new to SchansBlog?

Today, I celebrate two months of blogging on SchansBlog! This is my 300th entry, so I've been averaging about five per day.

I hope you've enjoyed my efforts so far. It is somewhat time-consuming, but not too painful. And it's a nice way to spread the fruit of my wide-ranging reading list.

--If you're a blogger, have you linked to me yet?
--If you're a blog visitor, send me an email at DSchansb@ius.edu if you'd like to receive email notices of new entries.
--If you've enjoyed SchansBlog, wake your kids and phone your neighbors (as Letterman used to say)-- to spread the good word. Or selectively send blog entries that might interest people you know.

Since some of you have come to SchansBlog recently, I thought it might be useful to give you some highlights from the last two months. So, I've chosen my Top Ten and reproduced the links here.

1.) It's not surprising that politics would be a key component of my blogging. In particular, it's a no-brainer that I would criticize our sitting Congressman when he goes astray. So, here's one on Hill's support of subsidies for corporations and the wealthy.

2.) But I'm an equal-opportunity, bi-partisan kind of guy. So, here's a post on earmarks-- popular to almost everyone in Congress, regardless of whether they're Democrat or Republican.

3.) Among national policies, none is more important than the War on Iraq and the War on Terror. I've written a number of times on this topic, including summaries of resources I've read.

4.) Beyond national policy, I have an interest in state politics as well. Here's a post on the KY gubenatorial race-- along with general comments on ideal Christian political practice and my Ten Commandments Quiz to boot.

5.) The most exciting issue in Indiana politics has been the property tax fiasco. Not initially an area of expertise for me, I was asked to write an op-ed piece and it turned into this piece in the Wall Street Journal and a number of other great opportunities.

6.) Beyond all of the serious policy discussion, I've enjoyed the opportunity to share some humor-- whether cartoons or an "insert-your-own-joke" theme. Here is my favorite example of the latter.

7.) Moving to a combination of humor and cultural commentary, this tongue-in-cheek piece on American Girl dolls resulted in the most comments I've had so far.

8.) My review of Joel Osteen's best-seller also generated a lot of traffic and resulted in one of the more encouraging comments I have ever received.

9.) On Sundays, I stick to Christian themes-- a C.S. Lewis quote, highlights from that morning's sermon or my lesson, or general topics of interest. Here is my favorite from this set: a series of comments on Moses and anger.

10.) Finally, an excerpt from Tolstoy's testimony on his "faith" as a child (far more cultural and surface than personal and real)-- and the challenges of passing on a true faith to the next generation.

Grace and peace to you and yours...eric