Walk On - 19 June 2021 - Plague Journal Day 464

Micah 6:8
2 Corinthians 5:1-7
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is World Sauntering Day! It was created in 1979 by the brilliant W.T. "Bill" Rabe in response to the growing popularity of jogging. The idea behind the day was to encourage people to slow down and appreciate the world around them. Sauntering is a slow walk, without hurry, that opens the heart to the little things in life.

Bill Rabe used to say that one can only saunter if one has no particular destination in mind. He was a genius in many ways, the originator of Detroit's "Ask the Professor" radio show, the annual list of words banished from the English language, promoter of Unicorn Hunting (actually offering a course in the topic at Lake Superior State University. I'm fairly certain he also started the World Stone Skipping Championships up there as well. What a fun guy, and definitely missed these nearly thirty years since his passing.

Keep Calm and 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.

Able Was I Ere I Saw Elba - 18 June 2021 - Plague Journal Day 463

Micah 6:8
1 Kings 22:29-40
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

On 18 June 1815 Napoleon Bonaparte suffered a shattering defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. He was exiled to the Island of St. Helena where he died six years later.
I live a stone's throw from Waterloo, so this holds tremendous significance to me.
That and the fact that Napoleon crowned himself emperor with the Iron Crown of Lombardy which contained one of the nails from Christ's crucifixion, the same crown with which Charlemagne had been crowned.
Why do those things matter to me? Well many of them are background to the action in my third novel - Clyffwode Is Cinders - which is currently nearing completion.

Keep Calm and 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.

Klimmen en Dalen - 17 June 2021 - Plague Journal Day 462

Micah 6:8
Isaiah 42:16
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?


My favourite MC was born on 17 June 1898. That would be the famed Dutch illustrator M. C. Escher. What an imagination -  much of his work was simply interesting tilings or tesselations of a plane, but there was all that other cool, impossible stuff too.

Back in my university days I had a few Escher posters on the wall of my room, "Relativity" and "Waterfall" were two of them for sure, and there were probably others as well over the years. The playfulness of his distortions are so fun, especially when juxtaposed with the precision of his drawing.
I had plans to make a model of that Relativity space out of balsa wood or foam core or some such thing, but I never did get around to it. That would still be a really fun project!

Keep Calm and 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.

Enkidu? Is That You? - 16 June 2021 - Plague Journal Day 461

Micah 6:8
Genesis 7:17-24
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I'm looking for a recommendation from my readers. I haven't read the epic of Gilgamesh since High School, and there seem to be a ton of new versions and translations out there. Does anyone have a favorite, or some reason to choose one over another?
It's easy to say, "I'll get the Norton edition," or "Penguin is always reliable," but with so much scholarship and so many discoveries in the intervening years, it seems wise to ask for recommendations.

You're all probably wondering what got me on a Gilgamesh kick (I'm digging up the old Robert Silverberg novels and stories as well). I'll admit it - I recently saw the Start Trek: the Next Generation episode that referenced it. Temba, his arms open. Shaka, when the walls fell.

Keep Calm and 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.

Green Blood? - 15 June 2021 - Plague Journal Day 460

Micah 6:8
John 10:16
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

On 15 Jun 1844, Charles Goodyear patented the process of vulcanization of rubber. He came up with the idea of strengthening rubber by adding sulfur or similar materials. Vulcanized rubber is generally thought of as a material for tires, but it's in lots of other things too, such as the soles of shoes.

Interestingly, on 15 June 1966, DeForrest Kelley first called Leonard Nimoy a pointed-eared hobgovlin. Of course they were in character as Leonard "Bones" McCoy and Mr. Spock while filming an episode of Star Trek.

One wonders how Gene Roddenberry got away with calling Spock a Vulcan when it had been patented all those years prior. Perhaps it's because the patent had expired, but wouldn't they have trademarked that word? This is another example of how failure to protect ones intellectual property can end up putting egg on ones face. As you come up with ideas, inventions, and designs, please keep this lesson in mind and take good care of your potential nest-egg.



Keep Calm and 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.

pointed-eared hobgoblin

Flag Day! - 14 June 2021 - Plague Journal Day 459

Micah 6:8
Isaiah 30:15-17
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is Flag Day. Every 14 June I find myself remembering my late coworker, Ed Fleig. Ed had a party for us at his house to celebrate Fleig Day, as he called it.He was a great guy, and greatly missed, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers him on his special day. Godspeed, Ed!

Those of us of a certain "vintage" will recognize this flag as the one that flew when we were born. None of these non-contiguous States for us - no sir!

In semi-related news, today is also the birthday of the U.S. Army, founded as the Continental Army 14 June 1775. To all the soldiers and vets out there - have a great Army Birthday.

Keep Calm and 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 - 13 June 2021 - Plague Journal Day 458

Micah 6:8
Mark 4:26-34
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

 

 

This is Graduation Sunday - we'll be honoring our High School grads this morning!

When the COVID case levels settled down in Grosse Pointe, we resumed our in-person worship.
Yes, we still have in-person worship in the Sanctuary today, and we're not requiring masks for fully vaccinated worshipers! You still need to have registered ahead of time to attend, and an email went out from the church with all the details.
For our 9:30 worship service have the bell choir playing at offertory time, and two hymns for us to sing while Doug plays. Yes - we're back to congregational singing. We're Methodists again!
Remember, we'll be streaming for all those who can't join us in person, and intend to continue that practice indefinitely.

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 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