<Esteemed colleagues> *Sigh* My mother is breaking up with her oldest friend--they've been best friends since they were little girls, and now they're in their mid-80s--because this woman's atheism has become so in-your-face aggressive. And nasty, too.

Oddly enough, my brother is just like this woman: far, far Left, everything the Democrat Party does is right, and he comes right into your home and tells you everything you believe in is stupid and wrong--how can you not support ObamaCare, pride parades, $60 trillion dollars of debt, and public funding for abortion? You must be a Neanderthal who's been paid off by the oil companies!

After they beat you up for a while, they never fail to accuse us of plotting to "impose a theocracy." And you should see their faces. Everything comes through clenched teeth and twisted lips.

A few things to remember. First, the giving was purely voluntary; no one was required to give up all our part of his property. (Ananias was struck down for pretending to give, when he hadn't: don't lie to God.) Second, no authority was established to force anyone to give up anything, or to decide who it should be given to. Third, it was a temporary arrangement that was only followed in Jerusalem and nowhere else. And fourth, the disciples believed Jesus' prophecy (see Matthew 24) that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed (it was!)and that any Christians left surviving there would have to flee, and would be in need of financial assistance.

Sorry to hear of your computer woes! Who sent you the virus?

Was it just random, or were you personally targeted?

Also sorry to be so late with instructional help on how to make a movie.

I'm still trying to find the links I used, thought I'd bookmarked them but I have so many bookmarks now it's the same as not having any at all.

POSSIBLY A LESSON THERE.

heh- Cold War BURMA SHAVE sign, that's perfect.

Have you seen the very long documentary about a Monastery in France where they are sworn to silence?

It's very, very long. However, it's almost like being there for a while.

It's called <Into Great Silence> and I recommend it highly.

After awhile, you give up waiting to hear anyone speak, or any music on the soundtrack. They just recorded what was there.

So after a time, you start to hear better- you can hear the weather, rustling robes, and maybe you can hear the mountain too.

This film is the antithesis, or perhaps antidote to <Georg Buchner's> short story "Lenz," which features the immortal, yet terrifying line:

"What is this terrible screaming than men generally call silence"?

The Monks wouldn't reply to this, but perhaps they'd think "actually it's quite restful."

Finally, congratulations on your third column!

I was going to post a few reminders about some of the issues you raise, and also raise here in your forum, but I'm dead certain you are already aware of them.

So it would be redundant.

I didn't get where I am today by reminding you about things you already remember.

"We should in the future extend to Muslims the same common courtesy we claim for ourselves–not because we’re afraid of their threats, but because it’s what Jesus Christ would expect of us."

I must say I do not feel any animosity to muslims whatsoever, but I am terribly sickened by their religious leaders that force all kinds of degrading and mutilating laws upon women, to name one example.

But they've been in the same boat that Christians have been in, and have been led astray by false prophets, just like "us". Even the message of the True Prophet has been perverted by religious leadership over many centuries. God's Laws and love have been written on my- and all of humanity's- heart ever since I was conceived, as the Bible confirms, so my main challenge in life has been to keep those <natural> voices, the fruits of the spirit (I'll quote Galatians 5 at the end of this post) alive, and further hone them as Jesus told us to, and set an example, while growing up in an environment that tempts me to abandon those, or comprimise. Slowly but surely we may find our path back, and start hearing the authentic sounds of the words that were written in our hearts, again. Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Jews alike.

I wanted to read and reply to you earlier, but decided to take some 4 days off, and it's done me well.

Let me just subscribe to <Jess>'s words of encouragement for you. I couldn't say it better than she has. Illustrating that--

I'll cite those first four verses from chapter 6 here:

1 Brothers and sisters, if a person gets trapped by wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should help that person turn away from doing wrong. Do it <in a gentle way.> At the same time watch yourself so that you also are not tempted. 2 Help <carry> each other’s burdens. In this way you will follow Christ’s teachings. 3 So if any one of you thinks you’re important when you’re really not, you’re only fooling yourself. 4 Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments <without comparing yourself to others.> 5 Assume your own responsibility.

- - -

Meanwhile, I have no idea who trashed my computer. Mrs. PGP thinks it was initiated by one of those bogus messages that are made to look like Microsoft messages, warning "your computer has been infected with such-and-such virus," and all you gotta do is hit OK and for a mere $40, they'll take care of it for you. It is an extortion racket: if you don't pay them, they will try to vandalize your computer.

When encountering one of these messages, Mrs. PGP would turn off the computer and restart. That always got rid of them... until last week.

Among other things, I have three-quarters of a novel sitting in this computer. Happily the only files we lost permanently weren't very important.

One of the most widely used hymns in the Church, Veni, Creator Spiritus, is attributed to Rabanus Maurus (776-856). It is used at Vespers, Pentecost, Dedication of a Church, Confirmation, and Holy Orders and whenever the Holy Spirit is solemnly invoked. A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite it. A plenary indulgence is granted if it is recited on January 1st or on the feast of Pentecost. <COME, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made. <O comforter, to Thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High, O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.
<Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known; Thou, finger of God's hand we own; Thou, promise of the Father, Thou
Who dost the tongue with power imbue.
<Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts o'erflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high
the weakness of our flesh supply.
<Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us Thy peace instead; so shall we not, with Thee for guide,
turn from the path of life aside.
<Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know; and Thee, through endless times confessed,
of both the eternal Spirit blest.

Let me just speak to one aspect of it.

According to this book (for what it's worth), science, business corporations, politics, and the academic world are coalescing into a seething mass of corruption--evil seasoned with folly. They are no longer separate realms. Even some of the churches are being sucked into it...

This is what I am getting from this book. Crichton isn't with us anymore, so I can't ask him precisely what he meant to convey. There is, I suppose, a slim chance that I'm misreading his message.

How is your computer behaving these days? Any improvement? Is it fixed yet?

I agree that <hms12345678> is a fine poet. He's also a lawyer, and if you are ever involved in a Fisheries Dispute, I recommend him highly.

He'll work for scale.

I started to read the chapter one excerpt, but I can't stand SPOILERS so I figured I'd buy it and read it all in one go.

I didn't read the reviews either, I hate knowing what's going to happen next.

I don't even like to know the plot, setting, or genre.

In fact, if I could have purchased this book without knowing the title, I'd have done it.

SUGGESTION: by refusing to give your third novel a title, you'd capture the "niche market" of lunatics who have an obsessive fear of SPOILERS.

When I get back to Canada for vacation, your brother in law's books will also be waiting for me.

My idea is to make a "Bell Mountain sandwich."

I'll read the first book on the <Jersey Devil> then <Bell Mountain>, then the second book on the <Jersey Devil>.

I'd say that you worded your concern very conservatively, and from thorough research into high profile organized ritual (child-)abuse and ultimate perversion things may be even much worse than Crighton describes... while at the same time I realize that most of those supposedly "in" on stuff, are rather limited in number, but are expertly head-hunted to achieve certain agendas. Many layers. I could get specific, especially re the mechanisms of control and extortion, bribery, group-think etc, ..., but most wouldn't pass the CG censors and neither would I think this is the time and place.

There's an old chinese wisdom/proverb:

<Jessicafischerqueen> Hooray for you and anybody else who buys "Bell Mountain"! The second book in the series, "The Cellar Beneath the Cellar," has also been published. I'm currently writing Book #5. I hope you enjoy my book!

<Esteemed colleagues> Second point I'm picking up from "Next":

In this new mix of science, profiteering, academics, and politics, there are no rules--anything goes. This is especially true of anything that involves genetic science and its applications. Totally corrupt people are drawn to this like ants to sugar. And people who come to it with clean hands soon get dirty.

And by "anything," I do mean "anything."

<achieve> I admit it: some part of me doesn't want this to be true, and is hoping Crichton was just telling a story, didn't mean anything by it, etc. Yes, indeed, it is about time I read "The City of God."

<Esteemed colleagues> More on "Next."

There are two things that attract people to genetic research and related fields. 1. You can make colossal amounts of money, and there are no rules to get in your way. 2. Even more powerful...

You can tell people, and tell yourself, that your science will someday abolish disease and aging, make any kind of injury repairable, and confer physical immortality on the human race. Even the fact that some of these experimental "therapies" wind up killing the patient won't upset you--hey, there are bound to be bumps on the road to paradise.

It's the same old line of temptation that Satan has been throwing out since the Garden of Eden days. He constantly updates the outward trappings, and it always reels 'em in.

<Jessicafischerqueen> So I went to the library yesterday to get "The City of God," and was told, "We don't have that." *sigh* Guess they couldn't find room for it among the LaToya Jackson biography, astrology books, everything that Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris ever wrote, and sure-fire diet books.