Random Thoughts

I have recently bought an aged set of 'The Diary of Samuel Pepys' from off of Ebay. I have also been putting 'The Diary of Samuel Pepys' up on my web site, as part of my history scetion. I am developing a range of historical works there for visitors to the site to be able to read, research, etc.

I have begun to read the diary of Samuel Pepys and it certainly is an interesting insight into Post Civil War and Post Protectorate England. It is perhaps not truly brilliant writing (certainly not as far as I have read thus far), but it is quite a journey back into the England of 1660 and beyond.

Pepys of course, became known as the Saviour of the English navy, for the leading part he played in managing the navy during his career.

 

ABOVE: Samuel Pepys

To read the diary click on the link below:
The Diary of Samuel Pepys

To Visit Kevin's Family - Online History Site click on the link below:
Kevin's Family - Online History Site

 

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At work today I heard a joke about a car accident - I will tell you the joke and ask the question, 'Is this joke funny?'

JOKE: I was on my way to work today and as I was nearing work I crashed into the back of a car. The car was being driven by a dwarf. He got out of the car and came up to my window ~ then he said, 'I'm not happy you know!'

So I said to him, 'So which one are you then?'

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Today, on the way home from work, I decided to do a little shopping. So I went and bought this and then that. I then thought, 'Well, I'm over this way I might as well pop into that new Christian bookshop and see what it is like.'

So I arrived and popped in for a look - it is quite a set-up. It is all very impressive and has a very well researched approach to marketing in the bookshop setting. This mob could sure teach some of the 'more secular' bookshops a thing or two about setting up a store to entice people in and to buy.

Then the moment of truth arrived - I began to wander (or is that 'wonder') among the bookshelves and view what was on offer. It didn't take me long to think that here was a wonderful example of 'Christian Confusion Collected.' Is the person/persons/group behind this bookshop a Christian (or a group of Christians) or just a seller of books under the collective title of 'Christian Books.' Is this person Protestant or Roman Catholic, Evangelical or Liberal, Reformed or Arminian, Charismatic/Pentecostal or ... ? The question has to be asked, because books of all types were here represented. Perhaps the title 'Christian' was enough to get a book on the shelves here.

In a short time I had found a book on Mother Teresa, one by Karl Marx and a whole host of other uncomfortably united authors - you could almost feel the tension as they each jostled for shelf space. There was Mother Teresa, warming herself by the fire of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, with all her innocence and saintly arraignment for all to see. What an odd group of fellows were some of these authors.

Alongside the foolish waste of natural resources that is the Purpose Driven Church, was a book entitled, 'This little church went to market - Is the modern church reaching out or selling out (which I actually bought for a read).' What an interesting juxtaposition there for all to see ~ one wonders if the incongruity of the two books was picked up by the one filling the shelves - yes, I agree, unlikely.

Then of course my mind turned to the customers - what a pious looking group of people, pontificating on the excellence of the goods on offer. I found myself relating more to the girl who couldn't contain her amusement at some of the titles she saw lining the shelves - a fellow vulgar vagrant perhaps, not yet filled with the spirit of the place.

So to end my visit it was necessary to make my way past the various trinkets, obviously there for those customers with more indulgent tastes, figuring I had spent enough time in my present world purgatory and pay the bill for some other misfit occupants of the store - the book warning of the market driven approach to 'church,' a book on unconditional election and another on John Wyclif, who seemed to peer out from the cover of the book, seemingly embarrassed by being among those with whom he was sharing a shelf - perhaps it was time for John to re-establish Lollardism in another setting than that to which he was used to. Still, I had liberated these three books from their imprisonment and they were soon to join brethren of a similar mind in other shelves at another place where their fellowship would be much sweeter indeed.

ABOVE: Hugh Latimer ... Burnt at the Stake Under Queen Mary
(As described in Foxe's Book of Martyrs)

To look at Foxe's Book of Martyrs:
Foxe's Book of Martyrs

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How frustrating can life be sometimes - I have a a vault full of frustrating stories and that just from today! I'll spare you the majority of them, but this last one just happened - I ordered a pizza.

OK, so I ring the number and ask for the specific local pizza place. No problem so far... 'Hello, how are you?' 'Good mate (I answer), how are you?'

Pizza Guy: Sorry, what did you say you wanted?

Me: I didn't mate, just answering the first question?

Pizza Guy: Did you have a voucher for that?

Me: For what - haven't ordered anything yet?

Pizza Guy: OK, so what were you after then?

Me: I have an Internet voucher for a large pizza and a cheesy Garlic Bread for $9.95 (AU). I'll have a deep pan ham and pineapple thanks. Pick up.

Pizza Guy: OK, that's a deep pan ham and pineapple - do you have any vouchers tonight?

Me: Yes I do - $9.95

Pizza Guy: OK, so that's a large pizza for $9.90.

Me: And the Cheesy Garlic Bread

Pizza Guy: Oh, Ok. What's your name?

Me: I tell him my name

Pizza Guy: Can you spell it mate.

Me: I spell it for him

Pizza Guy: So what's your name - can you spell it again?

Me: I say my name, spell it again - this time more slowly, and then I say it again.

Pizza Guy: Ok, that's $9.90 and it will be 10 minutes.

So after that breathtakingly difficult conversation I waited 10 minutes and then headed to the pizza shop - could it get any worse?

Me: Hi buddy, just here to pick up my order. Tell him my name.

Pizza Guy: Sorry mate, we don't have any orders for that name - did you call here?

Me: Yeah, I rang this shop direct. I spelled out my name for the guy twice.

Pizza Guy: No mate, not here. Hang on a tick Has a look through a few papers & asks what I said I ordered. Yeah mate, it's under a different name - do you know what it is?

Me: No, because I gave him my name and spelled it to him twice. How would I know what other name he put it under. I would have assumed it would be under the name I spelled out twice to him.

Pizza Guy: No mate, different name - here it is. Turns out it is nothing like my name & it will still be a couple of minutes. So I sit down and wait (he never told me the name until after I got it). Then a few minutes later they start calling out names.

Pizza Guy: Yeah mate, what name are you waiting for?

Me: I wish I knew!!!

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'Does anybody know where Crepe Myrtle lives? Who is Crepe Myrtle? I've never heard of her!'

Such was the response to a job sheet that was recently handed out to one of my staff. The job sheet asked for a Crepe Myrtle to be pruned in a certain area of the workplace ~ thankfully Crepe Myrtle was never found or she herself may have been missing a few limbs & not just the shrub.

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Yes, the title is intentional. We are funding funding at my workplace. In the office where I work there is a collection of aluminium cans being made. There is a receptacle in which one can place their used aluminium can in order for it to be collected and then taken to some local recycling facility for what is nothing more than a very small return for your effort.

Now in our work place there are a number of competing collection points. There is one where a staff member gets all the takings, there is another where funds raised go towards aiding breast cancer research and then there are those receptacles provided by the local council in order to pacify the local greens (to promote recycling - which is of course a good thing). But the unique thing about the collection point in our office is that monies raised through recycling our aluminium cans (which may be about $20.00 AU a year) is to be used in funding further fund raising activities.

Now this is all extremely exciting and many of us simply cannot wait until the next fund raising activity is rolled out - that which is funded by our aluminium can collecting and recycling project. One can only guess wildly at what measures will be introduced with such extravagant funding. Perhaps there will be a bottle of boiled lollies that visitors to the office can take while popping a donation into a bottle - in order to receive one. The only problem with such an activity is that when we have purchased the lollies we will need another receptacle in which to collect the donations.

Perhaps we could start collecting old copper wire from pictures and recycle it in order to fund the receptacle to collect the monies donated through this other fund raising activity?

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I have a real problem with salespeople, whether they be those that ring you on the phone or harrass you at the front door of your home. This type of real-life SPAM is just too much for me. I really have it in for it. If I want to buy something, I'll go to your shop, give you a call or visit your online shop. I don't need the hassle of a commercial invasion of my privacy.

Thankfully now you can get your name on a register in Australia - set up by the Australian Government - to say you don't want telephone sellers ringing you at all hours of the day. They are supposed to listen to that. The likely scenario is that I'll be getting increased stormtroopers at the door as a result of the register. I had my first vacuum cleaning contractor taking up that option today (they used to phone).

With the register, there are so many exceptions to the ban on people ringing those who have added their name to the register, you wonder if there is really any point to it in the long run. Why would anyone enjoy the prospect of political parties ringing you to try and convince you to vote for them - this is allowed because it is in the public interest. I have no interest in a politician ringing me and saying, 'I've taken this extraordinary ... (as John Howard did in the last election).' I'm sure we will hear him trying to convince us why it is in the public's best interest to return the government in the coming election via my telephone. If I have to ring message bank to hear that I wonder if he will be pay the bill as I didn't ask for the disturbance? Unlikely, as the money raised from such ventures has gone to pay for his advertising via this medium in the past anyhow - you can't win. Perhaps I can give him a call and explain to him why I have taken the extraordinary step to call him at his residence when he is relaxing at home and let him know how much I dislike many of his policies ~ I don't think he would see the irony somehow. He certainly didn't enjoy the 'Chaser' team replaying his message to him everywhere he went one day recently.

Salespeople - give us a break.

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I never knew that being old made it allowable to be rude. However, this would seem to be the growing acceptable trend with older people. It would appear to me that this is the seeming policy in Aged Care these days, as well as in Retirement Villages, general public places, etc. You are no longer allowed to challenge poor behaviour in the elderly because they are old. Does being old give you a right to abuse people and to be rude ~ I wouldn't have thought so, but apparently it is becoming an acceptable practice/trend.

Isn't it interesting that in an age where any form of physical discipline of children is regarded as being child abuse, that the rate of poor behaviour in children is increasing to an alarming level? I have heard it said, that a lot of older people with Dementia-type illnesses return to a child-like state. But it seems to me, that by virtue of becoming old, a good number of older people are also being allowed to misbehave by society and are not being challenged concerning their behaviour simply because they are 'old.'

Perhaps this is just another example of the way modern society is heading ~ a culture of disrespect for others and a strong sense of self-centredness.

I have a theory about all this ~ there is nothing really new under the sun. What earlier generations once called 'sin,' and what the Bible still does, modern society appears to be happy to call it becoming more self-aware and in touch with your needs, expressing healthy concern for self and meeting what self requires. I think I prefer the Biblical explanation. It is quite simply an expression of rebellion against God and disobedience to his law - in other words, sin.

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I was listening with interest to a report on the news tonight of a gay club that was banning straight people (it may have been groups of straight people) from going to the club. The reason given was that gay people were feeling very uncomfortable about them being there. The Anti-Discrimination Board here in Australia was quite at ease about this and was going to approve the approach of the club to carry out what I am calling, 'Discriminating Discrimination.' My question here is what if a bar for straight people decided to ban gay people because the gay people made the straight people feel uncomfortable? It would be very interesting to see what the result of that particular application might be to the Anti-Discrimination Board. Just a thought to ponder...

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OK, so it has been forever since I've posted to this blog and I think I may take it up again. Why - because it's a random thing to do and this is a place for random thoughts - right? OK, so maybe you don't like my logic - that's fine. I can appreciate that.

So happiness is a state of mind - there is some truth to that I guess. I'm happy at the moment which is because the state of mind is good. When my mind is in turmoil for whatever reason, I'm usually not very happy.

OK, that's a random thought that is perhaps a little too simplistic for most people I know, including myself.

Happiness is an area that could be explored for quite some time really. But the real reason for happiness, certainly happiness that will last longer than a life time, is being in a right relationship with Jesus Christ. I say that because I know it to be true personally.

Now I don't intend launching into a sermon or lecture or anything like that tonight. I just felt the need to express it and register it here. Why? Because I am happy and that is the reason for my happiness.

Of course, if you want to find out more about this happiness you can always visit my web site at:

www.particularbaptist.com

So, got a plug for the web site in there too - gotta be happy with that :-)

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