HAPPY SUNDAY!

As I blog this, I should be shaving and prepping for church. (As a Trekkie, I was always amused that "Kirk" means "church". O, the allegory, the ALLEGORY!) I am teaching the Library Class, so named 'cause of where we meet, about cults. Today, we deal with UFO cults. Or UFO-ism period.
The punchline: as the alleged UFOnauts invariably teach their abductees what clearly they gleaned from Shirley Maclaine bestsellers, they are not promoting the spread of Jesus' Gospel.
(Are you as shocked as I?) Therefore, they are at LEAST anti-christian, and likely demonic in origin. A quick read of Strieber's would seem to corroborate this thesis.
Then, I will likely get to enjoy a sermon on yet another unique way which I can fail God. (Our current preacher- a PowerPoint addict- uses the "f-word" a lot. Fail, failure...like that.)
I go to teach, to worship, to give, to hear the Word read, and to partake the Lord's Supper.
At present, I endure the preaching. Anyone relate?
I must awa' to scrape my face.

Jimmy Stewart You scored 2% Tough, 4% Roguish, 71% Friendly, and 19% Charming!

You are the fun and friendly boy next door, the classic nice guy who still manages to get the girl most of the time. You're every nice girl's dreamboat, open and kind, nutty and charming, even a little mischievous at times, but always a real stand up guy. You're dependable and forthright, and women are drawn to your reliability, even as they're dazzled by your sense of adventure and fun. You try to be tough when you need to be, and will gladly stand up for any damsel in distress, but you'd rather catch a girl with a little bit of flair. Your leading ladies include Jean Arthur and Donna Reed, those sweet girl-next-door types. Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the Classic Dames Test.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 0% on Tough You scored higher than 17% on Roguish You scored higher than 99% on Friendly You scored higher than 37% on Charming

Link: The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on Ok Cupid

GOD pushed the smite button, did He?

OK, let me deal with the lunacy that ALWAYS spews forth from the mouths preachers and wannabe "prophets of GOD-uh" whenever there is a catastrophe,
natural or otherwise.
Rather, let me let God Himself deal with it:

1 God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, 2 hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds; Hebrews 1:1-2

Well, that says it all. God is NOT speaking through new prophets, through wind or fire, or through a televangelist. He has spoken through His Son. The message of Jesus Christ is what God has spoken. Little things like "Love your neighbor as yourself", and "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments". Uncomfortable things like Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. (Mark 16:15,16).


The wind is the wind. The rain is the rain. Neither is constant, nor readable. God's Word does not change. His Truth is settled in the heavens. We are rational beings, who are created in the image of a rational God. Therefore, He does not speak to us through the climatic equivalent of a rolled-up newspaper. He speaks through the Word, not by pressing the "Smite" button.


So, in Jesus' Name, SHUT UP. Be muzzled, even. Stop blaspheming our loving Father.

Now, I was not going to drag politics into this horror, but C Ray Nagin,
the redoubtable mayor of New Orleans, has been whining that if they weren't black, the citizens would have been rescued by now.
Let's see...Nawlins has been under Democrat leadership since, oh, FOREVER, and has developed such a gimmee mentality, leaders elected with promises of MORE gimmees for the proles.
Liberal Democrats have been in control.
Liberal Democrats had NO EFFECTIVE PLAN in place for a disaster that all knew was going to hit.
Liberal Democrats now play the race card, and whine that an unprecedented catastrophe has not been fixed by the waving of the Presidential Magic Wand.

Now THAT'S effective leadership.

WOW! HE'S BACK!

I have ridden upon the wings of the wind. It was NO fun!
Riatsila and I were at MechaCon in Lafayette LA, about an hour west of Nawlins. Stayed an extra night (Sunday) to allow panic travel north to subside. We set out Monday and travelled the edge of Katrina almost the whole way. Went north on I-49 to Alexandria; turned east to get to I-55 N to Jackson MS. East on I-20, then I-59 from Meridian, MS, through to Birmingham, AL, then onto I-65 N home. We have dodged trees on the interstates, endured lashing rain, and HUGE gusts of wind, and held our breath as we passed exit after exit with NO ELECTRICITY. Finally arrived at Tuscaloosa, where we got the LAST ROOM of the first place we tried (Motel 6). Thank God!
We made it safely, and are thankful. We await news from Frank & Lisa, and Sandy, Joe and family.

Busiest time of the year, so of COURSE I want to start a PAC!

Matildah, I got your comment and have responded.

.........................................................

I am currently talking with Trusted Advisors as to getting the thing rolling. Lookit...it NEEDS to be done. The Founders (no, not the shapeshifters from DS9) of our nation had a vision of regular turnover in representation, not an entrenched bureaucratic ruling class.

I am going out of town on biz. I will try to post whilst there.

Ha, and HA!
Back in the day- a phrase which has cropped up innumerably the past few days- I went to school with, and played in the school band with, the probable next head of the Fed.
That's right, Ben Bernanke.
THAT Ben Bernanke.
He has been on my mind lately, but oddly, not because of hearing Cavuto burble about him. Just one of those co-inky-dinkies, I guess.
Ben, the smoker of foot-long novelty cigars.
Ben, the player of poker.
Ben, the regaler of ribaldry.
Ben, the mental multiplier.
Also, Ben, the player of sax!
I could go on, but I shan't. I have little data on his policies, but if he is tapped to take Greenspan's mantle, well....
Wow...Dillon High School boy makes good!

His brother Seth was a friend of mine in high school, and introduced me to the novel "Dune".
Hat tip, Seth.

I was not as close to sister Mindy, as she had issues with my evangelical propensities at school, but she was a brilliant, lovely young lady.

If I recall, the family owned the Jaybee drug store. Bought my first pipe there, and lots of sulfur and potassium nitrate, to do pyrotechnic experiments. Oh, yeah.

Hail to the Bernankes. May God bless them all.

Political stuff:

I want to start a PAC. Sort of an anti-PAC.
F.O.I.L.

Fire Our Incumbent Leadership.

Beyond the complete de-federalisation of these several States, it is the best hope for reclaiming our nation from the clutches of entrenched Executive, Legislative, and Judicial power. A bloodless coup.

Tim, we need to talk...

Hi. I'm Weatherly, and I'm a jerk.

Hi. I'm Weatherly, and I'm a jerk.

"Hi, Weatherly"

Yep, the Aardvark 'fesses up! But why?
I just had a dee-LIGHTful weekend in Mobile, AL, at Mobicon, a little SF convention in its eighth year. (http://www.mobicon.org/) You can see the broad picture there. Saw an old con pal from way back, Tim Riley, cartoonist and entrepreneur extraordinaire. (http://www.trnco.com/index.html)
He and his wife were a huge blessing to me. My sweet wife, the Momoovark, had instructed me to go to the con and relax. I set up our shirts, and sold, but spent a vast amount of time talking, schmoozing, reminiscing, and making new friends. (Shout out to Jeff! http://www.celiaentertainment.com/bresbio.html) I relaxed. Good call, Momoovark!
The con is run by a couple of other con friends of mine, who happen to have what is referred to as an alternate lifestyle. (They insist on white wine with beef. I don't know why I put up with them...) I have friends who are irreligious, friends who are pagan, friends who eat it in a car, friends who drink it in a bar. I have friends who I print t-shirts for.

These people love me. Or like me a whole lot. Amazingly.
Now some of these guys may read this, and wonder "What's not to like?".
And I have to admit...I'm charming. Sincerely so; I'm really not a schmoozer in the classic sense. (Classsic schmoozing on Lite 96.3...)
Expressively friendly, smiling, happy most of the time. Ebullient, even.
What's not to like?

I look back to when I was a kid in college and I cringe at what I was...hyper-opinionated, unpleasantly so, self-righteous. Judgmental.
I won't bore with the details.
Now, the trick is, I am a Christian...and was then.
I'm just older, now.
I'm more mature.
Mellow. er.
I don't have the call to JUDGE. I only have the call to present Christ.
My friends are now confused, as I have not yet induced blunt-force trauma on any of them with a ten-pound King James.
Christ loves them all. I must love them all. And I do. Not in a self-serving ego-stroking "I am loving them with the Love of JEEEEEEEEE-Zus!" Real, "It's SO good to see you again!" love.
But the question remains...why do these people love me?

Because I have changed.
Christ has changed me over the decades.
Decades.
Slowly, Jesus changes those who are His into His image. Not all at once, but change over time, as we yield, as we bow the knee to our Lord in each area of our lives.
Why do these people love me?
Because, whether they know it or not, they love the Jesus in me.
If they honestly do not see Weatherly the jerk, well...
It's His fault.

I am consistently amazed at the level of intellectual debate here in the blogosphere. To wit:

"Yes, I'd be quite interested to hear your thoughts on these things - particularly your lack of willingness to fight for your country. But I won't hold my breath waiting for a reply; it's probably hard for you to give one with your thumb in your mouth." (from a commentor on Vox Popoli)

This is a sample of what poses as thoughtful discourse. Now Vox Day, the author of the blog, IS intellectually formidable, politically astute, and a hoot, to boot. The castigation he receives in others' blogs, as well as in the Hell-o-Scan comments section of his site, is often of the calibre quoted. Bottom line: if one cannot refute another's arguments...BLUSTER.

Cheap, cheap, cheap.

Often the essentially "christian" sites display the agape love evidenced by the massacre of Luther's "followers" by the provoked RCs. Oh, yeah! Jesus said "They'll know you are my disciples because you SCREAM at one another."

This reminds me of another little goodie: a friend of mine proudly displayed his new bumper sticker. It reads

"Jesus Loves You.
(everyone else thinks
you're an a***ole!)"

O........K. Let's use the the Son of God to give the finger to the world. Gotta love that.

Come on, people; let ALL things be done to build one another up.

1 Corinthians 16:14, "Let all your things be done with charity (agape love)."
1 Peter 4:8, "And above all things have fervent charity (agape love) among yourselves: for charity (agape love) shall cover the multitude of sins."

It may not be as sexy as vituperative debate,
but it makes our Father happy.

I'm going to a wedding, and I hate playing dressup, but the Aardvark will look HOT today.
Hot in a Sopranos sort of way. Black pleated, cuffed trousers, black button-down, black and charcoal tie. White sneakers (KIDDING!) Black shoes. Slick scalp.
Sopranos? Never watched it once.

The ensemble almost seems funereal. My niece Kim is getting married to a fine young man, who has had an almost courtship level of relationship with her parents. I do not mourn for them. I have great joy for their adventure. My problem is the dissolution of so many Christian (!) marriages around me. My daughter married a nice young man...who turned out to be an abusive bounder with delusions of culthood. They are separated, primarily for her safety. The "D" word has been kicked around, but I'm sorry, there is ZERO scriptural reason for divorce. One can drag "feelings", and "it's not fair" into it all day long, but it still doesn't change what Jesus said about it. Period.

Two, count 'em, TWO families in our congregation have disintegrated, because one spouse in each wanted a different place to put it. I have a suspicion that I know what is going on.

There is a deadly triumvirate preached in our neck of the woods: marriagedivorce&remarriage.
Just like that: marriagedivorce&remarriage. When someone preaches on ISSUES facing the church, that one is top of the heap: marriagedivorce&remarriage.

What is wrong with this picture?
To teach on marriage like that seems to me to plant the idea that the three somehow go together: marriagedivorce&remarriage. Rather like soupandsandwich, friesanketchup, BurnsandAllen...
If the concept of sowing and reaping has any credence- Jesus taught it, and agriculture works- then ought we not preach and teach on marriage (Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it..." would be a great place to start.) and LATER present divorce as the vile aberration it is, rather than linking it in the hearer's mind
with marriage? I believe that we are reaping the harvest of decades of bad, copycat preaching.
Amongst other things.

The lesson of the dating scene is not much better. If this relationship sours, welllll, I can always find another.

I pray that this marriage will be as blessed and full as Kim's parents has been, and that Momoovark's and mine has been, and that Christ intended for marriage to be.

Pulling a Religion Out of your Butt...

The latest bit of glurge to clot the finite bandwidth is "The Rainbow Bridge".
This load of dingo's kidneys has been popularized by none other than Mr. Feelgood himself, Neal Boortz, who got all verklempt upon reading it on the air.
Here is the regrettable "poem":

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

*ahem* I wouldn't want to be known, either. According to my #2 son, Riatsila, this comes across as the sort of thing you make up to tell your kid when Rover gets pureed by an SUV.

It speaks authoritatively of Things Supranatural. It is thus Religious.
This author has pulled a religion out of his nethers.

Tangentially,Momoovark, my sweet missus, said it all:
"Religion is people doing what they want, rather than accepting what God (in Christ) has done for them.

Cue Sinatra: :"I did it MY-Y-Y-Y-Y WA-A-A-A-AY!"

That settles the issue of "religion" for me.

Back to the Bridge: Riatsila queried "What happens to goldfish?".
Clearly they flop around in an eternity of drowning, unable to die, refreshed only by the occasional puddle of dog drool, then flopping over to their owners-in-life, to find the only moist areas available to them.

That's what I call Heaven...

MLM Love

Love is all-important. We humans hunger for it, yearn for it, wither without it.
Multi-level marketing (MLM) systems use this human need as a foot-in-the-door. Coupled with the Need to Belong, Love provides a powerful engine for convincing the prospective member to join, to part with precious shekels, and start on the Road to Riches, if he will just sell the soap, sell the vitamins, and buy, buy, BUY the inspirational books and tapes, so he, too, can Duplicate the Pattern, and get OTHERS to sell the soap, sell the vitamins, and buy, buy, BUY the inspirational books and tapes.

The hook is: "We love you, and will do EVERYTHING to help you succeed. If YOU commit, WE commit.", this said with a dewy-eyed earnestness that would melt the heart of any normally sceptical person, introducing a cultic aspect to the business "plan". If I BELONG...if I am LOVED...well, then, I must be WORTH something. I must be LOVABLE.

The problem with MLM love is that it is bogus. It is to agape, charitable, self-giving Love as prostitution is to married love. It is quid pro quo. The hugs, the "We love you!" at the end of phone calls, are surface, shallow, and VANISH as soon as you step out of line. Stop selling the soap, selling the vitamins, and buy, buy, BUYING the inspirational books and tapes, and this bogus love runs for cover, or at least runs to the next John or Jill. No tickee, no hickey.

It really reminds me of the poor religious cult members who begin to think on their own, and read a REAL Bible to learn about the Gospel, and get shunned by the very people who have been FAMILY to them for years.

If you don't do as we say, we won't LOVE you anymore.
That is NOT love. It is self-serving manipulation and control. If you are a Christian, and are using these tactics in business OR church-life, then you are not "walking in love" in your service to God. You are instead walking in devilish deception, and hurting your witness by displaying a hooker-level "love" to your friends, family, and prospects.

If you wish to hawk vitamins, or soap, or weight-loss plans, well and good, but PLEASE read First Corinthians 13, and compare it to your "Plan".

1 Corinthians 13:1-13, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing.  Godly love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not; love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,  Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;  Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.  When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  For now we see through a mirror, dimly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.  And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."


For anyone who has been victimised by unscrupulous MLM schemes (Oh! Did I repeat myself?) this site may prove helpful:
www.merchantsofdeception.com

Whilst the site is aimed at Amwayites and Quixtoids, it can finger patterns which you may recognise in other "plans".

Your ever-helpful Aardvark

Please don't feed the bird...

Jackboots echo down the hospice hall. The Boys in Blue do their stalwart best to...what?
Keep deeds of charity from being done.

Terry Schiavo's brother's testimony (I believe it was on Glenn Beck's show) was that if one had even tried to moisten her lips with a chip of ice, that one would have been arrested.
Not to grant Terry messianic status, but even Jesus got a better break: they gave him a sip of sour wine.

Wow, what a police detail to be on: keeping a dying woman from receiving aid and succour from loving family and friends. Blue could become a very unpopular color.

I really like symmetry. Here's a thought: come April 15th, pull the government's feeding tube! The basic promotion and protection of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is apparently a fleeting whim now, good only for trotting out on National Holidays.

What a SHOCK!

You scored as Christianity. Your views are most similar to those of Christianity. Do more research on Christianity and possibly consider being baptized and accepting Jesus, if you aren't already Christian. Christianity is the second of the Abrahamic faiths; it follows Judaism and is followed by Islam. It differs in its belief of Jesus, as not a prophet nor historical figure, but as God in human form. The Holy Trinity is the concept that God takes three forms: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (sometimes called Holy Spirit). Jesus taught the idea of instead of seeking revenge, one should love his or her neighbors and enemies. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humankind and forgive people's sins. Christianity 92% Buddhism 63% Judaism 54% Islam 42% atheism 33% Paganism 25% agnosticism 17% Satanism 13% Hinduism 8% Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com Wow, I'm more Satanist than Hindu!

In the immortal words of George Costanza: "I got nothin'!"
Those of you who know my antipathy for that character are reeling...

I am suffering from complete adrenal burnout, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
I mean, I've been on the edge for close to a year, what with dealing with a burgeoning business, our current political climate, seeing and aching over the deconstruction of my daughter due to the situation she has been in for several years, agonising over how RG can be redeemed, despairing over the Whole State of Christ's Church, personal guilt over not being able to blog as I wished, and, well, it goes on. My body has rebelled, and I thought I was having heart failure. Thankfully, it is only (!) my chest wall being inflamed from work and stress.
I am numb, even to the plight of Terri Schiavo. I can harbor angst only for so long.

I wrote to Gregg in part:

I know the pain and frustration you are feeling. Here in AL, we covered the streets of Montgomery with more peaceful and praying people since the 60s civil rights marches, pushing for major pro-life legislation. The people SPOKE; but the legislation was aborted, itself. Christ and the apostles changed the world without a single march...hmmm, maybe they had some wisdom... ;^)

This is the crux of the whole issue: the church has for twenty-plus years been led to the voting booth as a method of societal evangelism. The imposition of Christian Piety via legislation has been a rousing catastrophe. Why does the world hate the church? Because for decades we have arrogated the province of the Holy Spirit to ourselves: to convict the eee-vil sinners of their sins. We have placed ourselves at the Father's right hand, and cast ourselves in the role of Judge. We point the quavering Bony Finger of Indignation at the Sinner du Jour, and condemn their not measuring up to OUR righteousness. Mr. Falwell, SHUT YOUR GOB!
Is there sin? YES.
Are there sinners? YES.
Are we their Judge? NO, NO, NO.

We, the church, are the Keepers of GOOD NEWS. We should be dispensers of same.
Am I the only person seeing this?

...Maybe I had something after all.

Gloria, Susan...here's to YOU!

The horror played out in Atlanta yesterday points up two things: the insanity of "we're all equal" as regards male and female job performance and ability, and the necessity for politicos to get better writers. Had the deputy sheriffs handling the 33-year-old rapist been two 250 lb QB types, I doubt that events would have played out quite the same. (I would love to know the thought train that set up the situation in the first place: "Yep, we got this big 'ol perp.....uh huh.....rapist...yep...we'll send Li'l Bit to guard 'im....yep, her...havin a li'l ole gal guardin' 'im, now THAT'LL teach 'im some respect for women...". I mean, come on, people, let's think a bit beyond who's next on rotation.

As to poli-speak, the Aardvark Award for Flagrancy in Mis-Speech goes to the redoubtable Mayor of Atlanta Shirley Franklin who termed the events..."disconcerting".
Yes, and Josef Stalin wasn't nice. Points to her for encouraging prayers for the families of the victims, though. THAT took courage above and beyond in our ACLU-ocracy.

In my darker heart, I can only hope that Nichols behaves true to form, and resists arrest when caught. He's had his opportunity for trial by jury.

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;sessionid=ZT2HF4XGCYQQLQFIQMGSNAGAVCBQWJVC?xml=/news/2005/02/05/wun05.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/02/05/ixworld.html

Well, here is a note from the UK! Apparently my friend there does not read the Telegraph.
The canonisation of the UN is faltering considerably.

"No one expects the Humanist Inquisition!"

The Hot Abercrombie Chick has a faboo blog, and recently posted on:
Is Evolutionary Theory Scientific?
She is continuing this thread, which is a well-reasoned bit of work!
Keep it up!