“We have deemed all these words necessary in order to explain that we have been traveling more slowly than was predicted, concision is not a definitive virtue, on occasion one loses out by talking too much, it is true, but how much has also been gained by saying more than was strictly necessary.” ― José Saramago, The Stone Raft

Now it's on to number 2401 and we're off and running once again. Today is Friday, September 23, 2016. I do need to set the record straight about the Star Trek emphasis yesterday. I was/am a casual observer and/or fan of the Star Trek franchise. I couldn't make any claims whatsoever on being even a Trekkie with training wheels. The references I used yesterday were associated with the franchise but I believe not all of them came directly from the TV series. One or more may have come from one of the movies. What was relevant was the anniversary, therefore, that's why I used it as a hook, albeit, a somewhat tenuous one. Speaking of space, I thought one of the responses to this week's bombings by the mayor of New York City was about as spaced out as they come. He essentially said that in the wake of these attacks what the City needed to do was to seek more Muslim immigrants to make New York their home. Maybe he meant it to be a way of saying we will not shrink back in the face of threats. Maybe he meant it as a way of promoting the resilience of his constituents. I had my own thoughts about what he said. I don't think I've ever heard anything as stupid as that. I know. I'm not sophisticated and in-the-know like him and the other elites might be. But, I mentioned it to a co-worker here and he had an almost identical response as I had. Us deplorables just can't seem to get our heads screwed on right. (The use of the word deplorables does not indicate my support for any current presidential candidate. I was using it to associate myself with those described by then Candidate Obama's comment in 2008: "And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.")

Young champion beard growing competitor.

I respect that it may get a little tiresome when I am always attempting to clarify my clarifications. Sorry. That too is a part of the package. I often go back and look at things I've written and published and I think about how it might have been better stated or illustrated in a more informative manner. I realize that we are all different. Thinking about the total world population of nearly 7.5 billion people, most of us do fit, in one way or another, a fairly narrow specialty within that huge number. I am a real bearded Santa Claus. Need I say more? I saw the bearded fellow's photo, above, in a UK newspaper. It depicts a champion beard grower. I would guess there's not that many who qualify themselves as being competitors in beard growing championships. The fellow in the photo reports that doing what he does is not without its challenges. He reports that it does get tiresome having to apologize each time he kisses his girlfriend. We all have our own set of problems, in our own sphere of life. When the Christian comedian and singer says God has to have a sense of humor, if you don't believe it, look at the platypus. I like that but I think if you want to see the most amazing diversity, just look at the people that breathe air on the planet.

The other day I wrote about the preeminence of celebrity in our culture. I typically track breaking news on my Twitter feed with over 50 news sources from all over the world posting updates in real time. Last Tuesday there were more crises going on from all over the globe than one could keep up with. The New York, New Jersey bombings were front and center. The stabbing in Minneapolis was developing. The Syrian conflict was hot and heavy. The President was at the United Nations making a speech. The continuing Clinton, Trump election saga with all of its twists and turns was being widely covered. Add to that mix the local news, accidents, road closures, weather, and things of that nature. Suddenly, something happened, all the news sources were taken over completely by an earth shattering event, so much so, it nearly shut down Twitter. What was this drop everything now story that interrupted reporting on every other event? Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are divorcing. I'm not talking about tabloids or Hollywood gossip sites. I'm telling you that every major news source interrupted everything else and ran with this developing situation. I'm surprised they didn't interrupt the President's speech so that he could inform everyone at the UN as to this breaking news event. I'll let you try and figure out exactly what this means and I will only add my often stated conclusion, "I rest my case." Speaking of news, how about some good news? God is still God and He is in control. We have the opportunity to make that truth a part of our daily living. Amen. Have a great weekend and do your best to show up Sunday at the meeting place to learn more about and to offer up your worship of the Lord God of heaven. Amen.  ....More later.