29 APRIL

This Friday, very early in the morning…a wedding will take place.

As a young lad I recall watching the Coronation, in 1953, of the groom’s Grandmama [sp?].

And we honored the groom’s Dad when he married Lady Diana.

And we held a Jubilee Party, complete with Bonfire and food and drink and music and poetry for the groom’s Grandmama on her Jubilee.

And this Friday we will honor the Grandson as he marries his Dear Lady.

We intend a recording of the Event with a replay for guests in the evening.

There will be food and fellowship and drink and the Viewing and thinking of things romantic and British….
Cornish pasties and British and American spirits and delicate desserts and liqueurs.

And we hope that the future is full of good things for the Young Couple and their Country and indeed, for all of us.

It is easy to dwell on negatives these days when one seeks to think and speak about current world happenings.

The Wedding is a chance to celebrate a grande occasion.

We intend to do our best.

We hope all good folks will find the time to do so.

SEMPER FI

Our family went to church Easter Sunday.
A lot of us.

Dear Daughter’s Mother-in-law was ushering.

Just after the end of the service, while she was helping at the altar, her purse was stolen.

We are told by local police that more purses are stolen at churches than at shopping malls.

We are told that times are hard and that we should be understanding…

I am reminded of a bumper sticker seen a while back:

The Bible says that to err is human; to forgive divine.
The Marine Corps does not believe in either.

I am not a Marine, but … as those fine folk are wont to say, Semper Fi!!

A QUESTION...

In the early 1960’s, when some of us were young(er), a carton of cigarettes, that’s ten packs, used to cost $2.00.

A gallon of gasoline used to cost 20 cents.

You know what they cost now.

You can do a similar exercise for quite a number of products, some of them ‘luxuries’, some of them necessities.

So much for data.

What is one to do with such information?

PIE

b.o. laughed and said if you don’t like the price of gas, mebbe you should get a smaller car.

A little context:

World production of petroleum has just about maxed out.

Asia, especially China and India, are consuming ever-increasing amounts of oil products.
They are not interested in conservation…only in expansion, exploitation, aggrandization.
China more so than India.

The US cannot control Asian consumption rates of the black gold.

The US possesses the world’s greatest reserves of various types of petroleum products.

The US has unilaterally decided NOT to aggressively develop them…because of political/environmental allegations.

We suggest that there comes a time in certain debates where the issues really do matter….that certain issues are not really matters of tit for tat; this or that; or some choice that really does not make a difference.
In this case of petroleum production, the welfare, even the security of the American way of life is at stake.

Now we are facing rising prices…not actual shortages.

b.o. and his entourage wants to limit fossil energy production…and wants to turn instead to ‘green’ technology…

We are in danger of developing pies in the sky while we run out of the energy to bake them.

Think about that when you next fill up your tank…say…$100 for a 25 gallon fill.

And think about our president who wants to make pies.

TOPICS OF INTEREST AT ‘THE STUDY’…or, WHAT TO TALK ABOUT AT A COCKTAIL PARTY

‘Tis mid-week and mid-morning at The Study after a night of wind and rain and cold…
… a perfect night to burrow deeply into the quilts and the covers…

But the new day is upon us…

Someone calls you up on the phone and says, “What’s up?”

‘Tis fun to answer, “How much time do you have?”

If you feel good, or perhaps even a bit disputational (perhaps not a word), there really are a number of things going on in the greater and lesser worlds which could be the basis for a fun exchange:

The upcoming Royal Wedding; stealing of aluminum docks…and crimes concerning lots of other things; felonious/fraudulent emails; wars on three fronts; declining church attendance/membership; US energy policy (the insanity of) the Northern Michigan Context; US economy; vacant homes in nice neighborhoods; current US leadership: political, economic, and diplomatic, you name it; questions of what is an American – I was once asked this by a young teacher of US History, for God’s sake; challenges to (collapse of) traditional morality/standards; abundance of data/shortage of analyses thereof; awareness of the importance of appropriate personal and national goals for individuals and nations; the doings of family and friends and neighbors; health issues of those we are concerned about…or good health circumstances we are happy about; frivolous, silly community gossip (As Alice Roosevelt said, “Show me a person who does not like gossip, and I’ll show you a boring person.” Or, “If you have anything bad to say about anyone, come over here and sit down.”); and…that is enough for this cold and rainy morning…

Now to find a cocktail party.

NO BRAINER

It is good to remember that we ususally find only those things which we are seeking.
Awkwardly said, but you get the idea.
And unless we look for the right things as often as possible...we'll very likely miss them.

http://www.realclearreligion.org/printpage/?url=http://www.realclearreligion.org/articles/2011/04/18/how_unbelief_can_survive_the_miraculous_106238.html

A NEW SEASON DAWNS

The second week of April and no posting since 29 March.

We have been watching and reading and listening and thinking…and precious little writing.

And thanks be, the world has gone on anyway.

As the poet says,

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Please be assured that we continue to watch our community; our nation; and our world…and fully intend to augment our oral commentary with that of the written variety…for our own benefit if for no other.

Thank the Lord for the dawning of spring.

The cycles continue to renew.