Happy New Year!!

Well, here we are in another year on the planet earth!  It started at 1200 (noon) GMT yesterday (Dec. 31) at the international timezone.  South Pacific islanders were the first to see the teenaged century pass from "sweet sixteen" to 17 years in.

Right now, it is about 9 PM GMT, so the new year is over 32 hours old, but still quite a fragile young thing.  Where I live, we face another day of holidays with the long weekend (since government workers "need" to celebrate with an official day off!).

Where were you when the new year began?  It would have been pondering getting up at 7 on a Saturday.  I decided that it was not worth the "early" celebration and slept in -- thank you very much!

There are three dates of significance that are coming this year.  The first is on January 20th when a man with no political background becomes president of the United States.  This last happened the year I was born, in 1953, when General Eisenhower was sworn in.  He was easily re-elected for a second term.  Time will tell if President-elect Trump will fare as well.

The second two dates fall in late summer.  On August 13th, my wife and I will observe our fortieth wedding anniversary!  It is hard to believe it's been that long, but we do have two grandsons, so, yep, it's the truth.

And then, just six days later, on August 21st, the "Great American Eclipse" cuts a strip of darkness across the continental United States.  I was in high school the last time I was close enough to travel to a total eclipse of the sun (it came up the east coast).  This one, like the annular eclipse in the 1980's, "comes right over" my house!  We made pin-hole viewers out of disposable diaper boxes back then!  This time we have access to a reflector telescope, though I doubt if we will use it!

Of the three days, I only have control over one of them.  I have just seven and a half months to get ready to make it special.  And so, I will post this and try to make 2017 a blog-filled year parallel to my first attempt ranting and pontificating over a decade ago.

Until next time, then.

Perpetual Twilight

So, we have almost survived eight years of Barack Obama.  Back during the 2008 campaign I was willing to give him a chance.  I know, he was not my choice, but as a the first bi-racial man to make it to the White House, I had hopes that he would help bring the country together.

He did not do anything close.  If anything, the nation is more divided than it was when he began.  I think the reason is clear: he abandoned the very racial harmony reflected in his parents for the cultural values of his black mentors and liberal white grandparents.  It appears he was "used" by those who had an agenda.

Will our new president, almost a polar opposite of the last one, do any better.  So very "white" that even his liberal history probably will not help, Donald Trump enters the stage of world history as a business man trying to save a bankrupt business.  Unfortunately, our country cannot declare bankruptcy to rebuild.  Deals will be made, and as conservatives my friends and I will belatedly enter the 21st century -- a "brave new world" in which darkness and light mingle into a perpetual twilight.

We can only hope that the twilight lasts for generations -- or until the Lord returns -- for after the twilight comes the night. This is the natural cycle of nations, so we should not be surprised.  Our responsibility to God and to ourselves is to always do the right thing.

This "right thing" is not political, but moral and spiritual.  It is not based upon the changing mores of this world, but firmly upon ten simple, but profound, commandments from God Himself.  We must show honor where honor is due: to God, family and community.  We must eskew behavior that brings harm to our neighbors in any way.

A Role model?

Well it seems that ONE "role model" has decided to grant grace to another. "The Donald" has said "bless you child" to the face of the USA - the former Miss Kentucky, USA. The 5'5" blonde southern belle decided to live the good life of the Big Apple from the poshness of Trump Towers. The bar-hopping swinger (at the time underage) was developing a drinking problem, though in her own words "I wouldn't say that I'm alcoholic. I'd think that would be pushing the envelope."

Donald Trump is arguably the best known real estate tychoon in the world. In his numerous holdings and successful books and reality TV, he lives the "American dream." And so, he now is partnered with NBC to own the Miss USA franchise of the Miss Universe organization. And so, Miss Tara Conner went to him fully expecting his 'patented' "You're Fired!"

But "Venus" found grace in the eyes of "Zeus." Or whatever. The god of commercialism favored the goddess of hedonism to allow a continued role model to stand as an example of all that is "great" about America. Yeah, right!