North Korean street sweeperThe Coast Guard will stop searching for the remaining three boaters at sunset tonight. (I guess that's already passed in FL.) The Coopers say they will continue to search using charter boats and planes. I understand that desire and can't fault them for it. There will come a time when the reality will be forced upon them. Sad.
I got the rest of the weather stripping installed on Gerta. The front lid now closes with a soft cushioned thud instead of a metal-to-metal clank.
I ran a couple of errands in the VW this afternoon and realized I really do enjoy driving her. There was a period of a few weeks (I've only had it a month now) when driving meant being on alert, listening and feeling for any signs of something amiss. I think that's to be expected anytime you buy a used car, especially one 42 years old. "Does that squeaking portend looming disaster?" "What's that vibration?" But as I get to know Gerta's quirks and idiosyncrasies I feel more comfortable driving her.
I've decided that clicking noise is indeed a valve that needs adjusting, so a valve adjust will be my next mechanical procedure. I need to get a feeler gauge for that and read up in the shop manual. That issue notwithstanding, it's fun to buzz around in Gerta. Even without power steering a VW handles easily, and no manual transmission ever shifted easier. The synchro is going in second gear but my double-clutch technique is improving so that's no big deal. She turns on a dime, and the turning radius is so tight I can almost go in circles without leaving the garage. Gerta gives me one drop of oil every time I stop, but it comes from the plate that holds the screen in place, not from the case, so that doesn't bother me.
Besides, she's just so darn good looking! How can you not love a car that looks like that?
I started studying for my sermon this morning. We'll be in the first part of 1 Cor. 7 this Sunday, and it represents a shift in the book's content. Up until this point Paul has been writing about problems in the Corinthian church reported to him by visitors from Corinth - sexual immorality, lawsuits, church divisions. In 7:1 he begins the second section of the book: "Now, regarding the matters you wrote to me about." The Corinthian believers had written Paul a letter with a number of questions, and here he begins answering them. First up: marriage and divorce.
Too bad that's not a relevant issue in today's church, huh!
This is one of those topics that believers and churches have struggled with for two millennia. I know of a church that split over whether or not a divorced person should be allowed to sing in the choir. Granted, that was a long time ago. These days most churches don't have choirs, and those that do aren't worried about divorced tenors. (Getting tenors to sing on pitch, now there's something worth worrying about!)
These days the church is probably more at risk of taking a laissez faire attitude toward divorce. Divorce is so common in our society that most of the stigma has disappeared, even in the church. Should it be so? Are biblical standards applicable these days? Are they even clear enough to be the basis for decisions? Should the church take a stand or leave that issue up to individuals to work out?
As always, you're invited to join us Sunday as we look to see what Scripture says.
If I had money I'd sure be tempted to get into the stock market. We all agree it will eventually recover. And when it does we'll all be saying, "If I had bought back when it was at...." But I don't have money, and don't know which stocks to buy even if I did. Should it be one of the "too big to fail" companies? The govt. seems committed to bailing them out regardless of how bad they screw up. How about "green" stocks? With Circuit City belly up, Best Buy is alone as the big box electronics store, but Wal Mart is grabbing market shares whether I'll shop there or not. Utilities?
There is something to be said for not having money. It does keep things simple.
A marine biologist developed a strain of dophins that would live forever if they were fed a constant diet of seagulls. One day he ran out of seagulls and went out to trap some more. On the way back his path crossed two sleeping lions. The biologist gingerly stepped over the lions and was immediately arrested.
The charge?
Transporting gulls across sedate lions for immortal porpoises.
1 comment:
That Kiplinger's I just got in the mail cited BBY and Walmert as promising stocks to buy. They also suggested Bed, Bath & Beyond because, like BBY, their primary competitor Linens N Things has gone belly up.
However, the "MacDonald Factor" could work to prove them all wrong.
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