The Falsity of False Falseness

So, there it is. For the past five or so months I had been living with no television reception-I cancelled
DirecTV and had no antenna hooked up. Life was quieter, and not bad,  though I did miss Baseball.
For Christmas I decided to buy a digital antenna and hook up my big TV; now I get four or five channels, and just finished with the last day of the NFL reg season.
As an American Human Being I have grown up watching TV; my first TV memory was the coverage of
John Kennedy's funeral, which made an impression because that entire episode was broadcast for days.
After my five month respite from TV, what struck my eyes was the proliferation of happy people in commercials, most of them gorgeous/handsome, interacting in some sort of blissful reality that seems to occur
every six minutes. You know what I mean-Football plays until a time out, and then the happy people come on, drinking beer (RESPONSIBLY!) or having emotional epiphanies because they are driving a sleek new car or powerful new truck.
Shiny happy people may make for a crummy '90's song, or exist in an altered reality ala "The Matrix" on TV commercials, but the facade`can be dangerous to your equilibrium, chum.
Of course, we know that the shiny happy people are merely shilling for products. We KNOW that we are being targeted for commerce. It's always been that way-tobacco companies in the far distant past encouraged Hollywood filmmakers to include smoking in their productions-a film critic recently remarked that 'no one smoked a cigarette like Aldo Ray'.
But many of the young people who took up smoking in an attempt to look as cool as the moviestars now have succumbed to lung cancer. Oooops!
The beer commercials which highlight happy drinking don't ever include 50 year old alcoholics whose lives have been ruined by drink. There's no old guy in the corner of the bar of beautiful/handsome young partiers who has just thrown his paycheck into the barkeep's coffers.
Likewise, the car/truck commercials, especially those shouting the news of a special 'sales event' never show the happy people making do with a ten year old van, like those of us in the real world drive. They also don't seem to have any room in the commercials for repossessed cars and truck sold to chumps who bought into last year's sales promotion only to find that, amazingly, their paychecks don't stretch far enough.
Someone made a lovely movie with the concept of the happy shiny people in commercials existing in our 'real' world. It was called, "The Jones" and the concept was quite interesting-to boost sales, fake family units were placed in high retail markets by ad marketeers to show the upscale chumps (consumers) all the happiness that could be theirs...if they had the same stuff that the fake families enjoyed.
Believe it or not, it isn't a comedy (I think). One of the upscale chumps who has tried to keep up with "The Jones" gets so far in the red that he decides to kill himself. How he does it fits the movie perfectly, and I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.

I know there is quite a bit of yammering about 'going over a financial cliff'. I think it will be more akin to a financial dust bowl, where no one has much of anything. Whatever happens, the happy shiny people of TV adverts will always be there with their fake happy lives. To cheer us up?

The Game Is Afoot In Both Worlds

Enough with this 2012 stuff already! I am more than willing to cross the last few days off of the calendar and get on with the pains and miseries awaiting us in 2013. I want my fiscal cliff!
Not really. But I have had enough of 2012, and am looking forward to being done with it.
I admit that from time to time I might wax a bit theological here at FDW-it can't all be car crashes and political jawing.
Christians know all about living in a transitional time, being done with the present and looking for a better future. My hope goes way beyond 2013 into Eternity, after Christ returns and sets this world aright.
But for now, we all live transitionally, aliens in this alienated world.
Bye the bye-Christians are not all united in HOW to live in this world. You've got true believers who live in Christian enclaves, who fear the world's influence on their 'walk'. They do all that they can to keep the world at arms length, to keep from being sullied by the world.
And then there is me.
I don't believe that Christians are to fear the world's influence. If anything, the world fears our influence; we carry the Gospel to a world that doesn't want to hear it. To an unbeliever, a Christian praying in public is just as dangerous as a Muslim suicide bomber.
"I don't care what they do in that Church-it's offensive if they try to tell ME that I'm going to hell!"
I've mentioned it here before, someone else's analogy:
"Christians are the salt of the earth. But if they keep in their stained glass salt shakers (churches) they do no good for the world."
Jesus ate with sinners. He didn't spend all of His time in the Temple, only interacting with the Priests and Pharisees. He went downtown. He went uptown. He went to Galilee and Gadara, places filled with (whisper it) non-Jews, unbelievers.
I'm not trying to justify my non-religious life(without)style. I'm simply not afraid of the world's influence on me. I trust that when I get it wrong (which is often), God corrects me and I move forward. I know that He doesn't smile any brighter on those Christians who try to please Him by keeping unstained by the world.
While we are here, that is an impossibility. In Heaven, it won't even be an issue.

A Better Christmas

Recently I mentioned something good that I would ask permission to share here:

At work the other night I was taking a break, talking with a coworker when Jerry came in and sat with us.
I’ve known Jerry for years-one of the many hats he wears is a Santa hat-he has been THE Santa in our town for a long time-parties, school classes, nursing homes-Jerry is Santa for all of us.
Here’s what he told us that night:
“We (he has a lady friend who is Mrs. Claus) were just at the nursing home and this lady, I got this lady, 104 years old, to sit on my lap.
I said, Mabel, if you sit on my lap I’ll sing you a song. And she did, and it was so sweet.
Now this lady had been my Sunday school teacher for ten years over at the Gospel Tab, and I sang her a song that she had taught me.
By the time I finished, tears were rolling down her cheeks, and mine.
She said, “That song brings back so many memories!”
Santa got as good a gift as he gave tonight.

May God Bless you and your family this Christmas and into the New year.

A Sad Christmas Is Okay, Too

Okay-I ordered myself a Christmas present, even though I've been bad this year. If you look to the right of the page, you will notice a link to Movie Morlocks, the Turner Classic Movies film blog where film critics, historians, film reviewers/academics write about movies. The great unwashed film-loving public (including me) comment and discuss (but rarely cuss) film posts there.
On a post about Documentary film, I mentioned one of my favorites from long ago-thinking of it impulsed me
to order it, and now it should show up from Amazon sometime in the new year:
"Horowitz in Moscow" from 1986-the return of Vladimir Horowitz to Russia after 60 plus wandering the globe as a musical refugee. It was filmed by CBS News, hosted by Charles Kuralt, and Horowitz and the music are wonderful.
But enough about that.
In an earlier post I favored a Puritan Christmas, meaning no tinsel, no tree, no presents, no mas.
But we are not all Puritans, and the rest of us who have Christmas indoctrination from a lifetime of celebrating know in our inner canalized being that we are supposed to be Merry at Christmas, or it just won't be Christmas!
Unicorn feathers. We are supposed to be honest with ourselves and each other-(that assumption, naive as it sounds, is one of the building blocks of our societal structure) and if we are honest, we admit that sometimes Christmas is sad, and that is just fine.
I'm thinking of the families in Newtown Connecticut.
I'm thinking of my friends who have each recently lost their parents.
I'm thinking of my friend in the hospital in whom they discovered Cancer while looking to fix something else.
I'm thinking of the millions out of work who face an uncertain future because of the poor economy.
Sad Christmas. I don't mean the morose Christmas, 'holiday blues' want to commit suicide kind of sad.
I mean the not pretending that all is Merry and Bright, that we are HAPPY merely because of the calendar.
For Christians, every day is Christmas, Sabbath and Resurrection Day. We live each day with Joy, even when we are sorrowful, and I can't explain that to you except to say that it is a gift from God, that such Joy is not emotive but is tied to our thankfulness for Salvation and for having become a part of God's family. Christians in prison cells being tortured for their faith still have Joy. It is one of the gifts that keeps on being given by God.
If you find yourself sitting in the middle of a sad Christmas, don't beat yourself up over it. It will be over soon. 

I Made A Big Mistake

This most recent tragedy,  the school shooting in Connecticut, is horrifying. So many young lives, innocents killed...there aren't words. Usually there is a measure of Grace-the gun will jam, the killer will be stopped before many are killed-not this time. The coward took himself out at the last, so there is some grace, some justice in that.
What do we do with such tragedy? We are too well practiced now in living with terrible events-we go about our days, remembering that Connecticut happened but, if our lives are not personally touched this time, we keep moving-we do what we do.
I'm a movie guy, amongst many other hats I wear. Tonight I finally watched "The Dark Knight Rises" and, in the aftermath of the Connecticut shooting, I couldn't get into it-there is a lot of gunfire, death and destruction in the film. It just felt wrong to watch such fake drama so soon after true drama has happened, but I thought it might be cathartic, as I knew that in a movie such as this, the good guys win (eventually).
And it just occurred to me that this is the film which was playing in that movie theater in Colorado. sigh
We do what we do. 

A Good Old Fashioned Puritan Christmas

An off-hand remark by my Pastor the other day has been digging its way into my consciousness-he mentioned that the Puritans did not celebrate Christmas, thought it to be rife with paganism. If they could only see NOW how right they were!
The Puritans were Christian men and women who had sought freedom from the religious persecution they experienced in Europe...at the hands of Catholics and other pagans who seemed quite happy to stretch a martyr or two on the rack before heading up for their Christmas dinner...Football not having been invented yet.
So it is no surprise that the Puritans kinda sorta didn't want Christmas in their neck o' the woods. Of course, following the Puritans over to the Knew World were some Catholics who dedicated THEIR area to Mary and set about celebrating Christmas as we know it today-loud, crass, and clueless.
So I'm sitting at work the other night listening to Christmas music on my iPod, thinking about what to do for Christmas. I have no tree, I already put up the one (1) decoration which is my bow to custom...Pizza!
I've invited a few friends over for pizza and a movie or two. I just picked up the "From Russia With Love" Blu-ray the other day-maybe we'll Bond.

...And So It Begins

12-12-12
It's twice as bad as 666, right?
People who haven't given a fig about the Mayans at any time in their lives are now cracking wise about "Doom Calendars" as if the Mayans were prescient oracles.
Mayans? They lived in a tropical climate, BUT did they live at the beach, like you or I would? No!
Did they invent air guitar? No! Did they have computers? Yes-but they only ran Windows NT.
Of course, no one actually believes that the world will end on 12-21-12, which the Mayans may or may(an) not have predicted...but something is up.
We joke about what worries us. It's a defense mech-if I can laugh about a Hitler's funny little mustache, for example, he doesn't seem so scary.
Likewisenheimer, people joke about God, Who IS scary.
Oh yes-the End Of The World. Joke away, nervous nellies/normans.
Christians have been talking about the End Times since...well, since the End Times began. Which I suggest may have been when Christ ascended to Heaven in Acts chapter 1:
"⁹And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 
¹⁰And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 
¹¹They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:9-11
Did you catch that there at the end of the verses you didn't really look at? He will return again, which has been the hope for every Godly person in every generation since that day.
His return will mark the end of the world we know-this world of corruption and war and troubles will pass away. You may not LIKE what happens next, but I am loving it-a world of peace and good will towards Man, a world ruled by Christ from His city, Jerusalem.
I've spent 53 years (so far) in your world of botched human experiments in governance. If you survive past the tribulation period (of which the Mayans are silent) you will be living in my God's world. No joke.

Great Samaritans

I was just helped out today by some great neighbors who embodied the parable of the Good Samaritan:
I wasn't waylaid by robbers, but some slick snow on a county road did put me in a bad place-my truck spun 180 and nearly rolled over down a ditch.
Stuck I was, and tipped precariously. I called for help, but before any of my friends could get there, Great Samaritan #1 stopped and tried to pull me out. Didn't work. I thanked him and was going to call a tow truck when Great Samaritans #2 + #3 stopped to help-one ran home and got a 4 wheel drive jeep, the other had a good strap, and they got me back on the road; I thanked them greatly for saving me from the ditch of despair.
I WAS going to continue to my friend's house, but I just didn't have enough traction, so I went back to town and put 300 pounds of sand in the back...and came home. Enough excitement for today; my friend was very understanding.
I thank God for those Great Samaritans, and I will be there for others just as they have been there for me.
It makes for a happier world.

Those Crazy Christians, Eh?

Of course, there is crazy and then there is crazy. Like a fox or like a fool.
Not that she is crazy, but one Christian suggested to me recently that the reason President Obama was re-elected was because Christians didn't do enough, pray enough.
I reject that; I believe that God, for His own purposes, left President Obama in power.
No matter how fervently we prayed or worked for his defeat, we accept evil from the hand of God as readily, as joyfully as we accept good. He is in charge, and if we pray and work against His plan, our efforts are futile. Better to pray, "Thy Will be done" and leave it at that.
I believe that God is getting this planet ready for judgement, is about to make things much worse rather than better. The re-election of President Obama might be a tiny part of that.
¹²Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, 
¹³“Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, 
¹⁴even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,” declares the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 14:12-14
Note that the verse above doesn't mention Israel or Judah-"...if a country" sins against God by committing unfaithfulness-which could be said of our entire world-and God stretches out His hand against it...big time tribulations like you've never conceived. Like you can't imagine. Worse than that.
¹⁷“Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,’ 
¹⁸even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered. 
¹⁹“Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, 
²⁰even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.” Ezekiel 14:17-20
Some Christians have maintained that God has blessed America because of our Christian heritage-we were settled by pilgrims, Christian men and women seeking religious freedom after being martyred and persecuted in Europe.
Righteousness is not a gift handed down from one generation to the next-and our generation is living in a country and world ripe for judgement.
If Noah, Daniel and Job were in OUR midst...they could only deliver themselves by their righteousness.
Long story short: God takes care of His children, and we Christians have nothing to fear.
God also promises to 'take care of' those who reject Him...and those people should be fearing bigtime.
Sure, it may sound crazy to non-Christians, that we trust in God. Call me crazy if you like-I think your time would be better spent seeking God's forgiveness. He still saves sinners...for now.

My Precocious

well. That was a good start-I just finished the first half of "The Fellowship Of The Ring"-each of the movies is split over two Bluray discs so that the digi information isn't too squeezed-all the colors and sounds and images are as they should be. I think I can only take in one disc per sitting, so it may take awhile to trudge all the way through to Mordor.
Funny-the Norse mythologies, with Elves and Dwarves and Man (oh my!) set J.R.R. Tolkien on his adventure of writing one classic, and here in 2012 one of the biggest movies of the Summer had both Thor, the god of thunder and his trixter brother Loki kicking around Manhattan.
With "The Hobbit" just over our horizon, we will be back in Middle Earth for awhile-if you have Blu capabilities and a decent screen, I encourage you to pick up the LOTR hobb...habit. Habit.

Voice Not The Songs

I've got some good news for you, friends-you who do not have God are lost, blind and hopeless.
When I say God I mean the God Who revealed Himself in Scripture.
When I say lost, I mean lost for eternity, separated from all love and goodness.
When I say blind, I mean willfully blind to the truth about God. You who would go a thousand miles out
of your way to avoid a Christian attempting to share the Gospel with you. I mean you.
And hopeless speaks for itself. You will not survive without Jesus Christ, and if you would rather die than seek out the Salvation he offers, you are without hope. Doomed.
I did say good news. If you have read this far, you are still alive, have breath in your lungs and opportunity
to AVOID being lost, blind and hopeless.
There is no hope available in man-made religions which obscure the truth about God.
I mean you, Catholics. Muslims. Buddhists.
There is also no hope available in Man, who is somehow supposed to be able to solve the problems that Man creates? Really? Easier to put out a fire with gasoline.
We are entering the season when the hypocrisy of Man causes him to pretend that he loves God.
Man will sing the Christmas Carol which he never wants to see happen:
"Joy to the world, the Lord is come...Let Earth receive her King!"
Let every heart prepare Him room? MY heart?!?
Yes-your heart, as in every heart. If that thought terrifies you, please do not be a hypocrite and celebrate
Christmas.
Or
Seek Him, honestly pray for Him to extend to you the faith to believe. He is STILL in the saving sinners business. He saved me, and I most especially do not deserve Salvation, but I love that God has granted it
to me. I am the exact opposite of lost, blind and hopeless and so can you, America.

General Observations

Shop your little hearts out, Consumers! None for me, thanks-I'll cyber if I need anything (which I don't).
I am thinking of seeing "Skyfall", but maybe next wknd.
Thanksgiving was nice this year-a crowd of hungry conversationalists enjoying great food; we got to see old video from a scant 24+ years ago-I have changed quite a bit. But then again, not so much-I was a Christian then, as I am now, and will be forever. Politically I was ambivalent-I cheered Clinton when he took office, having been raised in a Democrat family. Hey! I guess I HAVE changed!
I've been thinking some about the re-election of President Obama, and I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. This is a world which is rejecting God; even with no Christian on the ballot, the guy who embodies Christian principles-honesty, hard work, accepting responsibility for your actions-is going to lose.
President Obama is a corrupt and evil man. The world loves him because they know that he is not a Christian.
{shrugs}
Even when things get much worse, Christians will be just fine. Those of my brothers and sisters around the world who face persecution and death for bearing the name of Christ-they are fine, safe in His arms.
Kill us and we get to Heaven that much quicker.
Please remember that God is a God of Vengeance. All who kill, whether they be a suicide bomber in Iraq or an abortionist in America...God will deal with them.
Bye the way, things ARE going to get much worse quicker than you may realize. Especially for those of you who are rejecting God.
 Right now, as I said, Christians are safe.
God is also a God of Mercy. When things get worse, when economies fail and you get to the end of your resources...ask God for help. He is in the forgiving and saving business. And He is greater than your problems.
May God seek you and find you and give you Peace.

Thank ___

Here we are, the first major holiday since Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown. That hadn't happened since I was a wee lad, and I am thankful that I got to see Cabrera in a Detroit game this year.
I'm also thankful that I still have a good job, and a home blessed with cats; those on the East Coast affected by Sandy are still on my prayer list. This is going to be an extra hard holiday season for many-I'm thankful to (and supporting the) Red Cross, as that organization helps as many people as it can. That is righteous.
Later today we will gather and eat and laugh and all of that-may your Thanksgiving be Peaceful and pleasant.

I'm The BEST Humbled Person In The World!

Just kidding about the 'bestest humbled title'-I wouldn't even make the state regionals.
I found the charming picture above by googling "Be it ever so humble..."
So why humble? Bear with me for a few lines, friends.
The picture above is romanticized, a mythical  portrait of an ideal family. Not one kid is texting-how real is that?
The recent re-election of President Barack Obama took many, including me, by surprise; I was kinda sure the other guy was going to get in.
So I've been thinking about stuff, praying some, talking little, meditating on our situation as a nation, a world.
I think that I and many others thought that God was going to show Mercy, make things better, allow the rebuilding of our national and global economies. Not quite.
I can't help but see that things are going to get worse as God readies this world for Judgement. He seems to be lining up all the nations against Israel, as detailed throughout the Bible.
America is just about the only friend Israel has left; if our country turns its back on Israel...wow.
There has been plenty of talk about "The End Times", as in: 'the end of the world as we know it'.
I am patiently waiting for the return of Christ, of His ruling the world from His city, Jerusalem. It will be the end of corrupt political governments, the end of human rule. We will all be humbled, from sea to shining to other sea.
But before the humbling, before Christ returns, we must endure prideful fools holding power around the planet. President Obama isn't the only 'world leader' who rejects Christ.
All will be humbled, and finally there will be true Peace on Earth. Amen.

Your Human Mask Is Slipping

"⁶    If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?     If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?"
^"12    For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great,     You who distress the righteous and accept bribes     And turn aside the poor in the gate.
¹³    Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time.
¹⁴    Seek good and not evil, that you may live;     And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you,     Just as you have said!
¹⁵    Hate evil, love good,     And establish justice in the gate!     Perhaps the LORD God of hosts     May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."
Amos 3:6...5:12-15

Here in these verses God through Amos was declaring the people of Israel unrighteous, as they had turned away from Him.
This is an unrighteous world. Not all of the promises and curses that pertain to Israel mean anything for the rest of us, but the pattern is the same: God is Righteous, and man is not.
Here's the plain and simple: If you do not know and love God, through His shedding Grace and Mercy on you, you are doomed.
It doesn't matter how good a life you live, how many acts of kindness you do-you are doomed to hell.

^"14    Seek good and not evil, that you may live;     And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you,     Just as you have said!"
Israel said that they were with God, that they were righteous-but they were not. Reading further down in Amos:
"²¹    “I hate, I reject your festivals,     Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.
²²    “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,     I will not accept them;     And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
²³    “Take away from Me the noise of your songs;     I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
²⁴    “But let justice roll down like waters     And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
²⁵“Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? 
²⁶“You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. 
²⁷“Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts."
Amos 5:21-27
Israel claimed to be with God, but were also guilty of idolatry and going after false gods.
You are no better than idolatrous Israel. You don't even have a promise that God will save you, unless you come to Him on His terms.
Give up any hope of being righteous on your own-you are doomed.
I gave up that hope over 30 years ago, and I can tell you know that if not for God's Grace and Mercy, I would be on the road to hell, too.Next time you crack a joke about self-righteous Christians (which you will do only because you are trusting in your own righteousness), know that they don't exist. There are no self righteous Christians. Easier to find unicorns in the garden.

Give A Thought

Today I watched a news report of the devastation left from hurricane Sandy-entire neighborhoods decimated. The news reporter held in her hands photographs picked from the wreckage-pictures that used to adorn homes.
It seems strange to be heading into the "Holiday" season-what is supposed to be a happy time will be tempered this year by the realization that thousands of people who never thought anything bad could happen to them will be homeless, many with nothing but the clothes on their backs plus whatever someone gives them.
Will the "Black Friday" crowds give thought to their fellow man? I expect the Salvation Army buckets will be in full force for the next few weeks. Red Cross donating is only a link away. There are opportunities to do good all around you; give a thought to passing on some good if you have good.

You Might Not Know It, But

Yesterday was Veterans Day. My church had a nice program, and those of us who have served were applauded; those who have a family member who has served stood up also.
Speaking of family members, the young gent pictured above, looking all serious as a member of the Army Air Corps in 1921 was my grandfather. If not for him, you would be reading someone else's blog right now.
Nobody loves Peace more than warriors. I see stupid bumper stickers declaring that a car, if not its driver, is "Already against the next war" or "war = socialism for the rich" or "GOD HATES PREDATOR DRONES".
Precocious sanctimony may be your shield against reality, Sunshine, but if an enemy who wants to kill you and yours is coming at you with a weapon drawn, flashing a peace sign at him won't cut it. Telling him that you would rather die than fight will make him happy.
Our military defends us. They get paid to get in between us and the bad guys and make the bad guys stop.
Go ahead and think well of yourself if you are anti-War. I am too. But I haven't yet seen Peace achieved without War.
The best example of this is in our future, when Christ returns and makes Peace happen...by wiping out the nations. See Psalm 2 for details, and most of the book of Revelation. Peace out.

Super Duper Hero Saturday

The picture shown above has been my desktop for the past month or so-quiet peace and beauty. I decided to take the day off from my life and finally watch a few movies that I've had for awhile-"Ironman 2"
and Marvel's "Avengers", which I watched on my bigger screen with the surround sound set up. I saw "Avengers" in the Imax 3d when it came out, and it gets the blood pumping pretty good.
One thing I noticed in the end credits of both movies-hundreds of workers earn a living making the spectacle
POP on the screen. Our entertainment is putting food on the table for many families. That's cool.

The big stars make millions, and but many working actors make do with a lot less. Two cases in point are shown above, both from the Avengers movie. I had to look in the credits to see who the younger woman is; Ashley Johnson-I remembered her a a little girl on sitcoms in the '90s.
Jenny Agutter  was the opposite-I saw her in the credits and had to find her part in the movie-she's changed a bit since "Walkabout" and "An American Werewolf In London".
Agutter probably has had the fuller career, but here are two actors who have spent decades working, who will never make a million dollars a picture, will probably not announce winners at the Oscars, let alone be nominated.
My workplace doesn't employ even as many people as worked craft services for the movies listed above, but it has been the steady paycheck for many people for over a decade, and I thank God for my work. I see it as the conduit for God's Blessings. 15 years ago my company didn't even exist, and the services we provide were unthought of. My generation didn't grow up hoping to sit at a computer for 8 hours a day, but the world has changed, and we are changing, too.
Whatever work you have to do, may you prosper in the coming year. Unless you're a telemarketer preying on the elderly-I have permission to hate you.

Sweet No Sour

A few points about the election:
The next day my friend Lauri asked me, "Are you in mourning?"
I pointed to the wall clock and said, "Nah-it's the afternoon."
S'allright. I will continue, living for God in the midst of a corrupt, evil world. I would have
done the same under the auspices of a Romney administration.
I am Thankful to God for all that I have been blessed with. My real treasure is in Heaven, high above and beyond the grasp of any IRS agent.
I assume that things are going to get worse for our world until our Lord returns and sets this world right.
Also S'allright. Can't do anything about stuff, so why should I worry about stuff I can't do anything about?
Hard times have one benefit-people turn to God when they realize that there is no help for them on earth.
God used harsh circumstance to get my attention and to get me to stop trusting in my own selfish self...and I was saved by God. He did that for me, and He may do that for you. 
As I've been 100% wrong about the last two Presidential elections, allow me to make a prognostication about the next two years:
EVERYTHING and the kitchen sink is going to be thrown against the House Republicans to attempt to wrest the House away from their grasp. Sauron will want his Orcs to wipe out all opposition to his rule.

Just God Is

Yesterday it was proven to me again that God is in control, and that His Grace and Mercy are in full effect
in this world, even if most of the world is blind to both.
God is Just.
God is Merciful.
God extends Grace to undeserving souls such as myself not because He is obligated, or is forced in some way to DO it-Love for His Creation caused Him to set a plan in place to redeem it once it had been sullied by sin. Love for His creations: us. Us. Saved by Grace. I can't figure it out.

Foregone But Maybe

There's a perfect prophetic 'tense' in Scripture which goes like this:
Something is going to happen in 'the future' that is so certain to take place that it is spoken of
as if it has already come to pass-the return of Christ to judge the nations and rule the world from Jerusalem
is the best example I can think of-all through the Bible it is stated as having happened.
Of course, 'future and past' are relative only to OUR point on the timeline-God standing outside of time sees the entire thing from one end to the other; eventually (another word trapped in entropy) God will bring all that He desires into Eternity.
Back to now-all elements of the (political) storm seem to be pointing to a Romney victory next week...but not so fast, Sam.
Sometimes God acts to confound the wisdom of man-and He may not be done yet with Barack Obama.
(God might do it to see how many Christians get mad at Him instead of accepting whatever He sends our way.)
I listened to a great sermon by John MacArthur last night about prideful 'world leaders'. He used as text Daniel chapter four, when Nebuchadnezzar, King of the entire known world, has Daniel interpret his dream of a great tree which is chopped down. The long/short of it is that Nebuchadnezzar was the tree, and he would lose his kingdom for a time because of his pride.
A year later the king was humbled with a madness that made him like a beast of the field, a condition which lasted seven years until his reason returned. With his reinstatement Nebuchadnezzar made a proclamation throughout his kingdom which Daniel records in chapter four.
Just in case it's not on your reading program today, here's the pull quote from the humbled king:
³⁷“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” Daniel 4:37
 

Only Days Left!!! Or Four Years More

I hope that it is only days left for the Obama regime.
He and his administration have done much harm to the country and the world.
Harming our country by doing all he could to destroy the economy, stirring up class warfare in the name of 'social justice', but really it's all envy and greed (Tax the Rich! Your life is better when others are punished!).
(We the Government will give you everything you need! Vote for me!).
As his wife has taken a part in the re-election efforts, and is political herself, I don't believe she is protected by the "Leave the wife and kids alone" unwritten law:
I won't miss Michelle haranguing America about what to eat. If she happened to weigh ten more pounds, I doubt that we would have ever heard a peep about proper diet.
All presidential wives have 'their' issue which they promote, which comes with the territory. Ready for some new cause to be promoted by a new First Lady.
{Steven Wright: In school my teacher told us that the President is married to the First Lady. All I think of was: I wonder if she saw any dinosaurs?}

May God Have Mercy

Big doin's on the right third of the map. I know that this stuff happens from time to time, but this is
BIG, and my prayers are with those affected by this monster storm.
I read of a 13 foot surge of water through lower Manhattan. Incalculable damage.
Storms can be fierce-once upon a few decades ago when I was in the Coast Guard, my ship ran into
three different storms going through the English Channel. Rough, rough weather.
A capstan-if you don't know what it is, just imagine a big heavy metal drum bolted to the deck of a ship which is used to turn/hold lines (big ropes).
After those storms we found that one of our capstans had its top sheared off by the force of the storm.
I can't imagine what is happening to the East Coast. May God keep safe those souls in the storm.

The Haunted (_____________)

T'is almost the season of the witch (ghost/zombie/vamp/dem) to rise out of the darker part of our consciousness and do the dance of "Look at me!" for a few short until the Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Christmas fandango starts up.
Halloween for every tween and chocolate for everybody! Hard to get mad at a festival of 'horror' that includes chocolate. If they can sell chocolate crosses at "Easter" (and they do), then there can't be any harm in biting the head off of a chocolate vampire (start at the neck).
I will be working during the neighborhood candy shakedown, but I have a friend who will be bringing her girls around our workplace, so I have already bought candy (safe in my truck in the garage so that I don't eat it all).

There's a (suspicious) uptick in ghost reports/strange occurrences at this time of year..hmmm...I wonder-how much of our GDP is dependent on horror sales in October? Am I cynical to think that retailers cashing in on a seasonal 'holiday' are behind the surge in spooky just to make a buck?
Doesn't matter. "Horror" and "Halloween" tap in to the fearwonder we share-what happens when we die? Will I be me?
As a Christian, I have had such questions answered long ago, and I have no doubts as to what happens.
But those who fear death cling to superstition and fables, and are the target audience for the retailers of spooky.
Here's the thing. There are things that go bump in the night that we do not understand. If there were no actual haunts and 'spooks', the superstitions would have died out years ago. 
They are real, and I could tell you stories (new ones, not the ones I've shared in years past) of things that I've seen and heard, but they wouldn't be real... to you.
I just watched an episode of "Destination Truth" tonight-Josh Gates and his merry crew went down to the Philippines to look for ghosts. They came back with no trophy strapped to the hood of their jeep. Again.
(BTW-I am still  TV programming-free for now-but I love internetting the shows, and my double wide monitor is almost like a TV screen.)
Enjoy your trick/treat chocolate zipadeedodah. There aren't zombies in the Bible, but...

Siding With The President

I'm not so egotistical as to be incapable of admitting when I am wrong. It is a humbling experience to have to admit that President Obama is right about something, and though it is with gritted teeth that I type these words, I (sigh-pause-stare at ceiling-continue) admit that President Obama and I agree that the Tigers should win the World Series.
I only got to one game this year, and saw the Tigers beating up on some MLB version of the Washington Generals. Prince hit a home run, and they just LOOKED like champions.
At this moment they are down two games, so it might take a miracle, but if San Fran wins, I still win, as I am more of a National League fan, where pitchers hit and managers have to use strategy.
May the best team win, and speaking of winning teams:  
Romney/Ryan 2012!

1st Unofficial P.M. of the Pres. O Years

I thought I might as well be one of the first to do a postmortem of the Obama presidency.
What a sad waste of talent and opportunity. If President Obama could have stepped outside his
particular political viewpoint and seen America as others do...wow.
But ifs can't buy you candy.
President Obama failed America because he thought that it needed to be improved by HIS ideas.
This land is a melting pot of ideas, because it was instituted on the idea that each man and woman in our country has the freedom to think for his or her self.
Of course we disagree about EVERYTHING! Thank God and our founding Fathers for the right to disagree!
I think President Obama could have had a great Presidency and easily won re-election if he had simply
accepted that other political points of view were just as valid as his; if he had 'reached across the aisle'
to work with those with whom he disagreed, he could have been a Leader.
Instead, everyone who disagreed with him was wrong, was evil, hated the poor, had no compassion, etc.
In the last year, even the Democrats in Congress seemed to have had enough of President Obama.
With that said, I have no illusions about Romney being the next Ronald Reagan-if he's moderate and doesn't give away the store, I'll be happy. 
I expect President Obama to lose the election, which is becoming the consensus view. I won't be cheering and laughing; much damage has been done to our country, and it will take a lot of hard work and sacrifice just to get back to where we were before President Obama took office.
Dismantling the medical fiasco he and Congress created will be a very necessary first step. I was talking to a hospital administrator recently about the coming Obamacare constrictions on healthcare and he admitted that it is frightening.
Specifically we were talking about the penalty if too many (how many?) patients who have been released from a hospital suffer a relapse and need further treatment. Under Obamacare, the hospital can be penalized beaucoup bucks.
That's just one example, but this post isn't about healthcare.
President Obama wasted four years and trillions of dollars trying to re-make America in his image.
You may hate President Bush, but you can't accuse him of doing that.
President Obama-I wish him good health, and continue to pray that he will become a real Christian.
And may he enjoy his retirement starting in January 2013.

So Thanksfull

So Thanksfull. This isn't the earliest Thanksgiving post, and I'm not rushing any season-I'm right on time.
Tomorrow is my Mother's birthday, and also the day that I bought my house two years ago. I am thankful
always for all that God has given me in this world; the best stuff is in the next, but what I have right now I appreciate.
Two years ago on Halloween two friends with an abundance of stuff gave me many items for my house; they helped to make this my home, that night and also later when I was graced with a 'Housewarming Party", receiving even more blessings.
This past weekend I 'worked' a rummage sale for other friends, and bam! Another blessing!
I am thanksfull. Tonight at church we continued our study of the book of Proverbs which has been going on for awhile-good fellowship and lessons from God's Word. Who couldn't be thankful for that?
May God continue to Bless you and your family. I appreciate your coming here to read these posts.

Random Thoughts Wednesday Or So

WELL! One more hurdle vaulted-we will soon be at the END OF ELECTION YEAR YAP YAP!!!
The debate (lowercase) was mulled at our Wednesday morn breakfast, and we (we being us) agreed that it was more energetic than the last one, but that no-one's mind will be changed because of the debate.
'Nuff.
This morning I saw all kinds of "Romney/Ryan", NRA, Conservative bumperstickers...on a Pontiac Vibe.
I don't recall ever yet seeing a Chevy Volt out in the wild...the automotive 'bigfoot'?

I have a new computer which is sitting next to me right now; through circumstance I received a nice little cash bundle, and I bought a MacBook Air. It is lovely; I have much to study to get back up on the Apple horse-my last 'Mac' was the old pizzabox which barely qualified as a computer. Now THIS is a computer!
I am hoping that the New Yank Yorkees go down in humiliating defeat to the Tigers.
Imagine having a triple crown winner (Miguel Cabrera) a probable Cy Young winner (Verlander) AND quite possibly a World championship in one amazing season! Too bad it's happening in an empty town.

Pres. Obama's Secret Liveblog of Veep Debate!

President Obama: ME...ME...ME...I"M SO GREAT...ME...ME...ME...EVERYBODY LOVES ME...
ME...ME...ME...I AM THE GREATEST...ME...ME...ME... ME...ME...ME...I"M SO GREAT...ME...ME...ME...EVERYBODY LOVES ME...ME...ME...ME...I AM THE GREATEST...ME...ME...ME... ME...ME...ME...I"M SO GREAT...ME...ME...ME...EVERYBODY LOVES ME...ME...ME...ME...I AM THE GREATEST...ME...ME...ME... ME...ME...ME...I"M SO GREAT...ME...ME...ME...EVERYBODY LOVES ME...ME...ME...ME...I AM THE GREATEST...ME...ME...ME... ME...ME...ME...I"M SO GREAT...ME...ME...ME...EVERYBODY LOVES ME...ME...ME...ME...I AM THE GREATEST...ME...ME...ME... ME...ME...ME...I"M SO GREAT...ME...ME...ME...EVERYBODY LOVES ME...ME...ME...ME...I AM THE GREATEST...ME...ME...ME... ME...ME...ME...I"M SO GREAT...ME...ME...ME...EVERYBODY LOVES ME...ME...ME...ME...I AM THE GREATEST...ME...ME...ME... ME...ME...ME...I"M SO GREAT...ME...ME...ME...EVERYBODY LOVES ME...ME...ME...ME...I AM THE GREATEST...ME...ME...ME...

Autumn-Matic 2012

My street has some nice Maple trees, but these are from the Internets.Every year at this time we have people complaining about it getting colder and windier. WHINERS!
This is a great time of year-no need for air conditioning, and yet the furnace isn't kicking in too often.
The air has a crispness, a freshness, that is wonderful to breathe in and out.
I don't need to cut my grass again this year, and am (hopefully) a ways away from pressing the button on my snowblower (electric start-buy it and love it).
I know, I know-I'm too happy for Autumn. I should grumble and complain like most of the world. But it's beautiful. Praise God for every day that you are alive in His Creation. 

Interfacets

  

I think that God, in His wisdom, leaves Christians here for a lifetime (this side of eternity lifetime) for His own Good purposes.

We are interface.

1 Corinthians 2:11-16 (HCSB)
^"11  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
¹²  Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who ⌊comes⌋ from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.
¹³  We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.
¹⁴  But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.
¹⁵  The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone.
¹⁶  For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ."

Well and good, Doug...but what does that have to do with the price of oranges?

We have the mind of Christ, those of us who have been accepted into His Kingdom. Not that we become suddenly all knowing or wise...but we can comprehend the things of God.

But we are also carnal creatures, still sinners (forgiven, but still with the sin) who can fully understand the 

ways and thoughts of everyone else. We can understand the pains and struggles that all people go through, because we are simply people, too. We are not so "heavenly minded" that we are no earthly good.

God leaves us here to help others.

The image at the top of this post is my poor representation of a sign someone put up on the bulletin board at our local grocery store (I live in a small town-we only have one).

I love it.

 

Eh~That's Debatable

Truth-I was working during "The Debate" and have no idea how it went beyond reading a few opinion pieces fluffing one side or t'other. I actually don't care-the show was for those jackalopes of the political realm, "The Undecided" who are important for three weeks each Presidential election...aaaannnd then quickly forgotten.
Now the Doctors of Spin are hawking their wares in the marketplace of ideologies. Have fun, Docs. (Are you billing us for this under Obamacare?)
Two more debates to go; one or two "October Surprises" to navigate-in a month and change we will
finally get to vote.
I have recognized one hypocritical hype trend that comes out every election: bad news for Republicans.
Here's what I mean: the Legacy media of the Democrat camp contorts the truth to make anything that happens good news for President Obama (Or John Kerry. Or Al Gore-you got the idea) and dire circumstance for Romney (Or Bush. Or Bush. etc.).
President Obama could lose a foot while shaking babies and kissing hands at a Florida Alligator Farm media event, and the Network News yapping heads would pronounce from on high:
"Former Governor Romney will find it hard to overcome the "Foot Factor"-having twice as many feet as President Obama will negatively impact Romney's popularity with one footed Americans!"

Speaking Of Funny

Oh, that Matt Drudge-'is as good as a smile to a blind man'.

You Think You're Funny, But You Are

I love reddit-it's the melting pot of peoples who want the world to laugh, cry, sing or shout with them-and it's a lovely mess.
A post of a cat with a Batman logo mustache may be followed by a rambling confession of
an addiction (allegedly) overcome, or a wedding picture with Satan officiating. It is chaos, voted up and down the page, and the source of the comedic cat scratch at the top of this page about "Grammar Christians".
Here's one of the things that divides the Real God and His crowd and the rest of the world: We can take a joke. If it's funny, even if I am the butt, I can laugh. 
Muslims aren't the only thin-skinned religious types, though they do rank (boy, ARE THEY!) high on most lists for not having a sense of humor about their religion. Hindus will kill you dead, too, for daring to blah blah blah their blah blah blah.
Why are the adherents of fake religions so humorless compared to Christians?
Insecurity. Christians are secure in their knowledge of God, of their relationship with God.
We don't kill others to force them to accept Christ-that's the kind of crazy that Catholics have instituted throughout the world.
Hmmmm...were the Emperor Constantine and Mohammed ever seen in the same room at the same time?
A lot of the troubles we see today burst forth in the approximate Anno Domini 300.
Bye the bye, I am NOT welcoming attempts to test the boundaries of my sense of humor regarding God-please don't comment the most vicious, evil rotten blasphemes that you can think of to see if I still can laugh.
I honor God here, and I know that the temptation to mock the True God can be overwhelming (reddit isn't the only place I peruse on the internets, or visit in my offline life).
If you do feel the need to dis-honor the Honorable, check yourself and ask why.
If you DO think of a corker, a good 'un, a funny 'joke' about God...run it by a Muslim first, as in,
"Allah walks into a bar and sees Mohammed doing flaming shots..."
See how hard he laughs before posting it here.

Go Censor Yourself

This is so predictable. The Eternal Rage Merchants of  "Death To All Who Depict Mohammed" infame
are carrying out violence and threatening MORE reprisals if the United States Government does not appease them by restricting OUR Freedoms of Speech and Religion!
If disrespecting someone else's religion is a capital crime, then Bill Maher and Penn Jillette should be in hiding.
Basically, Islam has a gun to our Government's head and is threatening to pull the trigger if our Government doesn't censor US!
Hey Islam-go censor yourself.

Sic Transit Gloria Bundy

                                          HOW THE GLORY OF _____ IS TRANSITORY!

Mundi/Bundy, writ by a fundy, right?
"Thus passes the glory of the world." The Catholics do not have the market cornered on Latin phrases-they may co-opt something for a religious sham piety performance, but us non-Catholics can do some co-opting of our own.
The glory of the world...whilst traversing the internets this past week I was struck by the two images I've put together above.
Thelma Todd was beautiful, vibrant acting on film, a gifted comedienne...and she died at age 29 back when my Dad was five years old.
Charley Chase, the gent to Thelma's left, left the world before his 47th birthday.
And then we have Ed O'Neill added not only for the 'Bundy' bit in the title, but because of how he has changed in his 66 years from the brash young actor of "Married With Children" in 1987. He makes 66 look 76.
That's the point, friends. We ALL get older; we wrinkle and get the pains and aches and thinning hair...if God allows us more than the 29 years that Thelma Todd was Graced with.
Philippians 1:21-24 (HCSB)
^"21  For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.
²²  Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose.
²³  I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ—which is far better—
²⁴  but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. 
The Apostle Paul was conflicted-he loved the work he was doing for Christ, but he desired the better thing: to be free of this world of  trouble (and wrinkles and pains and aches and thinning hair), to enter into 
the presence of Christ, into His Peace and Heaven. 
I'm with Paul-it will be better to be with Christ THERE than live for Him HERE. But while I am here, as my gloria transits, and I become older...I Praise God for every day that He gives me. I am grateful. 
May God be as kind to you.

FOUND! THE ANTI-RELIGIOUS FILMAKER!!!!

This is the bub who has created all of the hub bub: though he has been in hiding (On HBO) the filmmaker who's work has caused riots and bloodshe...nah.
William (aka Bill) Maher did indeed make an anti-religious movie, allegedly skewering ALL faiths, but, without giving away the ending...Christianity is kinda the focus of the film, according to some reviews.
Christians across the globe didn't even bother to shrug a single shoulder in response to Maher's film, "Irreligious"- a sinner hating on Jesus Christ-how original!

Of course, the main news of the past few days was the terrible murders of Ambassador Stevens and his staff and all of the rioting alleged to have started because...some guy in the United States exercised his Freedom of Speech by making an anti-Islamic film.
The most recent news that I've read via Michelle Malkin's blog suggests that, according to a British newspaper, the attacks were premeditated and not simply riots/rioters out of control.They were very much
controlled, and timed to take place on 9-11-2012.
President Obama made a few perfunctory statements before his private meeting with Israeli Prime Minister
Benyami...just kidding!
P.Obama had to fly to Vegas for a re-election fundraiser hosted by Jay-Z and Beyonce.
In times such as these, we all must prioritize!
I listened to some of Limbaugh's program today, and he stated something that I've brought up here at FDW
a few times: Rush suggested that President Obama seems to be TRYING to lose-that he will be relieved when Romney wins. So will we all.

Welcome To The Shakedown

Yemen. Cairo. Iran. Iraq. The Gustin Gang. What?
I just threw that last one in there-there isn't a lot of difference between the Southies of 1920's
Boston and the professionally enraged Islamists raising a ruckus in the Middle East right now.
"Nice family, Frank. Boy, it would be terrible if something happened to them."
Just an example of a threat, the type which could extort money out of a hapless mark.
The turmoil in the Middle East, the lowpoint (so far) being the murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens and his
staff in Libya isn't about money. The Islamists raging are attempting to extort Submission from us, the non-Islamists.
It's that simple. They demand that we honor Mohammed and Islam; any pretense/offense to advance their cause will do, whether it be cartoons daring to depict Mohammed, or some movie made in the United States that they will never see-if we DARE to dishonor Mohammed, they will threaten and deliver violence against any vulnerable mark, whether it be a consulate staff in Libya or two large towers in New York.
As a Christian, I accept that satan is temporarily "in charge" of this corrupt world-this is his handiwork, just as are every war and conflict the world has seen since Cain killed Abel.
In my last post I mentioned reading Habakkuk to understand this world today.
Habakkuk questions God as to how He could use such a violent, evil people (the Chaldeans) to punish Israel.
The Chaldeans were the Babylonians, and are the Babylonians/Iranians/Iraqi/Yemenites/ of this day.
Here is God's description of this people:
Habakkuk 1:6-11 (HCSB)
⁶  Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation that marches across the earth’s open spaces to seize territories not its own.
⁷  They are fierce and terrifying; their views of justice and sovereignty stem from themselves.
⁸  Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from distant ⌊lands⌋. They fly like an eagle, swooping to devour.
⁹  All of them come to do violence; their faces are set in determination. They gather prisoners like sand.
¹⁰  They mock kings, and rulers are a joke to them. They laugh at every fortress and build siege ramps to capture it.
¹¹  Then they sweep by like the wind and pass through. They are guilty; their strength is their god.

Three hundred years after Christ walked in Jerusalem, the Chaldeans became trapped in a false religion when Mohammed modified belief in a moon goddess to create Islam, with the moon goddess becoming Allah, the crescent moon, its symbol.
Our response to threats should always be confrontation. To show weakness only emboldens the threat makers to continue to do what works.
The forceful must be met with force.  

Nine Eleven-Eleven Years On

Well, here we are. A sad anniversary, one on our minds even if we don't speak of it.
I'll get to the horse in a minute.
We're still fighting wars against that hateful ideology which brought on those attacks eleven years ago, and
that is something-something terrible but necessary.
Okay, the horse. Back in 2001 I was working with Lithuanian college students, which I've often mentioned
on this blog.
I was looking through my archived pictures for this post-I was going to put together a picture taken on 9-10-2001 with one from the next day when Everything Changed.
I have some nice, happy pictures from 9-10...but here's the thing. I'm very protective of my friend's (and my) images, and I hardly ever use them at FDW.  That's why I don't facebook, or twitter, or have any social media presence on the Internets aside from Fine Dry Wit. Once it's out there, it belongs to the world.
Linas. Linas was one of my Lithuanian friends with whom I shared many adventures that Summer of 2001.
We bought our very first digital cameras the same day, same store. 2 megapixels! We instantly filled up our data cards taking pictures of the group; I still have my very first digital pic, a picture of another friend, but you won't see it here. I happened to take another one of her on 9-11-2001 in the evening, after the attacks had taken place. Not here either.
Back to the horse. In September, all of my friends flew back to Lithuania. The next Summer, Linas and a few others came back to work at the resort again; I was no longer there, had moved to my present job and area, but we got together for a great day of visiting.
As we were parting, Linas gave me this little sculpture made by a friend of his family who is an artist. Whenever I pick up the horse, I remember the good times of eleven years ago.
We no longer live in that more carefree world, but that's all right-I am grateful to God that I am here in 2012.
Read Habakkuk if you want to gain some understanding of our world today.

Descending Into The Den Of Liars

Oh my. I sometimes suffer a bit of cultured shock on Sundays-in church and during our Bible study TRUTH
is affirmed and valued and then, coming home, I check a few internets sites where TRUTH is as unwelcome a visitor as Paul Ryan would be at an Obama fundraiser.
One place I just dipped my toe into rhymes with 'Ruffington Roast'-I was curious as to how they would cover the news of the day.
Wow.
If there were such things as alternate reality time lines, Ruffington Roast might have traveled through a wormhole from somewhere odd/else to appear on our internets. It might be from a dimension close enough to our reality to share personages, but...different.
"RuffRo" seems to think that our President has been doing a super job, and that his opponent, also called Mitt Romney in their dimension, is some sort of financial scoundrel.
Here's a reality check you can cash anywhere: If the late, greatly beloved (by some) Mother Teresa were the Republican adversary of President Obama, you would be seeing Mom T trashed by most of the media.
They would demonize Jesus if He were a Republican!
Mitt Romney is a decent man who will probably be our next President. The (sounds like) Ruffington Roast and others of their...ilk...are probably already warming up their pixels to narrate what a terrible job he is doing as President.
Then they can once again pat themselves on the back and crow about how courageously they "Speak Truth To Power"...after four years of abject silence.

GOD SAYS, "THANKS, DEMS!"

In an exclusive interview with Piers Morgan on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" the Creator of all existence-this world and the universe in which it sits, God Himself... responded to Morgan's question about the Democratic National Convention culling and then re-instating 'language' into their platform suggesting that He exists:
"Boy, that was a squeaker, Piers. I was on pins and needles, wondering if I would get any mention at all!
Eventually, they got it right; Jerusalem too! Did you see that, Piers? They once again admit publicly that Jerusalem exists! Made My Day!"

Tom Servo For Veep!!!

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--"
They won't be handing out cabbage at the DNC tonight; I thought a bit of nonsense verse
would be a good kickoff for the Convention.
Carroll's doggerel makes more sense than some of the rhetoric about to fall on deafish ears.
President Obama has a tough sell to make-that he deserves a second term-when many voters, even Democratic voters, don't agree.
Ah, the privacy of the voting booth! It cloaks the conscience of those Democrats who may vote against President Obama, no matter what they say to the exit pollsters.

About the title-those in the know about the show know that Tom Servo is a robot with a gumball machine for a head. I would pay GOOD MONEY to see him trounce Biden in a debate!

My Cats Are Importune Artists

Again, these aren't my cats; these above are internet cats and could live anywhere from Bahrain to Luxembourg. The colorings are right; these could be the 'stunt doubles' for the cats inhabiting my habitation.
Importune Artists, or "Importunists"-when I come in the door after work they gather and try to convince me that they are starving, that somehow they have been transported to the edge of failing hunger, and
MUST!
BE!
FED!
I point to the food in their dish, and they say (in cat pantomimes or, closer to this subject: 'cat charades')
"Not THAT food! It's boring! We need something else!"
Bless their little importunistic hearts. It isn't the food that they want, really-they want confirmation that I am going to take care of them-a half a handful of 'other' kibble and they are happy cat campers.
There's a parallel at work here, which I state because I think I'm often too obtuse:
We Christians are often guilty of the same nervous importuning behavior-we seek blessings from God as reassurance that He still loves us, is still willing to provide for our needs-a little bit of kibble and we're happy.
Anyone can cry out to God in a crisis; true Faith keeps us trusting in His Providence even when things are going great.