Today is AJ Lerner's birthday. Being a fan of Broadway, tomorrow evening I will upload a selection by the dynamic duo Lerner (Alan Jay) & Lowe (Frederick). There are so many tunes from which to choose...
As a place holder, I have the Blue Diamonds of yore warming up with an English version of Kyu Sakamoto's big hit from 1963. This is a rather corny version of Sukiyaki. Otherwise, the arrangement and vocals are pleasing to the ear.
Recently I wrote to inquire the well being of a friend who is in a deep funk. The reply I got back was a simple ASCII art: ^_______^. This symbol could be a "big smile", a "forced smile", or "crying". I am not sure which one is in effect at this moment. Maybe all three.
In one of the best loved English poems, Ella Wheeler Wilcox's wrote:
Laugh and the world laughs with you.
Weep, and you weep alone:
For this stolid old earth
Has need of your mirth,
It has troubles enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will echo it:
Sigh, and it's lost on the air;
For they want full measure
Of all your pleasure,
But nobody wants your care.
Feast, and your halls are crowded,
Fast, and they'll pass you by;
Succeed and give,
And they'll let you live,
But fail - and they'll let you die.
One of Cole Porter's musicals is "Kiss Me Kate (1953)." This Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson vehicle is based on Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew." A delightful song in the musical is "Brush Up Your Shakespeare (and they all kow-tow)." Since I am on a trivia state of mind lately, I thought I'd do a Shakespearean quiz with the aid of a James Christensen's artwork. 
James Christensen's Shakespearean Fantasy
Below is an enlarged picture of the Shakespearean Fantasy divided into three frames.
Frame #1 (top) has five (5) plays.
Frame #2 (middle) has six (6) plays.
Frame #3 (bottom) has seven (7) plays.
Name the plays. 
As of this writing at 2147 hours PDT, the outside temperture is 80°F/27°C. It is much cooler than this afternoon when we had our annual church picnic at Davis Park. The temperture then hovered near or above 98°F/36°C. This was a good old hot August summer picnic. Loved it.
I had an opportunity to rub elbows with two pastors. Retired Pastor "Smokey" sauntered over to say hello and remarked he was mystified as to why I wasn't getting his email. My not able to receive his email happened after two correspondence. It seemed his mailing program or whatever dropped me from the group mailing list. Then we talked about intellegent design, ecology, big band music, the Book of Job. Finally, toward the end of our short but constructive conversation, I shared with him my seeing about God's plan in motion from a docu-drama last night on the telly.
I spent an uncommon 4 hours watching the first showing of The Life of Young John Paul on the Hallmark Channel. Smokey would like to see it when it is shown again.
Then I went over to see pastoral-candiate Craig about his morning sermon on Hebrew 10:24-25, and his ordination exams two days ago. Once in awhile, I would throw a curve ball at Craig. This time I ribbed him about his 15-hour written exams.
I said, if I were on the exam panel, I would have him write about "kindess" and "love" relative to Hebrews, 1 John and so forth. We had a lively 15 minutes dialog on "The Good Samaritan", C.S. Lewis' "The Four Loves", Mother Teresa, and civic services.
The picnic last about three hours from 1200 hours to 1600 hours. Those attended learned more about other members of the body and strode closer to commUNITY.
If you are a satisfied IE user, this post may not be for you. But if you want to have the cake (IE), and eat it too (Firefox), then proceed.
When I first installed Firefox 1.0, I had a frustrating time getting the browser to play embedded sound files. My assumption was, if the Windows Media Player could play in the IE browser, why not Firefox. But it didn't.
I could be mistaken. Back then in the days of Firefox 1.0, help files or FAQ for Windows Media Player were not available. I made a fateful decision then to use another player which could play music in both IE and Firefox browsers. The decision to go with QuickTime Alternative was the right one to this day.
The free QuickTime Alternative for Firefox worked flawlessly. The real surprise was when I test played MP3 files on both Firefox (QT Alternative) and IE (Windows Media Player), the QT Alternative plug-in rendered a richer and fuller sound with the former browser.
In the Firefox QT Alternative Plug-in Setting -> MIME Setting, I chose the audio MP3 and MIDI formats only. I also enabled the plug-in to play in the IE as well. Outside of web browsing, I use the free WinAmp as my principal audio player.
Below are two Firefox knowledge base links on plug-ins. The contents of each might be too technical for some users. If one doesn't want to bother with all these plug-in mumble jumbles for Firefox, do as I did, go download and install the QT Alternative.
Firefox Knowledge Base Links:
Plug-in Testing Before and After New Addition or Modification
Windows Media Player Plug-ins
Rinne Tú an fharraige
Bí trócaireach linn a Thiarna agus beannaigh sinn
Bí trócaireach linn a Thiarna agus beannaigh sinn
Go mola na ciníocha thú a Dhia
Go mola na ciníocha go léir thú
Bí trócaireach linn a Thiarna agus beannaigh sinn
taispeáin dúinn solas do ghnúise
Chun go naithneofaí do shíl ar talamh
Agus do shlánú i measc na náisiún go léir
Bí trócaireach linn a Thiarna agus beannaigh sinn
Go ndéana na náisún lúchair agus gairdeas
Toisc go rialaíonn tú an domhan le fíreantacht
Teoraíonn tú na náisún ar talamh
Bí trócaireach linn a Thiarna agus beannaigh sinn
Thug an talamh a thoradh uaidh go flúirseach
Agus chuir dia ár nDia a bheannacht orainn
Go mbeannaí án nDia i gcónaí sinn
Agus gurab eagal le críocha na cruinne é
Bí trócaireach linn a Thiarna agus beannaigh sinn
Go mola na ciníocha thú a Dhia
Go mola na ciníocha go léir thú
Bí trócaireach linn a Thiarna agus beannaigh sinn
"Once is happenstance.
Twice is coincidence.
The third time is enemy action."
-- Goldfinger to James Bond in Ian Fleming's Goldfinger (1959)
It all started a few posts ago. It is apparent the spammers have finally find a way to clog up the blogs. I have been spammed three times this evening on the "HP System Fixed" post. They all said something like, "keep up the good work and will bookmark this site." Of course, included with the comments were invitations to reciprocate the sentiments by visiting the respective product sites.
These comments have been deleted.
The data and system files of the now demised factory installed hard drive was salvaged and mirrored to the a new drive. With this repair, this system is now also SP2 compliant.
For the record, this HP 7965 system is only 3 years-old. It is not a heavily used nor abused system. Beside the failed HD, its RW CD optical drive died months earlier.
I will not buy another HP system knowing now the company uses inferior components.
I needed some distraction from the doomed PC which I wrote about on an earlier post. So I went surfing on the Net and mentally worked out what steps to take to fix the hub unit and not do violence to the network.
I came upon a love letter of sorts posted on a blog. It read like an impish practical joke. Then it might not. It captured my attention because the blogger really struggled to write this open-letter in English. He acknowledged his English skills were limited. In any case, in tandem below is his original text and my edits.
*****
August 20
Dear wxxx litte sister:
From see you one eye, I love you.
Your eyes close, I die; your eyes open, I come back to live.
Your eyes close and open again and again,I die again and
again.
Maybe you do not remember me, no matter.
When you carefully look at me, you will one see clock.
I think l should introduce myself to you.
I call Lx big great. Toyear 25
My home have four mouth people-papa, mama, I and DD.
I am a good man, in a big company work.
I do early every day, so that I can have strong body to
protect you.
Please come to eat and sleep with me, or I will cut my hair to
be a monk, and find a place where many monks live in to over my life;
Like Your people
*****
I translated your love letter into a more readable and fluent English. I took the liberty of filling in some gaps of your thoughts. Best wishes to you and Miss Wxxx (or Wxxx in Mandarin). The translation is as follows:
Dearest Miss Wxxx:
From the first moment I set eye on you, I am in love.
The magic of your black lashes overpowers me. They flutter swiftly as butterflies and rein in my soul. My life and breath rise and fall to their rhythm.
I am but a face in the masses. Yet, whether we are in a garden or on a crowed avenue, you are the apple of my eye; I want to shield you as my own. If only you see me truly as I am, you would love me as well.
My name is David Lx. I am a healthy 25 year-old male with no vices. I am the older of two brothers. Including our parents, there are four of us in the family. Currently, I hold a very good and secured position with a large corporation.
What I lack is someone to be my wife, friend, and life companion. That someone is you, Miss Wxxx.
You are the apex of my dream and my sweet and precious torment. Only you can unlock my dream. Would you consent to wed me and be my wife? If you should decline, this dream of my will shatter. This life will plunge into the foam of abandonment and water of despair.
The only recourse for suffering this cruelty is for my retreating to a distant and remote buddhist temple. There will I shed my hair and join the brotherhood of monks. The world will hear of David Lx no more.
The One Who Loves and Admires You Always
*****
For the past few weeks, the HP Window XP took longer and longer to boot (4-6 minutes of waiting). Standard spyware, anti-virus, and registry audit failed to correct the problem. It's very likely the hard drive is failing.
As of this morning, the HP Pavillion 802.11b wired hub has gone into a state of coma. It won't boot at all. So it begins. The hard drive will have to be replaced including with the Windows XP OS.
The condolence card for the passing of Mrs. Heacock's father finally made it to my office this afternoon. Clipped to the card was an envelope for voluntary gifts to the hospice, whose service was much needed by the elder Heacock in his last days.
As for Mrs. Heacock and her married sisters, both of their parents are now gone from their lives. Many words of condolences have already filled the inside face of the card. One other person and I had to write on the back of the card. Since Mrs. Heacock and I have frequently talked about our faith, the words from Charles Spurgeon came appropriately to mind in this time of sorrow. By extending an edifying reading from Spurgeon's writings, I wrote on the card:
Even as sickness prostrates us or our loved ones, or death's arrow pierces us to the heart, our comfort does not die. It is in Him we find our everlasting consolation (2 Thessalonias 2:16). Our prayers are with you and your loved ones.
From now to eternity, Christ, our everlasting consolation. This is our prayer for you and your family. Have a safe journey home, Mrs. Heacock. We'll see you back at work Monday next.
And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.
A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.
Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury [Temple treasury];
--Mark 12:41-43 (NASB)
Yesterday, during our early Sunday worship service announcement, our associate pastor said a homeless man who has frequented our church on weekdays, had asked the church secretary to tithe a dollar of his in this Sunday's collection. And on the previous Sunday service, the same man, through the assoicate pastor, had tithed two dollars.
This is the kind of life story that lends itself to an object lesson from the pulpit, with the lesson text drawn from, say, Mark 12:41-43. And many a generation of Christians have been chastened by these T3 genre sermons (time, talent, and treasure).
The salient characteristic of an object lesson sermon is it focuses on the tree (e.g. time, talent, treasure, or all three) and its place in the forest (the church body or the catholic church). Seldom does a topical sermon address the tree in relation to the keeper of the forest.
Case in point. At that moment of space and time when the poor widow gave her two coppers to the temple treasury, history was made. Unbeknownst to her and to every person past and present, she had a role in God's eternal decree. Aside from the lesson of faith giving from the heart, our finite mind cannot interpolate and extrapolate beyond what else God has put in motion in that instance (Isaiah 55:8). Be that as it may, faith giving from the heart has its place in His plan with far reaching consequences beyond comprehension. This young man's three-dollar offering was significant in God's plan at a moment of time and space.
Tithing has never been an issue with me, for I give gladly with a grateful heart.
The lesson I am learning from this homeless young man and his tithes has nothing to do with money. It is on something entirely different. His story or history has affected my meditation on the passage of Ephesians 1:11. Hence this post.
"in him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."
Lesson and illumination. God ordains whatsoever comes to pass. The history of individuals is the history of the world. The history of the world is the autobiography of His own will.
Today a colleague's father died of cancer.
Today a colleague's wife writes her beloved is emaciated from chemotherapy.
Today a friend is advised to have a breast biopsy.
Today is my birthday.
Today the blossoms still cling to the vine.
i´m not moving at all
stuck in this constant weakness and nausea
the pointlessness of the hours passing in the same bed,
the same walls, the same uneventful window scene
without energy, what else is left...
While you wallow in your own self-loathing cacoon, many have sat by the rivers of Babylon and wept.
Posts
All Comments
