That's Fair - 19 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 737

Micah 6:8
1 Kings 17:5-6
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?

Today is National Corndog Day! I really don't remember when I first had a corndog - we weren't big carnival or fair attenders when I was a kid, so somehow I doubt that's where it was, unless it was at the State Fair, back when we had a real State Fair (before our erst
while governor killed it, mostly out of spite as far as I can tell). It may, however, have been at the first Charlotte Bluegrass Festival I attended (with my sister) back in 1979 or 1980. The local 4-H Moms had what would now be called a food truck, I suppose, where we got actual good food, but there were all the carnival eats trailers there too, and I can't believe I didn't buy a corndog then.
Anyway, the best memory I have of corndogs is the time we made our own - using Jiffy cornbread mix, naturally - on the driveway of our friends, Fred & Lynn. We had the mini deep-fryer set up outside (no sense burning down the house if things went badly wrong), we had hot dogs, a dipping station, sticks, condiments, the whole nine yards as they say. They were good to eat, but eating corndogs with friends is even better.
We may have to do that again.

Today is also Play The Recorder Day. My elementary education did not include an actual recorder. We were given the dreaded "flutophone" to play. I think it was a sort of remedial recorder, and I resented it mightily, even to the point of never actually learning to play it.
We have a few different sized recorders in our musical instrument collection chez nous, and I may have to dig one out and give it a try. I'm sure dogs love to sing along to recorder music, right? This should be fun (or painful ... or both).

Go grab a corndog and a recorder and celebrate the end of Winter and the advent of Spring! (Hmm, how can we have an advent here in the middle of Lent? I may have to consult an ecclesiastical authority.)

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Just for Fun - 18 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 736

Micah 6:8
Galatians 5:22
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?

OK, for no real reason other than for the fun of it, here are a few fun videos to entertain you. Note that I'm not telling you what they are in advance. You'll just have to trust me. You do trust me, don't you?

Video Number 1 (no, I'm not telling)
Video Number 2 (nope, still not telling)
Video Number 3 (why bother? I'm still not telling)
Video Number 4 (treadmill dancing!)
Video Number 5 (another mystery)

You're welcome.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Yes, I know what day it is - 17 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 735

Micah 6:8
Genesis 3:13-15
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?

Yes, I do know it's St. Patrick's Day. In fact, I even know that on 17 March 1762 the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC took place. It's a celebration with a long history.

So how do I celebrate? Generally I do the same things as everyone else: I drink some Guinness, eat some corned beef, and wear my orange sweater. Perhaps I'll even grab a Nesbitt's Orange Soda Pop, if I can find one anywhere - I don't know if it's even being made these days.

Oh, perhaps finishing the day with a nice Irish Coffee would be nice. Ahh, the Dew!
You're welcome for the suggestion.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

3 - 2 - 1 - 16 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 734

Micah 6:8
Psalm 55:6-8
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?

On 16 March 1926 Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fuel rocket. What a cool thing that was - and is. After all, that's what still sends astronauts (and cosmonauts, for that matter) to the ISS or on suborbital jaunts so rich folks can say they were in space. Who knew kerosene would help us slip the surly bonds of Earth and dance through space on laughter-silvered wings? Robert Goddard, that's who.
And Elon and Jeff and Richard are all still using that same basic engine that Goddard got from reading an book by a Russian scientist. (Hmm. Some of those guys are still depending on Russians for their engines. That's about as smart as NATO countries paying Russia for their oil and natural gas. But I digress.)

At any rate, this took me back to my youth when I used to build and fly model rockets. I never did make a liquid fuel rocket - they were all from kits by Estes - but that's just the next level in the process.


It's kind of like my photography hobby at basically the same time. I developed and printed my own film - but only black & white. What I understood at the time was that doing color film was very much more difficult and needed much better control of temperatures and so forth. I hear these days that the difficulty was somewhat oversold to me at the time, but still, I never did. I still find both of those a bit interesting, but probably not enough to actually go try it again.

In addition to today's commemoration of Goddard's first liquid launch, today is also Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action. I was out walking Billie a couple days ago and, as I commented to Heidi when we got home, I smelled tobacco smoke out on the street for the first time in I don't know how long. Shortly after smelling that smoke, Billie made a lunge and grabbed some little thing off the ground. Well, it turned out to be a filter from a cigarette. First off, that's probably the worst thing she's grabbed that I had to take away from her, but further, it made me realize how seldom I see anyone smoking these days.
Clearly, that's a good thing, but to those of you still smoking, please don't throw your butts on the ground for my dog to eat.
grr.



Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Beware! - 15 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 733

Micah 6:8
Judges 3:20-23
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 marks the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar, the origin of the term caesarian section.

Apparently he had a huge melon of a head - this procedure probably saved his mother's life, as well as his.

He used his freakishly large cranium to conquer lots of territory (and to divide Gaul into three parts! Mathematicians have been trying to trisect angles ever since with no success - how did he do it?), to promote himself as a great conquering general and then emperor, but he didn't seem able to divine the intent of his "friends" despite being warned to beware the Ides of March. ("Divine" see what I did there?)

Maybe he was more of a shameless self-promoter than an amazing talent. He wouldn't be the only one.

At any rate, watch your back. I don't have any special information, I'm just saying ...

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Is It Flat Yet? - 14 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 732

Micah 6:8
Isaiah 53:4-7
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?

Yesterday was the second anniversary of our two weeks to flatten the curve. Our work from home journey started on Friday, 13 March 2020 and here we are two years later and almost ready to go back to the office - part time. We really are a nation of sheep it would seem. (The Sheep Look Up - John Brunner got the source of the oppression wrong, but the environment is still the pretext for said oppression. It's a depressing, wrong-headed book, but the imagery of a nation of sheep is powerful. Wake up, sheeple!)


Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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 - 13 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 731

Micah 6:8
Genesis 15:1-11
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?

For our 9:30 AM worship service we have the choir back at offertory time and our standard three hymns for congregational singing.

Also, there are still some copies of our Lenten devotions book for 2022, so come and get one! (You can always read them at https://gpumc.blogspot.com as well.)

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