Monday pictures

 I only have 2 days to share, I'm really getting over winter at this point.  Anyway...

My calendar tells me this was last Monday night...

...the first day it was worthwhile to sit in that yard chair, and of course it's now gone

Plenty of people and doggies taking advantage of the weather- it won't last

We had about half the river unfrozen

From the Big Hill

Saturday, we had to get it in quick- Ice storm on the way

Somebody lost a combo lock

The robins' hideaway bar

Oreo and Dad were way ahead of us

"Darn it!"

A set of new "no trespassing" signs along the backwoods road
 

My guess, they are prepping for another hobo camp

That's what those slabs were for- new benches!

The one patch of snow left- so Misty GRAZED it...

The ABCs of Politics.

 Serious post here, but I NEED YOU TO KNOW this is not about anyone who is a current reader/commenter of this blog- at least, not the bad part.  Please listen, and do not put yourself in as a character in the bad part, anyone.

This is about the ABCs of current politics.  

You see, I ran into a very disturbing formula applied to me yesterday.  Let's call it, If A and B, then C.

A is, "I don't like the policies/statements of this person/group."  Well, to be fair, perhaps one or two of them that override anything else they say or do.

B is, "My friend supports this person."  Never mind the totality of what A is, or asking why said friend would support whatever.

C is, "Therefore, my friend is a terrible person as well."

Thing about that is, not only are you ignoring the whys of A and B, but you are saying, "The thing I don't like about A is so overriding, I must ignore EVERYTHING ELSE I know about my friend and skip right to C."

Thankfully, anyone likely to read this doesn't let A override B.  Even if something is poorly worded or misunderstood, they remind themselves of the totality of the friend behind the B, and don't rush to jump right to C.  They remember nothing in A makes the sky less blue, the sun a degree colder, or there next sip of water any sweeter.  They know who they are, and I want them to know they are appreciated.

Those who jump to C will likely never see this.  But if they could, I would say this:

It's not worth it.  Look at what you are thinking, and decide who was the faithless friend.  Ask yourself if your political hurt was worth the heart hurt.  Decide what really matters.  Don't get so angry you don't ask questions first.

I have in the last few years seen three shades of this.  One was just an unreasoning hate from the start, egged on by talking heads who have agendas not completely disclosed.  One had a legit grievance, but with the policy, not the friend.  And one flat out admitted politics was more important than any friendship in their mind.

I think seeing oneself-including me- in any of these should be chilling.  And yes, some things CAN be over the top.  But I think all of us need to do a little more self-examination before responding.  Myself included.

Maybe in another week...

 ...I'll feel up to the tomfoolery needed for a good M10 post.  This week, though, I'll just catch you up...

Last week, the Cardinals and Let It Ride slipped to 10, drops into the "lower five" this week.

The former #1 by the Cowsills, She Said To Me, slips to 9 last week, and likewise into the 11-15 range this week.

Last week this "debuted" at #8- and moves up to 4 this week.  From 1970's After The Gold Rush, here's Neil Young:

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The Heavy Heavy moved 10 to 7 last week and 7 to 6 this week with Miracle Sun.

Hana Vu moved down one to six last week, and back up to 5 this time, with Care.

The monster hit Move Your Feet by Junior Senior slid to 5 last time, and to8 this week- which will put it into a 3-way tie for 28th all time.

The Linda Lindas apparently hit their peak with Nothing Would Change at #4, up 2, last week; this week it drops to 7. 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers shot up 4 to #3 last week with Never Be You; this week, up one to #2.

Before we hit the top, this week had two debuts.  At #10, new stuff from Shannon and the Clams:

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And more new stuff from Matt Berry at #9:

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Last week, Japanese Breakfast had a second week at #1 with Kokomo, IN; it slides to #3 this week, while the song that was at #2 goes to the top- making five toppers for Geowulf, with Stay Baby!!!

Hope you enjoy the clips, and I'll see about getting back in the swing next week.

Around the world

 

So this time, I'm using a 'random nation generator' to pick me ten nations to observe- so blame it if the stories don't fly...

Gibraltar (yes, I know, not an independent country.)

So I was trying to read a story about an inquiry that was making fresh headlines, but paywall issues led me to dig into it from the back.  Seems that we start with a corruption inquiry after former police commissioner Ian McGrail claimed that someone at the highest reaches of the Rock forced him out of an investigation into a friend of the Chief Minister, and then into early retirement.  Then, as the investigation into McGrail's claims was about to start, these same officials began to try to pass laws allowing it to "Halt public inquiries"- seems a lot like the Dems reactions to DOGE here.  None of which seems to be terribly related to the original story I tried to look at- where, in response to an inquiry from someone in the House of Commons, the UK Ministry of Defense that Gibraltar is "likely the key" to defending Western interests in the Mediterranean. 

If the HoC really needed a 'report' to figure that one out, I begin to see why the UK is in so much turmoil anymore...

Ivory Coast (or, in French, Cote d'Ivoire)

Our subjects here, along with neighboring Senegal, are booting French troops out of their countries.  Why were they there?  To combat (with negligible results) Islamist fundamentalist terror groups.  Why did they fail?  You mean outside of France's 0-for streak in wars since 1871?  How about, "It's hard to prevent terrorists with a straight face when we welcome them to Metropolitan France"?  Y'all need a new Napoleon...

Grok made this for me- Napoleon, Trump, Nixon, and Cleopatra discussing the situation...

The Bahamas

Now here's a front page you really don't want on YOUR doorstep:

-The Police Union claims they aren't getting payouts on their insurance policies since the government is $100 Million behind on their premiums...

- Traffic deaths, suicides both up last year...

- Plus, murders up 9%...

-Plus, complaints about those un-insured cops are up 114% last year...

-Plus, despite efforts both inside and outside the country, the government does not consider marital rape a crime...

-AND a woman will be going to trial for throwing acid on her brother and his girlfriend (sorry, no other juicy details)...

Austria

Definitely the most aggravating to find so far.  First, a web search refuses to give you a legit, from-the-country website.  You have to fight your way to one. Even on BBC World, where I used to find news sites on their "country profiles", when I tried this, clearly typing "Austria Country Profile", I get profiles for Croatia and Poland instead.  Finally finding the Weiner Zeitung (Vienna Times) site, I find nothing but stories about 'fake news'- oh, and the travails of editor Verena Franke, who had all but signed the deal to buy her first house- only to find out that she needed life insurance, and because she's a type 1 diabetic, nobody but nobody would insure her.  Here she might could sue- there, maybe not so much.

Germany

In an apparent attempt of influencing German elections, Russian agents vandalized 270+ cars in 3 German states and Berlin.  Trying to make it look like the Green Party did the deed, they filled exhaust pipes with expanding construction foam.

Stickers were then left on the damaged cars depicting Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck, the Green Party's chancellor candidate in the upcoming federal election, and bearing the message: "Be greener!"

Of course, if environmentalists weren't touring Europe splashing paint and cheez-whiz on priceless paintings to "make their points", no one would have fell for the scam.  Sometimes you reap the whirlwind, kids.

Chile

In what may have been our first contestant for "World's stupidest criminal, the Catholic Church defrocked priest Tulio Soto Manquimilla for conduct unbecoming.  Included in his offenses...

The now former priest of the archdiocese of Puerto Montt, Manquemilla had been under investigation since 2018 after a series of irregularities came to light. Soto had hired himself to increase his salary and lent Church money to individuals. The transactions were even documented before a notary public, which made auditing easier.

Hires himself, to increase his salary...  Wonder if Pelosi figured that scam out...

US Virgin Islands (again, not an independent, and possibly not a virgin)

A  19- year old went on an 11-day, 4 robbery spree, ending in, of all places, a K-Mart.  Day one,  Tyshaune Rey Jr, started out robbing a jewelry store- but from there, he devolved in his choices. Six days later, it was a McDonalds; then a liquor store, before finally being apprehended on one of the few K-Marts left on earth.  He's being held in lieu of $135 K bail.  

Fun fact- there are 4 full-out K-Marts left on earth; 3 in the USVI, one in Guam.

Comoros

In a lame attempt (IMHO) of doing you-know-what down one's leg, President Azali Assoumani has had his 'deputy secretary-general' explain how, when he said he planned on passing the office down to his son, he really didn't mean his 'son', exactly...

Hafi (the DSG) stressed that Assoumani was speaking in metaphorical terms of his future successor and that to report otherwise was "misinformation".

"He [Assoumain] spoke of a son in terms of his three families: his political family, his government family and his nuclear family...In 2029, he will choose, within the framework of the party, a child of the party to run for the universal suffrage of the Comorian people," Hafi went on.

Togo

Not a lot to choose from in this tiny splinter of a country, so when I saw...

Lomé will host the third edition of the "Les Afropéennes" festival from February 20 to 23, 2025

...I said, please tell me that "Afropeennes" is going to be something dirty, or at least interesting..." Nope, just an art festival.

And, finally- perhaps mercifully...

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

At least they had interesting news, if not exactly ripe for my spin news.  Still once again I had hopes when I saw the headline:

NLM to Host March & Rally Against Social Injustice in Layou

And I'm like, is this their version of Black Lives Matter?  If so, what is the "N"? Nematodes? Neptunians? Navigators? (They were talking about regattas coming up in April in another article).  But no- it was the National Liberation Movement- apparently a new political party...

The National Liberation Movement (NLM) is pleased to introduce itself to you as the true voice for economic, transformative, social and political change built on principles of Meritocracy, Pragmatism, Integrity, Accountability, Transparency and Equity.

They are a "third party" outfit, splitting the difference between the moderate conservatives on one side and 'democratic' socialists on the other.  I had to laugh a little bit about the Dem-soc's party acronym- The Unity Labor Party, or "ULP"...

Grok comes through for me again...I think I have just gained a new super power...

Wednesday Bible Study: Abraham Plank by Plank part VII

 

The 14th chapter of Genesis is one of my favorites, and I see now it has an overarching message for my journey through the life of Abraham.  It also is very historical, which means it will be easy for me to skip the point, but I want to do this in such a way that we wring all God means for us to know out of it.

We begin with a list of kings- and at least two of their kingdoms (Shinar, which is Mesopotamia, and Elam) tell us they are not from around here.  The KJV dictionary gives us further clues:  Amraphel is Babylonian, as is Arioch; Chedarlaomer, the apparent ringleader, is Persian.  Tidal, usually translated "king of nations" is named Canaanite; possibly he is the group's rep in the area.  They had a certain sway over the area Abram lived in, after their first win over the area 13 years before.  But now the local leaders- chief among them the kings of the cities of the plain, Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboiim, Admah, and Zoar- had rebelled, and they were working their way towards the rebels.  First, though, they had to get through the races of the giants, that we mentioned last week.  Verses 5-6 describe this, because

... the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 

Gen 14:6  And the Horites in their mount Seir....

that they smote in those verses WERE the giants.  You see, we learn in 2 Samuel 21 that the giants- specifically the brothers of Goliath- had extra fingers and toes, and thus may have been suffering some form of retardation.  Certainly every time we encounter them in the Bible, they are only good for intimidation and not for warfare.  Chedarlaomer and co.  did the Lord's work here in thinning them out into a remnant.  First lesson then, from this passage, is, sometimes your "giants" aren't as tough as you think.  I could have used that tattooed on my head this week!

After the "Big Alliance" finished off the sons of Amalek in v7, they went on to face the rebels of the "Little Alliance" in the Valley of Siddim, which would shortly be part of the Dead Sea.  The valley was full of tar pits, and the LA kings got confused; according to the book of Jubilees, the King of Gomorrah was killed, and he may have been their ringleader, because after that the Little Alliance was scattered. The BA took prisoners and booty, and headed the long journey home; part of the booty happened to be Lot.  Here's where we note a couple of things.  First, Abram was content to let the area's politics play out without him, until Lot.  Lot wasn't just someone else's business, it was the man he raised from a boy, and now it was personal.  That's our second lesson- we take politics too seriously, and let it divide families.  But Abram knew: it's not personal UNTIL it's personal.

Second, this was a time you didn't get along well unless you were in an alliance.  And Abram put together one, with kinsmen who had also come to Canaan from the Amorites- Mamre, Eschol, and Aner.  And if you want to do a little digging, you can see the difference between them and the Canaanites of the area.  The Canaanites had already become so debauched, they couldn't put up a good fight (Genesis makes a point in v9 that it was 4 kings whipping five), and thus lost to the Big Alliance.  However, look at the name meanings of Abram's allies:  Mamre is "vigorous", Eschol is "fruitful", and Aner is "youth-energy".  And thus, the more vigorous and energetic Amorite alliance of 318 men were about to chase down and whup the "Big Alliance".

Looking at last week's map, Abram and friends chased them down, caught them in Dan (north of the little blue dot that we call the Sea of Galilee) and destroyed them all the way to near Damascus at the very top of the map.  That's vigorous!  Lot was saved, all the booty was brought back- and back at home, the new ringleader, the King of Sodom, was waiting on them (having not had the vigor or courage, or both, to join them), and went up to meet them in the plain of Shaveh, near what is now Jerusalem.

But... first, Abram had an appointment with a man of legend, both here and later in the NT Book of Hebrews...

Gen 14:18  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 

Gen 14:19  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 

Gen 14:20  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. 

Who is this Melchizedek?  God leaves it purposefully blank, if you remember our time in Hebrews, and we are left to speculate- was this a visit from the pre-incarnate Christ?  Textual evidence leans against it, but it seems in the realm of possibilities.  What we do know, is that the tithe is established there;  and of all the booty, Abram gave it back to the cowardly lion, er, king of Sodom, except what was owed the others of the Amorite alliance.  Now, we are ready for that overarching message:

Now that Abram was done doing it his way (for now) and willing to do things God's way, God was ready to USE HIM.  He used him in what was a political battle, but not until it became personal.  He made good use of people around him to get the job done.  He was willing to lay down his pride, give the glory to God, and  thus received both victory and a blessing!  And when the job was done, he didn't magnify himself by ruling the Amorite Alliance, slapping down the king of Sodom, or even keeping for himself what he won- he gave it all back.  Far from the man who reaped from the Egyptian larder without conscience, he went back to just being the man he was- God's man.

This wasn't the great victory of Abram over the Big Alliance- this was the great victory of Abram over himself.  But lest you think it's all gonna be sunshine and lollipops from here, think on a lesson I had pointed out to me this week:

Saul was king, and had the greatest prophet of his time guiding him.  And he messed up.

David was king, and he was 'the man after God's own heart'.  And he messed up.

Solomon was king, and he had greater wisdom and riches than any who lived before him.  And he messed up.

We WILL mess up.  And so will Abram.

I guess I could do some pictures...

 Considered briefly this morning something along the lines of "That is not a headline", but someone else must have agreed with me, because the FoxNews headline that inspired it has, well, disappeared.  Not that the pictures started much better...

Gray,  a bit foggy, Thursday afternoon

Darn squirrels, always leaving their silverware lying about

This lawn chair has been sitting there for 2 weeks...

At least now you can see the trail...

Misty insisted on going to the river, despite me telling her there was no free water available...

So she ate snow.

Saturday was colder, but the sun looked so good...

Friday was all day rain.  Those are the frozen tracks I made bringing groceries in...

Plenty of ice on the sidewalks with all the rain, followed by the temp drop.

A drink at the footbridge...

...which crosses the disc course...

To the stone bridge here, and another drink.

Misty meets a friend!

Yes, this dog has 3 legs- it is the one we saw a while back, whose owner had to lift it out of her car.  They played for a few minutes, while the owner- on the other side of the woods- continued up the trail oblivious.  Just when I started getting concerned, I think doggie has like an electric signal in its collar for when it gets too far, because suddenly, it turned and went straight back to its owner.

I tried to teach her to eat the ice I broke with Stick, but she much preferred the remnants of dirty snow.

That night:  My boys, my beers, my late besties.