Tuesday Notes

"The Grand One," the world's largest saguaro cactus (picture by Dave Seibert/Scottsdale Republic in 2003), was scorched in an Arizona wildfire and will likely not survive. The fire started by a lightening strike on June 21st, is, as of today, only 25% contained.

Saguaros are native to only Arizona, a sliver of southeast California, and northern Mexico. I have two in my cactus collection. But I'll not likely see them grow to the size of the Grand One, which took 180-200 years to reach 46 feet in height.

The almost banner head-line in this morning's Modesto Bee reads: Split call on religious displays. But that seems to miss the point of the story. It's not a split call. If it is a religious display of the Ten Commandments then it is not allowed. If it is a heritage display of the Ten Commandments than it is allowed. Of course, the line between the two can be awfully fuzzy at times. That's the real story.

Barna Research: Despite the onslaught of new technologies such as the Internet and DVDs, most Americans still read books. In the past two years, three out of four adults (73%) claim to have read at least one book from cover to cover. The people most likely to do so include women, college graduates and evangelicals.

They also found that people who attend large churches read more than those who attend small churches. The Americans who read the least are agnostics and atheists. Americans read less than in the past and usually do not finish the books they start.