Assistant Village Idiot

I recommend David Foster's post over at Chicago Boyz, prompted by the release of "Darkest Hour," A Tale For Children.

This paper* came out decades ago but is still fresh: Playing the Manic Game. I had long forgotten it, but it was passed around today. The...

A carry-on from the previous post.  I like to bring things forward into a new post because some people don't like getting into deep comm...

A year ago, I didn't think much of Trump but I liked a lot of his supporters.  There has been a partial reversal of that. One of the t...

We occasionally have short videos in worship, and tonight we had two. They always feel like an interruption to me. I recognise that this is ...

The Christmas story was read at late-night service tonight, and I thought of Garrison Keillor's telling of the story.  It is simply the ...

I think this translates as "Christmas Comes Here."

I missed the December 1st anniversary . Next year will be the big one.

Update:  Please see comments about where I got some of this wrong. Update 2: I don't know that I have ever deleted a post entirely.  I...

Much of resentment at an individual level comes from "they never noticed me." I was the best fielder with the 2nd best OPS on the ...

In my next life, I want to come back as a cello.

These lyrics are sung to many tunes, but this is the carol we have sung nightly throughout Advent for years. The older boys grew up on it.  ...

I have not offered much opinion because I don't have much opinion.  I can see why victims getting a chance at some justice, and providin...

There are people on both ends... er, all points of the political landscape who make no clear distinction among the people not born in Ameri...

Family Reunion   All five sons (Jonathan, Benjamin, John-Adrian, Chris, Kyle), two daughters-in-law (Heidi, Jocie), and all four grand...

I have mentioned here at least once the principle of getting someone to like you by asking them to do a favor for you, rather than by doing ...

I find as I compose this in my head that it ends up being a manifesto for a great portion of my Christian beliefs.  It keeps leaking out int...

Didn't like this version at first. I usually insist on hearing the harmonies in equipoise. But it grew on me quickly. Liked this, ...

Here is another word that has changed in meaning, and so deceives us now.  When  one hears that something is a "leak," the image i...