My review of Noel Mostert’s The Line Upon a Wind is now up at Amazon here.
I have always found the subject of fighting sail incredibly interesting, and despite the best efforts of this book I still do.
Saddleback Whitewashing
Posted: December 24, 2008 by datechguy in catholic, opinion/newsTags: pet peeves
Can someone explain the wisdom of this:
Oddly enough, the FAQ page at the Saddleback Church that contained their policy statements on dinosaurs, evolution, and homosexuality (among other subjects) has suddenly been wiped clean: Saddleback Church: Small Group Information.
As a Catholic my belief set doesn’t match Pastor Warren’s but c’mon. You either believe what you preach or you don’t. The bible is rather clear that being attacked is part of the job description to wit:
“Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father. Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.’ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me and whoever does not take up his cross 15 and follow after me is not worthy of me.
This passage from Matthew 10:32-38 is very clear, take the hits and the jibes, stand up and be counted. No waffling allowed.
Kennedy & Emanuel: no surprises but no common sense
Posted: December 24, 2008 by datechguy in UncategorizedTags: obama
Thinking about the two big stories in the last 24 hours it occurs to me that a lot of the fuss in a bit odd.
First on Emanuel. The president elect has rightly taken quite a few hits on the amazing bungling he has achieved on this. It seems to me however that it would be more of a shock if the chief of staff of the incoming president elect didn’t talk to the governor concerning the vacant Senate seat then if he did. In fact this is the sort of thing a chief of staff is supposed to do. The big mistake of the Obamaites has been the abject denials of contact. They would have been much wiser to say quite rightly: “Of course we had contact concerning this. What would you expect? But we will be damned if anyone would expect that we would “pay” for the seat.
This cost credibility and showed vacillation. When you are marketed as a savior that is not what people expect to hear. It would not surprise me to see more of this in the future, but a wise administration will learn from it.
As for Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg she is apparently carrying herself as a privileged elite in dealing with the press and the office. This is politically foolish but not unexpected. It would be impossible for her to Schlossberg to act any like a normal candidate or person as she has nothing in her background that suggests anything other than royal privilege. What has she ever been denied and who has ever denied her? She is John Quincy Adams without the resume.
I suspect that like John Quincy in asking for this office she genuinely wants to serve the public in the traditions of her family and wants to prove herself against the example of a famous father. Ironically both would expect that of course high office is deserved. The difference being Adams would expect it due to a public record that would be a lifetime of work for two other people. She expects it because of a lifetime of adoration and deference.but just can’t bring herself to have to ask the people for the privilege.
Again I think we will see a lot more of this unless the heat becomes unbearable for her to handle but you never know. After all her Uncle had no business winning a Senate Seat in ’62 but love him or hate him nobody can deny his ability as a Senator.
Anyways these are both interesting stories but they shouldn’t shock anybody at all.
Lots of good news today
Posted: December 23, 2008 by datechguy in employment, gaming, local stuffTags: game night, life is good
Well I’ve had a few rants today but there are a lot of good things to smile about as well.
Got my car inspected and filled up, the price was less then a fill-up would have been 4 months ago.
Saw a convoy of power trucks from Chattanooga Tenn. these guys are really working hard. Still a few people without power but they are working on it.
Been reading about King Phillips War it wasn’t far from here that houses were torched and people killed stripped and scallped. Compared to that an Ice Storm is nothing.
The direct deposit for my unemployment has come in. With the direct deposit system the check was processed in 48 hours. A whole lot easier than 4 years ago.
And I got my first sale, If I can manage 8-10 more a week we can say goodbye to the unemployment bit altogether.
And its game night. You can never be unhappy on gamenight.
And the blankets are finally in for Christmas.
