Not A Review

Straight up-this isn't a review of the movie, "Inception". I watched it this weekend, and it is a very fine movie, one that I wouldn't 'spoil' for anything.
I purposefully remained ignorant, avoiding trailers and reviews, and I'm glad that I did. It was cool.
There haven't been many recent movies that have impressed me-another good one was "Shutter Island". Short list, eh?
I added the 'eh' because I recently revisited "Strange Brew"-the Bob and Doug McKenzie extravaganza from the early 1980's. It was better fun than I remembered. If you Netflix, put it on your list.
I don't Netflix myself, but it is a going concern. I'm just too cheap...actually, I know it's a bargain, but I kinda refuse to use a credit card to rent amusement. I have no CC debt, by the Grace of God, and I intend to stay on the financial straight and narrow. No Redbox either. If I do rent movies, I go to the video store in town, which I am glad to support, as it was owned by a friend from school, and it pays taxes, hires workers, helps the local economy. Redbox takes and doesn't give.
Just a few more days left in the year-thank God! It will be a good year to have in the rear view mirror.
May God Bless you today, and in the coming year. 30

Gotcha Covered, Ace!

Lets see...on the 21st of December we have the Winter Solstice (Northern Hemi), with a bonus lunar eclipse.
Psalm 19 declares the Glory of God through His Creation, though some of the created ignore God to worship components of that very same creation. I call them 'Duh' people.
But to show that there are no hard feelings about their stupid man-made beliefs, I am extending the good left hand of fellowship to them with this picture post. In the above photo there are:

A rainbow.

A meteor shower.

An eclipse.

The top of a tree (for duh druids)

Aurora Borealis/Northern/Southern lights.

Dawn, specifically Dawn Tinsley from the original, superior Brit "The Office".

An ocean view with another dawn.

You DO realize that God is the original artist who Created everything that you find beautiful, don't you?
All that human artists, from Da Vinci to Pollock to Charles Schultz to whomever-all that they do is copy what God has made, from a beautiful sunset to a beautiful woman to Amy Winehouse. We glorify an artist for having the talent to recreate, not create. We can't create anything. God made sunflowers, Van Gogh painted his rendition of God's sunflowers, and Van Gogh gets the glory? Not on my chronometer!
Solstice two guys walk into a bar, and...

Is This You?

Recognize this Bluto? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, avowed Muslim extremist, who believes wholeheartedly in Islam. Mahmoud is a mook waiting for the 12th Imam or Mahdi to show up and clean house on the unbelieving world, specifically Jews and Christians.
So why, you may ask, is he pictured in a Christmas scene?
He is an enemy of the true and living God. He has not an iota of faith in Jesus Christ…read on, if you dare.
At this time of year, millions (billions?) of the enemies of God who lack faith in Christ decorate their lives and houses for Christmas. They believe that they are somehow being good religious people by paying a bit of lip service to God-singing carols, wishing each other a ‘Merry Christmas’, buying gifts for loved ones and even tossing a few bucks into S.A. kettles.
God is not pleased. Read Malachi and see what he thought of religious folk going through the religious motions.
“ 6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
It doesn’t really matter to us if unbelievers get Christmas wrong-our duty is to get it right, to honor God and rejoice in the Salvation God set into motion for us one day in ‘the little town of Bethlehem.’
O Come, all ye faithful. Everyone else, have a nice day.

Enough With The Flowers!

If memory serves, Jessica Mitford (of the Mitford girls-look them up) wrote a chapter in her book "The American Way of Death" titled "Omit Flowers". Fascinating expose of the hidden dirty nittygrit behind the Funeral industry...60 years ago.
Omit flowers. I personally have had enough funerals this year to last me. I hereby declare a moratorium on all things Mortuary. No tisket, no tasket.
Omit flowers. Omit the whole rigor mortise rigamarole. Who's with me?

When a Zombie Meets A Mummy Comin’ Through The Wry

Please forgive me for the title-my unrefined mind sometimes makes me giggle. I just watched “The Mummy” last night, the one with Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser standing in for Harrison Ford and Karen Allen. It’s a charming movie, full of fun moments.
Of, course, the mythos/paganism of “Mummery” is nonsense, but no more non-sensical than the “Zombies”  presented in Frank Darabont’s AMC series “The Walking Dead”.
Here’s a co-incidence for you-I just checked and both Karloff’s “The Mummy” and Lugosi’s “White Zombie” premiered in 1932. Huh.
Anyway, back to the front of the post.
Vampires. Mummys. Frankenstein’s Monster. Zombies. Sounds like our fear of death makes us create boogeymen who have another life after death. Sometimes they have superpowers and can fly, and are impervious to conventional weaponry.  I’m not afraid of anything…except a lit match. (IF I only had a brain!)
Man can imagine just about anything…but what does God say?
“1 A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.” Ecclesiastes 7:1
What? How can that be? People are cheered at a baby’s birth, but we grieve someone’s passing.
Maybe we have it wrong. We are born into a sinful world, and a baby child has a lifetime of struggles and pains ahead of him or her. Decades, maybe a century of tears here in…this.
Someone passing from this sinful world, however, is on the doorstep of Eternity, entering into Rest and Peace if they belong to God-I think that was Solomon’s/God’s point.
It isn’t wrong to cheer for a baby’s birth; we praise God for children as they are a gift from Him.
But we should also cheer when one of God’s children passes beyond this troubled world into His rest.
I call that a win.

post script post: Leslie "Shirley aka Frank Drebin" Nielsen died yesterday...this picture fit so better and if it seems in poor taste...Leslie would love that.

Happy Black Weekend, Everybody!

I mean, why should Friday get all of the moneylove when there's an entire weekend following behind it?
We had a ver' nice Thanksgiving yesterday-a great meal and lots of fine conversation. No major caster-taffies.
I call it a win.
But back to Black. I will be celebrating Black Friday by refusing to go into debt-MY ink will remain Black in my checkbook, if you know what I mean.
T'is the season, I guess. Being fiscally responsible is Always in season. Hava Happy.

Even Moreso Especially In This Day

Ireland can’t make a pub run.
(Or, I guess, a country.)

President Obama wants to bring peace to the Muslims and Israelis. President Obama wants them to play nice and share. And they should listen to him because?

King Solomon had it right: every human endeavor is vanity.
If you read through Ecclesiastes you will find the king God granted Wisdom teaching some things that you might not believe…are in the Bible. Some are ‘hard sayings’, as in hard to understand. He sums up the book in the last paragraph:
“13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”
This is how it is: though what we do is vanity upon vanity, we are still called on the carpet by God for our actions.
There will be two resurrections, friends-one for the living and blest, the other for the guilty and messed. I won’t quote the entire chapter, but read Revelation chapter 20 for the details.
Those in the first resurrection heeded what God directed Solomon to write: Fear God and keep His commandments. Those in the second group din’t.
Funny how things motate in my head-I was going to write a Thanksgiving post and I ended up here. But I am Thankful for all that God has given me, done for me, for all of us who are in His family.
I am especially even moreso thankful for this:
“3And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
4and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
Amen.

Faith Like A Rock

Perlous Times, my friends. Not one worry.
It has been quite a journey the past few years-life shaken and stirred...but not failed.
Faith in God keeps me thrivin' and not merely survivin'.
Those who think that any faith in anything is good enough are wrong, deadly wrong.
Some worldly gurus receive adulation and praise for "holy deep thoughts" such as:
"Today is yesterday's tomorrow." or "Love is all you need."
Thanks for nothing, Johnny Ace.
Actually, Jesus Christ is all you and I and any of us need. With Christ, we have God.
Those of us who have been Blessed to become part of His family will have unlimited tomorrows, eternal Love.
This present world matters less than nothing. What matters is how we respond to God, to His Good News of salvation being available as a free gift right from His Mercy seat.
Ask God for the faith to believe, and He may extend His Grace to you, even you. Wow.

Dancing Barefoot On Knifepoints

No photo needed for this one. "Dancing barefoot on knifepoints" is a metaphor, meta for how, in our daily lives, we have pains, hurts that we live with, endure because we must.
God is indeed good, but he doesn't promise us a rose garden without thorns on this side of the veil. He only makes it possible for us to continue to dance. There is a better, tear free life ahead of us, and our destination is well worth the journey.

Coldish Sunlight

Things work funny. I now live in a house which was built the year that Toulouse-Latrec painted this picture.
God has Blessed me in so many ways, that I can't keep up counting. That doesn't mean that I don't have struggles and troubles like everyone else; it means that if I need a house, God makes it possible for me to buy a house. All good gifts come from above.
Does that mean that I can depend on God?
Yes.
Does that mean that I can live foolishly, rack up credit card debt, borrow more and more and lose the house?
I CAN...but I won't. God sets examples all though His word for us to follow if we wish to live well. If I practice those precepts, I will be fine.
If I did the foolish things, God may choose to bless me with a harder struggle, a more troubled road for my journey. Who needs that? Hopefully, not me.
As for the title-it's chilly here, as we head towards Winter with a capital 'W'. I enjoy a cold house, and, as I no longer have to adjust temperature for the comfort of others, I can set the thermostat to make my home as cool as I am. (joke)
May God extend His Grace to you and put in your heart a desire for Him.

I Wish I Were Drinking

Thirtytwo Fiftyeight. My minutes and seconds invested in "Batman And Robin" tonight. If I were partytaking in a drinking game for this movie, I'd be one unsober Doug.
Blame it on my misspent middle age-I had never seen this movie when it was released, as I was living six dozen miles from anywhere back then. But rumor had it to be a stinker, and rumor was right.
Thirtytwo Fiftyeight. As I only paid one dollar for the DVD at some sale, and I've watched one quarter of the show...I'm breaking even. Whatever happened to George Clooney?

D.O.U.G. Back On The Net

In the short time since my last post I have moved into a new (to me) house and have just now gotten internet set up.
It feels good to be back in the 21st Cen.
May God richly Bless you today!

Heaven's Freshman Class

I hope that no one thinks that my title for this post is disrespectful. It is this:
God sets the number of our days, and when our personal summation is reached, then we are done down here.
It could be a life of hours or days, or a life stored in decades-done is done. Those of the remainder,we who have not yet reached our day...we grieve, we cry, we look forward to our being re-united with those we love. That's part of life, too.
Daily around the planet there are souls set free from the earthly encumbrances who are being welcomed into Heaven. We are almost like backwards rain, falling up.
The freshman class of 2010 is at Peace, and among their number are some of my friends and family. Peace...a wonderful word, a promise from God.
May God Bless you today, and may we someday meet in Heaven.

"Quiet! Miracle In Progress!"

The concept of a “Miracle”: God interrupts His Creation in a special way-plagues of locusts, waters parting, people raised from the dead. Stuff only God can do He does, so that the people of His Creation know that He is there, and that they should Glorify Him.

But God is not a far off God, a distant Zeus tossing lightning bolts down from Mount Oly.

He also reveals His presence in “quiet Miracles”; for example:

1. You exist. That God is loving and patient is proven by the miracle that He didn’t totally destroy humanity back before you were born. I guarantee you that your great grand grand grands going back to the Flood were just as big a stinkers as you are and yet, through His Grace, they survived, and here you are.

2. The world continues to exist. We love our planet, we enjoy God’s Creation, but many ignorant bipeds act as if THEY own it.

God could snap His fingers and make it all go away. He won’t, as He has plans for His Creation which no hammerhead human can possibly frustrate.  But the world, the heavens, all of His Creation belongs to Him.

3. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”

You don’t hear about souls being saved. You won’t find a mention in your local paper that Bobbi Simpson gave her life to Christ last week. It will never be reported on CNN that someone repented and was restored to a right relationship with God.

This is a very quiet miracle, one happening daily as God draws peoples to Himself. May that miracle happen to you.

Cheerfully Into The Would Chipper

Okay, so we're cleaning out our house, or trying to, and I pass by the trash and see one of my old anti-Q plates resting on top. Rescuing it from it's fate, I carry it in to where my Mother says, "It's chipped."
I knew it was chipped when I bought it. She sees the chip, I see the flowers.
It's like this: we are all chipped. Imperfections abound from our toes up to the top. We all deserve to be tossed out.
But God in His Mercy extends Grace, and picks some of us out of the trash and sees only the flowers-it is said that when God looks at those of us who are covered by the blood of Christ, by His redemptive work on the cross...God sees only Jesus.
Be grateful today if that applies to you. If it doesn't...it can. God is still in the redemption business. Today, while it is called today, you can say yes to God.
"It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."

Some Idiot Burned A Copy of Korn's Album By Mistake

Calm down, citizenry. The only book which is wholly Holy is pictured above. Burning a Koran means nothing. It means less than burning last week's newspaper. But some minister in Fla is planning a Koran Kookout.
I know he is planning his protest because Islamists attacked us on September 11th, 2001. Sir, they have been attacking us for centuries. They will continue to attack us until Christ returns.
What happened to "Count it all Joy?"
What happened to:
"Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord." Romans 12:19
I'm not saying that the minister is not within his rights-we have Freedom of Speech here-but I wouldn't burn Korans to make a political or theological point.
I did publish the cartoons of Mohammed, and I am fully against all false religions, including Islam.
But if I attempted to play "The Payback Game" every time I was attacked, slighted, opposed for being a Christian...I'd be too busy to do anything else.
Burn Korans? Someday God is going to burn the entire world to make way for the New Jerusalem.
He will repay. I'm just along for the ride.

To Pastures New

"To Pastures New" by Sir James Guthrie, 1883. Scottish Realism? It's lovely. The herded geese seem to be waddling right off the picture, looking to those new pastures.
I love this picture; my Dad found a print somewhere-he loved it too.
I'm looking for pastures new myself. God herds me along, sometimes with a switch, as the little girl is carrying.
Sometimes the stick, sometimes the carrot. I nearly called this post "Trust and Obey" after the old hymm, as that is what we are called to do: trust and obey God.
I get it wrong, just as King David did, and Moses and Abraham before him. Just like Peter, I tend to mess up in the trusting and obeying departments.
But God is GOOD, and, as it says in one of my favorite texts: "His compassions are new every morning."
So, before I even wake up in the morning, God is ready with compassion for this waddling goose.
By the bye, I'm opening comments again, at least for now. Ignore spam, but yump in if you like.

“Baptists Sure Know Their Bible!”

Welcome back, everyone-it’s been a bit of hiatus.
“Baptists Sure Know Their Bible!”
Once again, the‘feint praise’ someone trotted out the old bon mot of Bible knowledge to compliment a Christian whose theology was actually anathema to hers. It’s like a Lithuanian saying, “Those Estonians are sure a clean people!” (For a bunch of whathoozit troublemaking drunkards!)
Sure, we know the Bible, imperfectly-but only because we are known by God, brought into His family and taught by His Spirit. If not for God granting us Grace, making us Christians…the Bible would be as closed a book to us as it is to the world which hates God.
Ah, Grace.
Cultural Christians-those who grew up in a church which promised them that they were indeed Saved… cultural Christians are doomed. They have not been granted the Grace of God.
They are not born again, which Christ said is a must.
They may dance for Jesus, go to church, feel all religious on Sundays…but Christ will say to all who claim Him but have not been born again: “I never knew you. Go away.”
“It’s not important where you worship God-you can be sitting on a lake, watching a sunset, or sitting in a pew. God is everywhere!”
Not an exact quote, but the gist of it is right.
I can worship God anywhere, and I do-God accepts my worship because I am His child, known and loved by Him. Cultural Christians could live in a church building 24/7, singing and shouting prayers and still be ignored by God.
The problem with the ‘worship God through Nature’ scenario is it leaves out Christ, His redemptive work on the cross, His paying for my sins and yours by becoming an acceptable sacrifice to redeem His creation.
Not everyone is redeemed, and a Loving God does indeed send people to hell, because He is also a Just God.
What is unloving? Assuring people that they are saved, that they are in no danger of hellfire, when they are, according to God, doomed.
I’m not quoting Scripture here to ‘back up’ and support my point because it’s not about Bible knowledge-dear antagonistic Antigone claimed to know the Bible better than I do, and was as yet an atheist. By now I hope that God has granted her the Grace He granted to me 30 years ago. It’s about being quickened/born again/granted Grace by God.. That is it.
Bye the bye-it’s been five plus years since I started Fine Dry Wit, and Antigone and most others have moved on. I almost did myself, as mi vida loca was getting pretty loca. But I’m still infrequently here; as mentioned in the last post, I have shut down the comments-if you do have comment to make, email me at fine_dry_wit@yahoo.com and I will post your brilliance here.
May God make you my brother/sister and not my enemy.

The Return Of The Son Of Fine Dry Wit

Well, it is settled. Fine Dry Wit is back online, and will continue to host my ridiculous and fascinating opinions.
Those of my friends and family in the know understand why these past months have been tough for my family.
But that which is past is past, and now, every now which is not yet a was, is where I am.
One change at FDW: in the interim when I wasn't policing the comments, 'spambot comments' started infesting my pages. So I am shutting down the comments, sorta kinda. Here's  how you CAN comment, or talk to me if you want:
fine_dry_wit@yahoo.com
feel free to email me any comment you want to make; if you'd like it to appear in the comment page, I'll put it in.
So...here I am, back at FDW. I am still sick of politics, so please leave that...stuff...off my pages. Look for a post soon about how cultural Christians are doomed to hell. Ah, it's good to be back!

A Little ‘HELP’ Here?

I’m not a book reviewer, but sometimes you cross across a title which goes all mixedpop culture on your consciousness-for example, those Emily Bronte Zombie novels, where classics meet the undead with alleged hilarity.
So what is this post about?
A book, “A Little ‘HELP’ Here?” by Simon Tam.  Beatles meet Islam with comedic wackyness.
Tam isn’t much of a writer, but he does knock around the premise with some good gags. As I doubt anyone reading this would ever bother to find/read the book, here are all kinds of ‘spoilers’:

1969. Beatles are tops. Loved the world over, hotter than magnesium in oxygen. That is…until John Lennon, being interviewed before a concert in Kasmir, states that, “The Beatles are bigger than Allah!”
Big mistake.
Concert cancelled.
Muslim demands for Beatle blood rock the news.
Throughout the world, record stores selling Beatles albums are targets of jihad-Beatles albums are burned, Beatles fans found wearing their T-shirts are lynched, and within a few days all radio stations have dropped their music.
The Fab Four, smuggled quickly out of Kasmir by their tour manager, go into hiding.
Here Tam gets bogged down a bit with the infighting between the band members-I moved forward a few pages until the action stated again:
Ringo publicly converts to Islam to save his own skin, which breaks up the band.
George Harrison tries to reach out to the Muslim world by staging a concert for peace back in Kasmir.
While on stage with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell singing “Peace Train”, Yoko Ono comes on stage, embraces Harrison and sets off her suicide vest. Yoko the secret Muslim fulfills her destiny.
Back in hiding (in Salt Lake City-an Islam-free zone) John and Paul watch the scene on TV, horrified along with the rest of the non-Muslim world.
John wants vengeance with a capital “V”-whether for George or Yoko is left open to intepretation. Paul just wants to get high.
Lennon contacts President Nixon, encourages him to use the might of the U.S. Military to ‘solve’ the crisis.
Nixon does exactly the wrong thing-he NUKES the holiest sites of Islam-Mecca, Medina, and, just to show that there are no favorites in nuclear war, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
This ignites the FULL holy war which destroys Western civilization-the powers that had been in 1969 had no idea how many Muslims there were in the world, how widespread their were through every continent except Antartica. Game over, West. The end.


If Tam makes even a little profit for the publishing company, I imagine he’ll be set, writing this drivel for a long time. I think it’s safe to say that there will be no Hollywood film of “A Little ‘HELP’ Here?” They could recut the original movie “HELP!” with the lads from Liverpool running from Muslims instead of adoring fans, but maybe I shouldn’t give Hollywood any ideas. Joe Bob says don’t check it out.

Summer Fly Trakai Mist

Summer. Summer Fly (great song by Hayley Westenra). Trakai-a faraway I've noted here before, the Lithuanian castle island resort. Mist. We are as mist, here for a moment and then not.
Life is extremely transitory, and it only seems like a long time.
Yesterday I saw a baby 3 weeks old. The little guy will be running around in a few short years, immortal as all children are. Then, God willing, he will grow up and live a long life, but the actual number of days and years is immaterial-mist.
Where we go when we step off this doorstep of life is up to God. We either step into His Kingdom or are told, "Depart from me; I never knew you."
He has already chosen us (and you) for eternity-we only find out about the where while here.
I would prefer to go to heaven Now, while I am still young, than wait for the frailty of age to overtake me...but all whens belong to God. I'll be here until He calls me home, whether it's next week or 60 years from now when I'll be 111. Sooner bestest. If ever this blog goes dark, it will mean that I have gone Light. See you on the other side?

Uh-Oh!

Thoughtsrandomfriday

Haven't done one of these free wheelin' goofatrons in a whilst.
Continuing on ad infinicky item, who said, "We are here to go?" That's nearly succinct, except for leaving out the destination part. I'm going to Heaven. I am not merely here to go there. And 'here' isn't the treasure, the goal, the summation of why. It's hardly 'why' at all.
I don't feel like dipping my toe into the tarnished present political cisternations. But I will say that President Obama is failing, and it's kind of fun to watch.
So I'm perusing the iTunes store the other, and lo! and beholden, another part of my misspent youth has arrived in the audio bigtime: the Lensmen series by E.E. "Doc" Smith.
As this is just an old sci-fi space opera; they didn't spend a lot of money on the production, and the reader seems to be speaking English as his third language, so it's not like they got Kelsey Grammer to read Shakespeare.
For the record, I still have the books, and wouldn't spend a dime to have them read to me.
I WOULD like to plug the iTunes University, found through their store, which has so much free knowledge that it's almost like they left Fort Knox open.
Also, if you have iPod/iPhone or iPad...as our Aussie friends say, "Good on you.
Aussies Hamish and Andy are still on Winter break, but when they begin podcasting again next week, I encourage you to listen.they make me laugh, and who doesn't?

Other Wit...Other Wise

Democrat 23rd Psalm 1950


The Government is my shepherd
I need not work
it alloweth me to lie down on good jobs.
It leadeth me beside still factories
It destroyeth mine inititave.
It leadeth me in paths of a parasite for politic's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of laziness and deficent spending
I fear no evil.
The Government is with me-
Its Doles and Vote-getters
They comfort me.
It prepareth an economic utopia for me by 
Appropriating the earnings of my grandchildren.
It filleth my head with false security.
My efficiency runneth over.
Surely the Government shall care for me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in a fool's paradise forever.

Old Abe

Now, that was fun! I corrected the spelling, but that is basically what I found written on an old letter sent to my grandfather-'Old Abe' was a friend of his named Dan Kile. His tag line at the end of each of his letters:

"If you want to go through Life completely misunderstood, say exactly what you mean."

You Waltz In Here...

“Your waltz in here
With a handful of gimme
A mouthful of multiplies
I go home feeling empty
From all your signifies”

Fred Neil-”Handful of Gimmie”
“Bleecker and MacDougal”-1965

What a beautiful day! Even in the most grim, we can grin.
I love the contraction Fred used in the third line of his song:
“multiple lies=multiplies”-concise.
So yes, I am suggesting that President Obama has a handful of gimmie-in that he has constantly declared that he needs MORE power, MORE control in order to achieve his goals.
Not our goals-a stable economy, a secure border, Peace-
HIS goals-more more more of the world as he imagines it, less less less of the one we grew up in.
I think he’s beginning to believe his own press, which is dangerous.
Once upon a time there was another “Community Organizer” who wanted to re-set the world as he saw fit.
Unlike Obame, he was laughed at until he made a power grab which landed him in prison.
Very much like Obama, he wrote his autobiography at an early age, but from his jail cell.
But enough about Adolph Hitler.
Here would be a good rule of thumb for President Obama to adopt:
He should refuse/withdraw from any additional Presidential power which he would not like to see wielded by a Republican President.
Remember the Golden rule-”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Meaning that if President Obama wants to be a good President, he should treat others as he wants to be treated.
Too simple?
Right now he expends political capital making enemies of any and all who do not agree with his agenda.
Who refuses to budge an inch? Megalomaniacs and egotists who do not respect anyone but themselves.
And drunks. I just remembered a beauty-
Back when I was working maintenance for a ski resort, my duties included security. One January 1st, the day after you know what, I’d been herding sheepish drunks all night, working a 15 hour shift.
Ten in the morning, I’m driving down the road to our woodlot, and I find a young couple trudging along, heading nowhere.
Guess what? I was cursed and called a liar because the guy KNEW where he was going, and he wasn’t going to listen to ANYONE!
If he had been alone, he might still be on that trail, but his lady friend look tired and about ready to keel over. It took both her and I arguing with the great scout to convince him to get into the truck-I took them back to their resort, and though she thanked me, he had nothing good to say.
Going the wrong way down a dead end road…
Won’t listen to anyone…
Cursing those who disagree with him…
But enough about Barack Obama.

Here in the heart of Summer, a little Iceland to cool you off. I once saw lights from Iceland on the horizon as my ship passed by, heading from Greenland (don't bother) towards Europe. Iceland is home to Sigur Ros, among many other fine distinctions. Have a good weekend.

Sitting At The Feet Of Minds

The title doesn't say it all, but it is a start.
Without getting all mentalphysical on y'all, I've been thinking about a lot of stuff lately-habitual hazard when my 'work' uses approx 5% of my brain. The rest gets restless.
Just as steel sharpens steel, I think that we can learn much by exploring the minds/hearts of those who are sharp, bright, genius. We learn more listening to wise men than wisenheimers.
First and foremost, those of us brought into God's family, having His indwelling Spirit gain wisdom by taking in/consuming His Word. That is why you see us carrying Bibles-it is our lifetime school book and nourishment. Our capacity for learning of God in this life is weak, feeble...but understandable-we are merely men.
Example: one of my favorite Bible teachers is Charles Spurgeon. He dug deeply into God's Word with both hands-and was blessed with a fine ability to deseminate what he had learned.
But for all of his lifetime study of the Scriptures, I  daresay that he received infinitely more knowledge of God the milisecond he arrived in Heaven. And so it will be for all of us who will arrive there.
Now, through a glass, darkly...
But this post isn't just about learning from God. There is more.
When you listen to Mozart, to Beethoven, to Bach (or Bach, or Bach) you are enjoying how their minds worked, how each accomplished moving their audience in a unique way. Think of how much JOY has been brought into the world by those few men! 
Lately I've been going back through some of the Nero Wolfe mysteries-Rex Stout was a genius.
Thelonious Monk. Stanley Kubrick. Shakespeare. don marquis?
Each has improved my education through studying what they did, their 'art', showing how their minds work.
Good luck on your midterms.

Sometimes The Snake...

   Wins the battle of a day or a few days, but ultimately the snake loses eternally.
Or I could say 'loses, has lost Eternity'.
The very first Community Organizer to infest this planet was the snake in the Garden of Eden.
He told the community that they couldn't trust God, that He (God) was afraid that that they (A&E) would be like God if they wised up.
God was keeping the MAN down, you see. And Man should be angry about that, angry and mistrustful of God.
   Things haven't changed much. People are still allowing snakes (some in suits) to get them riled up and angry, snakes who channel and direct that anger to achieve Snake goals.
Snakes love chaos, and make great use of the baser emotions of fools.
   Do yourself a favor-next time someone tries to light your fire of indignation, to USE your emotions for his purposes...think twice and don't allow yourself to be used. One day, all snakes will be Hisssssstory!

National Day of Laughter

Okay-get it into your system. Laugh, and the world wonders what is going on.

Here's the heres: Life makes us laugh. It's a conditioned response to the ridiculalbaness of it all under a foolish emperor. You need a reason? To Laugh? Okayfiner:
Helen Thomas is now free to accomplish her bucketlist-for the first time in MY lifetime, she is gone from the front row at the White House briefing room where reporters toss fluffy little softballs at Gibbs and his Sith lord Obama. They might even feel a slight disturbance in the farce, with Thomas gone.
Speaking of which, I was talking today with a reforming liberal-he had been thrilled with Obama winning the Presidency, and now, a year plus later, he is nearly ready for his Jedi robe, having come over to the right side of good thinking.
Okay, this is here not because I am trying to twist scripture out of context, but only because it makes me laugh:
^"2A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left." Ecclesiastes 10:2 Cheer up-it will be worse!

With All Due Respect...

"Everyone pays for [public education, universal health care, municipal services], and everyone benefits."

Baloney. False premise built on vapor. Wrong.

Are there those who receive benefits but do not pay for them?
Yes.
Are they part of "Everyone"?
Yes.
Then 'Everyone' does not pay.
It is more honest to say that:
"Everyone who works and pays taxes on their income pays for public education, health care and municipal services which benefits many people who do not contribute in any way."
Go ahead...google this song:
"Middle-class Liberal Well Intentioned Blues" sung by a guy who actually became a Baron (sorta) and married a 'movie star'.

"It seems to me that liberals are kept up night after night by the fear that somewhere in America some conservative person is holding on to some of his money."

You Want Some Peace?

All you need is Love... right, guys? Love is all you need? And the world fills with sunshine?
Too bad the boys from Liverpool weren't around to spread their message of Love during World War II.
Think about it-the only reason the Beatles were able to sing about Love (to the tune of billions of dollars) in the 1960's was because the previous British invasion went to WAR and helped save the world from living under the thumb of Hitler and Germany.
Of course the Beatles hated War. Every sensible person does. I hate war.
But there are insensible people out there and in here who are willing start wars to "Command and Conquer".
When those insensible peoples gain and hold power, such as Hitler did in Germany...Peace loving peoples have two choices: give up or stand up.
Today we honored those who died standing up. May God Bless them all.

God Keeps Him Occupied

"18Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. 19Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. 20For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart."
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

I would love for Donald Trump to record an audio book of Ecclesiastes, with his insights into the words of King Solomon. Trump is a modern day 'king' of an empire who might understand Solomon's book in a different way than I would, simply because he has more in common with Solomon as to this life 'under the sun'.
The gift of God mentioned in the above verse 19 isn't Salvation. It is a gift enjoyed by those who enjoy a good life now, thinking that "THIS"/"MINE", what they now hold, is all that there is.
"God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart."
It may seem a strange Mercy, to so bless in the present world those who will not be blessed in Eternity. But I don't understand God. His ways are higher than my ways, and I am not competent to judge His Works and Will. I can only appreciate now while I await then.

I Love The Smell Of Peace In The Morning

A few months ago I posted oddly, a picutre post titled:
http://finedrywit.blogspot.com/2010/03/dr-paul-myron-anthony-linebarger.html

I didn’t explain, but expected that anyone curious enough to google Linebarger might find that he led an interesting life.
So…why today? Why another post on some ancient sci fi author?
Peace, man. Sharing an example of Peace.
I may make a mess of the details, as my book with this info is out on loan, but in short:
During the Korean War, Linebarger was an officer with the OSS/CIA.
A number of Chinese soldiers were trying to surrender to our forces, but were getting shot to ribbons.
Linebarger, fluent in Chinese, made contact with the lower Chinese command and told them, “When your men are trying to surrender, have them shout these words: (examples-I don’t have the book) Red Fish! Orange-Blue! Egg!”
In Chinese these are nonsense, but to English listeners, the words sounded like, “We Surrender! Don’t shoot! We give up!”
Peace, man.

HAPPY DRAW MOHAMMED DAY!

And I hope that it is a beautiful "Draw Mohammed Day" wher'ere y'ar. Click on the title link to go to the facebook page for 'Draw Mohammed Day' if so inclined. May 20 is the proposed date, so I'm just a lil' early.
If you think about it, Islam is stupid and dangerous about images of their very human, hardly holy sinful "leader".
Jesus is all over the place. You can't walk in Catamaran without tripping over Buddahs. Michelangelo's masterpiece "David" shows a Jewish sheepherder and no one in the Hebraic community gets steamed about it.
But some pedophile creep terrorist who murdered untold numbers of innocent peoples is so holy that it's considered a capital crime to depict him in any way? Nah.
Lacking any aritstic talent, how could I join in the 'Draw Mohammed Fun'? I want to play!
Bottom right, below Sarah's elbow. Some dust on the table in the Kuwaiti chow hall-that's all that would be left of Mohammed in 2010. The ashes to dust at least-the rest is burning in hell right now.

If I Ran The World…

As the saying goes-”If” is for children. “If” is the province located one step away from Reality, which we can call “Is”, as in, “It is what it is.”
It’s dangerous to hunt crocodiles in the swamp-it is their home ground/water, and they have great advantage over humans who like to stand upright on dry land.
I am going to take a chance, and venture into “IF”-the home ground of Liberals (and other children). Without “IF”, they couldn’t handle “IS”. They need to be lifted up by their hopes and dreams above Reality which proves their ideas to be foolish and dangerous exercises in delusion.
“IF’ can be argued all day, until tempers are shortened and jaws tired. I usually don’t waste time on “IF”.
But now I will, for this post, in order to outline what I would do if I had a position of power to change the world.
First and foremost, I wouldn’t want that power. This is a sinful, fallen world, and I wouldn’t want to hold life or death sway over ANYONE.
I am waiting for the return of Jesus Christ, Who will rule the world from His city, Jerusalem. He will sort things out.
But until His return, IF I were in a position of power where I could change the world to how I feel that it should be, I would:

1. Exterminate all religions. Be it Catholicism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Festivus, etc etc. etc. Gone.
All wiped off the face of the earth. Each and every one of them is evil, sinful, wrong.
Man has in his heart a ‘random religion generator’ which kicks in when Man wants to replace God with a god of his own creation. This happens when Man sins, knows that he has sinned, but doesn’t dare face the true God. So simple sinful Simon makes up a god he can bow down to which he hopes can absolve him of his sin. He’ll light candles, sing songs, maybe sacrifice a goat or a child to his god. Maybe he’ll even wage war against anyone who refuses to recognize his god. People can get pretty righteously outrageous while practicing their false religion!

2. Abortion. You knew this one made my list. Killing children is only legal because of the political fiction that they are not human beings. Here’s your classic liberal ‘If’-
“IF they are not yet out of the womb, they do not in fact exist!”
Yes they do, butchie. Your ‘If’ is trumped by “IS”.
If I could change the world, the actual reality of a baby being a living person endowed with rights and privileges would be globally recognized. And more children would survive. Even Liberal children deserve the right to breathe air.

3. Remember-this is my “IF” list, what I would do to change the world to one of my liking. I would go all “John the Baptist”, as in “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”.
I know that Christ will return someday. I would do what I could to get the peoples of the earth ready for that Day.
This would include having the Gospel preached throughout the world.
And I would make the world recognize that Israel not only does exist (It is what it Is!) but that, when Christ returns, it will be the place through which the entire world will be blessed. So get in line with “IS” now-respect and honor Israel; denounce, reject and outlaw all those with animus against Israel and the Jews.

4. I’d throw a pile of money at Chris Nolan to get cooking on the next Dark Knight movie. No 3D.

Your list will differ. Maybe you're looking forward to Batman 3D. ever 30

JAH!

Just rusing the per today-thinking about thought, about know ledges and wise doms.
I just counted, and my Internet is basically 26 sites wide, meaning that I have fewer bookmarks than your average first grader.
Of couse I (using myself as an example) go to more than 26 sites on the 'Net, but my bookmarks are where I usually start from.
It doesn't matter if I (or any of us) is rowing a boat on the ocean-we only see/know/use our little corner of the water, if unfrozen water could be said to have corners. The internet may have billions of pages, but all I care about are my 26 plus.
I've been reading in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun. Of course, King Solomon hadn't seen a single youtube karaoke, but he is still right.
Imagine trying to stump the King by attempting to show him NEW items under the sun:
"O King Solomon! Here is an iPad! Something new!"
"That's mighty nice, Doug. It has 3G, a book reader function, pictures, and music, right?
We had words, drawings and singing in my Kingdom, and we didn't invent any of those-they were old then."
"But King, this iPad has gigs of memory!"
"Memory. Storage, right? We had storage; we kept our memories IN those songs and writings."
"Okay, King Solomon, but we have Islam on the earth now-that's something new to you, isn't it?"
"New to me? They worship what started out as a moon goddess, right? Now it's supposed to be God in Heaven? Oh, that's original! Doug, we chased their forefathers out of Judah and they're still whining about it."
"We've been to the moon!"
"You, personally?"
"No, but..."
"The moon. I looked at that same moon in my nights and you know what? It hasn't changed.
Your people got there in a spaceship, right?"
"I know, I know-you had ships back then."
"That's right, built by men to carry them elsewhere. Your spaceships are only that."
"King Solomon, one final question for the wisest King ever: could you tell me how President Obama's initiatives can possibly benefit the United States?"
"WHAT? You want me to say that here? Do you realize the tax burden I'm already under as the richest man ever? I should WANT another bullseye painted on the back of my royal robe? Stop the interview!"

The Division Bell Is Ringing

24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. 25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? 26For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 2: 24-26

What a book. Whereas Proverbs is full of Wisdom, Psalms is Worship...Ecclesiastes is full of head-hurting conundrums. Ah well.

""24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. 25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?"
Call this the common Grace which we all benefit from. He makes the rains to fall on the just and the unjust. Everybody works, eats, drinks, and lives the life which we have. We mostly take pride in our work, whether we are working to glorify God or ourselves.
This we all receive from the hand of God. Who can have enjoyment without Him? In this present world, within this common Grace, while we live, no-one has enjoyment without Him. Everything which brings us joy has its origin in our Creator.

Now the division comes in verse 26-those whom God loves, who are good in His sight, receive a greater Grace: wisdom (of God), knowledge (of God), and joy (in God). I think those are the wisdom, knowledge and joy which the sinner does not, can not and will not receive. The sinner is only fit to work and strive, gather and collect his lifelong pittance which he will leave behind him when he dies. Whether he passes it down to sons and daughters, making them 'rich' makes no difference-eventually it is all left on this side of the grave. You could be 'Bill Trump or Donald Gates rich cubed and squared'-if you are not good in God's sight, all of your accumulation of treasure is vanity and striving after wind.
Ah, but...those who are good in God's sight will be with Him on the other side, and through all Eternity. Whether or not we are rich in this present world, we are rich beyond measure in the next because we are loved by God. Mighty cool!

As the Federal Government does not obey it's own laws with regard to 'illegal immigration', Arizona passed it's own law, one which they will enforce. Arizonians cheer this law.
For this lawful act, the state of Arizona has earned President Obama's scorn.
For this lawful act, Arizona has earned my praise and admiration.
Some of the goofier liberals are demanding that all things Arizona be boycotted, including the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"We'll teach you a lesson, Arizona! D-backs come to OUR town and you will see..."empty seats!"
Of course, it's April for one more day, and there are empty seats in every stadium until the schools let out, but still...Forrest's Mom was right.
President Obama is, as others have said, siding with the lawbreaking illegals against the American people. They can have him.

Snowy Mountaintop

I mentioned recently (April 1st post) that I have been ‘Doug in motion’-exercising to fend off physical ailments in my later years, as best I can. Being in better shape will hopefully keep my blood pressure low enough to avoid pills, blood sugar low to avoid diabetes, and generally keep me fit.
It would be futile to expect that my better health will somehow make me invulnerable to getting old.
This sinful flesh profits nothing. Nothing. We age and die in our time.
But I see God’s Grace at work in our years:
Boys live forever.
Man, so proud in his strength, his abilities,he feels that he WILL live forever, so he has no need for God.
But God is patient, and, in some cases, He allots enough years to a man so that he can grow old,
humbling prideful Man with age, with illness; some who would not seek His face in their youth may cry out to their Creator as they approach Eternity.
Note that I said, ‘in some cases’. None of us are promised a minimum number of years-babies aborted in the womb are denied even a ‘birth’. God sets the number of our years.
It hurts to see some of my elderly friends becoming more frail, but I know that God has ahold of their hands.
If God gives me a long life down here on Earth, I will survive just as I do today, by God’s Grace.
May He grant you the faith to believe and become a partaker of that same Grace, for the duration of your time here and into eternity.

Happy Mirthday, Peoples!

Well, it's over at last-the epic Smurphtastic "Avatar" has broken out on Bludvd in celebration (read:commercialization) of Earthday. Save the planet by shelling out hard earned to be lectured to by a hug-treer. Nah.
Looking around in 2010, I see a Government at odds with its peoples, a world in denial about God,
people acting like they are somebody when they aren't...it makes you either cry at the tragedy or laugh at the comedy. I do both.
But today, a beautiful day, a Friday ahead of a weekend...laughter or tears, I hope that this is a great day for you.
Postscript: If they remade "Avatar" as an earthbound urban drama, you'd have the Bruce Willis movie of last year, "The Surrogates". No Smurphette?

Grace

"5For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
Romans 8:5-8

In my future, when I am out of this corrupted body and living in a glorified one, I will no longer be capable of sin. Not there yet.
The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, which I understand fully; I have cherished that life and peace, that 'water which eternally satisfies' for many years.
But, still waiting for the final redemption, I struggle along in this sinful world, falling and getting up, falling
It is the common experience all Christians share-we want to please God, but in our lives we often fail and do things which displease Him. Paul said:
"18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." Roman 7:18-25

Wretched about covers it. Our only Hope is in the goodness of God, that He will do as He has promised, freeing us from sin.
There is evidence of God keeping that promise in the Romans 8 passage above.
I would have no struggle with sin at all if I did not belong to God.
Pagans and those who do not know God may struggle with the breaking of moral codes, but they are generally self-imposed. They try to please themselves by living a good life and not murdering too many people, or only cheating a little on their taxes or spouses.
As with Paul, I say that nothing good dwells in me, in my flesh. If I had to trust in my goodness to get to Heaven I would be bound for hell. But we trust in the goodness of God, Who loves us in spite of our failures.
If you see a Christian sinning, don’t think for a moment that he or she is having a good time. We fall. We have defects, some of them debilitating to the point that we bring all kinds of grief on ourselves. Not because we are Christians, but because we are sinners, saved by God’s Grace, but still existing in this sinful world. Looking for the day of our redemption.

People In Motion

"The preservation of liberty is up to the people"
Sort of. In a way. Kinda yup, kinda nope.
I have great respect for the people in our country who have spoken up about the 'coarse' our country has been on.
The "Tea Party" peoples-may God Bless them!- are Patriots with a capital "P", exercising their rights of assembly, free speech and dissent against a Government they feel is harming instead of helping our country.
"Tax Day 2010" saw many Tea Parties hosted across our nation.
I didn't go to a rally, but instead did my part by going to work.
Here's the 'kinda nope' part.
God is in charge, and for His own good reasons He has established the Government we have.
Throughout the Bible there are examples of God punishing the Israelites with an evil king when they would go off into idolatry, ignoring Him and His Law. The evil king would make things so bad that the peoples would then cry out to God, repenting of their sin, begging for deliverance from the king.
While I cheer on the Tea Party people, I think we will accomplish more by seeking God, asking Him to deliver us from evil. For His is the Kingdom, now and forever.

And Maggie Said...

Bliss Cavendar: You're my Hero!
Maggie Mayhem: Put on some skates-be your own hero.

I've known quite a few Heros...and a few villains.
That line spoken by Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) in "Whip It" resonated for me because I see too much tribute being heaped at the feet of "celebrities"-sports celebrities, political, moviestars, etc. which is undeserved.
There are even "rockstar Preachers" who have followers and adherents willing to lemming right over a cliff if asked.
Maggie had it right. Don't look to others to build up your self esteem-if you wear a Dale Earnhardt jacket because your identity is tied up in your "Hero"...you can look in the mirror and no one's there.
Oh, and NFL fans who decorate their lives with team colors? The saddest idolators in town.
Be your own hero.

Good For The Roses

"16Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths." Zechariah 14:16-19

This prophesy has been on my mind lately. To get the full intent of these verses, it would be helpful to read all of Zechariah chapter 14-in simple, the Lord brings all of the nations of the world together against Jerusalem in order to judge and conquer them, setting up His Millennial Kingdom. Psalm 2 is a great companion scripture to Zechariah 14.
"any who are left of all the nations"-after that Day when Christ returns, the world population will be decimated. Look to the book of Revelation, with God's judgments/plagues coming down on a world which had refused His offer of Salvation. Decimated populations is inadequate language, but it will do for now.
There will be a remnant of humanity, the 'any who are left', and those peoples will be called to go up to Jerusalem and worship the King. As these verses state, some will be unwilling. No surprise.

Doug's speculation, meaning my opinion, which could be wrong as wrong can be:
I think that the individual peoples will decide what they will do; I am going to use myself and my buddy Bill Maher as examples.
Let's say that Bill and I each own part of a duplex in Lithuania when Christ returns-for the sake of this speculation, I wasn't "raptured" but instead lived through the Tribulation period.
Christ is on His throne in Jerusalem, and the edict goes out for all the nations to go up to Jerusalem to worship God in the Feast of Booths.
Egypt has declared that they will not go up, even though they know that they will be plagued with no rain, no favor from God, have no part in the common Grace.
Lithuanians gladly go up to Jerusalem, myself included, but Bill, who hates Jesus Christ, moves to Egypt, because he would rather die in the desert than worship Christ.
Populations will shift like this all around the world-those who would worship God that live in Egypt will move to a nation that will go up; those who refuse to worship will find their way to Graceless nations.
Right now I am an American, and I serve God in America. If America were on that Graceless nations list, I would move to Lithuania (example) because as much as I love my country, I love God more, and I wouldn't stay in a place that God would curse.
Merely speculating, but I think that is how it will go. Zechariah is a prophetic book filled with mind-blowing truths. May God Bless your reading of it.