Religious History

I have, for years, been interested in apocrypha and the gnostic texts and other books of antiquity and scripture that is not part of the canonical bible. There is a very good website which hosts these texts at the Internet Sacred Text Archive. The texts contained in that site are all in the public domain. One can also get a CD or DVD of the site's content.

At about Easter time (which is the usual time for this stuff) the History Channel aired several shows, "Banned From the Bible" and "Banned From the Bible II". Four hours of information discussing ancient texts which, while widely read and well known at the time, were for whatever reasons not included in the official canonical bible we all know and love today.

There are a variety of reasons why these books were left out. Some, especially the gnostic texts, were (and still are by some) considered heretical. As more and more of the earth is used and settled upon and trampled, more and more of these ancient writings are coming to light. They are being found where they were left thousands of years ago. This is terribly fascinating to me.

One of the books discussed in the section we watched last night (we Tivo'ed the shows for later consumption) discussed the "Testament of Solomon". This is one book I would like to read. I couldn't find it on the Sacred-Texts archive, but I'm certain enough of an internet search will reveal one or more translations. In this book, which was discovered as a 14th or 15th century manuscript, but is believed to me much older due to several early AD and even some BC texts that reference the writing.

In "Testament of Solomon", Solomon is not only super wise and super rich, he is also quite the wizard. He is given (I suppose by God or an angel) a special ring which gives him the ability to control Satan and the demons (like "Lord of the Rings" - kinda). He uses the demons as slave labor to build the great Temple of Solomon.

Sheesh, sometimes I just ramble don't I.

Hey, thanks for visiting!





Technorati Tags: Religion, Apocrypha, Ancient Scripture, History, Gnostics

Viva Las Vegas!

When I was a kid, I used to watch a television show named 'VEGA$'. For three seasons Dan Tanna - played by Robert Urich - tooled around Las Vegas in his little red corvette, helping people and doing the right thing. This was in the late 70's. I think the show started in 78 or 79, but I can't be 100% on that.

That show started my fascination with Las Vegas. Since then there have other shows based in Vegas. 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' - which I throuroughly enjoy even though it doesn't so much glamourize the city. My current favorite show about the Soddom of the Sands is 'Las Vegas' with James Caan as the president of the fictional Montecito casino (the Montecito also made an appearance in the NBC show 'Heroes' when Hiro was kicked out of the casino for suspicion of cheating).

The show 'Las Vegas' really captures the fantasy that is Las Vegas. From Highrise condos, to the glitz of the strip. They don't seem to make it to downtown area much, but that is probably because the strip is really where it is all happening.

One of my favorite story arcs was when Danny, Mike and the girls build a new home and were renting it to a gay couple. The couple broke up and one of them, in a fit of anger, burned the house down. And they were under-insured. I don't know why that tickled me, probably because it is always refreshing to see seemingly perfect people do dumb things.


This post brought to you by:

Las Vegas Homes


Technorati Tags: Las Vegas, Television, Entertainment, Real Estate, Las Vegas Homes, millionsaver.com

They don't watch '24' in China

I have to assume that the good folks in China do not watch the Fox TV show '24'. If they did, the Chinese official on the show would have done a couple of things differently;

1. He would not have kidnapped and held Jack Bauer prisoner
2. While holding the kidnapped Jack Bauer prisoner, he would not have tortured him
3. He would not have kidnapped and held Jack Bauer's girlfriend prisoner
4. After all of the above mistakes, he would not have required a meeting with Jack Bauer

You see, if they actually did watch '24' in China, this bloke would know that anyone that kidnaps and/or tortures Jack Bauer dies at the hands of...Jack Bauer. Not to be stereotypical, but Asians are usually very smart people. Then again, maybe that is why this dunce is a government official and not working on their space program. He is completely oblivious to who Jack Bauer is, what he does and how he does it.

I'm pretty certain it was SunTzu in his writings 'The Art of War' that said "know your enemy" (I could be wrong - it has been a long, long time since I read the book). At any rate, after saving America from sure nuclear annihilation at the hands of terrorists, Jack now has to steal a component and hand it over to the Chinese, or his girlfriend dies. Riiiiiight, how much you wanna bet the Chinese official actually walks away with the top-secret component?



Technorati Tags: 24, Television, Entertainment, Jack Bauer, Fox

Friday the 13th...

I'm going to keep a type of 'running total' for today...Friday the 13th (dum-dum-dummmmm).

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08:00
So far, not a terrible day. Sure it's raining, but I did get to meet with a fellow Topeka blogger this morning. It seems that I won a contest on his site for a copy of the book "Good Debt, Bad Debt" by Jon Hanson. Well, okay, I was the runner up, but the original winner didn't claim their prize so I won (w00t!).

And...I made it to my desk without having to be nice to the little dictator that sits in the corner office (double w00t!).

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10:41
Everything seems to be coming up roses. No complaints about the the module I delivered at close of business yesterday (I am awesome!). I finished up the bug I was working on - and was expected to take the rest of the day fixing. I mean sure, the weather stinks, but other than that....

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17:57
I made it through the day with nary anything bad happening. I even made it home through the freezing rain without incident. When I got home, the 5/8th had cooked a delicious chicken and noodles -all that while the kids were home sick. So it is my observation that Friday the 13th is not necessarily an unlucky day. I also would not classify it as a lucky day since I did not find any money just laying on the ground, I did not receive an unexpected pay raise or bonus, and generally, nothing lucky really happened - but then, neither did anything unlucky.





Technorati Tags: Friday the 13th, Luck, Superstitions

"You can just drop me off"

Little Sister is set to start her second year of softball out at Shawnee Lake. Her second softball season, but her last for coach-pitch T-ball. Next year she graduates to 'real' softball where the other team pitches.

She is a good hitter. Probably the best on her team. I'm not saying that because I am biased, it just happens that she hits really well, she always has. She has been having practices on Saturdays and Tuesdays in the school gym. I know, softball in a gym doesn't seem like it would make any sense at all, but they make it work I guess.

Her coach this year is a much more strict coach than last year's. Last year it was all about playing around and having fun. This year it is all about preparing the girls for the cut-throat world of real softball they will be experiencing next year. Some of the mothers were complaining early on about how strict the coach is. But they asked this guy to coach. I took her to a practice, and frankly he didn't seem that strict. Maybe he was only strict, I told the 5/8th, the first couple of practices to set into the girls' head who was indeed the boss of the team.

Last Tuesday, the 5/8th told me the coach would allow parents to stay and watch practice, but that he would rather they didn't. I was going to leave it up to Little Sister. I asked her if she wanted me to stay with her at practice or just drop her off. I was certain what the answer would be. She had never attended anything without either mom & dad or one of her brother's present. I didn't want to drop her off. I wanted to watch the practice. I wanted her to know that dad was right there...always.

When she went to Judo by herself one Saturday because the boys had a Boy Scout event to attend, she wanted me to stay with her there. I was sure as nails that she was going to want me to stay. But when I heard "you can just drop me off," my heart sank. She was too big now to have dad chaperon her around. She doesn't need dad in easy reach for everything anymore.

I begrudgingly dropped her off at the school gym. When I picked her up an hour later, she seemed different. Like something about her had changed. She was excited, more than usual, about nothing. I think it was because she proved to herself that she could make it through something like practice without having dad around for security.

I am certain I will be hearing a lot more "you can just drop me off" statements from her in my future. For Judo, for school events, for practices, movies, skating....

I suppose it is unavoidable. As she grows older she must grow more distant. That is the normal progress of things -but that doesn't mean I have to like it.





Technorati Tags: softball, growing up, daughters, dads

I'm it?

Okay, I'm an idiot. I didn't read the rules properly, so here goes it the proper way (I'm new to all this stuff, so please bear with me!).'

I've been tagged by PixelHead for the meme (no, I don't know what a meme is, just go with it okay?) "Gotta Get Goals" started by Alex Shalman. Take a look at Alex's blog for the rule (I didn't and now I have to perform 50 mea culpas - don't let this happen to you!)

So, I need to set some goals. Here we go:
1) Spend Christmas in Bethlehem (talk about your 'down home' Christmas)

2) Spend Easter in Jerusalem.

3) Visit the Aztec, Inca and Mayan ruins in Central and South America

3) Open a bar in Telluride, CO

4) Start a horse ranch in either Colorado or Alaska ( or heck, BOTH)

5) Have kids that actually do what they are told, when they are told, with a smile on their face thankful for the opportunity to do the task assigned, and without whining, complaining or otherwise ticking me off.

I know, that last one is a huge stretch, but the rules said "achieve your wildest dreams" or something, I'm paraphrasing.

I know, I know, they are not the best goals, but I've never been all that great a goal setting.

In return, I figured I'd give a couple of people some tags as well. Places one might like to visit, and even hang out a while.



tags: ianr, mylifestartsat42, fortywhat, my2cents



TAG - you all are it. Now you have to tag someone else! Have fun, and thanks for visiting.







Technorati Tags: Tag ur it, blog community, bloggers

Good Friday

It's Good Friday. The boys were asked to serve at the noon Stations of the Cross at the Church of the Assumption downtown. It had been I don't know how many years since I had actually been to a Stations of the Cross.

They (Catholics) usually do this on Good Friday. It got me to thinking how neat it would be to spend Easter in Jerusalem, and on Good Friday walk the real Stations. would also like to spend Christmas in Bethlehem sometime.

*sigh* When that numbers on that lottery ticket (which I never buy) finally get picked.

The Stations were very moving. What was said at most of the stations seemed so...personal. Almost as if they were talking specifically about my own life. The crosses that I am to bear. I know that what seems like giant heavy crosses I tug along are rather insignificant to a lot of people, but they are there nonetheless, and I (like most I believe) think how much better life might be without them. Pains, trials, reservations, resignations, regrets.

But without these personal crosses, I would be a completely different person. Without them my wife - whom I love with complete devotion - would be a different person. We are the sum of our personal experiences, and if any of those experiences were to change, we as we are now would cease to exist. We would become someone else. Perhaps not very much, perhaps just the vanity to splash some Grecian Formula on the gray around the temples, but enough that it would change us. Forever.

No, I don't want my crosses removed. I'll bear them, and hope and strive to bear them with pride. They are a gift. A gift which is given by God. Sure, they don't seem like a gift. How can one make a gift of pain and despair? But it is through these trials that we emerge as a better person.

Sheesh, this post didn't start out to be so melancholy, but it seemed to have ended up that way. Sometimes my mind gets to racing when I'm sitting at the keyboard, and what was going to be just a post, ends up quite the ramble.

I want to thank you for your attention, and for visiting.

Happy Easter everyone!









Technorati Tags: Easter, Good Friday, Stations of the Cross

No shaken martinis here

Hello again. It has been a pretty good week. The kids were all excited on Friday as each got to wear their Gi to Judo class on Friday. They received them on Wednesday, but they had to be washed at least once before worn. We did learn that to properly dry takes longer than 24 hours though. In case anyone was wondering. The Judo Academy did well last week in Nebraska competition - taking three or four first place slots. They are gearing up now for the Sunflower Games. The middle boy and Little Sister both are looking forward to knowing enough to compete. The teenager isn't so sure about the whole competition thing.

We were able to watch the new James Bond flick - "Casino Royale" - this weekend. I was, in a nutshell, disappointed. It was a good action film in and of itself...but it wasn't a good James Bond film. It was missing that certain James Bond flair that we have come to expect after 20 movies about the iconic secret agent for British spy house MI-6. I don't think I set my expectations too high to guarantee my disappointment. I knew, for instance, that this Daniel Craig fellow was not in any way, shape or form going to be as good a Bond as Sean Connery.

Bond films have always had a certain feel to them. It seems there were some things missing from this film. Namely things that made Bond, Bond. Like loads of beautiful women (there were two), fast cars, Q and his gadgets, and vodka martinis...shaken, not stirred. This seemed a much more politically correct Bond, along the lines of the Timothy Dalton Bond, and not the Bond most of us grew up with.

Gone was that distinctive Bond music that opened all of the other films (with the exception of "Never Say Never Again" - because the makers could not get the rights to the music). They managed to include the theme in the credits, but that music, those blaring of horns, were always the signal of good things to come. Maybe that's why they put it at the end. As if they were saying "don't worry, the next one will be better." Also gone from the opening credits were the silhouetted shapes of curvaceous women - instead we get South Park quality cardboard cutouts of Bond in various stages of fights or shooting his weapon.

Personally, I don't see Craig as a good James Bond. He is a good action figure though, but his face is a bit too...what is the word...mean I think. His appearance is too rough around the edges. He looks like he grew up on the streets and graduated Cum Laud from the University of Hard Knocks. Like he is more of a thug than a thinking man. Bond was always a thinking man. He seemed to have information on just about anything ready when asked. From diamonds to nuclear reactors to hydrofoils, he knew about it all. It was part of his mystique. Craig's appearance would fit better in Tony's crew on the Sopranos, than the fancy glitz and glamor top-dollar drawing rooms Bond frequents. He just doesn't have the right look. Bond always looked as if he was comfortable and right-at-home in his tuxedo. Not like he just got off work as a long shore man.

BTW: Bit of trivia. Most people think the first incarnation of "Casino Royale" was the David Nivens/Peter Sellers spoof of 1967. But the first actual film version of "Casino Royale" was a 1954 television adaptation for the "Climax!" television show. In it Jame Bond was an American spy for the CIA and Leiter was his MI6 liason (role reversal because the hero had to be American - this was American television after all). In it Barry Nelson played James Bond and Peter Lorre played Le Chiffre.

Thanks for visiting. Keep well and safe.







Technorati Tags: James Bond, Casino Royale, David Craig, Judo

New virus hiding as IE7 download

I'm just trying to spread the word here - I don't do this much, but I believe this to be very important



Trojan masquerades as IE 7 downloads by ZDNet's Ryan Naraine -- Spammers are using fake Internet Explorer 7 (Beta 2) downloads to lure Windows users into downloading a nasty backdoor Trojan. The fake downloads are part of a massive spam run that includes an official-looking graphic (see image below) linked to Web sites that auto-launch an executable named "ie7.exe." A copy of this spam that landed in my [...]



Technorati Tags: virus, IE7, trojan, zdnet