“Better a democracy with scandals than an authoritarian system without scandals.” — Shimon Peres in Newsweek
Commenting Fixed
If you’ve tried to comment on my posts, you encountered the frustration of having your computer just spin, as if it’s trying to send your comment but not getting anywhere. Well, your comments were, indeed, getting to me (often, several copies, as you kept hitting the “post” button). That behavior obviously needed to be corrected on my part. Done.
Kurt Wallander and Jack Reacher
Since I was on vacation last week, I decided to tackle two 400+ page novels.
- Sidetracked, by Henning Mankell. This is the fourth Kurt Wallander mystery.
I can’t say they keep getting better, because the third book in the series, The White Lioness, was my favorite thus far. But this ranks second, and kept me captivated. The novels are set in Sweden (Mankell is Swedish, and the books are translated from Swedish). I love the way national boundaries mean little, and are easily crossed, in Europe. - Echo Burning, by Lee Child. Robert Parker’s PI, Spenser, is the ultimate tough guy. But I’d read that Lee Child’s creation, Jack Reacher, might be tougher. I’ll need to read more Lee Child books before rendering a verdict. But I found Jack Reacher to be a very unique fellow, and Echo Burning kept me glued to the page. I didn’t like the way Reacher figured everything out, using clues not available to the reader (my same criticism of Chandler novels). But I’ll definitely read more tales about Jack Reacher.
When Jesus Becomes Boring
One of the blogs I read regularly is by Perry Noble, a megachurch pastor in South Carolina. He’s authentic, down-to-earth, and earthy.
Yesterday, Perry listed a bunch of statements which completed this sentence: “I don’t want to live a life….” Here’s the one that really grabbed me:
“I don’t want to live a life in which church becomes normal and routine and the person of Jesus becomes boring and dull.”
The thing is, church can be exciting and fulfilling, and Jesus can still be a sideshow. That’s what a lifetime in the church can do. There are times when I’m really plugged into Jesus, but other times when I’m very disconnected, despite being engulfed in church work. How to get beyond that…?
All Clean
Dentist appointment this morning. Time for a cleaning. Immediately afterwards, I went to Scott’s and got a couple donuts. No sense leaving them clean.
The Crime-Fighting Mac
Two thieves broke into Kait Duplaga’s New York apartment and stole thousands of dollars of stuff, including a Mac laptop. Duplaga works for an Apple store.
Someone told Duplaga that her Mac was online. Using a different Mac, she gained control of her stolen laptop’s system using a remote access feature built into OSX Leopard.
A camera is built into Mac laptops. Duplaga took a photo of the thief sitting there in front of her stolen laptop, and retrieved a photo of the other thief. A roommate recognized both guys, who had been party guests a few weeks earlier. Both have now been arrested.
Speaking Truth When Needed
Here’s a great quote from Mark Cuban, billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks and other stuff, from his blog:
“I have told just about everyone who has ever partnered or reported directly to me, that I can get so focused or involved that I lose sight of some thing(s). When that happens, you have done your homework and are confident in your position,¬†and when I don’t listen, raise your voice. Figuratively, literally, I don’t care. I don’t see decibels as a sign of disrespect. I see fear to communicate a needed message to me as a sign of disrespect. If you don’t care enough about our product, customer, company, employee, whatever it may be to step up and let me have it when I’m screwing up, then you don’t care enough to be here.”
That works if you’re not insecure about receiving criticism. Cuban obviously doesn’t mind being told that he’s wrong. Wouldn’t work with every boss. Wouldn’t work with every pastor, for that matter. But it’s a nice attitude to strive toward.
Movie: Ironman
Pam and I saw Ironman today, our first theatre experience of 2008. Loved it.
- Great performance by Robert Downey Jr.
- Beautifully written script. I loved the writing.
- Lots of humor. I laughed a lot.
- Very clean. I’m not sure there was any swearing (though I can be numb to that).
- A pleasant surprise to see Gwyneth Paltrow. Didn’t realize she was in it.
Next week, Prince Caspian, the second of the Chronicles of Narnia, comes out. The week after that: the new Indiana Jones movie. So some good stuff coming up.
Obscure Lessons from a Bird That Couldn’t Wait
I’m still searching for the spiritual application. So help me out.
I’m taking the week off, staying at home. I’ve just finished taking a shower, and now I’m sitting in our screened-in porch reading a good Christian book, Confessions of a Pastor, by Craig Groeschel. I’ve just finished his excellent chapter “I Feel Inadequate,” and now I’ve started the chapter “I Stink at Handling Criticism.” As I read, I keep an eye on Jordi, who is out in the grass.
After reading a couple pages, I look up–and no Jordi. He probably went around the side of the house. I stand up, pressing my face to the screen to peer around the corner. Just then a bird flies overhead. And also just then, my head is splattered with something wet but not terribly cold. Bullseye.
Bird poop. Wonderful.
The screen shows six splotches, close together. Direct hit. That bird should train F-117 pilots.
I go inside and wash myself off. And then, already being in a spiritual frame of mind, begin pondering the meaning of it all.
Since I was reading about handling criticism, was God telling me how people blame him for everything? Even an accidental bath from above? On the other hand, if this was an intentional lesson…then God IS to blame.
Or maybe it’s the “stink” part of Groeschel’s chapter. Criticism stinks, and handling criticism badly stinks. Is that a lesson God would go out of his way to make? Seems pretty shallow to me.
No, it must be something else. Something more than a euphemistic Stuff Happens. I’ll continue meditating on this throughout the day.
Using Your Vote as a Prank
Rush Limbaugh is far from my favorite person. He’s just a loud-mouth, totally partisan, highly divisive show-boater. The world would be a better place without him. And he obviously has little respect for American democracy. He encourages Republicans to play games with the process by crossing over and voting for Hillary, just to keep the Democratic primary going. It probably cost Obama the Indiana primary.
Why does Rush have so little respect for the right to vote? Why does he encourage people to use their vote as a prank? I view the vote as a great privilege? Isn’t that what we preach around the world? People die for the sake of their vote, for goodness sakes!
Rush thinks it’s a big hoot. I can’t imagine playing childish games with my vote. And yet, untold mindless hordes worship Rush’s utterings, and actually voted against their true conscience. Is this what we want to teach the world, and our own children, about democracy?
How did Americans become so flippant about their vote?
