Teacup Browsing

• Rep. Barbara Mikulski and others mobilizing against  Boko Haram's kidnappings. A profile on Boko Haram's leader.

• California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby (I confess I don't "get" horse racing) but I'm still placing my bets on the man (church sign) riding the donkey.

• Funny anecdote of the week:  "Early in his career he worked for a radio station, and one of the shows featured sermons by a particular preacher. The sermons were recorded on vinyl records that Dan Rather would place on a turntable of a record player. He would position the needle at the beginning of the sermon, then leave the studio and drive to a local diner. One day as he was sitting there sipping some coffee the owner of the diner came over and said there’s a phone call for you. When Dan picked up the phone his boss yelled Get back to the studio! Right now! Dan jumped in his car, turned on the radio and to his horror heard: 'Go to hell… Go to hell… Go to hell…', The needle had gotten stuck and it kept repeating till he got back to the studio. I don’t think he ever left the studio again while a record was playing."

• Big (beard) brother.

• A new way of being church?  The British fxC phenomena.  More.

• Kevin Durante gives mother touching tribute after winning MVP.

• More U.S. Latinos (the fastest growing demographic of all Christian denominations)  shift and drift outside the Catholic Church.  Mas from Pew Research.

• The most stunning stained glass windows in the world.

• Huffpo on wisdom.

• Joke of the week (I've told this before):  A country preacher decided to skip services one Sunday and head to the hills to do some bear hunting. As he rounded the corner on a perilous twist in the trail, he and a bear collided, sending him and his rifle tumbling down the mountainside. Before he knew it, his rifle went one way and he went the other, landing on a rock and breaking both legs. That was the good news.  The bad news was the ferocious bear was charging at him from a distance, and he couldn't move. "Oh, Lord," the preacher prayed, "I'm so sorry for skipping services today to come out here and hunt. Please forgive me and grant me just one wish: Please make a Christian out of that bear that's coming at me. Please, Lord!" That very instant the bear skidded to a halt,fell to its knees, clasped its paws together and began to pray aloud right at the preacher's feet: "Dear God, bless this food I am about to receive . . ."

• May be moving back to the weird  this summer.  Ora pro nobis!

• Whether one is laughing at oneself or (respectfully) at others one (me) can do worse than The Colbert Report or The Daily Show.  Aw, come on, lighten up!

• Ahhh!  Okay...off to take the perfect nap.