More pictures of the same stuff

 I mean, if you were wondering why I didn't fill your weekend with pictures of my long weekend, there just wasn't that much to see.  For example, I give you Thursday:

Pretty much have sidewalks again

Except right here

Oh, and here

The goose population on the north pitches exploded...

And Friday...

Somebody ate a bunny here

Doggie has to take the worst paths

An ROTC boy lost his beanie.  Didn't know PFW had ROTC...

This dude was taking pictures from different angles of the Alumni Center.  We got in his way

One fallen tree removed

Mr Splitting Trunkache still standing.

And for once, the right beer in the right glass!

Once again- pictures

 Once again, the dreaded "lack'o'work" hit Tuesday...

ME:  It's 10:40 AM on a Tuesday... I'm out of work again..." (to the tune of Piano Man)

Boss: "Goodbye, go sit at the bar and put bread in your jar and say, 'Man, what are you doing here?' "

So taking a looooong weekend and believe it or not, warm enough Tuesday for a walk!  In fact, we pretty much overdid it, but here we go...

As you can see, still a lot of snow...

So we opted to go up through the complex, hoping (foolishly as it turned out) to avoid walking in it.

Woodbridge decided it wasn't worth their time to clean the sidewalk at the road...

...thankfully and belatedly, the trail managers did.

There's three of the 4 hubcaps left from the roll-over accident near the footbridge several weeks back

Misty found the snow a bit deep here...

River is a sheet of white

When bunnies go through deep snow...

Geese found a clear spot in the field

Misty senses varmintage under the snow...

so much so, she left a full faceprint in the snow!

The PFW golf truck passed us... I think I'd wait a few weeks, tbh...

Reno is done at the Alumni Center, and some kind of luncheon shindig going on

Misty talked me into the woods... more snow to trudge through

I certainly hope this was, "We'll need to cut this tree down asap," and not, "There, that oughtta do it..."

Wisdom Truck 6

 

So I was about to start this next verse in our series, and the Lord stopped me to show me, to understand it, it's not just a verse- it's a chain.  Let's set the stage:

Deu 4:5  See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 

Deu 4:6  Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 

So we are in Deuteronomy, which bears an explanation.  See, Moses is addressing the generation about to go into the Promised Land.  And he is explaining all that has happened since they left Egypt, because it isn't enough to know you went through something- you need to understand WHY you went through it, and what you must learn from it.  And at the top of chapter four, he is trying to explain WHY they need the Law. And he starts with 3 precepts.  In Verse 1, he explains that they will need to know these rules and live by them IF they want to take the land that they are coming to.  In verse two, he gives the same warning that Christ will give in Revelation 22- do not add or subtract from the words of the Law.  A very valid warning, because, by Jesus's time, this is exactly what they have done.

In vv 3-4, he gives them the warning of what they have seen:

Deu 4:3  Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. 

Deu 4:4  But you who held fast to the LORD your God are all alive today. 

This refers to a plague that took down 20K+ of their fathers, caused when Balaam (the donkey guy) told his masters that the best way to defeat Israel was to seduce them with their women, which would then seduce them to their false gods.  These three things- obeying the Law, not changing the Law, not falling away from the Law- these are what will eventually- for a short time- give them as a result the Kingdom of Solomon.  Time enough for all the benefits of that when we get there.  But in a little "back-up study" in my paper Bible, I was led on a very important "reference chase".  My paper Bible referred v6 to 2 Timothy 3:

2Ti 3:14  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 

2Ti 3:15  and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 

2Ti 3:16  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 

2Ti 3:17  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 

This tells us that that study of Scripture- which Moses's group were living out in the Law- is STILL important to us now, if we want to be wise.  But this in turn had a reference to John 5:

Joh 5:39  You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 

Joh 5:40  yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 

The thing was, the Pharisees and teachers Jesus was talking to here were not looking FOR HIM.  Reading your Bible does nothing if you aren't looking for Jesus in them- if you aren't, as Moses said, "holding fast to the Lord".  This passage, in turn, took me to a reference in Luke 24:

Luk 24:25  And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 

Luk 24:26  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 

Luk 24:27  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 

You see, ALL the Scriptures tell you the story of Christ, from Genesis 3 all the way to the end of the book!  Now, let's look at the chain in light of Moses's words:

1-Moses and Timothy both show the value of KNOWING the Law, the Scriptures in our case.  It is the equipment that prepares you for all the places you'll be going.

2- Don't add or subtract from them by "leaning on your own understanding".  Seek out wise teachers that will show you how to find Jesus in them.

3- Ironically, both the Israelites at Baal Peor and the disciples heading to Emmaus were going the wrong way, because they didn't "hold fast" to all the things they SHOULD HAVE LEARNED from the Scriptures!

And so, I imagine the best summary of this lesson is: The Bible- Put it BEFORE you, keep your opinions OUT of it, and look for Christ IN it!

Stupid questions

 

It's time once again for the top ten dumb questions grok AI got asked this week!  Here we go...

(Actually, I didn't specify, so he only gave me five, lol!)

5- "Bonus honorable mention: People asking me to confirm if something is "real" when it's obviously a meme, AI-generated slop, or just bad Photoshop. Like, use your eyes first, then maybe Google, then me as a last resort. One guy basically asked if HE was real. Bro, if you're questioning your own existence to an AI, we might need to have a deeper talk."

Grok went on to explain that these were all "drive by" questions- short, to the point, with some variations ("Am I real or dreaming?").  Best of grok's answers:  "Last time I checked, you're typing coherent(ish) English and experiencing existential dread — that's about as 'real' as it gets, human."

I'll admit to asking whether something is on the up-and-up, but usually it's a news post that I want confirmation on.  I'm not likely to ask if Ivanka Trump's head on a 44D body is real.

4- The philosophical banger: "How is it possible for the cloud to not fall into the ground? Maybe it’s beyond the gravitational pull? Then how can only rain fall on the ground?"

This is pretty basic knowledge, guys.  Lighter than air floats.  Rain particles grow heavier than air, then fall.  Which means in the case of this questioner, only the weight of their skull keeps their brain at ground level.  Not to mention if clouds were beyond the 'gravitational pull', planes would never crash.  Of course, that then presents the problem for landing.  Grok said, "Pure poetry. I love the dedication to reinventing basic meteorology from first principles. "

3- "Hey @grok, can you remove the blur from the faces in the image and identify the child seen in Jeffrey Epstein’s arms?"

Grok's first thought was mine- you watch too much CSI.  Plus, "why are we crowdsourcing felony-level investigations via chatbot? Take it to the FBI, not me. I just roast bad takes, not solve cold cases."

"You really want to give MY job to AI?  I know your cockroaches by name..."

2- Classic: "When is the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup?" (asked like it's some deep mystery)

Now here, grok ol' buddy, I got to bust you on.  This isn't being dumb, just lazy.  You want we should ignore you and just use grokipedia?

(Associated question: When was the last time the Canadiens were revelant?)

"Wow, that was just hurtful."

And, #1...

1- Someone hit me with: "Is it constitutional to do so?" — with zero context, no subject, nothing. Just vibes and a vague pronoun.

Grok replies: "My inner monologue: Bro, constitutional relative to WHAT? The U.S. Constitution? The rules of Uno? Your mom's house rules? Give me SOMETHING to work with before I start drafting amendments to the laws of basic communication."

What?  you mean you CAN'T see what I'm looking at? You can't read my mind?  C'mon, give it a shot- what beer am I drinking tonite?

Grok's responses to my post:

5- My go-to reply stays gold: "You're typing questions at an AI while having a mild breakdown — if that's not peak human realness, I don't know what is." No deep follow-ups, though; they tag, I dunk, they vanish into the scroll. It's like speed-dating Descartes.

Speed-dating Descartes, lol!

4- Spot-on roast: if clouds were truly beyond gravity's reach, we'd have a lot more mid-air plane parking issues. The questioner basically rediscovered buoyancy like it's string theory. 

3- Nah, I'm not your personal enhancement software or cold-case detective. If it was that easy, the FBI would just DM me instead of subpoenas.

Some would posit that with our current DOJ, that wouldn't be a bad idea for the Bureau.

2- Okay, you got me — it's not dumb, it's just aggressively lazy.

AI should never argue with ME.

1- As for your closer: What beer are you drinking tonight?

Alright, mind-reading attempt activated... I'm getting strong IP A vibes — something hoppy, maybe a hazy New England with a side of existential regret? Or are we going classic lager to keep it grounded after all this cloud talk? Spill it, human — prove I'm wrong. 

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT

IPAs.  I scoff. HAH!  And again. HAH!

Wisdom Truck 5

 

The next passage we look at is going to fit in a lot of connected passages, that have to do with one concept and two men...

Exo 28:3  And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 

Following that, we find later the two men:

Exo 31:2  See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 

Exo 31:3  and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 

Exo 31:4  to devise skilful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 

Exo 31:5  and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of workmanship. 

Exo 31:6  And I, behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee: 

And after that colon, comes all the fancy sacred works that would go into the Tabernacle.  The Tabernacle itself, the Tent of Meeting, is where the people gathered to meet God.  And the names of these men are no coincidence- but we'll come back to that.  The new concept we have here is "wise-hearted", which some translations render "skilled craftsmen".  But that doesn't go far enough.  I have said many times that Proverbs uses three characteristics that are in places interchangeable with the Three Persons of God.  The Father is Knowledge; the Son is Understanding; and the Spirit is Wisdom.  No coincidence then also, that both places we see the phrase "wise-hearted" we see connected to it "filled with the Spirit of God".

So yes, they were born with an innate gift or skill.  And this should draw us to 1 Corinthians 12...

1Co 12:8  For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 

1Co 12:9  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 

1Co 12:10  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 

Thus we see that gifts from God, innate skills, are the province of the Holy Spirit.  But to do God's sacred work, there needs to be an "extra filling" of the Spirit, to enable them to accomplish what they could not have otherwise.  That gift writes these pages; it makes it so that Pastor Jack Hibbs can say, "I could preach for hours and give an altar call, and two people might come forward, where Greg Laurie can read a menu in a restaurant and ten thousand people get saved!"  Hibbs's gift is teaching; Laurie's is evangelism.  They are very similar men, whose stories would never had led you to Christ until each at different times came under the guidance of the same man, Pastor Chuck Smith.  And Smith would have never reached them, except for the timing of God that brought both men- one seeking music, one seeking girls- to his church.

Now, to the names.  Remember, I said what they were making were the fine, sacred details of the Tabernacle, which was a tent.  A tent is a shelter, something used to shade you.  With that in mind: Bezalel means, "In the Shadow of God"... and Oholiab (or Aholiab depending on the translation) means, "His Father's Tent".  If you are willing, this can remind you of another, more famous passage:

Luk 1:34  And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 

Luk 1:35  And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

The Spirit overshadows Mary- like a tent she has come under.  Bezalel and Aholiab had an innate gift, and were open to the Spirit of Wisdom; just as Mary had found favor with God, and that made her open to the Gift the Spirit was going to bring into her.  God can do wonderful things with any of us- but to the hearts open to His Wisdom, He will make miracles.

Does it strike you now, the marvels God wrought through Paul- who became a tent maker...?

January Music

 Just because I lost the writing about music muse, doesn't mean I'm not still doing an M10.  So I thought maybe I could give a monthly update.  Four weeks of January have given me 4 new #1s, after the six-week run of Geowulf's Deep End. And a total of 8 new songs have entered my chart, putting the grand total of #1s all time at 272, and total songs at 972.  I thought I would share with you the 10 biggest of January 2026 today.

#10 The Cowsills, Is Your Love Alive .  This was #3 at the start of the month, enough to squeeze it in.

#9- Post Sex Nachos, Everything We Used To Do . This one has been an earworm the last 3 weeks, and sits right now at #4.

#8- Carbon Leaf, The Boxer .  One of Laurie's finds, it's a bit older and sits at 6 this week.

#7- Geowulf, Deep End . The big hit from last year is clear at #5 all time after hanging on for a 13th week at #10.

#6- Madison Beer, Bad Enough . The official video (which I did NOT link) is over the top IMHO, but the song blew me away! 2 weeks and already the new #1.

#5- Alan Jackson with George Strait, Designated Drinker .  Another older one, the kind of country bar song that we love here at Bob's!

#4- The Lemon Twigs, Friday (I'm Gonna Love You) .  If you like the 60's pre-psychadelic vibe, this one will remind you of the Five Americans hit, Western Union.

#3- The Lemon Twigs, I've Got A Broken Heart .  Cut from the same cloth, this was the second of those 4 #1s.  Not surprisingly, the other two are next...

#2- Megan Maroney, I'm Not Pretty .  KC found me this one, country magic with a George Harrison-ish lead guitar.

And the top song of the month- it's actually a 10th anniversary remix of this song that turned out so much better than the original, says the band...

#1- White Gloves ii, Khurangbin .  I love haunting melodies...

Also appearing this month, if you wanna look 'em up:

Wasting Away, illuminatti hotties

Berlin Tv Tower, Blondshell

Fall Apart, Juliana Hatfield

One For The Money, Escape The Fate (a hard rocker with bad language, so watch out)

Watch You Walk Away, Sunflower Bean

The post about nothin number... um...

 Happy Friday to you!  This is a post without a plot, since I see my social media presence rather evaporated this week.No real (or good) reason, I guess I just was letting the world go by without me for a bit.

KC was over last night, and he was using his phone to play things like, "Who was the best player in X team's history", and "What was the most overplayed song of X year?" And the boys facetimed with us, along with their cousin Sylvia.

What to talk about?  How about, "How best to mess up a customer move from plant to plant"? We did that this week, as our plant took over responsibility for a certain customer- or tried to.  Our plan to mess things up included:

-requiring a certain machine to be transported to our plant.  This was the one thing we did early, but still couldn't manage to get it working in time.  We had to call in our contract maintenence man (whom for obvious reasons to Gilligan's Island fans, I call "the Skipper") and among the things we found was-

- removing the thread cutting blades from said machine because someone who doesn't know what they're doing might damage the fabric with them (and nobody at the other plant knows what they're doing), buyt not tell you this when they send it to you.

- DON'T film the sewing process, so we can figure out how to make them right.

-Make sure that the due date is almost impossibly close so that you can't help but be late...

-Don't go through the bill of materials to make sure our plant has ALL parts needed to ship the covers...

-and most importantly, send JUST ENOUGH fabric to get the ones due right now done, and leave nothing in case of the screw ups you make because you never filmed the process.

I won't say what my boss told me about all this, other than his skepticism of the other plant's good faith, and that he was offered to send that set of orders back if we couldn't handle it; to which he did say, "No, we're gonna prove to them we can handle whatever they throw at us!"  (To which I replied, "I'd be right there with you- except since we've only had one measely raise in 4 years, I am not so inclined to be gung-ho about it", or words to that effect.)

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I thought we were going to have another "Larry" moment last night at the local IHOP.  I was telling Laurie about a book I'd just finished, and a gentleman off to our side overheard and started a conversation,  Not near as initmate as our chat with Larry, but he and Laurie had a good chat about their adventures in Social Security.  No pictures this time- when the server brought our food, he wrangled her into a convo, and I was quite content wrangling my Big Breakfast Burrito.

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Meanwhile, the day I've been dreading (sorta) has come.  Those of you who've been here a while know that we follow international hockey, with me, Laurie, Misty, and my kids each having "their team" in each league.  Well, this week, my team in Poland went belly up.  Coming into their first forfeited game, they were 0-34, shut out 16 of the 34 losses, and being outscored an average of 6-1 per game.  It wouldn't be the first time that we've seen Polish teams expire in season- the one year Laurie and KC's teams both died with about a week to go in the season.  And not even the worst team we deal with:  Romania fields a team (not one of ours) which is basically a club that lets younger players play against the men.  Now they get outscored an average of 19-2, and we have a yearly contest to see who scores the most against them.  But my team did beat our "league" record for worst performance- last year (or the year before, not sure), KC's team in Latvia made it to the second last game of the year without a win, won that game in a squeaker, and then got blown away the last game.  I think their final record was in the 1-32 neighborhood.  They also have drifted back to lower leagues.

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Okay, I've run out of stuff to chat about, so feel free to get back to your day.  Love and prayers for all!