Model Buses

There's a website from the U.K. that details models of transit buses from Asia. The gentleman who runs the site has collected information on models from Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Japan. I think the site is eminently charming, and the models themselves, usually HO scale, are finely detailed, with colorful and authentic graphics, that represent actual vehicles and routes in use. Most are diecast( like old Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars) or are plastic or resin kits. I think such collectibles would be under-appreciated in this country, owing to our entrenched car culture and the snub that public transportation usually gets. That is truly a shame, for although
such an infrastructure exists in every major urban area, we really seem to take it for granted, rather than celebrate it for its decided usefulness. If dire predictions are correct, and we are in a peak oil era, we would be wise to look to the Far East for inspiration in solving some of our transportation problems. In any event, I think collecting these models would be a fascinating hobby, encompassing a gentle, indespensible and often overlooked aspect of many people's daily lives.

A True Pisces

Normally I don't put much stock in astrology, but...I must admit that when I read the characteristics concerning my sign, I am intrigued. I've read all this stuff before, but I tend to forget things after a while ( I'm particularly terrible with people's names). After rediscovering my attributes, and particularly my weaknesses, I have to admit they pretty much nailed me to a tee. I really, really hate just how accurate they are! In all fairness, though, it would explain some things. Now, if I can just tap into all that luck I'm supposed to have....

Anything to Get Away From God

For the past couple of weeks, the History Channel has been running a series on "ancient astronauts". I just watched a bit of one, I had seen most of it before, but just caught the beginning. What really intrigued me was their discussion of a man named Zacharia Sitchin. He wrote a series of books entitled The Earth Chronicles, which apparently are translations of ancient Sumerian texts found in Iraq. In them he states that the Sumerians left records of a
race of gods who, in his assessment, created the first homo sapiens to work as slaves in gold mines. According to Sitchin, these slaves were called "Adamu", very similar to Adam of Genesis.
What crap. Why is it soooo difficult to believe in an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God, who is beyond our comprehension? Why? Because people will do ANYTHING to shirk their
responsibility to God. If we were created by a race of aliens, then there'd be no accountability. We could do as we please, with no thought to eternal retribution. This is why evolution is such a popular belief system. The Truth is so simple, yet so powerful. We humans are rebellious by our nature; this is called sin. That sinful nature is what seperates us from God, but God is unwilling to let us go, so, He made a plan. That plan called for our redemption from that nature, but the only one who could fulfill the obligations called for was God Himself. That's where Jesus comes in. He is the God-man; God become flesh, to redeem a fallen world by the Sacrifice of Himself.
I don't know about you, but I'd rather be a being created by a good and holy God than by friggin ET.

Towards a Dystopian Future

I like the word "dystopia", it kinda rolls off the tongue; unfortunately, the image it invokes is grim, at the very least. Dystopia is the philosophical opposite of utopia, neither of which is particularly viable. The latter is unworkable and the former is uninhabitable, at least for those of us who value freedom. In our country, today, we are headed for a dystopian future. With the government consolidating more and more power in its hands, there will no doubt come a time when that power will be unleashed. We may not have Sturmgruppen marching down Main Street, but the iron hand of government will be felt, nonetheless. In all honesty, some areas of the U.S. have already experienced this, with repressive laws, political correctness and unchecked police brutality. Too much government makes for a poor quality of life; ask anyone who's ever lived in the former Soviet Union.
Over the course of the past few months, I've been taking stock of my own political philosophy.
While I tend to lean toward a more libertarian viewpoint, oftentimes with a bit of anarchism thrown in for good measure, I wouldn't hesitate to agree that some government is necessary, albeit, so long as it's kept on a short leash. It's always been my contention that the only agent of the government that anyone should ever have dealings with on a regular basis, is the postman.
If only we could make that a true statement, we would ALL be better off.