WHAT'S ASHCROFT DOING WITH HIMSELF NOW THAT HE'S RETIRING?

Apparently he's in London:

A waxwork nativity scene that features soccer star David Beckham and his pop star wife, Victoria, as the parents of Jesus has been damaged in an attack, Madame Tussauds museum said Monday.

The museum piece, which has drawn criticism from Christian leaders who say it's disrespectful, was damaged Sunday when a male visitor pushed over the figures of the Beckhams before running out, museum spokeswoman Diane Moon said.

The exhibit had been closed off and police and museum staff were investigating security footage to track down the vandal, Moon said.

The waxwork tableau also features President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Prince Philip as the three Wise Men; actors Hugh Grant and Samuel L. Jackson as shepherds; and disco diva Kylie Minogue as an angel.

Well Jackson did say he was "tryin' real hard to be the shepherd", so good for him!

And I'll raise the usual points I ponder when stuff like this happens:

1) If god is so great, he can handle a little satire. What I dont get is why some people think so little of their omnipotent and omniscient deity that they think he is in any way vulnerable to the magic powers of inanimate wax sculptures.

2) If you believe in Calvinist predestiny and such, shouldn't you realize that these wax sculptures are part of god's divine plan? If I were god (I'm not), and nothing was ever a surprise to me, you'd better believe that I'd want some humor in the world, and that it would be part of my friggin plan.