Madness! Mountains of Madness! - 14 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 642

Micah 6:8
Daniel 11:9
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?

What a day in history! On 14 December 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team reached the South Pole. They were the first men in recorded history to stand at that antipodean apex. What an amazing accomplishment.

A mere thirty four days later, the Terra Nova expedition, led by the intrepid Captain Robert Falcon Scott (yes, Scott of the Antarctic) arrived at the same point - albeit a disappointing point for them. I suppose it might be a bit snotty (cruel is too strong a word here), but why not revel in the icy cold and the amazing adventures of these explorers by listening to the seventh symphony of Ralph Vaughan Williams, titled by the composer as Sinfonia Antartica (Antarctic Symphony). I get chilled every time I listen to 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.

Papa Gene's Blue - 13 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 641

Micah 6:8
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
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?

Sad news this weekend from the world of music, music videos, and television - Michael Nesmith has shuffled off this mortal coil at the too-young age of 78.

Those of us of a certain age no doubt remember him as the wool cap-wearing guitarist of the Monkees. He was a talented musician and songwriter (just ask Linda Ronstadt about different drums) and when I was asked, was always my favourite Monkee. After all, what could compete with a custom 12-string Gretsch, a sardonic wit, the creation of music video programs, and the executive production of the fabulous film, Repo Man? Not much, and certainly nothing the other Monkees had to offer (although Peter's harp playing to beat the devil does rank way up there).
Rest In Peace, Michael; you will be missed.

Unrelated to this news, but somehow connected, I was also thinking about the scene in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever where the kids are saying they don't know what "there are no small parts, only small actors" really means, and the explanation is that every part is important - Jesus, Mary, and the shrot kids. Well, wouldn't that be a great name for a band? Jesus, Mary, and the Short Kids, live on stage!
I know I'd buy tickets to that show, wouldn't you?

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.

Music Sunday Worship - 12 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 640

Micah 6:8
Luke 2:1-7  Philippians 4:1,4-9
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?

Music Sunday!
Twice each year the music department takes over a worship service at Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church, and today is one of those two Sundays. We'll have choral anthems, handbells, solos on piano and keyboard, and congregational hymns, each introduced with a brief reading from the songs or related Scripture passages - almost a Lessons and Carols service.

At any rate, God will be worshiped and glorified, and good fellowship will be shared all morning.
Why not join us?

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

Sharing Is Caring - 11 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 639

Micah 6:8
1 Corinthians 9:9-11
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?

Today is International Shareware Day! I'm not sure how much stuff still qualifies as shareware, but I'm definitely a big user and supporter of open source software. I have a couple machines running Linux (Mint), and every PC in the house has LibreOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, and a raft of other open source applications.
I guess that's all one form of shareware - the donation model where the software is distributed with no limitations or time horizons, but rather with a request for donations to the author, although most shareware isn't open source.

At any rate, I think the whole idea of shareware is a great one. It lets someone with an idea for an application find a way to get it to a bunch of users without necessarily going through a major publisher. At the same time it lets users find an application that does what they need at a much more affordable price.
Pretty much a win-win scenario.

Have a need for some application on your computer? It may already be out there as shareware or open source freeware, but if not, why not try to solve it yourself and then see if you can find other folks who also want it, and share it? Coding isn't dead simple, but it's not something mysterious; it's very definitely something you can learn.


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.

Thank You, Sir! May I Have Another? - 10 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 638

Micah 6:8
Proverbs 13:12
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?

Twenty years. It's really been twenty years since the first of the Lord of the Rings films was released.

I still remember sitting in the theatre waiting for it to start. Then in no time (or actually something like three hours) it was over.
The four of us sat there for a moment (after having cheered the Key Grip, as is our wont) and agreed that we would sit there for another three hours if the next film were ready to start right then. It was that amazing.

Peter Jackson did such a great job in adapting Tolkien's books (apart from leaving out Tom Bombadil - what's up with that?) that it was a shock to see what he did to The Hobbit. A simple tale was expanded, altered, stretched almost beyond recognition in parts; but I digress.

The glory that was the Fellowship of the Rings was first released on 10 December 2001, and it was so worth watching that one can ignore the few problems with that trilogy and (nearly) those of the Hobbit trilogy. (Trilogy? It was a tiny book! What were you thinking, Peter Jackson?)

Now the question is - what films are you willing to sit in a crowded(?) theatre to watch? What films are you anticipating? I'm getting tired of all the remakes, reboots, retreads, re-whatevers that pass for new these days. Can't someone make a new story with new characters? Please?

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.

Get the Iodine! - 09 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 637

Micah 6:8
Luke 2:1-20
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?


Today marks an important date in the history of American Christmas celebration. On 09 December 1965 A Charlie Brown Christmas aired for the first time on television. It's hard to imagine the season without the cast dancing to Schroeder's piano, Snoopy decorating his doghouse, Charlie Brown buying a tree that needs some love, and Linus reciting the Christmas story from the book of Luke. Maybe it isn't really all run by an East Coast syndicate after all!
I'm looking forward to watching it again this year, that's for sure.


Also - today marks our choirs' final rehearsals before Music Sunday! The bell choir will play, the chancel choir will sing, we have two keyboard solos, and the congregation will be joining in on some beloved hymns. It should be a wonderful time of worship and celebration.

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.

Jacob Von Hogflume - 08 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 636

Micah 6:8
Joshua 10:12-14
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 Pretend To Be A Time-Traveler Day. What a cool idea! I think it could be equally fun to be from either the past or the future. There would be totally different questions, misperceptions, and misunderstandings to prepare for each.
I recently heard a pretty good stand-up routine that relates to this. The comic was telling of the time he was working in a coffee shop and a customer asked for a ham & cheese croissant. Well, they didn't have - never had had - ham & cheese croissants on the menu, and he told the customer that. Confusion reigned as the customer asserted that he had had one at that very shop a couple weeks before.
Eventually he went away disappointed and confused. The storyteller realized there might have been a ham & cheese croissant in the rotating sandwich selection at some point, so the customer may have been correct. However, he preferred to think the guy was a time-traveler who had missed the mark by a few weeks, as shortly after this incident the menu was updated to include a ham & cheese croissant as a regular item.
I agree - making the guy a time-traveler makes the story way better than a simple misunderstanding about what part of the menu or sandwich display to check.
So - go out and explore this unique time, having come from some other era where COVID-19 either hasn't happened yet or has been eradicated by genetically modified e-coli in the drinking water (or whatever other options you discover in your future).

In addition, today is National Lard Day. That means it's the ideal time to render a carcass or to make a delightfully flaky pie crust. Your choice.

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.