A Christian Viewpoint

Reprinting my comment from sheepdog’s blog

I love playing my guitar and I hate how my body aches when I do it. I open one of my christian song books and begin to play. I give voice to the words and hope springs into the light. The pain that comes is real but his presence makes rich. There is a time coming when there will be no more pain… only the joy will remain. What a wonderful day that will be.

As the Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer
publisher: HarperPaperbacks 1991
fiction

Now this was one delightful book to read. The story follows the fictional life of Charlie Trumper. From his early childhood (1900) until his retirement (1970). The story begins with him as a child at his grandfather’s barrow in the Whitechapel district of London. These were flat carts, waist high, on wheels with some shelves that would hold produce: potatoes, celery, apples, oranges, etc. They would take up some space along a sidewalk and the owners of the barrow would start their sales pitch. There the story starts and winds its way through seven decades.

The book is broken up into 13 different sections. Each section is narrated from the point of view of one of the characters in the book. Some characters, like Charlie, have more than one section. The sections, time lines, overlap so that what appears as a mystery in one section gets its answer in another section. Far from it being repetitive, the stories of each character are entertaining and augment each other.

At nearly 800 pages in the paperback the story flies. Charlie’s life in the great war, the start of his store to become a small empire, the second world war and onward keeps the material fresh. Of course what would a story be without a protagonist? We have the Trentham’s. From the son to his mother you will shake your head. There are a lot of surprises along the way.

Linda recommends this book. She thoroughly enjoyed it. I will admit that I also enjoyed the book as well and recommend it. I have found that many copies are available on Ebay. I am certain that it is still in print.

I don’t clean the house often enough for Linda’s tastes. I must admit that cleaning is the last thing on my mind. Oh, I have the time, but I seem to be blind when it comes to clutter. Until I want to find something buried in a mound someplace.

Today I felt like taking a bold step and clean up the clutter on the couch and coffee table. No-one ever sits on the couch so it becomes a repository for everything transitory. What’s even better is that the coffee table is right against the couch so the two of us can really pile it on at times. Today I decided to dive in. Grabbed a couple of bags and began sorting it out.

First the garbage, kleenex tissues rolled up into little balls. A few wrappers from candy, a cup cake wrapper, the remains of shelled nuts and a popsicle stick. Oh, can’t forget the empty pop-can and the empty bag of chips, doritos and an un-named bag of mysterious origin. As well as a plastic container that held a few chips.

Now the major throw-aways. We just took out a temporary subscription to the Spectator. Haven’t read most of them. They are being delivered bound by a rubber band. So I save the bands in a dish and throw out the paper, two, three, four and the old tv guides for the past month.

Next came the potential file-aways. Letters and other correspondence as well as three shopping magazines and a few not so important fliers. Of course there always seems to be the manditory puzzle magazine or two with accompanying pens and pencils enough to outfit a classroom.

Next come the books I have read over the past month. As well as the two books I am curently reading. Not to mention two bibles I use to read and reference and the how to draw book I just started. Then there are her books as well.

Showing real signs of progress now. Just a bunch of random papers and bits and pieces missed from the first cull. At last, only one piece, an 8×11 sheef of paper remains. I pick-up the offending litter only to find that it too was covering an object. It was a book. This is the title:

Living Organized

proven steps

for a clutter-free

and beautiful home

😉

Dune: House Atreides by Brian Herbert w/ Kevin J Anderson
Publisher: Bantam Books (Sci-fi)

This is the first book in the Dune trilogy written by Brian Herbert with Kevin J Anderson. The story line begins about forty plus years before the Dune book that started it all. I should note it here that the story is written completely in threads. The chapters are short. After each chapter you are taken to a different location and a different time. The characters are also changed. Some people have a great dislike to this form of story telling. It is necessary with this trilogy because you are covering a wide panorama of future history. Hmmm… future history? The re-telling of stories that haven’t occurred yet?

The story opens at a time when Baron Harkonnen was actually fit and healthy. When Paulus Atreides, Paul’s grandfather, was Duke of Caladan and his son Leto was a teenager. When the evil emperor of  the “Dune” book was only a manipulating prince. There are so many other characters and their stories are also told. It is enjoyable to read and get the background that made Dune possible.

It is a great “on the bus book” or “coffee break book.”

I use to enjoy the Capitol One commercials on television. Usually it was a couple wanting to use a credit card and a horde of wild men would charge the couple only to be foiled when the couple pulled out their Capitol One Card.

Recently Capitol One has changed the horde of wild men to a scurrying bunch of bankers. They were like mice or rats burrowing through walls or hiding in dark places. Damaging the home and destroying property in the pursuit of a few dollars or fighting over pennies. I am certain that the people at Capitol One believe the commercial to be humorous. That their intended victims of the funny jabs are bankers.

Since they first aired I have found these commercials to be offensive. They are stereo-typing bankers. That alone does not bother me. It isn’t wrong to make bankers the butt of jokes. This is what I see:

A clean cut man coming to the rescue. He wears a baseball cap and wears a brown shirt. His intended foe are those who control the wealth… bankers. The bankers are portrayed as vermin to be eradicated. The white people look to the brownshirted fellow as a helper. He says he could trap them, the bankers. But the best solution is to get rid of them once and for all. Then he pulls out a Capitol One card.

So far? Doesn’t seem to be so bad… not really.

Sadly, I see another stereotype at work in the commercial. Nazis! I remember seeing brownshirted young men wearing baseball caps. They fought against the supposed Zionists. The Zionist bankers, and therefore the Jews, controlled the wealth. I remember seeing the famous propaganda film that talked about the Jew and yet showed rats scurrying in darkened corners or running in the sewers. The poor white Germans needed a saviour. Not to worry, someone in a brownshirt and baseball cap shows up and says that he has the final solution to this infestation of people.

Capitol One wanted me to see bankers being eliminated by their final solution. I hope they didn’t make the parallels with Nazi Germany’s final solution on purpose. Yet that is what I see everytime I see the commercials. It bothers me. If it bothers you say so. Perhaps we can get Capitol One to change their commercials to something a little less offensive to the few of us who are offended.

Here is their contact page:
Capitol One

🙁

Yep, you guessed it. I was walking through the RBG’s arboretum and noticed that many of the trees had caterpillar nests at the end of their branches. I took this shot of an enterprising fellow out for a walk. As best as I can tell it is called a “Fall Webworm”. Latin name for the intellectually fussy is: Hyphantria Cunea.

Dune: House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert w/ Kevin J Anderson
Published by: Bantam Books
Science Fiction

Dune House Harkonnen is the second book in a trilogy. Although this book continues in the tradition of the others it does spend a bit more time covering the characters and history of house Harkonnen. If there is to be evil in the Dune saga you can always count on the Harkonnen’s to lead the way. Though I did find that Abulard, the Baron’s relative, to be the only example in the family line that was nice. Wouldn’t mind having them as neighbours. The torture, the treachery, the total disregard for human life, by the rest of this family cannot be equalled by anyone else.

The trilogy covers a period of about forty years. This book covers the middle twenty plus years. It is interesting how quickly paced the book covers history. Quite a few characters found in the first book die in this book. Since I have read the other two books in the trilogy I might as well say here that I found the saga of the early years, from old Duke Paulas to the birth of his grandson Paul, to be a highly interesting read for those who love sci-fi.

Unlike me, you should read the books in sequence. The order of this Dune trilogy is:

1. House Atreides
2. House Harkonnen
3. House Corrino

Enjoy!

Reprinted from: RunningPastor: Volunteering

Joe said…

I have been in churches where the pastor talks about a need in the church and asks for volunteers. I have been in churches where someone believes that something should be done and decide to do it… and enjoy the control.

Personally, I find volunteering for ministry a bit difficult. I suffer from depression and know that I may be up one time (so much so that I feel normal) and down the next (you don’t want to go there). Yet I find the need to do something for God and his people. When I am brave I ask God to open a door for ministry. He has always been faithful to provide an opening. Though I seem reluctant to get involved and take time to warm up… I do appreciate the gift of ministry that God gives me. When I feel normal it is a somewhat pleasant task… when down, my mind groans but my spirit is encouraged.

Crossfire? Everytime I pray, either Roy or Patti, mysterioulsy, create an opportunity for me to minister. I am grateful to God that he moves when I pray and I am thankful that our pastors have ears to hear what God tells them. Sometimes it is a struggle to do the work but I always remember that it is a gift and deep down, in my spirit, I thank God.

…from a reluctant volunteer who desires and needs to minister.

There should be no surprises that the Ontario Liberals have won tonight. It can be put down to the biggest electoral gaff done by John Tory and his Conservatives. What was the gaff? To extend educational moneys to religious/private grade schools.

I remember back when Ontario was called the big blue province. It was simply a matter of calling an election and watch the Bill Davis government win again. Then Bill decided to dust off a promise he once made. He decided to extend funding separate schools from grade ten to grade twelve. This was Bill’s parting gift as he was about to step down as leader. It passed.

Shortly thereafter a election was called. The Big Blue machine was soundly trounced… by the NDP. Voter backlash for extending money to separate schools was the death knell that sounded riding after riding.

When John Tory promised to extend money to religious/private schools I heard the same tolling of the bell that defeated the PC’s the last time around. I was shocked that he didn’t think that it would be much of an issue.

So what really happened? From my perspective the Conservatives lost election because of this faux pas. What could have been done after an election was to bring the issue up and have an open debate and an open vote… near the end of the mandate. To give people plenty of time to discuss the issue.

I believe it is only fair that if you tax people to educate children then the tax money should go to the schools those children attend. That would be the fair thing to do. But then who said Ontario politics was fair.

Liberals for four more years…

🙁

Reprinting my post from another location.

I like the mixed member option for the referendum. I have been hoping for some form of implementation for decades. At least now we have a chance to vote for its existence. I doubt though that it will pass. There has been enough bad reporting about what it actually is that most will stick to the “tried and true” of first past the post. It would be tougher to get a majority with the mixed but unlike the past, my vote would actually count, everytime. It would give me representation. It would also give everyone else who votes representation no matter who gets elected in a riding. It would also better reflect the will of the people. Would it make it tougher to govern? You bet it would. But it should be hard for governments to turn our world upside down. It may even inspire people to get involved in party politics so they may have a voice in who gets on the published list for the 39 seats.