Guess What I Heard! - 13 November 2021 - Plague Journal Day 611

Micah 6:8
2 Corinthians 12:20
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Apparently there really is a move to change some street names in the Grosse Pointes.
First we heard that McKinley would be changed to Denali, but now there comes word that Washington and Jefferson are up for renaming as well. After all, both were slaveholders, so regardless of any other aspects to their lives and characters they need to be expunged from the historical record.

One wonders about Roosevelt - which one is it? Teddy or FDR? Would that make a difference?

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Birds Do It - 12 November 2021 - Plague Journal Day 610

Micah 6:8
Psalm 96
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

No, not that. I was thinking this morning about music - about composing music with and without words.

I've gone back and forth in my mind as to which is harder, and which is a higher art.

Sometimes I think that since only humans have words to set, then the song is higher than the melody. As the title says above, birds do it. (I once read that if birds could be taught to count they would be the best musicians in the world. Maybe.)
At other times I think that words help in composition - they guide the flow of melodies and the overall structure of the piece, so in a way it's harder to compose pure music than a song.

I've done some of each, but my limited sample doesn't really tell me what I want to know. I'd be interested in your opinion and thinking. Which is a higher art form - music with words or music without words?

As Captain Underpants would say, tra la laaaa!

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Armistice? - 11 November 2021 - Plague Journal Day 609

Micah 6:8
2 Kings 18:28-35
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is Veterans Day. It used to be called Armistice Day, as it commemorated the signing of the armistice that ended World War I (At least it stopped the fighting for a while - it can be argued that World War II was really just a continuation of the temporarily suspended WWI.). That armistice was signed at the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of ... well not the 11th year of anything in particular, but all those 11s are pretty cool.

Further, 100 years ago today, the unknown soldier was returned from WWI Europe and laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. 

Still, please remember that today is Veterans Day, not Memorial Day, not Armed Forces Day - it's a day to thank veterans for their service, not to honor the fallen (that's Memorial Day), not to honor current soldiers, et al. (that's Armed Forces Day). So today, thank a veteran for his or her service. They'll generally be embarrassed by the attention, just proving how much they deserve it.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Ten Digits?! - 10 November 2021 - Plague Journal Day 608

Micah 6:8
1 Chronicles 20:6-8
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is Area Code Day! I suppose that's a bit of an odd thing to celebrate, but consider how difficult it would be to make phone calls without area codes. They date back to the 1940s and made it possible to have the same 6- or 7-digit phone number for different people in different areas.(Yes, I said 6-digit because that's what they were for a long time. My grandparents' number was TUxedo3193 for a long time before it because TUxedo2-3193. Note that TUxedo was the exchange and translates to 88 - look at the letters on your phone's number pad for confirmation. You're welcome.)
Anyway, with the burgeoning adoption of fax machines, computers with modems, and cell phones the phone system was running out of numbers to assign. They cleverly carved out new area codes - for each new one, all the numbers in a previous one were now available again - brilliant!
There couldn't be any unintended consequences to something that simple, could there? Of course there could.

I was traveling on business (to Kansas City) when our office area code changed from 313 to 810. I had a laptop (pretty advanced for the times when I think about it) and would call the office to check on stuff each day. Well, I did until 10 August when that change took place. I couldn't call in because the hotel had a list of allowed area codes (rather than a list of disallowed). This was when all the 900 numbers were raging, as well as scams involving huge per-minute charges to area codes that seemed innocuous.
I had to call home (my home was still 313) and pass on the information indirectly. Fun times.

Allan Sherman knew what was coming! He's got us all Digit Dialing indeed! At least we're on ten digits, just like most folks' hands.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Let My People Go - 09 November 2021 - Plague Journal Day 607

Micah 6:8
Exodus 8:1-6
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Until fairly recently, it seemed to me that much of the thrust of modern history was toward more freedom for the people. I'm pretty sure I was mistaken in this assessment. Most likely this was how things were supposed to look to us, rather than how they really were.

Still, at least in the West, there were moves away from tyranny toward freedom. In fact, this is quite a day to celebrate freedom in European history. On this date in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. In other WWII-related news, nineteen years prior to that, on 09 November 1970, Charles de Gaulle died. Here's a stirring tribute. (please note the position of my tongue, held firmly in cheek)

Now go work for freedom. Freedom isn't - and never has been - free. It must be fought for and defended at all times.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

High Noon - 08 November 2021 - Plague Journal Day 606

Micah 6:8
Genesis 1:3-5
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Well, friends, we're back on the time that makes sense - Standard Time - at last. Twice each year we seem to have the same conversation with the same result. We all bemoan the fact that we have to change our clocks to and from Daylight Saving Time, vowing that we will change that system and stick with a single time zone thenceforth. Then we do nothing about it.

Looking at things from Detroit, I note that Solar noon here is a bit after 12:00 when on EST, within 15 or 20 minutes of what a properly-oriented sundial would read. That's what we want - a time zone that comports with the Sun! Noon at Noon! Midnight at Midnight!
For those who are desperate for more sunlight in the evening, please note that we already back-load our daylight - there's more after Noon than before - so staying on EST makes wonderful sense. 

Bonus background information:
Back in the 1920s Detroit was on Central time, so maintaining EST is essentially going to year-around CDT. That should satisfy everyone, right? We're on standard time for those who like that, but we're on daylight saving time for those who prefer that. Win-win and no changing of clocks! Problem solved. Huzzah!
You're welcome.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Worship - 07 November 2021 - Plague Journal Day 605

Micah 6:8
Mark 10:13-16
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one? 

 

(Don't forget, we've ended Daylight Saving Time this morning. Check your clock to be sure you get to church at the correct time!)
For our 9:30  EST worship service we will be sharing Communion, have the Chancel Choir at offertory time, and three(!) hymns for congregational singing. (Yes - we're real Methodists again!) Remember, we'll be streaming for all those who can't join us in person, and intend to continue that practice indefinitely. Still, know that we miss seeing you in person - please come join in corporate prayer, praise, and worship as soon as you feel ready.

As usual, today's stream should just appear as the latest entry on our YouTube channel, here.
You'll find all our previous worship videos right there at that same place, and today's stream will stay there as a recording as well.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264