From Psalms 121, a reminder.

“I lift my eyes toward the mountains."

But the mountains are covered by the clouds, my view is obscured, my eyes seemed to be lifted up towards a vast expanse of empty.

"Where will my help come from?"

My answer has always been; "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber."

But what about when the pain tells me that I have slipped and fallen, and I wasn't protected from the pain and that still small voice seems to be sound asleep?

Then I remember that just because I can't see the mountains, they stand as strong and majestic as ever.

"The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side.

The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.”

‭

Words in quotations from Psalms 121, HCSB

Meetings

I know we are all desperately afraid that "refugees" are all just waiting to sneak into the U.S. so they can slaughter us all and force Sharia law on all us infidels,  but here are a few I met the other night, that seemed to be perfectly pleased to be a part of America.

I was at the annual refugee Thanksgiving dinner that several local agencies host (Did you know that Tucson already accepts about 1,000 refugees a year from all around the world, including Muslim, Christian, Yazidi, Bhuddist, etc.) and got a chance to talk with a few interesting people from other lands. Let me introduce you:

I first met R. R. is a young (20 year old) man that worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan as an interpreter. His family is in Kabul and he got to travel around the country in some vital hot spots. This qualified him for a special immigrant visa (I wonder if the U.S. gave him the last name, FNU - or family name unknown. This seems to be a common trick we play when we can't figure things out, and the immigrant gets to keep this last name for years) and he came to the U.S. without his family. Lately, he has been talking to Army recruiters about joining the U.S. Army and serving again.

Next, I met S., who is from Africa. S. and his family have been in a camp in Africa for 9 years awaiting a chance to either go back home or to be allowed to migrate to a new home. This is a common experience for refugees, staying in camps for years and years before finally getting the word that they can grab a few things and move to a permanent home.

I also met S. S. was an interpreter for the Army in Iraq and he also got a special immigrant visa to fast track his immigration process. He is Yazida, a minority group in Northern Iraq. After we left a power vacuum in the area, many in his community were raped and killed by ISIS and his family escaped to Turkey. The Yazidi are not really safe there either and his family has been told they would be getting VISA's to come to the U.S. However, since Paris was attacked by ISIS, the process has been put on hold, possibly indefinitely. I suppose the concern is that perhaps his family has joined ISIS too.

I realize that their are no easy answers to the problem of terrorism and the absolute commitment Jihadis have to forcing their will on the rest of the world, but it is good to remember that real people that are on the side of freedom and liberty are affected by the decisions we make, some of whom who have already risked their lives for us.

Hover boards, flying cars....

It's here!
October 21, 2015!
The day Marty McFly travels to in the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy!

Whatever you think of the story line in this one (should I share my opinion?), they do come up with interesting takes on the gadgets and gizmos of the 21st Century. Hologram movie ads, flying cars, self tying shoelaces and hover boards, among other things, capture our imagination.

And yet, Marty still finds himself going to a phone booth to place a call, even in the year 2015. When's the last time you used one of those?

As we travel forward through time ourselves, even if it is a bit slower than Marty and Doc, we can imagine some pretty fantastic stuff for ourselves. And often, disappointingly,  these dreams can go unrealized (where's my hover board, man?). But, even though we don't always get all the stuff we thought we wanted, we shouldn't overlook the stuff we do end up with that might be even better.

Yesterday, we made a friend

I recently picked up a little book that I carry around.Inside it says, "Interesting People I Have Met".

 I have met numerous interesting people and I thought having a place where I can have them record their names and a little about them would help me to remember them. So far, the only names I have gotten in it were those of my wife and kids. Until yesterday.

We were at some local apartments with some people from our Church, the intent being to serve some of the refugee community that lives there. We were able to do some yard work, clean up, play games, makes crafts and that sort of thing.

We also met a young man named Samson. Samson just arrived here in Tucson from Tanzania on Friday with his Mom, Dad and Seven younger brothers and sisters. He has lived in the refugee camp in Tanzania for the past 17 years, and was so excited to have finally arrived in America. Although, he did admit to being tired, after having just been on five different airplanes to get here

Samson is the only one in his family to speak English, having learned it in school. He also taught English to others at the School in the camp. He really wants to go to the University as soon as he possibly can.

Meeting Samson was a reminder to me that he, and many others, live lives that are completely different than mine. He and his family are going to face some big obstacles as they try to make a life here, and could use some help. But, they have already plowed through some big obstacles just to get here, so I am confident that, with the right opportunities*, they will thrive.

I had Samson sign my book.

* If you are local to Tucson, and looking for a place to make a major and lasting impact on some people that need some extra help, take a look at The TRM site and see how you can get connected.

A Free Lunch --- There is no such thing.

They say there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Maybe not, but check this out. I have a fun announcement that I want to email you. So, leave a comment on here with your email address, and I might randomly buy you lunch.

In other words, I will pick someone (or two or three or...) at random to take to lunch at a location of my choosing.

Fun!

So leave me your comment. Maybe you win will a free lunch with me. No matter where you live. Or a lunch traded for your email address. Or maybe you will just get my fun announcement. We will see.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Becoming Emilist (From Becoming Minimalist)

One of the blogs that we follow around here is the Becoming Minimalist blog that Joshua Becker has put together, all about simplifying your life and inspiring others to "... others to pursue their greatest passions by owning fewer possessions."

 We were somewhat taken aback one day last year when we saw this photo on the page. It looked very much like our oldest daughter, Emily, who had just returned from 7 months in Quito, Ecuador.

Same wispy blond hair, which she often fashioned into braids of various styles.

Same dark jacket that rode the line of trendy with a nod to a bygone historical era that she often wore.

Hands and body staged in a way we had seen many times before, half posing as if for a photo shoot and and half absent mindedly fidgeting while thinking about something a little bigger than whatever else was going on.

We called her over to the computer and said "Hey Emily, this looks just like you."

"No", she adamantly denied "I didn't have a ribbon like that in my hair when I was at Pinchincha!"

It sort of reminds me of telling someone their friend was murdered and them asking, "How many times were they stabbed?"

But, I suppose we will never know for certain.

While you are thinking about that, be sure to check out Becoming Minimalist.

Some More Readings

Here's what I've taken in recently that I have also enjoyed, in case you need to find something to peruse:

A story of airmen trapped on the frozen glacial wastelands of Greenland during the Second World War. It is at times frustrating, compelling and inspiring, and manages to be interesting throughout.

It's been a long time since I've lived where tornadoes are common, but this definitely brings back some memories.

This is a story that has, like the summary says "...heart-wrenching stories...and dramatic storytelling".

I used to have SSgt. Barry Sadler's Album and had most of the tunes memorized and I must have seen John Wayne's movie at least a dozen times. So, of course I'm gonna read this book about today's SF.

Diane is working on this one, so we will have to ask her. But it looks interesting.

A Matter of Perspective

On Sunday, we headed over to Balboa Park in San Diego to enjoy the afternoon and see what was happening there.

They have a collection of "International Cottages", which are welcome and information places to tell about their particular country and to exchange cultural information. Some of our favorites included the Sweden, British, Czech and Slovakian houses.

On this particular day, the "House of Palestine", who is currently raising money for their own cottage, as they do not have one yet, was putting on a "lawn program". In this program, they had musicians, food booths, craft displays and even a tent where you could dress in traditional garb and get your picture taken, while reclining on Bedouinesque cushions.

In the picture above, the two young ladies had just led us in the national anthem and were singing some lovely song in Arabic.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying their presentation. At least until we stepped into the Israel cottage. Inside, we met to obviously Isreali young ladies who informed us that they had been in California for the summer helping out with a Children's camp. They said they were about to leave for New York the following day, then back to Israel next week.

Someone had suggested to them that they visit the international cottages as something interesting to do. When they arrived, they saw the Palestinian flags, all the Palestinians and were convinced they'd made a terrible mistake. In fear for their lives, they dashed into the Israeli cottage as a refuge.

We told them they would probably be ok, and we saw them again in the British Cottage, so they didn't make to quick of an exit. But they definitely had a different perspective on relations with Palestinians.

I am hoping to take a trip out that-away next year. You're welcome to come along. Maybe we will get a new perspective.

I've been reading....

In my never ending quest to keep my head working and to add a little knowledge whenever I am able, I have been looking at some of these. They are the ones that piqued my interest enough to, not just pick them up, but to keep reading them.

Looking for an interesting read? Consider one of these. They have been my summer reading this year.

These next two we listened to on audio on our summer travels. Surprisingly, the consensus was that we all enjoyed Sebastian Darke more than The Giver.

The Gospel According to Chuck

Gospel: literally,  "Good News". Generally refers to the biblical message concerning the kingdom of God, Salvation and the Messiah.

Chuck: One of our favorite Television shows ever about a computer geek who turns secret agent after a computer database is planted in his head and a gorgeous CIA operative is sent to be his handler.

Thanks to the wonders of Netflix, Diane and I have just finished watching the T.V. series Chuck for about the fourth time.

Full of unforgettable characters, such as Adam Baldwin's "John Casey", "Morgan Grimes", "Jeffster", "Awesome and Ellie" and a host of guest characters from Brandon Routh to Scott Bakula. Timothy Dalton, Chevy Chase, Mark Hamill and Morgan Fairchild to John Larroquette, Richard Chamberlain Lou Diamond Phillips and Bo Derek and many others.

The final episode of the series leads up to a scene where Chuck, the main character, is trying to remind his counterpart Sarah, who has had her memory of the previous five years erased by the most recent villain, that she had fallen in love with him, and he with her.

In this final scene, the words Chuck says to Sarah echo the message that the Almighty has for each of us. We, like Sarah, are broken, and have forgotten that their is one that loves us more than any other, and wants us to trust him.

Chuck says to Sarah:

I'm asking you to trust me.

... I don't I don't want anything from you.

I-I just need you to know that wherever you go, I'll always be there to help you.

Someone you can call.
Whenever.
Trust me... I'm here for you always. 

     Chuck vs. The Goodbye. Season 5, Episode 13 (27 January, 2012)
 
That sounds just like The Gospel - Its rare that I find something on TV that resonates with what God says to us. But that is the Good News that God speaks to us, in a few short words - "You don't have to do anything but trust me. I'm here for you and always will be."

So, what should we watch next?

Here's the segment:



And, just for fun, here's a little JEFFSTER

That Kind of Day

July 11 seems to be that kind of day. It had held import for me for some time because it was the day I joined the Air Force, and the day they finally let me out. It is also the birthday of a couple of my buddies from the war days.

It is also the last day I spent with my Dad.

Seven years ago, on the 11th, we were visiting my parents in the Denver area. Both of my brothers came over for dinner, and my Father was so pleased to have all the boys together with all of their families. He went to bed a little early that night, because he felt tired.

Some time in the middle of the night, my mom came in the room where Diane and I were sleeping and let me know that my dad had fallen out of bed and she could not wake him up. I immediately thought that this didn't sound good.

I went in the room and attempts to resuscitate him by myself, and by the paramedics after that did not work. He was pronounced deceased that night.

Fortunately, some friends of my parents came over to sit with my Mom and I am glad that we were able to be there with her when it happened. My Aunt and Uncle that also live in town were also great. They cooked up a bunch of food and made sure we were set.

The hardest part of the ordeal was first thing in the morning when my brother Michael and I had to go let our younger brother Kevin know that Dad had died so unexpectedly. 

So, I never really forget July 11th and always wonder what, if anything, will happen on this day. I don't think I am superstitious, but it often turns out to be that kind of a day.

I miss you Dad!

Explosive!

Here are some thoughts for your Independence Day Celebrations, and a picture from our celebrations last year:

"I shall earnestly and persistently continue to urge all women to the practical recognition of the old Revolutionary maxim. Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God."

~Susan B. Anthony

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

~ Nelson Mandela

"America was founded by people who believe that God was their rock of safety. I recognize we must be cautious in claiming that God is on our side, but I think it’s all right to keep asking if we’re on His side." 

~ Ronald Reagan

A Fistful of Feathers and the Bill of Rights

The First Amendment to the Constitution starts off by saying, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...".

Fortunately for the Feds, this doesn't seem to apply to the myriad of regulations that can be applied, at will, by the myriads of agencies that we have created.

Take, for instance, the case of Robert Soto, a religious leader of the Lipan Apache. He recently had his eagle feathers returned by the Feds after they were confiscated during a pow wow in 2006. The issue was that he didn't have a permit for these feathers. These feathers have been used by his people for quite some time (both this particular set and ones like it) and the eagles are never killed to collect the feathers.

Luke Goodrich, of the Beckket Fund for Religious Liberty pointed out in the Indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com article linked above that: "The government allows hundreds of eagles, if not thousands, to be killed every year for non-religious reasons. Yet it won't allow these Native Americans to possess even a single feather...”.

Although the feathers were returned to Soto in March, they have a stringent set of regulations attached to them. Soto must carry paperwork showing that he is allowed to have them, he cannot pass them on to anyone else, even upon his death.

So, while he is allowed to perform his religious ceremonies as he sees fit, I am not sure how anyone can argue that this is not "prohibiting the free exercise.." of his religion or show any compelling reason the state needs to protect already dead eagles from having their feathers used in religious ceremonies.

If you believe the Federal government is primarily concerned with upholding and protecting the principles and words of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, then consider this situation.   

Endless!!!

A recent trip to the bookstore and a poster for some book called Peanut Butter and Cupcake led Diane to remark that they just keep making books! It made us wonder how there could continue to be a market for these arrangements of words on paper.

I then reminded her of what King Solomon wrote some 3500 years ago; "...there is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body." If that was the case then, imagine what he would feel now, with 3500 years more worth of books in the mix.

That being said, here are a few I have pulled off that stack to look at in the last few months:

   

Nebraska

A little too late to help this man out, but yesterday, Nebraska's Unicameral (the only one body legislature around) voted to repeal the death penalty.

Had they done so some 47 years ago, perhaps this fellow would still be hanging around.

Charlie Starkweather, accompanied by his 14 year old girlfriend, killed eleven people, including his girlfriend's mother, stepfather and little sister, in a spree that ended when they were finally caught in Wyoming. Charlie gave up after he was cut by glass and convinced himself that he would bleed out if he didn't get help.

A little over a year later, he was executed by the electric chair in Nebraska.

On a side note, Charlie's girlfriend,  Caril Ann Fugate, went to school with my mother. My mom remembers Caril and I think she knew her family too. We will have to ask her.

For more information about the tallest Capitol building in the U.S and the country's only unicameral government, head over here: Nebraska's Capitol

 For more info about Charlie and Caril, and their gruesome killing spree, head over to the Wyoming history page here: Charles Starkweather

Freedom?

We were recently shocked to learn that Aaron Hernandez, the football celebrity, would be receiving life imprisonment without possibility of parole after a conviction on a murder charge.

In addition to his personal freedom, Hernandez sacrificed millions in contracts, endorsements and salaries.

How could a guy that, literally, had it all, throw it away for a stupid angry act?

Indeed, this sort of stupidity seems epidemic in our country. We have about 4.4% of the world's population, and 22% of the world's prison population, giving us the highest incarceration rate in the world.

How is it that our country, whose citizens enjoy freedoms unprecedented in world history, can find themselves so often incarcerated. Are our laws out of control? Do we punish far too many people? Do we create a system of recividism?

Maybe, but I think this speaks more to our foundational framework than it does to our justice system. Our framework does give us freedom to do, quite literally, nearly anything we want to. It is designed to let us get away with whatever our own moral compass does not forbid. And, the justice sytem is there to pick up the pieces when human nature takes over and a person's moral compass lets them delve into areas of behavior that society has decided are detrimental to us all.

In short, our system is designed so that the vast majority would follow the dictates of decency, while the laws were designed to bring consequences to those that exploited their freedoms.

But, with more and more people losing an understanding and a sense of morality, more and more are in need of the correction that the law brings. Without an understanding of right and wrong, the real freedoms we have can lead someone to start to think they can do whatever they want without consequence.

Therefore, I think someone who "has it all" might find it even easier than those of us that don't to think they really can do whatever they want and do it without consequence. After all, they've been able to do whatever they want before. Why wouldn't they be able to keep doing whatever they want?

There seems to be a fine line between the freedom to do whatever we want and the consequence of a life in prison.

Story Inside

http://www.karenbaobooks.com/

http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/

http://smekday.com/

We attended Tucson's Festival of Books and were pleased to get a chance to interact with numerous authors. We were also able to get these books autographed and talk to them personally about their work.

Check them out.

Ruby Red Goodbye

So many things are lost...

Among them, and more recently, one of our favorite teas.

Diane's recent shopping trip to Trader Joe's led her to discover that their Spiced Rooibos Ruby Red Chai had been discontinued. The staff was very kind about it. They offered her a box of their other Rooibos Tea, which is not a spicy tea at all, or their other Chai Tea, which is a black Tea with the Caffeine that she was trying to avoid.

I did check around online and I have discovered that, like Twinkies in the zombie apocalypse, the last of these boxes is becoming a hot commodity.

I have also found that when you are already feeling a sense of loss, losing something familiar, however small and inconsequential it might seem, causes extra amplified feelings of loss.

Goodby, Ruby Red, goodbye.

Wasteland

"Nothing good comes out of that place. It's a wasteland, as far as I'm concerned."

This is what my neighbor told me, after I shared with him that I just got back from spending a few days in Phoenix.

While the Phoenix area has never been my favorite place, and I think it has nowhere near the natural beauty of the area where I live, I do recall people asking if anything good could come out of another wasteland, a town called Nazareth (You know, hometown of Jesus).

What was I doing up there? I tell you that later.

For now, let me just tell you where I was.

I spent the last few days at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.This hospital is just outside of the "wasteland" that is Phoenix. And I think something good is coming out of there.

If you get a chance, click on the patient services link on the webpage. I think you will get a taste of how this hospital is different.

At first glance, it may just look like a cancer hospital for rich folk, where you can be pampered as you live with the dread disease.

Yes, it is a very nice place, but it is that way for a reason. The purpose of all the amenities is to work to restore hope and dignity to those that have cancer.

The founder of the Centers had a mother who died of cancer. After being a firsthand witness to, not just her battle with the disease, but the battle over her care, he vowed to change the way cancer is treated.

And, they are working hard to do just that. They understand that care for the ill is not just about treating a physical problem, but helping the person with the problem find hope, peace and healing.

I am not intending to toot their horn too much, but I have come to a better understanding of the philosophy of care they promote, and I hope to apply that to the "care" that I give to those assigned to my life.

Flicks Full of Faith

 Here's a couple of movies I took in last week that had some common themes. Thought I'd share a little.

The first is not yet released to theaters. Every so often, I get invitations to go check out screenings for upcoming movies so I can let everyone know how much they need to go see it. So, Ethan and I went to see Do You Believe the other night.

I'll review it and remind you of it in more depth later on, so I can do my part in paying them back for the privilege of seeing it before all of you. But for now, I think it is sufficient to give you just a few words about it.

This movie, starring (among others) Lee Majors, Mira Sorvino, Cybil Shepherd, Brian Bosworth and Sean Astin, is made by Pureflix,  the same folks who made the surprise hit, God's Not Dead. Their latest offering is designed to promote the idea that if one truly believes in the Cross of Jesus, it should make a radical difference in one's life.  As I said, I'll do more of a review later, but for now you might want to know that it was surprisingly lacking in the "cheese" factor that is often so prevalent in the genre. If you at all believe, this one is worth watching.

The Other one, I had to pay Redbox $1.62 to watch. Starring Colin Firth and Emma Stone, Magic in the Moonlight is (as IMDB says) "A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue."

While I am not trying to toss you a spoiler, one interesting tidbit of note. When the 'Englishman" comes to believe in the reality of the psychic powers of Emma Stone's character, it also opens his mind to belief in and prayer to God. I suppose in Woody Allen's mind, belief in psychic powers and  believe in the Almighty are pretty much one in the same.

Putting that aside, this is a movie driven by witty dialogue, which I think is becoming harder and harder to find in modern cinema. Colin Firth is a master of witty dialog and I found this one altogether entertaining.

Seen anything worth noting on the screen lately?

Bone Cancer in Children!?!

Making the rounds in recent days is a clip of prominent atheist apologist Steven Fry giving what would be his response, were he to meet God at the pearly gates.

His response was to describe his angry diatribe towards a God that would create and allow bone cancer in children. He wonders aloud why he should respect a "....stupid ....God...who creates a world so full of injustice and pain."

A God that presents himself as an "...all seeing...all wise...all kind God...", but behaves like a total maniac.

It is easy to see his point.

Who wouldn't be unhappy at a personality that made the world like it is.

However, the God he is addressing is not the one we find in the biblical account of who God is. I know I am an oddball to still believe what an ancient scripture teaches about this kind of stuff, but I do.

In the Bible, God is portrayed as having lovingly crated a perfect world and having lovingly given mankind a chance to live in that perfect world, or to freely choose to walk away from perfection and introduce death, destruction, injustice, pain and even bone cancer in children into their lives. Looking around, I think we can see what we chose, thinking we knew what was best.

In my opinion, if we want to find the maniacs that made this world such a tough place, we certainly don't need to look to God. We just need to look at ourselves.

Check out Steven Fry's answer here, and go to a motel and read the first Chapter in the book you find there for the other version.

The Pink Pantser

If you've kept up with us, I guess you know that we enjoy hiking. A couple of years ago, we met up with a good friend of ours in Denver and she took us on a gorgeous trail in the forested mountains.

While on the trail, we ran into a couple that appeared to be in their early fifties, super fit looking, all decked out in their Patagonia  outdoor gear and gleefully taking on the trail.

Behind them, maybe a couple of hundred yards, was a person that appeared to be their teenage son. He was wearing pink skinny jeans, a heavy coat, non trail appropriate shoes and had headphones dangling from his ears. And, in one hand, he had a firm grasp on the donut he was eating.

The poor kid looked absolutely miserable. He was barely dragging himself along, looked angry and sullen and was obviously not pleased with the outdoorsy family the almighty had plunked him down in the middle of for this brief life.

Later, we talked with him a bit. All I can remember him saying is, "I gotta get out of here! There is too much nature!"

Naturally, we dubbed him "The Pink Pantser". Now, whenever our children complain about not wanting to take a hike, we encourage them to not be "The Pink Pantser!".

Anyone wanna join us for a hike!

Updateadone

I recently shared (with some) about how a local substance abuse agency is working to open a Methadone clinic 2/10ths of a mile from my house, where we used to have a Post Office.

For those that do not know, a methadone clinic is a place that distributes methadone to heroin addicts in the hopes of helping them rehabilitate. Methadone is a drug that produces some of the analgesic effects of an opiate while reducing the withdrawal symptoms, without producing the same "high". Many of the folks that frequent such facilities are court ordered to do so, and not necessarily that involved with their own rehab, beyond not wanting to go back to jail, where you can't get heroin as easily.

While the clinicians have assured us that the people they treat are our neighbors and coworkers, primarily suit wearing corporate big wigs that, while fully functional and productive members of society, happen to be struggling with a little bit of a problem; most of my neighbors and I have suspected that this may not be the case.

Having seen the ancillary crime sprees that seem to accompany people that have given into the "white horse" (or black, I guess, for the black tar stuff, or tan...) of heroin, I am less than thrilled about this idea.

Some of our neighbors have contacted our councilman on our behalf. His first response seemed lackluster and he did not seem to think this was any sort of issue.

However, he recently "discovered" that some of the neighborhoods where clinics like this have already been put into place have indeed experienced problems associated with druggies wandering through the neighborhoods adjacent to said clinics.

While I applaud his recent change of views and new found desire to assist the "hood" in trying to keep this from being located so close to our homes, it seems like it would have been beneficial if he had forseen this being an issue prior to the company purchasing the building and making the upgrades they need to open it. Who doesn't know that drug addicts probably won't be dropped off by limo and picked up right away after filling their prescriptions (since many of them have long since lost their licenses before they are ordered for treatment). And who doesn't know that drug addicts wandering through the neighborhood will be more than happy to treat your yard and house like their personal commissary.

In any case, the latest is that our councilman now thinks its a bad idea and is energetically opposed to the idea of placing the clinic near my house.

Winning the cultural war?

I took an impromptu informal survey of 44 people in a class I was in today and here are the alarming results:

The respondents were asked to identify which Science fiction series/world was their favorite, the choices being Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and Firefly.

Star Trek's showing was surprisingly low, with only two going for that.

Battlestar Galactica got another two, which wasn't really surprising, as it it is not quite as well known.

Firefly got a solid four, tying BSG and Star Trek together. Browncoats Forever!

The rest of the group, all thirty six of them, threw up their hands and cast their votes for Star Wars.

It's clear to see who is winning the marketing wars in the Sci Fi world. With the release of the upcoming Star Wars movie, a long time ago in a galaxy far far away is as popular now as ever.

On another note, Han Solo clearly shot first. And justifiably so.

Wrapping Up Reads

Here's a few I caught up with as the year drew to and end and the new one started. Have you been keeping up on your reading? It seems to get harder and harder to do.

 

 

First post of the new year

Happy New Year!

Their is plenty to look forward to this year, both in life and on this blog.

In the meantime, here are some good words to consider for the beginning of Two Thousand Fifteen A. D. / C. E.

“The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted. The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled. The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy. The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God. The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God. Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭3-12‬ HCSB)