WR, Panthers. Dropped a sure TD catch in the end zone, and later took a 20-yard reception to the 1.
• L.J. Smith, TE, Eagles. Tackled at the 1 after a 60-yard completion. Then botched the next pass for a TD.

Any one of those could have given me the victory. I also achieved another new low. More than once I've had a player score zero (like the couple times I've started inactive players), but this week I actually had a player finish with negative points (-0.19, Kevin Faulk, -1 rushing yards, 15 return yards, 1 fumble lost). And my kicker (Jonathan Hall) scored a lousy 3 points while Scott's scored 19.

From an article of the same title on BBCNews.com:

A team from Canada's University of Alberta compared a 10,000-step exercise programme with a more traditional fitness regime of moderate intensity. Researchers found improvements in fitness levels were significantly higher in the second group. They told an American College of Sports Medicine meeting that gentle exercise was not enough to get fit... "You've got to do more than light exercise and move towards the inclusion of regular moderate activity, and don't be shy to interject an occasional period of time at the vigorous level."