I blogged back here about adding a rear window defroster to my 1962 Mercury Meteor. Not only was it a great addition to the vehicle, but it allowed me to interact with a great company ... Frost Fighter!
When I had some issues with my installation, these guys went the extra mile to make things right. It seems rare these days that a company values its customers, but these guys do!
THANKS!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
What Are They Putting in the Water in Oslo!?!?!
I don't know what they are putting in the water in Oslo, Norway, but it needs to be introduced into the water supply everywhere! Starting with Metro Detroit. Why?
To answer this question, merely consider:
Exhibit A - The Launderettes
Exhibit B - The Cocktail Slippers
Amazing girl group rock, the way it is supposed to sound!
Support music like this! Economic support of great music is the only way to get more of it.
To answer this question, merely consider:
Exhibit A - The Launderettes
Exhibit B - The Cocktail Slippers
Amazing girl group rock, the way it is supposed to sound!
Support music like this! Economic support of great music is the only way to get more of it.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Wendell Scott
I had been planning to have a whole series of blog posts for Black History Month. But for various reasons, that does not look likely to happen at this point. But I didn't want February to go by without at least commending to you this film biography of Wendell Scott, the first (dare I say "the only") successful black driver in NASCAR.
What Scott accomplished is absolutely mind-boggling. He started racing in the early 1950s, a decade before the civil rights movement heated up in America. About four decades before NASCAR successfully moved beyond its roots as a regional Southern sport to become a national phenomenon. He knew what he wanted and he didn't let anything stop him. He faced tremendous persecution, marched into the heart of the beast (of white racism), and got what he wanted.
What Scott accomplished is absolutely mind-boggling. He started racing in the early 1950s, a decade before the civil rights movement heated up in America. About four decades before NASCAR successfully moved beyond its roots as a regional Southern sport to become a national phenomenon. He knew what he wanted and he didn't let anything stop him. He faced tremendous persecution, marched into the heart of the beast (of white racism), and got what he wanted.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
A Poem for Saint Valentine's Day
I wrote this poem today for my wife. It's instead of flowers. So, yeah, pray for me!
Saint Valentine's Day
On this most blessed day, the candy sellers are the winners.
The scandal of a saint's day reimagined by the sinners.
The cards will fly, the lovers gorge, the florists will deliver.
Any everyone will hope to catch a dart from Cupid's quiver.
No fasting nor remembrance for you, dear St. Valentine,
But gluttony and avarice, and chocolate and wine.
If each day in the kalendar were stolen thus away,
We'd gobble gobs of Swedish fish upon St. Peter's day,
Or else each pair of lovers, driven on by high decrees,
Would have to exchange jewelry in the shape of golden keys.
On John the Baptist's Day, the silver chargers would accrue.
We'd swallow candy flaying knives for St. Bartholomew.
To honor Theodosia, we would swarm the beach with glee,
And gaily in her honor cast ourselves into the sea.
For Latimer and Ridley and Archbishop Cranmer's sake,
We Anglican romantics could burn hot dogs at the stake,
And just to wet our whistles as we watched the pretty flame,
Sip rich Ugandan coffee for the martyrs of the same.
The pagan in his revelry will never be contented
Until each fast becomes a feast, and all the year's unLented.
But as of now, be thankful that they scarcely have begun,
And of the days of martyrs have perverted only one.
For us who would remember of each martyrdom the price,
A lowered head, a silence, and a Collect may suffice.
© 2012, Paul Erlandson
Saint Valentine's Day
On this most blessed day, the candy sellers are the winners.
The scandal of a saint's day reimagined by the sinners.
The cards will fly, the lovers gorge, the florists will deliver.
Any everyone will hope to catch a dart from Cupid's quiver.
No fasting nor remembrance for you, dear St. Valentine,
But gluttony and avarice, and chocolate and wine.
If each day in the kalendar were stolen thus away,
We'd gobble gobs of Swedish fish upon St. Peter's day,
Or else each pair of lovers, driven on by high decrees,
Would have to exchange jewelry in the shape of golden keys.
On John the Baptist's Day, the silver chargers would accrue.
We'd swallow candy flaying knives for St. Bartholomew.
To honor Theodosia, we would swarm the beach with glee,
And gaily in her honor cast ourselves into the sea.
For Latimer and Ridley and Archbishop Cranmer's sake,
We Anglican romantics could burn hot dogs at the stake,
And just to wet our whistles as we watched the pretty flame,
Sip rich Ugandan coffee for the martyrs of the same.
The pagan in his revelry will never be contented
Until each fast becomes a feast, and all the year's unLented.
But as of now, be thankful that they scarcely have begun,
And of the days of martyrs have perverted only one.
For us who would remember of each martyrdom the price,
A lowered head, a silence, and a Collect may suffice.
© 2012, Paul Erlandson
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Proximity of Two Spheres.
Last night, my teenage daughter proclaimed that I have a "butt chin nose". I had heard the unfortunate phrase "butt chin" before, used to refer to chins with dimples in the center, formed by a bifurcated jaw tip. My daughter meant that my nose was similarly formed of flesh over bifurcated cartilege, thus producing a visible cleft between the two approximately spherical surfaces at the point of my nose. After feeling my nose and admitting that she was right, my first statement was,
Exhibit A:
I thought some more. I thought of other shapes I had seen that consist in essence of two overlapping spheres, or else two spheres in close proximity. I made a mental list. The creation of such a mental list is left as an exercise to the reader.
However I will say, from over fifty years of observing God's creation, that our Creator has a certain fondness for the idea of two spheres in close proximity.
"Why 'butt chin nose'? Why not cut out the middleman and just call it a butt nose?"But that didn't make it sound a whole lot better. I began thinking about that kind of shape, and it wasn't long before I realized that it is quite common. In fact, right now this very minute, you, dear reader, are breathing butt oxygen!
Exhibit A:
I thought some more. I thought of other shapes I had seen that consist in essence of two overlapping spheres, or else two spheres in close proximity. I made a mental list. The creation of such a mental list is left as an exercise to the reader.
However I will say, from over fifty years of observing God's creation, that our Creator has a certain fondness for the idea of two spheres in close proximity.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Our Enemies' Motives
About ten years ago, a speaker came to talk at an "All Hands" meeting at my company. She was an expert in the psychology of consumers, and she made a statement that I still remember. The context of the quote was about the strange habits of her father (I forget now whether they were buying habits or driving habits or what). She said:
It is a quite useful technique. One effect it has is to make me realize that my enemies are not as "evil" as I may first assume. They are often saying and doing the only things that make sense from their worldview. And often, if they say, want, or do the wrong (from my point-of-view) things, it is with the best of intentions.
So, a few examples. Let's say that I am arguing on the internet (as if that would ever happen) with someone who wants more government entitlements for poor people (I don't; I want to get rid of the ones we have). It makes a huge difference to my view of this political rival whether he wants this out of a desire for huge, intrusive government, or out of a kindhearted disposition toward the poor. Likewise, it should make a huge difference to him whether I want to cut out the government entitlement programs because I am a hateful, old, white, privileged, Republican hater ... or because I don't feel that these entitlements are actually a good thing, even for the poor. In my personal experience, it seems rarely to make a difference.
Another example: I had a friend who was incensed that I engaged in civil disobedience and got arrested at an abortion clinic protest. She could not fathom anyone doing something so intrusive, and so proclaimed me to be "evil". I asked her to imagine being inside my heart and mind, where the ruling assumption is that abortion is the murder of a baby. I asked her whether my actions would then make sense to her. She refused to contemplate it, believing that to even imagine my (to her, wrong) presuppositions would involve her in evil. But she missed a great opportunity to understand me, because she was not willing to contemplate the fact that my actions sprung naturally from my beliefs.
Another example is non-believers who rail against me and other Christians for proselytizing. They feel that it is rude, obnoxious, and presumptuous. And, based on their faith that there is no God, or their faith that all religions are valid, it is those things. But, based on my belief that they will spend eternity in the fires of hell without knowing Jesus Christ as Savior, my actions make perfect sense. How dare I not try to warn them?
Yet another example. I had an extremely negative reaction to this "cute" little song:
In it, the songwriter threatens to "kick Jesus' ass". But his crime in saying this is not as great as it appears at first blush. Because he is not saying (I'm pretty certain) that he intends to kick the butt of the 3rd Person of the Trinity, because I'm pretty certain that he doesn't believe Jesus to be God. He views Jesus as a mere man, who has made his girlfriend less amorous towards him. And, thus, his crime is proportionately less.
As our Lord Himself said:
It may not be 100% true all of the time, but it is close enough to true to be extremely useful. I have often used it to re-calibrate my thoughts about my enemies, whether political, religious, or some other kind of enemy. I meditate first on the fact that my enemy's words and actions make sense to himself, based on his worldview and assumptions. I then try to reverse engineer (unless I already know explicitly) what those assumptions are, and how they led to the (to me) nonsensical words or actions."What you have to remember is that everyone's actions make sense to them."
It is a quite useful technique. One effect it has is to make me realize that my enemies are not as "evil" as I may first assume. They are often saying and doing the only things that make sense from their worldview. And often, if they say, want, or do the wrong (from my point-of-view) things, it is with the best of intentions.
So, a few examples. Let's say that I am arguing on the internet (as if that would ever happen) with someone who wants more government entitlements for poor people (I don't; I want to get rid of the ones we have). It makes a huge difference to my view of this political rival whether he wants this out of a desire for huge, intrusive government, or out of a kindhearted disposition toward the poor. Likewise, it should make a huge difference to him whether I want to cut out the government entitlement programs because I am a hateful, old, white, privileged, Republican hater ... or because I don't feel that these entitlements are actually a good thing, even for the poor. In my personal experience, it seems rarely to make a difference.
Another example: I had a friend who was incensed that I engaged in civil disobedience and got arrested at an abortion clinic protest. She could not fathom anyone doing something so intrusive, and so proclaimed me to be "evil". I asked her to imagine being inside my heart and mind, where the ruling assumption is that abortion is the murder of a baby. I asked her whether my actions would then make sense to her. She refused to contemplate it, believing that to even imagine my (to her, wrong) presuppositions would involve her in evil. But she missed a great opportunity to understand me, because she was not willing to contemplate the fact that my actions sprung naturally from my beliefs.
Another example is non-believers who rail against me and other Christians for proselytizing. They feel that it is rude, obnoxious, and presumptuous. And, based on their faith that there is no God, or their faith that all religions are valid, it is those things. But, based on my belief that they will spend eternity in the fires of hell without knowing Jesus Christ as Savior, my actions make perfect sense. How dare I not try to warn them?
Yet another example. I had an extremely negative reaction to this "cute" little song:
In it, the songwriter threatens to "kick Jesus' ass". But his crime in saying this is not as great as it appears at first blush. Because he is not saying (I'm pretty certain) that he intends to kick the butt of the 3rd Person of the Trinity, because I'm pretty certain that he doesn't believe Jesus to be God. He views Jesus as a mere man, who has made his girlfriend less amorous towards him. And, thus, his crime is proportionately less.
As our Lord Himself said:
I would urge each of you to consider the words and actions of your enemies with their kindest possible interpretation, based on your best knowledge of their underlying motives and assumptions.Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Advantages of Loving One's Enemies - Part 1
I hope that I get around to writing further installments in this series of blog entries on the advantages of loving one's enemies ... because there are a lot of them. I hope to speak about the obvioius disadvantages, too, at some point.
One of the most shocking edicts in all of religion is Christ's command to his followers (see Matthew 5 and Luke 6) to love their enemies:
But it has a great many advantages. The one I'd like to discuss today is a simple one of efficiency. Loving one's enemies completely cuts out of the decision-making process a rather time-consuming and difficult multi-step process: the separation of friends from enemies.
Oh, it's complicated. You need to collect a lot of data about past behavior of the person. You have to predict motives from the behavioral data, which anyone will tell you is quite tricky. Often, a person will be your ally in one area and your enemy in another. What to do? You have to categorize them one way or the other. And then, finally, once you have sorted the person with whom you've come in contact, you can finally decide an appropriate action: loving or unloving.
I believe in ma-a-gic ... Why? Because it is so quick. So sang the 1960s pop group LOVE (with Arthur Lee). Loving one's enemies means you can treat friends and enemies the same (remember, you're allowed to love your friends, too!), which really simplifies things!
So, under the new Love-Everyone-Regardless protocol, the process is shortened down to discerning what is the loving thing to do in any given situation.
There is not so much to remember, either. No longer do you have to keep those meticulous grudge records, which leaves more storage space in your brain for other things!
One of the most shocking edicts in all of religion is Christ's command to his followers (see Matthew 5 and Luke 6) to love their enemies:
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,It just seems so counterintuitive. To some, it seems impossible.
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
But it has a great many advantages. The one I'd like to discuss today is a simple one of efficiency. Loving one's enemies completely cuts out of the decision-making process a rather time-consuming and difficult multi-step process: the separation of friends from enemies.
Oh, it's complicated. You need to collect a lot of data about past behavior of the person. You have to predict motives from the behavioral data, which anyone will tell you is quite tricky. Often, a person will be your ally in one area and your enemy in another. What to do? You have to categorize them one way or the other. And then, finally, once you have sorted the person with whom you've come in contact, you can finally decide an appropriate action: loving or unloving.
I believe in ma-a-gic ... Why? Because it is so quick. So sang the 1960s pop group LOVE (with Arthur Lee). Loving one's enemies means you can treat friends and enemies the same (remember, you're allowed to love your friends, too!), which really simplifies things!
So, under the new Love-Everyone-Regardless protocol, the process is shortened down to discerning what is the loving thing to do in any given situation.
There is not so much to remember, either. No longer do you have to keep those meticulous grudge records, which leaves more storage space in your brain for other things!
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