Ah ... New Acquisitions!

Thirteen years ago today …

I'm not Richard the Second, I could not “sit upon the ground/And tell sad stories of the death of kings!” (III.ii.163-4) The second day of our church's yard sale brought me twenty-five books, lunch, and not a penny in expenses. Though for the record, I did offer to pay. Really, I've had a lot of fun and learned that I've got to live life and not just watch it pass me by.

What the Bishop of Carlisle said afterward though, and I'm reading now, it's the greatest answer I've read to so many failures' and failings' excuses of “I'm only human” bears repeating, if not enshrining:

My lord, wise men ne'er sit and wail their woes,

But presently prevent the ways to wail.

To fear the foe, since fear oppresseth strength,

Gives, in your weakness, strength unto your foe,

And so your follies fight against yourself.

Fear, and be slain – no worse can come to fight;

And fight and die is death destroying Death,

Where fearing dying pays Death servile breath.

(Richard II, III.ii,186-94)

Never mind the blood of patriots or tyrants or martyrs, it's action that must prevail!

So here's my action, to pray for who I promise: Dee and Eloise with their tumors, for any healing and growth (personally) from them, Diwata in Miami, for a friend and an encourager, Robert and Sandy, back together and renewing their wedding vows; Dondray and Nicole taking them today; Kimmie1022 in Raleigh/Durham and her children Danielle and Ethan, for a church home and friendly acquaintances. AMEN.

And now, where it's all a numbers game …

20: Also known as a SCORE, and perhaps the only reason we remember that is from the beginning of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which starts “Four score and seven years ago,” Though you can see this in numerical expressions in older Bibles as well.

30: Days to the beginning of Minot Public Schools for the kids! Greeted with joy and trepidation.

192.6: My weight this morning!

220: The first amicable number, discovered by the Pythagoreans – strictly speaking, it's one number of a pair of amicable numbers, where when you add the divisors of one number it equals another number. 1 + 2 + 4 + 5 + 10 + 11 + 20 + 22 + 44 + 55 + 110, which equals

284: See 220 above. This amicable number's divisors are 1, 2, 4, 71, and 142; add them and you get

AND THEN YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH TO BREAK THE LOOP!

1968: The debut year of Alexei Panshin's debut novel Rite of Passage (ISBN 0671440683) which I finished re-reading this weekend. I enjoyed it and was first introduced to it by the Cliffs Notes on Science Fiction; it's the reminiscence of Mia Havero, a Shipboard young woman who has to pass “Trial” on a colony planet for thirty days in order to qualify as an adult. Overpopulation led to the destruction of Earth in the story and whoever hasn't been settled on a colony flies about this part of the galaxy in a multi-generational cityship, trading the technological advances of old Earth in exchange for supplies they need. Most people on the ship and most people on a planet don't view each other kindly.

2380: This is the year in which Articles of the Federation by Keith R. A. DeCandido (ISBN 1416500154) is set – for Star Trek fans, that's five years after the Dominion War ends and a year after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. I'm re-reading this one for a particular passage in it, and this year in the life of the Bacco administration takes us through the United Federation of Planets in an intriguing mix of Star Trek and The West Wing that … says quite a bit about our land and how maybe it could be run better. Quote. “Call me crazy, but it seems to me that a government that doesn't listen to the people isn't much of a government.”

320,485: This year's North Dakota State Fair attendance, according to official records. And that in itself is a record over last years, reasons cited as cooler weather for late July. NEXT year's State Fair is July 18 through July 26 – if you're all in town, check it out! Find out more at www.ndstatefair.com

Now for some home time, David