Your epidermis is showing.

I are a camel.

In BL 101 and in the curriculum we talk about the methods each of the world empires used to maintain control over their conquered territories (aka "hold their air").

• Assyria - mix 'em up and spread 'em around.
• Babylonia - take 'em back home and keep an eye on 'em.
• Greece - Hellenism
• Rome - Pax Romana ("Give us any trouble and we'll smash your face")

The Chinese don't have a world empire but they do have a very large empire that includes regions populated by ethnic groups different from the Han people most associate with the word "Chinese." And they have a very clear plan for maintaining control in those areas, viz., settle Han Chinese in those areas so that they eventually constitute either a numerical majority, an economic majority or both. That's what they've done in Tibet and in Xinjaing where the Uighurs live. This Slate photo essay is worth the few minutes it will take.

I remember when...

1. Thongs were worn on your feet
2. You dialed a phone number with your index finger
3. And you did it on a dial
4. You could tell who had bad eyesight because they wore glasses
5. You pumped the gas pedal before starting your car
6. An air bag was your brother-in-law
   

(To be cont'd. Submissions welcomed)

One of the local news stories that made it to the national media is about a guy who drove his car over the edge of the Grand Canyon and then down 600' before hitting bottom. That's 60 stories down. Way too much time to think about what's going to happen.

Go ahead, try this at home:
Fun with chip bags

Did you watch the home run derby? One of the TV reporters was down on the field and asked Josh Hamilton - one of the great stories in baseball - what he felt was the greatest thrill from last year's derby. He won it with a record 28 homers in one round. He said that it was the opportunity to share Jesus Christ with that many people (his post derby interview).
Cool!

I spend time on the rowing machine, then the stationary bike and finish up on the treadmill. Each of those has a series of warnings printed on the data/control panel, and in the case of the bike and treadmill they are printed in two languages, English and French. I try to figure out the French without first reading the English.
I'm supposed to stop before the souffle is done.

Thinking ahead to next Sunday's sermon. Part of that is a desire for redemption, but also because it's a critical issue that has too often been mishandled. A significant number of people have left the organized church because of this one.