Philosophickal Ruminations

Connected

2009-11-25T22:25:59Z

A reminder of the most important things.

Connected: A Litany

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Aaargh

2009-10-22T17:39:17Z

Nasty sore throat thingy & tickly cough along with slightly elevated temperature makes me decidedly out of sorts today. Just wanted the whole world to know.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Sunset over Potomac

2009-10-20T18:48:45Z

Sunset over Potomac
Originally uploaded by therevr

It's amazing what can be done with just a simple camera, no focus, no flash. I've been photographing things like mushrooms and flowers lately, but last week I was down by the water with some friends, and captured the shot you see here. I think it's the best picture I've ever taken. Thousand piece jigsaw puzzle, anyone?

Is this true?

2009-09-10T12:31:55Z

Your result for What Do Others See You As Test...

41 to 50 Points

Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting, someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding, someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.

Take What Do Others See You As Test at HelloQuizzy

birthday greeting

2009-09-03T01:07:05Z

Happy birthday, lassarina!!

False Prophets

2009-08-15T02:22:33Z

I feel the need to quote myself again. Consider whether this commentary on Jesus' warning against false prophets, penned by me back in 1998, resonates with anything concerning current news accounts surrounding "town hall" meetings this August.

Consider a preacher or politician who sets out to raise the alarm about some threat to the comfort or values of his audience. He tells stories of horror or atrocity designed to arouse fear or revulsion. He identifies as dangerous some individual or group that is clearly foreign to the persons to whom he speaks, whether it is a racial group, or an ideology, or an opposition political party, or a religious movement, or a foreign political or military leader. He calls his hearers neither to repentance nor to reconciliation, but instead seeks to arouse anger and indignation against the identified source of threat. He proposes ways his audience can protect themselves, warn their friends, and counterattack against the threat described. Note that the content of this type of preaching could be almost anything. The individual may be denouncing religion, or atheism, or big government, or liberalism, or conservatism, or Satanism, or pornography, or fundamentalism, or communism, or capitalism, or sexism, or feminism, or homosexuality, or homophobia, or militarism, or pacifism. The fruit he produces, however, is the same in all cases: fear, mistrust, alienation and ultimately hatred.

Or, in this instance, health care reform.

Who's in charge here?

2009-08-15T02:21:27Z

This has generated some discussion since I first published it on my other blog.

On whether taxpayers have responsibility for the well-being of their neighbors, by means of government programs:

In the theocratic state envisioned by the Hebrew prophets (or even, in their critique of every nation) the responsibilities of kings was clear: plead the cause of the fatherless and widow, demand justice for the poor. See, for example, Psalm 82:3-4: Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless, maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Nations were judged by how well their rulers implemented these simple principles.

In the United States of America, "we the people" (the voters and, yes, the taxpayers) are sovereign. Therefore "we, the people" are under divine judgment if we fail to use our sovereign power to take care of the elderly, the disabled, the orphan and widows of our world. "We, the people" as sovereign refers to our corporate role as king, which is to say, the government. It is laudable for individual persons to do what they can by means of "charity," but "we, the people" are not just an aggregate of individual persons. We, together, are king, and as such are answerable to God for how well we rule.

Been meaning to say this for quite a while, but I think it is well worth bearing in mind this August as "we" (in the royal sense) debate with ourselves about health care.

Mr. Obvious Strikes Again

2009-08-08T21:49:43Z

Returning to random obsessions....

Your result for The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test...

Modern, Cool Nerd

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!

Congratulations!

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Take The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test at HelloQuizzy

Ho hum

2009-06-27T17:53:50Z

Your result for The Star Wars Personality Test...

Luke Skywalker

According to our patented Jawamatic^TM technology, you are most like Luke Skywalker in personality.

Luke is a dreamer and a romantic. He's excited by possibilities and has strong core values that affect all his decisions. Luke is loyal and idealistic, always coming through for those he loves.

Luke is, in a word, heroic.

(The polar opposite of Luke Skywalker is Yoda.)

The eight profiles are as follows:

Han Solo

Yoda

Chewbacca

Threepio

Artoo

Darth Vader

Luke Skywalker

Princess Leia

Take The Star Wars Personality Test at HelloQuizzy

How Satisfying Is Your Life?

2009-06-04T23:31:19Z

Your Life is Deeply Satisfying

You live a satisfying life even when it's not easy. You are dedicated to being happy.

You make sure to do what you're passionate about. You don't waste any moments.

You surround yourself with people you cherish. There is a lot of love in your life.

You are thankful for everything you have. You don't take anything for granted.

You edit quiz results. You make a small bet your friends won't even notice.

How Satisfying Is Your Life?

Nothing to see here

2009-06-04T20:26:00Z

Test. Please ignore. I mean it! if you keep reading this, I'll threaten you!

Ok, that's it. Now I'm going to have to call my friend unclehyena to have a "talk" with you. Or else.

.... Have a flower!

This was a test. No bloggers were harmed in the production of this posting.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

So, I passed....

2009-05-06T20:57:05Z

Your result for The Writing Systems Test...

Tolkien

67% Knowledge of writing systems!

You're awesome like Tolkien. You've got quite an interest in languages and use your (magical?) powers for totally cool purposes.

Take The Writing Systems Test at HelloQuizzy

Pleasant dreams

2009-02-10T14:21:03Z

So I slept deeply, as usual.   In the dream that ensued, I had a long series of mini-adventures with my old friend Tom, whom I hadn't seen in quite some time on account of the fact that he died a few years ago. But here he was, walking the streets of some unnamed city, getting into and out of various minor forms of trouble, and we were just generally hanging out. Only odd thing (but not so odd for Tom, as he always loved role-play) was that whenever we met some people on this walking-tour, he would introduce himself as "Felix."
On toward evening, after a pleasant day of minor shenanigins (most of which are beyond my memory now - you nkow how that is with dreams), as we were walking down the street I turned to him and said, "Tom? I miss you.... I wish you weren't dead!" And then the following conversation ensued:

Me:   "When I get home, how am I going to explain to them that I spent the day with Tom?"
He:   "No need for that. Just tell them you were with Felix."
Me:   "Oh, right. Then they'll say, 'Who's Felix?'   And I'll tell them, 'Felix is Tom.' And THAT will clear everything up."

We laugh and proceed on to our next bizarre mini-adventure.

Stay tuned

2009-02-07T04:40:28Z

I'll be back here on LJ more regularly, if only to justify having once more paid money for the account. Check my blog at the search for Integrity for what ive been doing during radio silence.

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EW

2009-02-07T04:39:29Z

First! WTF?

Tom Thumb

2009-01-15T18:49:36Z

He goes everywhere with me.

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The Word

2009-01-08T06:48:38Z

Just about sums me up.

Your Word is "Peace"

You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of.

Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you.

While you can't stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life.

You promote harmony and cooperation. You're always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway.

What's Your Word?

Woke up with this, 3:05 a.m.

2009-01-02T09:00:26Z

I dreamed.....

of being who I am, a country preacher. The lengthy series of events that precede what I am about to relate are lost to me, but suffice to say that several elements of my life merge to make the following scene possible. There is a gathering happening at church, or perhaps on the porch of the parsonage of a church (P.H.) I formerly pastored. A handful of people are there, including a familiar figure to my left, whom I can’t remember seeing but perhaps it’s my wife. Among several others seated are some current members of our congregation, and arriving late, to the pleasure of all, is S.B., a former church member we haven’t seen for nearly a year. The other significant figure present is my grandmother, seated diagonally across from me, and the occasion is my grandfather’s funeral service. As before S. B's arrival I had just finished outlining the way the day’s events are to proceed, S.B. and another person, a trusted member of our group, get up and excuse themselves so that S. B. can be properly oriented to the state of things. Not wanting to go into the rest of the service until these dear friends return, I suggest that we now take a moment for prayer.

As we bow our heads, I am overcome with a wave of grief for my departed grandfather, and weep silently, recognizing how deeply also I resent my grandfather’s passing. Composing myself, and mindful of the presence of my grandmother, myself, and others who will miss him terribly, I begin to pray as follows:

“ Dear Father, author of Life, as we gather to remember one who is now gone from us, but present to You, we recall that in the story that is told of the beginnings of humanity, we humans were not created to be temporary beings. We appreciate that You have come to restore to us that permanence, but for now, some of us are sorrowful, some of us are hurt, some of us are angry. Today we call upon you to be with us so that over time that sorrow is soothed, the wounds are healed, the anger turned, but not in a way which would in any way diminish the intensity with which we remember Charles H. Clark. It’s in the name of Him who gives us life that we pray. Amen."

In voicing that prayer, in which I could feel or see the emotions that I named (and also the resentment I did not name), I struggled to get the words out. My speech was slurred and difficult, but nonetheless clear. As I woke, I came to consciousness realizing I had been in fact talking in my sleep. This particular phenomenon occurs infrequently, but always in connection with occasions where, in my dream, I am either praying or preaching.

By the way: My grandfather, Charles H. Clark, passed away in October 1963, and his was the first funeral I ever attended. My grandmother outlived him, going to her rest in 1985. I find it significant somehow, in terms of my own search for integrity, that these, as well as people who are now and have recently been in my life, gather together as contemporaries in this particular dream-setting, and that my emotions were as fresh and raw as they were so long ago, when I was just 13 years old. Interestingly, within the past month or two I heard by e-mail from the minister who actually preached that funeral service in 1963.

A perspective on Time

2008-12-31T13:13:01Z

I don’t know just when it happens that it first strikes a person that History is not just a matter of the past, but of the living influences that surround us. For most of us, the present time begins roughly around the year of our birth, or perhaps even around the time of our earliest personal memories. and everything beforehand belongs to History, Thus, for example, on a visceral level it seems to me that the forty years after my high school graduation (1968 to 2008) seems to be much shorter than the forty years preceding it (1928 to 1968). Subjective time is very flexible that way.

Here’s one that struck me even more forcefully, just the other day. A couple of months ago, my mother passed away at age 96. That’s not so unusual, and I find it convenient to think of the 20th century in terms of the life-spans of my parents (Dad was born in 1907 and passed away in 1989). But the 19th century still seems impossibly remote, populated entirely by Historical Figures. Until this thought came to me:

When I was born, in 1950, there could easily have been someone nearby who had by then attained an age as great as my mother did this past year (96). A 96 year old person that year would have been six years old, old enough to have retained memories of events, the year that Abraham Lincoln ran for President. That same year, a much younger contemporary, by comparison, would have had clear memories of the way life was before the Revolution.

Wow.

Happy new Year

2008-12-26T20:12:44Z

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

The coolness

2008-12-26T20:06:04Z

Ignore this post. This is a test of the emergency iPhone system. These may or may not be the droids you are looking for.

hint: he fills the stockings with care. Reverse burglar?
greyfeld is me.

eof

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

dream 12.13.08

2008-12-16T07:18:12Z

A dream:

(woke up with this dream two mornings after the death of my dear friend M)

A large gathering, a banquet, was assembling at which I was to be, for some reason, a guest of honor. Many of the people present, including the organizer of the event with whom I had previously spoken, were Oriental: Chinese perhaps. I had been told I was to take my seat at the center of one of the head tables. As I entered the hall, I was half carried by the crowd. S (my wife) was there, and she was also carrying me. In this fashion we swept past the most prominent tables and she set me down at the end of a table toward the back of the room. I told her that I had been told to sit at the center of a table nearer the front, and there ensued a brief altercation that went something like: “Well, how am I supposed to know that? you never told me!!” “I did, just now!.... How was I supposed to know that no one told you?” etc. In any case we made our way toward the front of the room again, and at the head table there were set up chairs and a microphone (apparently I was also to speak?) near which some workers were spray-painting a wall, last-minute touches to make the background white for videographers later in the program.

Before we could take our seats, something else happened. The perspective changed, and I could see and hear a series of vehicles arriving very quickly, up the road and through the woods. They were painted white and read, open on the sides like safari vehicles, and each carried a number of soldiers or police. These jumped out and quickly entered the hall from the sides (it was now more of a tent or pole building, open on at least three sides, and was arranged now more like a church with pews than like a banquet hall)), and people began to shrink away from them as they attacked. They attacked not with guns or other weapons but with something that looked like two-pronged wands, whose function seemed to be to inflict severe pain.

I was now outside the hall and a short distance away, watching from the shadows, when one of these official-looking attackers, an Oriental of indeterminate age or sex, overpowered me (I think I was knocked down by several at once, but this one took charge). I found that if I did not resist but went limp, it seemed as if this attacker did not feel the need to activate the pain-inducing device, but if I moved or looked like I would resist, this was threatened. The attacker appeared to be reporting my status, perhaps over a radio, as I lay helpless. I decided this weapon must be some kind of taser, and asked about that. “Am I going to get tased?”

At some point early in this exchange, my attacker and I had introduced ourselves to one another, I as “Robert” and my attacker also as “Robert.” Now, however, he/she responded to one of my questions calling me by the name of a dear friend who recently deceased. “M.” Here is the remainder of that exchange:

Me: M. is not here, she passed away
R: That’s right..... you were there, holding her hand
Me: (amazed that this person would know such a thing)
(more forgotten details in this exchange, revealing that the person I’m speaking to has access to recent events from a spiritual vantage point)
R: The baby is healthy, doing fine.
(more exchange verifying that I really knew M... including images of a newborn, and the sense of M’s re-entry into the world)
R: I know who you are now.
Me: That’s more than I know!

All this time, of course, I am still physically restrained by the threat of this weapon. R. now reports to superiors that I appear to have died. I am able to get up and head away from the commotion surrounding the cabin/hall, toward the woods and the road. As I am leaving, I hear a voice, turn my head and see my former attacker some distance away, saying: “Goodbye, Robert.” I respond with “Goodbye, Robert” and continue on my way.

I head through the woods to the nearby country road. It will be a long walk, but I know the way to where I have a hotel room, money, car, etc. . . but I am walking away in freedom, leaving my old life behind. I pass very close by a fawn that is resting by the side of the road.... this animal does not stir or startle, just observes me as a normal, non-threatening part of her landscape. I think this occurs with one or more other deer as well. Something has changed. I wake up feeling content.

Learnin' to trot

2008-08-27T16:47:26Z

Bob's 3rd riding lesson

Yet another vanity test

2008-08-27T13:45:46Z

Your result for The Color Code Test...

Color Code: BLUE: The Social Butterfly

14% Red, 40% Blue, 23% White and 23% Yellow!

Here is the basics: For a more in depth analysis, I suggest you look up the Color Code, and take a more intensive test.

BLUE MOTIVE: Intimacy

BLUE NEEDS: To be good (morally), To be understood, To be appreciated, Acceptance.

BLUE WANTS: To reveal insecurities, Quality, Autonomy, Secuirity.

SUMMARY: Blues are motivated by altruism. They love to do nice things for others. they look for opportunites to give up something in order to bring another person happiness. selflessness rather than selfishness is their guiding philosophy. Blues seek intimacy. They want to be loved and to love. A true blue will sacrifice a successful career to improve an important relationship. Blues crave being understood. They are gratified when they are listened to, when they feel understood and appreciated. Blues may have thier hearts broken more than most people, but they also spend much more time in love. Blues are directed by a strong moral conscience. They have a moral code that guides them in their decision making, their value judgements, and their leisure time. A blue would rather lose than cheat. Ethically, blues are people who should be in positions of power, but seldom are.

Take my other Test : Which Tarot Card Guide Are You?

http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/tarot-card-guide-test

Take The Color Code Test at HelloQuizzy

No longer so stressed.

2008-07-15T15:31:45Z

Would you buy a used life from this man???