"I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury." - Groucho Marx

Photo bombed by the dog

Boko Haram is the worst kind of evil and cruelty. I'm not a big fan of interventionism, and we don't have a great track record in that department over the last 20-30 years. But these guys are backwoods thugs with Walmart weapons in a relatively confined area. We've got more than enough power and technology to erase them from the face of the earth in about 20 minutes. Why aren't we taking care of business?

The Falcon's steering wheel is badly cracked and replacements are pricey. Plus, a plastic steering wheel in an AZ summer makes driving impossible. So I got one of those wraps with the vinyl lacing that holds it in place. Then the lacing broke. Yesterday I got a replacement but couldn't find the same type, so I got what I could - one that just stretches over the steering wheel w/o lacing. Think of a radial tire scaled way down in diameter and width, minus the tread. But just about as inflexible. Which is why I struggled and struggled to get it stretched over the slightly-larger-than-intended-to-fit steering wheel. Then I remembered the heat gun in the garage cupboard that, applied judiciously, would make the rubber more flexible and undoubtedly make installation much easier.
Seemed like a good idea at the time.
Not so much.

And while we're on a roll let's install the front springs on the truck chassis using the new shackles, pins, and bushings I ordered. Plus, the place that rebuilt the springs includes bushings and pins as part of the deal. (I didn't know that when I ordered the repops.) Three hours later I got the job done, but somehow I have enough parts left over to do two more trucks.
No clue.

As I sat in Starbucks this morning working on Sunday stuff I couldn't help but notice the number of people wearing clothing with a slogan of some sort.

• A Nike shirt: "Just run"
• A black hat with "Live Lucky" on the back
• A T-shirt with large letters on the back (no logo) that said, "You get what you deserve."

That last one particularly caught my attention. Agree or disagree? 

I suppose if we narrow the context it works as a general principle, if not an axiom. Do you deserve to run a sub-40 minute 10k? Not if you haven't done the necessary strenuous training. But some of us are years past a sub-40 no matter how hard we train. Some 18-year old with the strength and energy of youth might pull that off with minimal prep, while a 60-something guy ain't gonna come close no matter how informed and diligent his training.

Actions have consequences, positive or negative. Control diet and exercise regularly and you'll enjoy better health. Eat anything all the time and sit like a lump - don't expect to live to 90. 

What about on a cosmic level? In the big picture view so we get what we deserve? Or to put it another way, do you believe in "karma" - that an ultimate fitting reward (or punishment) comes to all?

Mike & Mike (ESPN's morning sports show) have been discussing the Sterling situation, including his longstanding rep for racist words and actions. Greenburg last week said, "This is another example of 'karma is a ____.'" He's said similar things in other contexts that lead me to think he believes there is some kind of ultimate justice built into the universe that results in eventual payback for good or evil. If we could talk over a cup of Starbucks I'd ask him how that karma fits with his close friend who died of cancer last year, a death which he has described as an unmitigated tragedy.

My take, FWIW (and informed by the Bible): I do not get what I deserve. You might, but I won't. (We're talking big picture, here.)

Jesus Christ took what I deserve when he died on the cross to pay for my sins. And because I believe him to be the Son of God, and because I believe him when he said he was dying as my substitute, my sins (and they are many) are covered, paid for.
So not only will I not get what I deserve, but I'll get what I don't deserve.
The biblical term for that is grace.