Scotland 1268

    There once was a noble family in the highlands that had a parcel of children. They had raised them successfully and most of them into adulthood. Their third child, a son, went to be a preacher in the mainland, to work for the Lord in the southern Mediterranean, where he mixed with Moors and Mohammedans. He enjoyed inviting them to partake of the sacraments of Christ.

    They were the McNamaras; their name was good. Their son, Scotty, returned and met with a young lady that he fancied. She came from the coastal lowlands. She was nice, and pretty, and they both liked and loved each other, but they were not completely sure of their future together, so they held off from becoming fianced to one another.

    One day, almost tragically, but not quite, Scotty fell from a horse-driven cart, and hit his head tremendously. He did not die right off but things were serious. His family drew him in and got him the best medical and spiritual treatment. His beloved, or near beloved, but not fianced, came to see him bedridden.

    But the McNamaras were not sure that this was best for him. Maybe the passions or feelings that he had for her, Melinda, would agitate him and cause him further ruin, and rather than allow him to rehabilitate, the connection would worsen him.

    Melinda had a hard time understanding. But she had faith in God, and she forbeared, and felt that Scotty would recover as God almighty would want him to.

    But it hurt not to see him, or speak to him, even though she felt that she knew that he wanted her to be there. The family wanted what was best for their son.

    30 years later, the tale was written.

    And faith withstood the test of time.

 What Languages do You Get? What Cultures do You Partake In?

    I speak English. My parents are from Massachusetts, so we have that affectation from New England. Funny stuff. Almost wicked funny.

    Booth and Hall are from there. Some connections. Like I have through professional colleagues. A couple from Maine.

    My cousins still up there.

    Mark and Karen.

 Glad I am Not Elon Musk - Let Me Count the Ways

    Call me a hater, sure. I do not like this guy, who I have never met, for a few reasons. Part of me is jealous for a few reasons, like intellect, power, and wealth.

    But I am truthful when I declare that I am grateful not to be him. Why

    1. Not cool to be partially responsible and associated with at least 700,000 people suffering and dying.

    Not cool. Has this happened? USAID disruptions and defunding alone have led to many deaths. Mostly in Africa. The facts are largely findable, and the numbers may vary. 

    Musk is a year younger than me. I hope to outlive him, but we shall see. But I am willing to bet by the end of his days, he will resent and regret the influence that the president had in pushing him to cut off millions of dollars of humanitarian and medical aid to desperate, sick people, in likely dozens of countries.

    Shame on him and us. Deplorable. Sick. Sad. Wrong. We do not let people die like that.

    Hitler does. Stalin does. Pol Pot does. Idi Amin does. The U.S. president and the wealthiest man in the world?

    What in the world. Where are we? Who are we? When are we?

    I have children, so does Musk. I am luckier by far.

    I feel bad for him in some ways. As much I can be down on some of my own luck and wondering about savings and the economic hopes that I have for me and mine, Musk has a lot of weird or crazy legacies that I would not want for me.

    I am not perfectly normal; I have failed in many ways. But I would not trade my fate for his.

    Ex-wives and lovers?

    No. I am blessed.

    Counting my blessings that I am not him.

    Strange way to account for things, but true.

    Blog it. 

 A Covenant People, a Zion of Christianity

    There are all types of Christians. But the people of the covenant of the Church of Jesus Christ are a people of choicest choices.

    We are inheritors of the Abrahamic covenant, to have prosperity and land, peace and posterity for ever and ever.

    I gave a talk quoting prophets and the Prophet, Jesus Christ. In Doctrine and Covenants He told Joseph that if we are not one, we are not His.

    Let us be His. I quoted President Oaks, Lehi, spoke of our commitment to Heavenly Father, to come here and serve Him. And then Brigham Young, which he spoke of exaltation. Becoming more like God, going back to Him.

    My talk had some basic notes about these things. Individual and collective covenants with God.

    More later.

 Love is Blindness; Love is Seeing - Love is Amazing

"And I love her." 

--The Beatles

 I Shall not be Cuckold to the Ghost of Another

    I had her.

    She was mine.

    She still is.

    But there was a moment,

    A day, 

    A year,

    When I lost her.

    I was lost, she was wandering.

    Looking for me.

    I had to find out where I was.

    Who I was.

    And find her where we were.

    We were ours.

    We were ours.

 The Nationals Played Good and Then Failed, All 3 Last Games Against the Yanks

    The last three days before the All-Star break, our hometown Nats were above .500. Bu the Yankees climbed back into each game in the last innings, swept the home team, and now the long-time struggling Nats are one below. 48-49.

    A shame, reallly, because they had good starting pitchers, okay offense, enough to win... But did not.

    Three times in a row.

    I hope that they recover.

    The last part of the season awaits. We shall see.