Cameraphone

Today, I took a drive up "north," beyond Payson, AZ, and noticed more snow the further I drove up. So I kept going until I was 19 miles north of Strawberry. I got out and looked around, walked in the snow a little, and even threw a snowball!

Then I snapped a few photos with my cell phone.






Same location, facing east-southeast.








This is tricky business, placing these photos in here like this! Same location, looking east-northeast.

Well, for a city dweller like me, this was big news, and a glorious excursion into "God's country."

THERE'S A NEW TEMPLATE IN TOWN...

Alright, intrepid readers of OPB (Other People's Blogs), here is a new template for my perennial weblog to grace cyberspace. It's called "Denim," probably because it's plain, no-nonsense, and blue. I must say, generally I like it better than my "old" template, which I liked better than my older template, which...

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I just want to register my Holiday Greetings and Best Wishes for a nebulous, unoffensive, meaningless day of self-absorbent indulgence in egocentric nonsense...like blogging!

At any rate, here is a fine blog to visit: MarkDRoberts.com

You know, it's entirely possible that my blogging is a complete waste of time. We'll see...

A LITTLE JOKE

Q. Why did the man quit his job at the rock quarry?

A. Because he felt they were taking him for granite.

CHRISTIAN RECONSTRUCTION OF SCRIPTURE?

In order to rescue my blog from certain obscurity, I would like to clarify my theological postion on Christian Reconstruction. I have been reading articles, both pro and con, about it, and have been "haunted" by scriptures in the Bible which say such things as:

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Jesus, in Matthew 7:13-14 ESV)

Judging from Scriptures such as this one (and we are called by Christ Himself to do that), I would say we Christians (those who are truly born from above--that is, by God's Holy Spirit, John 3:3) will not outnumber and overpower those who are not born again for Christ. Granted, it is a noble idea, if not a worthwhile goal, to see the whole world convert to Christianity. But the plain teaching of the Bible, as far as I can tell, is that it won't happen that way. In fact, the end will be so bad that our only hope will be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ!

Now, this is "mere speculation" on my part, because:

(a) I am not God...whew!

(b) "for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Mat. 24:44 ESV)

(c) "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." (Mat. 24:36 ESV)

You see, a "remnant" will be faithful to the end (Gen. 45:7; Ezra 9:15; Isaiah 10:21; Micah 2:12; Acts 15:17; Romans 11:5).

"Remnant" sounds like a minority to me !

"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8 ESV)

Judging from Scripture, I would say yes.

I'm sure there are plenty of Scriptures to support the opposing viewpoint, to wit, that all the earth will be presented to Christ at His Return as a crown jewel for us believers to enjoy, and for unbelievers to endure. But we shall see in the coming days whether or not I am all wet in my understanding of Christian Reconstruction. I shall gladly be proven the fool if Scripture and Reason be my correctors. Here I stand...?

Now that we've gotten that all cleared up, let's keep studying Christian Reconstruction so we can better understand its underlying tenets, and compare Scripture with Scripture to come up with a Biblical framework to counterbalance any tendency toward error. For an excellent website on this subject, please see AmericanVision.com.

WOO-HOO, I'M LIVE-BLOGGING!!!!!

Hey, imaginary readers! I'm watching the "Presidential Debate" on TV, and favoring Senator John McCain over Senator Barry "Present" O'Bama. 

The question on the table from Bob Schieffer is, will you [Senator McCain] appoint a supreme court justice who is pro-choice, considering your personal opposition to abortion. Senator McCain responded that it would not be a "litmus test" for him to hire a qualified candidate. As usual, O'Bama (I know it's Obama) tap-danced (no racial slur intended) around the issue by nebulously defending some mystery mother whose life is at stake, or whose baby needs critical care. Senator McCain brilliantly pointed out the fallacious but classic argument for abortion as a "life-saver" for the mother as a smokescreen for what it is--murder. 

Does (I guess he does not) Senator O'Bama know that Jane Roe (Norma McCorvey) was not even pregnant at the time, and she never had an abortion? Well, the pro-"choice" movement can't be bothered with such irrelevant details as that!

Now they are debating each other's education programs. BO accuses JM of not saying specifically how he would pay for "no child left behind" programs, etc. 

This live-blogging business is fun. 

ONE'S THOUGHTS

One wonders, why have a blog if one cannot maintain a minimum level of discourse, inviting intelligent responses from its (one's) readers? I ask you, dear imaginary readers. Why?

Well, as one ponders the answer(s) to such questions, one must proceed to finish a heretofore pointless blog entry in a fast-becoming-pointless blog. If there were such a thing as creative futility, doubtless this would be the place to showcase it. I mean, the only response I get to my blog is the Autosave feature of Blogger.com, every few minutes telling me, "Draft autosaved at 9:35 PM." And so it goes.

By the way, aren't you just elated at the selection by Senator John McCain (Republican presidential nominee) of Alaska governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate and future vice-president (and possible president!!!)? I am!

God save America from all evil (and Barack Obama). 

In Jesus' Name, amen.

WHO LET THE BLOGS OUT?

Woof, woof, woof, woof-woof!

Can't you just hear the addictive, driving beat of that once-and-always famous song by Baha Men?

What sets this blog apart from all others? Virtually nothing. You see, I am an average Internet enthusiast. I blog because I can. Whether or not anyone reads it is another story.

I like the style of Gary North (see GaryNorth.com), for example. He has a straight-forward, no-nonsense tone in his writing which makes one want to read more if only he had the time.

If I may say so at this point, I rather like this blog entry thus far. No wasted verbiage here. No sir. Economy of words, that's the ticket. Noooo question about it...

Have you been watching the Olympics in Beijing? You have to admire and love those Chinese people for living under their useful-idiot communist government, appropriately misnamed "The People's Republic of China." What's in a name? They're not fooling us.

Give me a break.

I think I'll publish this entry now. It doesn't get any better.

CONFESSIONS OF A WANNABLOG

Well, good people of the blogosphere, you have been hapless victims of my reckless, themeless blog for lo these four years (I think)! I have occasionally visited my blog and posted whatever I felt like posting at the time. But things are gonna change around here.. real soon!

Yep, those days of my blog-without-a-theme are numbered. From now on, it's post up at least once a month. And have a point!!! It keeps those blog police at bay, you know.


I credit Mosaic Bible Church in Scottsdale, AZ for inspiring its Sunday school class, which I was in back then (October 2004), to create their own blogs on Blogger.com.

A SPONTANEOUS RE-ENTRY INTO THE BLOGOSPHERE

I just love it when Safari remembers my user name and password for Blogger.com, or any other site for that matter. Having started this blog nearly four years ago, I must sometimes grapple for subject matter in order to maintain a semi-regular flow of input from my keyboard. Since I am running on fumes now, i.e., falling asleep, I must wind it up.

HEBREW PARALLELISM

Some notes from an online lecture series called, "Wisdom," by R.C. Sproul (Ligonier.org):

In the Wisdom literature of the Bible, particularly in the Book of Proverbs, Dr. Sproul explains three different types of a poetic device called parallelism, which the Hebrew language uses to describe and emphasize a point.

First, there is synonomous parallelism, where the author restates an idea or thought in similar terms. Example: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the skies proclaim the work of His hands." (Psalm 19:1) The second part of the verse restates or is synomous to the first.

Second, there is antithetical parallelism, where an idea is stated in the first part of a verse, and its exact opposite is stated immediately afterward. In Proverbs 10:1, we read: "A wise son makes his father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother." Contrasting wisdom with foolishness is a hallmark of Proverbs. Another one, 28:1, says, "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion."

Finally, there is synthetic parallelism, where an idea is built up to a "crescendo." Several cases are found, for example, in Proverbs 6. Dr. Sproul uses verses 16-19 in his lecture:

"There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers."

So you see, Hebrew parallelism is a commonly used poetic device for emphasizing Biblical truth.

SAFARI SUCCESS

Well, intrepid readers, I have "stumbled upon" (to borrow a term from the web-browsing world) a keyboard shortcut in Safari's web browser (available here) which, I trust, will prove useful in all future web browsing. It was there all the time, but I have "rediscovered" it.

It is this: Ctrl+Click a hyperlink to open it in a new tab instead of a new window. I noticed on certain websites, hyperlinks open in a new window by default (in Safari, and perhaps other browsers, unless this preference is selected). Be sure to check the box "Ctrl-Click opens a link in a new tab" in the Tabs section of the Preferences section of the Edit menu in the title bar of Safari. 

I prefer using Safari, except when it doesn't work right. Then I use Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Of course, you can always right-click the link and select "Open Link in a New Tab" on the context menu, if you wish to keep your desktop uncluttered with superfluous windows. Happy surfing!

HERE WE BLOG AGAIN

Let me introduce you (that is, if you are not familiar with him yet) to Gary North. He is the man who gained notoriety for trumpeting the cause of preparation for Y2K. I admit, I was caught up slightly in the hype. But now, I am finding he is a fire-hydrant of useful information and resources at his (and our) disposal.

Well, the purpose of this blog post today is to point you to GaryNorth.com, a treasure chest of advice and resources for making sense (and money) in this uncertain and "unpredictable" economy.

When you have time, peruse this website for seemingly endless articles and practical advice, which you can access for free or with a membership.

Do what you can, and enjoy.

ONLY SEVEN DAYS UNTIL SUMMER

Today is the fourteenth day of June, which means we are one week away from officially starting the summer season. Well, here in the Salt River Valley, also known as the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, AZ), we know summer is already in full swing. The temperature is supposed to be a hundred-and-something! It's hot.

Well, that doesn't deter me, or anyone at the helm of their computer terminal, from interacting with the digital universe. I am composing this blog post while listening to RC Sproul teach online at Ligonier.org. Very interesting.

THE GOLD STANDARD

Joe Battaglia, the host of  "The American Advisor" radio show, quoted the Wall Street Journal as saying, "Inflation is the thief of the thrifty middle class." In an article posted at Goldline.com, Mr. Battaglia says:

   "The worker is bearing the biggest brunt of the problems that are facing today's economy.  The Wall Street Journal comments on this fact by pointing out the actions taken by the Federal Reserve and treasury have served to create inflationary pressures, which  have been negative for middle income Americans.  As they said so eloquently, 'Inflation is  the thief of the thrifty middle class.' They further pointed out, 'In its attempt to help Wall Street and the financial system, Fed policy is punishing average Americans.'  These words ring true to every American who is struggling to make ends meet." (Goldline.com, May 7, 2008, Commentary) 

Mr. Battaglia, along with most sensible precious metals market analysts, advocates a return to the gold standard in this country, as do I. Inflation would be virtually non-existent.

WHAT'S IT WORTH?

Here I go again, plodding along with another blogpost to my credit and asking a rhetorical question: What is the point of posting these textual manifestations of my personality, if there are no recipients--or worse, if there are recipients who don't care enough to respond? 

I know that at least God and the enemy are reading my blog. I feel like Martin Luther in this regard. There is a devil, but "he is God's devil," a cosmic dog on a divine leash.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to visit YouTube.com to watch tornado footage...

Whoosh!

North Korean Stalinists

My God, after reading the horrific accounts of ultra-barbaric brutality by North Korean prison guards on their captives, many of whom did nothing more than act human, not criminal, I must blog about it.

I urge anyone reading this sentence to go to the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea's website. This report will, if not shock you, make you very angry that God does not drop these sub-animals into hell right now!!! Pig-In-Chief Kim Jong-Il should be the first one on the spit.

I'm sorry. God doesn't use spits, because that would imply that at some point you're "done." In hell, you're never done.

You can read a biography of "him" (it) at Wikipedia. Thank God we can publically call him out on his unspeakable crimes against humanity. How long, O Lord, must we endure this political black-hole that is North Korea? How long, O God, before You avenge your people? Come, Lord Jesus.

There are so many ills in this world. But the ill I am addressing in this post is one I am most concerned with. I know Iran, Iraq, China, and a host of other repressive regimes exist today in spite of our best human-rights rhetoric, political activism, diplomacy and engagement efforts. But please, God, satisfy our desire for vengeance and justice just this once.

Please?

Three Cheers For Senator Lieberman!!!

Hooray for Senator Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., for telling it like it is in his questioning of General David Petraeus and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker.

Senator Lieberman aptly noted in his opening statement that there are those in our government leadership who, like the proverbial monkey, "see no success in Iraq, hear no success in Iraq, and will speak of no success in Iraq." In this simple statement, he summed up the willful ignorance by the hard-left liberals of the facts and conditions superbly laid out by Mssrs. Crocker and Petraeus in their testimony.

Bravo as well to General Petraeus' superlative responses to Senator Hillary Clinton's usual hot air-filled comments and questions designed to stir up confusion (divide-and-conquer tactic) about the real conditions and progress made in Iraq. My hat is off to, my prayers go up for, and my thankful heart goes out to the two men whom God has raised up for such a time as this.

LONG TIME, NO BLOG

This is the Blog About Nothing, so I'll be brief. It seems that it has been a long time (in blog years) since I posted any comments. Over three months is an eternity when you're dealing with New Media in the Information Age, where Everything is capitalized and Nothing is said.

But I digress. You want content. You got it. Content, content, content. Boy, that's the name of the game in the blogosphere, I tell ya. That's it right there. Without it, whaddya got? Nothin'. Big, fat ZERO. Nada. Zippity Doodah.

So far, I haven't typed ANYTHING worth reading. Yessiree. Intelligent political rhetoric at its cyber-finest. Get it right here...

Townhall.com