The first living space travelers sent from the planet Earth were a dog named Laika and a monkey named Sam.
“Happy Birthday” was the first song to be performed in outer space, sung by the Apollo IX astronauts on March 8, 1969.
Archives for December 2008
Rat Trivia
A Hindu temple dedicated to the rat goddess Karni Mata in Deshnoke , India , houses more than 20,000 rats.
Monotony – Select Quotes
Having one wife is called monotony. When a man has more than one wife, he is a pigamist.
~ from Anguished English
Monotony is the awful reward of the careful.
~ A.G. Buckham
Beware of monotony; it’s the mother of all the deadly sins.”
~ Edith Wharton
I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.
~ Albert Einstein
You live like this, sheltered, in a delicate world, and you believe you are living. Then you read a book(Lady Chatterley, for instance), or you take a trip, or you talk with Richard, and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating. The symptoms of hibernating are easily detectable: first, restlessness. The second symptom(when hibernating becomes dangerous and might degenerate into death): absence of pleasure. That is all. It appears like an innocuous illness. Monotony, boredom, death. Millions live like this(or die like this) without knowing it. They work in offices. They drive a car. They picnic with their families. They raise children. And then some shock treatment takes place, a person, a book, a song, and it awakens them and saves them from death.
~ Anais Nin
I feel monotony and death to be almost the same.
~ Charlotte Bronte
Monotony is the law of nature. Look at the monotonous manner in which the sun rises. The monotony of necessary occupation is exhilarating and life giving.
~ Mahatma Ghandi
Without poets, without artists, men would soon weary of nature’s monotony.
~ Guillaume Apollinaire
There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time.
~ Coco Chanel
Nature is unfair? So much the better, inequality is the only bearable thing, the monotony of equality can only lead us to boredom.
~ Francis Picabia
The secret of happiness is to find a congenial monotony.
~ Victor Sawdon Pritchett
The human race was always interesting and we know by its past that it will always continue so, monotonously.
~ Mark Twain
A teacher’s day is half bureaucracy, half crisis, half monotony and one-eighth epiphany. Never mind the arithmetic.
~ Susan Ohanian
It is equality of monotony which makes the strength of the British Isles.
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Rock and roll might be summed up as monotony tinged with hysteria.
~ Vance Packard
Every man can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.
~ Irving Wallace
Lord Acton’s 100 Best Books
When I read a list like that which follows and compare it to my own reading habits I sure do feel, well, uninformed.
___
“In their correspondence, Lord Acton and Mary Gladstone frequently dis cussed what should constitute ‘the hundred best books.’ Acton eventually sent her his own list, which, in 1883. she recorded in her diary. The list was first published in July 1905 in Pall Mall Magazine (Volume XXXVI. No.147) with an introduction and critique by Clement Shorter. Here is the list as it appeared there.”
~ R. L. Schuettinger, Lord Acton: Historian of Liberty (LaSalle: Open Court, 1976), pp. 237-39.
- Plato’s Laws—Steinhart’s Introduction.
- Aristotle’s Politics—Susemihl’s Commentary.
- Epictetus’ Encheiridion—Commentary of Simplicius.
- St. Augustine’s Letters.
- St. Vincent’s Commonitorium.
- Hugo of S. Victor—De Sacramentis
- S. Bonaventura—Breviloquium.
- S. Thomas Aquinas—Summa contra Gentiles.
- Dante—Divina Commedia.
- Raymund of Sabunde—Theologia Naturalis.
- Nicholas of Cusa—Concordantia Catholica.
- La Bible de Reuss.
- Pascal’s Pensées—Havet’s Edition.
- Malebranche. De Ia Recherche de la Vérité.
- Baarder—Spekulativ Dogmatik.
- Molitor—Philosophie der Geschichte.
- Astié—Esprit de Vinet.
- Piinjer—Geschichte der Religions-philosophie.
- Rothe—Theologische Ethik.
- Martensen—Die Christliche Ethik.
- Oettingen—Moralstatistik.
- Hartmann—Phenomenologie des sittlichen Bewusstseyns.
- Leibniz—Letters edited by Klopp.
- Braniss—Geschichte der Philosophie.
- Fisher—Franz Bacon.
- Zeller—Neuere Deutsche Philosophie.
- Bartholomess—Doctrines Religieuses de la Philosophie Moderne.
- Guyon—Morale Anglaise.
- Ritschl—Entstehung der Altkatholischen Kirche.
- Loening—Geschichte des Kirchenrechts.
- Baur—Vorlesungen über Dogmengeschichte.
- Fénelon—Correspondence.
- Newman’s Theory of Development.
- Mozley’s University Sermons.
- Schneckenburger—Vergleichende Darstellung.
- Hundeshagen—Kirchenvorfassungsgeschichte.
- Schweizer—Protestantische Centraldogmen.
- Gass—Geschichte der Lutherischen Dogmatik.
- Cart—Histoire do Mouvement Religleux dans le Canton de Vaud.
- Blondel—De Ia Primenté.
- Le Blanc de Beaulieu—Theses.
- Thierach—Vorlesungen ilber Katholizismus.
- M5hler—Neue Untersuchungen.
- Scherer—Mélanges de Critique Religleuse.
- Hooker—Ecclesiastical Polity.
- Weingarten—Revolutionskirchen Englands.
- Kliefoth—Acht Bücher von der Kirche.
- Laurent—Etudes de l’Histoire de l’Humenité.
- Ferrari—Révolutions de l’Italie.
- Lange—Geschichte des Materialismus.
- Guicciardini—Ricordi Politici.
- Duperron—Ambassades.
- Richelieu—Testament Politique.
- Harringlon’s Writings.
- Mignet—Négotiations de la Succession d’Espagne.
- Rousseau—Considérations sur la Pologne.
- Foncin—Ministère de Turgot.
- Burke’s Correspondence.
- Mémorial de Ste. Hélène.
- Holtzendorf—Systematische Rechts-encyklopädie.
- Thering—Ceist des Röcimischen Rechts.
- Geib—Strafrecht.
- Maine—Ancient Law.
- Gierke—Genossenschaftsrecht.
- Stahl—Philosophie des Rechts.
- Gentz—Briefwechsel mit Adam Müller.
- Vollgraff—Polignosie.
- Frantz—Kritik aller Parteien.
- De Maistre—Considérations sur Ia France.
- Donoso Cortes—Ecrits Politiques.
- Périn—De Ia Richesse dans les Sociétés Chrétiennes.
- Le Play—La Reforme Sociale.
- Riehl—Die Biirgerliche Sociale.
- Sismondi—Etudes sur les Constitutions des Peuples Libres.
- Rossi—Cours du Droit Constitutionnel.
- Barante—Vie de Roger Collard.
- Duvergier de Hauranne—Histoire du Gouvernement Parlementaire.
- Madison—Debates of the Congress of Confederation.
- Hamilton—The Federalist.
- Calhoun—Essay on Government.
- Dumont—Sophismes Anarchiques.
- Quinet—La Révolution Française,
- Stein—Sozialismus in Frankreich.
- Lasselle—System der Erworbenen Rechte.
- Thomissen—Le Socialisme depuis l’ Antiquité.
- Considérant—Destinée Sociale.
- Rosher—Nationalökonomik.
- [missing]
- Mill—System of Logic.
- Coleridge—Aids to Reflection.
- Radowitz Fragmente.
- Gioberti—Pensieri.
- Humboldt—Kosmos.
- De Candolle—Histoire des Sciences et des Savants.
- Darwin—Origin of Species.
- Littré—Fragrnents de Philosophie.
- Cournot—Enchaînements des Idées fondamentales.
- Monatsschrift des wissenschaftlichen Vereins.
- [missing]
- [missing]
Avoid the Doghouse!
As someone who has spent a significant amount of time in the doghouse, I thought I would share this public service announcement with my friends. Be careful!
Verna Stilley
When my mother passed away a couple of months ago, people expressed their love and sympathy in a variety of ways. The following is a poem written by a family friend Utah Humphrey.
Verna Stilley
10-21-08
The road God gave you was a very steep climb,
But you bravely went forward day by day.
Clyde was the hero ministering to you
Being there to help you in the part he would play.
Now the long journey has come to an end
And on Earth you won’t suffer any more.
In Heave you are finally free at last
With this freedom you finally can soar.
I remember the years you became my friend
With lots of laughter I still can behold.
The tears I shed now will soon be gone
As I ponder your life as I saw it unfold.
Poor Clyde was often the key to your stories
And his face would turn red as he grinned.
In the room you would have everyone laughing
And through the years you did it again and again.
Leach and Cardin one entered a contest
And when it was over Leach had won.
We met at the camp grounds at GLBA
To fellowship and have lots of fun..
You were the pitcher when we played softball
And I don’t remember who won or who lost.
Both churches had added people to Sunday School
Without either group adding up th ecost.
The years seemed to pass by much too quickly
And retirement years had finally come about.
The price you paid in the last several years
Didn’t carry a lot of laughter or clout.
Please enjoy Heaven and the freedom you have.
We will all be joining you in just a little while.
I wished we could look into Heaven and see you now
With a life filled with laughter and a beautiful smile.
By faith we must keep walking onward toward Heaven
Knowing life down here for us is not through …
Sometimes we will pause during our journey
And when we do we’ll be thinking of you.
Good bye precious friend for just a while longer
And enjoy your new life absolutely free from pain.
We will see you tomorrow on Heaven’s bright shore
Where there’ll be plenty of sunshine without rain.
A friend in Christ,
Utah Humphrey
What Do You Think?
Watch the video below and then tell me what you think.
Life and Death in the First Century
I have been reading and re-reading James S. Jeffers’ book The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era: Exploring the Background of Early Christianity. It is an informative and thoroughly enjoyable book — I highly recommend it. In his chapter on “Life and Death in the First Century” he recommends the following books for further reading:
Labor and the Economy
- The Social Context of Paul’s Ministry: Tentmaking and Apostleship, by Ronald F. Hock
Leisure and Games
- Cruelty and Civilization: The Roman Games, by Roland Auguet
Travel
- Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, by Lionel Casson
- Travel in the Ancient World, by Lionel Casson
- The Book of Acts in Its Graeco-Roman Setting, edited by David W. J. gill and Conrad Gempf
- The Cities of St. Paul: Their Influece on His Life and Thought, by William Ramsay
Dining
- Roman Cookery, by John Edwards
- Rome: Its People, Life and Customs, by Ugo Enrico Paoli
Overlooking Personal Offenses
I have often thought that there is too much emphasis on confrontation and negotiation in the counsel typically given on ways to best resolve conflict. Frequently, I think it is best to simply overlook personal offenses. I received an email today noting that this approach is highly commended throughout Scripture, and share a few of the passages with you here:
“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Prov. 19:11; cf. 12:16; 15:18; 20:3).
“Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out” (Prov. 17:14; cf. 26:17).
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8; cf. Prov. 10:12; 17:9)
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph. 4:2).
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col. 3:13; cf. Eph. 4:32).
The above passages were taken from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal ConflictThe Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande, Updated Edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2003) p. 82.
What Do You Think?
What do you do when God tells you to crash into your neighbors automobile?
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO – A man who rammed his truck into a woman’s vehicle on a highway early Friday told authorities he crashed into her while going more than 100 mph because God told him “she needed to be taken off the road.”
The truck rear-ended the car on U.S. Highway 281, both vehicles spun across a median then came to a stop along a barrier in the opposite lanes. Both drivers suffered only minor injuries.
“He just said God said she wasn’t driving right, and she needed to be taken off the road,” Bexar County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Coleman said in the online edition of the San Antonio Express-News. “God must have been with them, ’cause any other time, the severity of this crash, it would have been a fatal.”
The pickup driver did not tell police how the woman was driving. Police could not find alcohol or drugs in either driver.
A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered for a man.
