Month: February 2021

Birthday Greetings: Jeremy

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Yes, yes, I know we’re late, this should’ve been done on Saturday, when it actually was Jeremy’s  birthday–so we’re two days late. I, Byron the Quokka, disclaim all responsibility for this error: it was entirely Lee’s fault, 100% he’s to blame, not me, etc., etc.

And so we bring you Jeremy and his brother, Joshua, with an instrumental of How Great Thou Art. Let the truth be known: we love these guys, these Swanson brothers.

I made this list, see, with all the birthdays on it–crikey, why didn’t he check the list?

Happy birthday, Jeremy! Keep the music coming.

‘Now That’s a Question!’ (2017)

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As a writer, I get asked a lot of questions. A lot of dumb things are said to me, by a lot of people.

Here’s the most insulting question I’ve ever been asked:

Now That’s a Question!

No, it wasn’t “How long did it take you to write that?” Although that particular question is always asked. Always. And I’d estimate about 95% of the people I talk to say they’d write a book, too, if they had more time.

But this is the one that takes the cake (in case you don’t have time to click on the original post from 2017):

“When’s it gonna be a TV movie?”

[Exit, screaming]

‘To God Be the Glory’

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Turn we unto something to brighten up this day a little–To God Be the Glory, sung by students at Fountainview Academy. They have an indoor version of it, too; but in this video, at least, the sun is shining.

Unexplained Bombshell with Cats and Laundry Basket!

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Don’t you wish that you could move like this? Well, all right, some of you can.

I’ve never seen this kind of laundry basket before. Willis Twombley says they had a lot of them in Babylon but had to switch over to another kind because the cats just took over.

Bunny’s Long Jump

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I can post more than one critter video if I want to. Who’s going to complain?

Here is a rather small rabbit making a rather large jump. He’d’ve gotten much better distance out of it if he hadn’t jumped so high. Remember that, the next time you’re jumping in your living room.

Memory Lane: Plastic Skyscraper Kit

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Image result for images of plastic skyscraper kit

Nobody likes to go outside in freezing rain. A day like today brings back memories of a plastic skyscraper kit my brother used to have. It was nowhere near as fancy as the one in the picture above, but it had hundreds of pieces and it certainly sufficed.

My brother and I used to try to construct buildings that would use all the pieces in the kit. That would keep us busy for a while. You started with a composite wood base and built up from there. It had room for two skyscrapers, which we could connect with walkways. By and by the building would become inhabited by dinosaurs, cavemen, and wild animals, and adventures would follow.

The pieces interlocked, no glue involved, you could always take a building apart and make another one. That was the only way you could get the Brontosaurus out. Hours of fun.

Lego still exists, so there must be kids out there who have the attention span required to build an elaborate plastic skyscraper. Such a peaceful, soothing game to play! Grandma used to hope that one or both of us would grow up to be engineers who built bridges. She had to settle for plastic skyscrapers. And so did we–but they sufficed. They did indeed.

Bonus Hymn: ‘Come O Thou Traveler Unknown’

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I’m having a really hard time getting untracked this morning: just worn out, I guess. Perhaps a hymn will freshen me…

Come O Thou Traveler Unknown, written by Charles Wesley, sung by Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band, is about Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the Lord and winning a perpetual blessing by it.

I’m not sure what I’m wrestling with.

Are We Thailand?

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Image result for images of abolition of free speech

Just this one brief reflection on politics, and that’ll be it for the day. The nooze will keep till tomorrow.

In 2016 the military junta running Thailand outlawed “rude opinions (https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-thailand-politics-idUKKCN0XU0PA?edition-redirect=uk). They also banned discussion of public controversies, spontaneous gatherings, and imposed up to ten years in jail for violating any of their little taboos. Five years later, the angry protests in the streets are still practically a daily occurrence.

Here in America, once upon a time the land of the free, assorted bigwigs are talking about censoring any criticism, any doubts, any fears of the new COVID vaccine. No discussion allowed. And I got an email from some fellow American hoping the FBI would arrest me for holding political opinions not shared by the Democrat Party and Mark Zuckerberg.

I keep wondering how we got here. What do you suppose Adlai Stevenson, John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman, or Hubert Humphrey would have said if you’d asked him, “Hey, bro, should people be arrested for saying rude things about the government?” But today’s Democrats want to jail you for saying you don’t believe in Man-Made Climate Change.

How did this happen? How did we wind up with multitudes of Americans clamoring for more censorship, for punishment for unpopular opinions, for more and more restraints on speech? Our colleges and universities are pushing this like their lives depended on it (and maybe they do–suck up to the government, to keep those public moneys pouring in).

Okay, sure–many years ago, you weren’t allowed to be a communist. Boo-hoo, how Hollywood suffered. But if that was so bad, liberals, why in the world do you want to bring it back? After all those years of lamenting McCarthyism, you want to bring it back? You want to expand its definition? Everyone who’s not you is an Enemy Of The State?

They will not rest until they abolish freedom altogether.

It’s what their master, Satan, wants from them.

‘Jail for “Climate Change Deniers”–the Ball’s Already Rolling’ (2016)

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Back in 2016, seventeen state attorneys general, all Democrats, were campaigning to have it declared a crime to disbelieve in Man-Made Climbit Change.

Jail for ‘Climate Change Deniers’–the Ball’s Already Rolling

Along came Donald Trump to poop their party; but now that the entire ruling class has finally taken him down, now that they’ve stolen our country out from under us–look for this movement to be started up again. They want to make it a crime to hold a particular opinion. If that doesn’t sexually excite liberals, nothing will.

Our leaders, our institutions, and our very laws have failed us. We have nothing left but our prayers, and no one left to defend us but our God.

Keep praying… and see what He does.

‘Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing’

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A grey and dreary morning, out here in the world–but let’s refresh it with a hymn: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, sung by Fernando Ortega. Oh, how we need our Savior! Be not far from us, O Lord.