laughingwolf_qh33q8 – Page 9 – The Laughing Wolf

Louisville Crash Preliminary

Just saw the preliminary report from the MD-11 crash in Louisville (Main Page, Preliminary PDF). As for the cause, no surprise but want to go back and check one thing on maintenance before commenting on such.

One thing I can say is that I expect this will end the use of MD-10/MD-11 planes in the U.S. The issues with the pylons and attachments are ongoing and it is not clear that even aggressive inspection and maintenance will be sufficient. Or, rather, it is going to be costly to operations. It’s also more than the direct costs: it is going to be insurance, litigation (and threats thereof), and public relations in regards continued use.

That said, it will be interesting to see what comes out of the testing being done at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) labs. A soft landing in this case might be a recommendation by the NTSB that the 10/11 be retired, which the FAA could then make a directive. This could allow various insurance and other protections to proceed.

In a way, it’s a bit sad. The plane (s, I am referring to the 10/11s as one) has been a wide-body heavy workhorse, though with some stigma. A lot of that came from the 3-engine design of it and the L-1011 TriStar. Both were advanced aircraft in terms of technology, and there were some accidents that resulted in the public being wary of them at first.

I seem to remember a movie being made about the L-1011 crash in the Everglades that brought up the story that the ghost of one of the crewmembers killed in the crash was reported to have said that there would never be another crash of a L-1011. If a ghost did say that (great TV and propaganda, not so sure it’s real history) they were wrong, but it was many years before there was another crash.

The crash in Louisville is very similar to the crash in Chicago a number of years back. Same engine involved, similar pylon issues though that one was blamed on using forklifts to remove/replace the engines if I remember correctly. From what I was reading in the preliminary, I really think the metalurgical tests are going to pretty well make or break the future of the plane.

I have flown as a passenger on the L-1011 and the DC-10 (not sure about the 11), and have both loaded and done pushback on cargo DC-10 & 11s. So glad to do pushbacks with a batmobile versus a tug, as they truly are heavies (esp. loaded). This made using a tug not particularly fun, whereas the batmobiles would pick up the nose wheel and made pushing and turning a breeze (and even fun).

The three-engine widebodies had range and capacity. They filled a particular niche in cargo operations that can be covered but not necessarily fully replaced. For certain routes and operations, they really were the best choice.

That said, I’m not sure the pylon issues can be overcome. Even if they can, how insurers and others react to them continuing to be used is going to drive a lot of decisions. Air transport is costly enough as it is. If insurance and other costs go up too much, the planes will be gone even if a way is found to keep them flying. If I were in an air cargo C-suite right now, I’d be looking at my options very carefully and with an eye towards moving away from use of the 10s-11s.

Nor is it necessarily a loss to the air cargo companies. It is not uncommon, as I understand it, for those companies to buy the planes, then sell them to an outside company, who then leases the plane back to the air cargo company who then operates it including basic maintenance. Yes, tax laws and regulations are the big reason for this (again, as I understand it). Now, if I were the company that actually owned the plane, I’d be looking at options and for an overseas buyer.

And, yes, I am still monitoring the NTSB investigation into the DC crash (main page). The transcripts of the radio and internal coms is interesting. I’ve got my suspicions on what happened and what is likely to be in the final report. That said, still not jumping in as I may have missed something. I do think closing that corridor was long overdue. I am also still waiting for the final on the air ambulance crash as well.

More soon.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Thoughts On A Theological Smugging, Part III

This should be the last “foundation” post for this series, but it is information that is good to keep in mind as we move forward. Especially since, as I said then, I’m not a theologian nor do I present this in any way, shape, or form as definitive or incisive. To quote: “…rather, it is an opportunity to lay out for your edification and my clarification some points about early Christianity and traditional faiths and how they differ from non-traditional Christianity. Given how many people there are out there today for whom history begins and ends with their own lifetime, it is good to review real history and how a number of things developed within it.”

Before moving forward with the discussion, I thought it would be good to review some aspects of the nature of God, and of man. I fear both often get overlooked in the rush to judgement, as it were, of commentary and rebuttal. In this case, I think both play an important role in understanding the veneration of the Theotokos and in why I think the concept I refer to as “Rent A Womb” is lunacy as well as heresy.

As I’ve noted in some previous writings (previously linked in this series I believe), the mind of God is not something we can understand save through what is shared in scripture. Let’s face it, God is larger than the universe; existed before time and will exist after time; is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent; and, a being for whom all of time is but a single instant. Those are not concepts easy to grasp.

Now, add to it that even the angels can’t look upon his face. In the Bible, there are many references to God appearing in or as fire. God appears as a cloud of smoke and fire, which causes mountains to burn and fall at his touch. The fire of God has more than thirty references in the Bible if memory (and some quick research) serves. A cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Keep in mind that fire was often used to destroy, as with Sodom and Gomorrah. There are a number of references to those not found in the book of life, or the unproductive vines (same), that will be cast into the fire. God also spoke from the fire more than once, and it is worth remembering that the burning bush is a foreshadowing of Mary the Mother of God.

It is also worth noting that the fire of God was not always destructive. Again, there is the burning bush, which burned but was not consumed. There are also references to the fire of God as a means of purification and sanctification (Malachi) and in Acts there are tongues like flames of a fire that filled the Apostles with the Holy Spirit.

A point that will come up again later (I hope) is that foreknowledge by God does not equal coercion, manipulation, or invalidation in any form of free will. It simply means that God knows what we are going to do before we do it.

In comparison, humans are limited in senses and in how we perceive time. We are limited to Chronos, or linear time, while God experiences time as Kairos. Think I’ve talked a little bit about this before, but we tend to try to put things divine into terms of Chronos, where they don’t belong, instead of Kairos (God Time). Our five basic senses are rather limited, nor are we the strongest, fastest, toughest, etc. as a creature. In fact, we are rather fragile when you get right down to it. We are also most definitely not fire proof.

There is a special part of the human condition that I want to bring up today. That is microchimerism, specifically fetal maternal microchimerism. This refers to stem cells and other fetal cells pass through the placenta and into the mother. These have been shown in at least some cases to protect the mother from cancer and other issues during and even after childbirth as those cells are detectable for a period of time after childbirth. In some respects, your baby will always be a part of you.

Which, as an aside, just makes even more horrifying the imaging showing a baby in the womb trying to escape the suction of an abortion, desperately reaching out and trying to cling to it’s mother as best it can as it is ripped apart. If you haven’t seen that video, I’m torn on recommending it as once you see it you will never forget it.

A short one today, but some important things to think about and to keep in mind in the upcoming discussions. Yes, this does all tie together, though it may take a bit to do so. The reasons why traditional Churches venerate the Theotokos/Mary the Mother of God are many and complex, but they do all tie together.

Probably not going to wait a week to do the next post, so stay tuned.

Posts In This Series:

Thoughts On A Theological Smugging

Thoughts On A Theological Smugging, Part II

Thoughts On A Theological Smugging, Part III

Pilgrimage Update

On some levels, there has not been much going on. I’ve not booked any rooms, or done other major things. Well, other than new glasses and getting the new pack. On other levels, however, a LOT has been going on.

My original thought was to visit some twenty working monasteries and a couple of historical sites as well as going to Mount Athos. After inputs from my Priest and my Bishop, those plans started modifying a great deal. Add in some other changes in life and the path I am walking, and they are morphing even more.

The short version is that what started as general spiritual development has become something much more including discernment. The initial plan changed to just a few monasteries and a lot more time at the home Church, plus my time on Mount Athos. Now, even that is changing, as is the order in which things are done.

Originally, when it looked as though I might be flying in to Budapest and then working my way South, I had planned to spend several days in Bucharest, Romania where I’ve started setting up some cooking lessons and a steam-train trip into the Carpathian mountains. The original planned visits and frequent travels around Bulgaria afterwards would have filled up most of the remaining time before Mount Athos.

Now, most of my time will be spent in Sofia, Bulgaria with up to one week spent at a particular monastery to which I am strongly drawn; five or so days in Romania for the cooking lessons and the train trip; and the visit to Mount Athos and a few days in Greece. It looks like the only other real monastery visit I will do is an overnight to Rila and the monastery of St. John of Rila.

While I will visit a number of Churches in Sofia, my hope is that I may be spending more time in instruction and learning while I am there. Among other things, I am hoping to spend a day at a seminary there (and a day at one in Greece on my way to Mount Athos). I’m also hoping that some other learning and instruction, from liturgics to music, may also be arranged while I am in Sofia. Nothing is guaranteed yet, but it is changing plans and timing.

The nice thing is, the timing of most things is now up in the air. I say this is a nice thing as instead of logistics forcing timing, opportunity is driving the timing. Once a couple of key things are nailed down, everything looks to fall into place and I can then see what can, or can’t, be done in the nice-to-do list. Right now, the key things all look doable without rushing.

While not a direct part of the pilgrimage, I may also try to work in a couple of domestic trips. The path I am starting upon is likely to require some time at a seminary, and just as I plan to visit at least a couple on the Pilgrimage proper, I need to do some visits here. One will take me to Boston (Hi Maggie!). The other, while not a direct seminary trip, will take me to Missouri where I also hope to go down to Texas to take a friend and her family to an Orthodox service as I promised a while back.

It is early days yet, but I want to visit and think a bit while I can. Everything is on Orthodox Time (think mañana without the sense of urgency) which means in the fullness of time things that are meant to happen will happen. I’ve just found over the years that the best spontaneous decisions happen when there has been a lot of quiet prior preparation. So, looking around now at something, that if it happens, may be a few years off.

I think I’ve also mentioned before that the Priest at the local Romanian Orthodox Church has recommended a Church for me to attend while I am in Bucharest for the cooking lessons. He’s provided a lot of good suggestions on apps and more as he just got back from a sabbatical there.

Just wanted to share a bit on the changes in the plans, and how this is starting to take shape. I think it is already going to be a more rewarding trip than originally planned, and see the potential for a lot of growth and discernment. I plan to share with you as much as I can as I go, and will be getting a new phone to help support that. I thank all of you who are supporting this trip through prayer and donations, and with your help via both this will be an amazing and blessed time.

Recognizing Psyops

Doing my best to keep this from getting political, but it does amaze me how many people fail to recognize a psyop even after it punches them in the nose. I’ve seen two big ones and some smaller ones pop up recently, and am amazed in some respects at how many seem to be swallowing them hook, line, and sinker. Sadly, not surprised at some given that I strongly suspect they are paid for their efforts.

First up, if the same message pops up on multiple influencer accounts, usually with similar personalization, it’s not organic. It is most likely bought and paid for in one coin or another. Also, another hint is if said message is about the break-up of a political movement and how the anticipated front-runner in the next election is really a bad person and unworthy of the office they hold (much less the one they are likely to seek), and it comes just days after political victories for said movement and politician, well, it’s not organic.

Also, if it is the exact same message word for word on hundreds or even thousands of accounts, it’s a bot farm. I sincerely hope X does start putting flags of the real locations of accounts (and noting who uses VPNs like I do) on profiles as it will be fun to see how many so-called influencers actually are located in the Middle East and other interesting locations, and are not strong American patriots. I have said it before and will say it again, I think the engagement payments were one of the worst things to happen (amid a lot of good) to X. I also wonder how many Paki and other bot farms they have funded.

For the record: I am not a bot, Paki or otherwise. I am a Lupine Sapien from Wolf 579, and find the suggestions that I am a reticulated pythonoid from Antares most insulting. As if! (Sniff)

Second, follow the money. Look at who is leading the charge, and do a bit of research on the people and accounts. Lot of interesting connections out there, and thanks to the work of Data_republican and Mike Benz (see links upper right) a lot of connections have been laid bare. You really need to follow those two as what they post is data-driven and they post their data. Safe bet is that anyone who won’t let you see the data is a fraud.

Third, look at other signs that something might not be organic. If the ‘spontaneous’ protest has professionally printed signs, much less clothing and merchandise, it’s not spontaneous. There is a lead time for commercial printing, and if something happens and there is a protest literally the next day with professional signs, someone knew about the event in advance. It really is amusing how many recent protests have had professional branding from messages and signs down to music. Not organic.

Then again, one of my favorite signs is that the rent-a-crowd business isn’t what it used to be. A number of protests rather dramatically dropped in size after supposedly non-related funding got cut. I’ve had to laugh at several where once the protesters were no longer getting paid, they downed signs in stacks and then walked away. Almost feel sorry for the bus rental businesses, as that business has taken a hit as well. It is also interesting to see the same protestors now at different cities and different events across the country. Think about this paragraph for a minute, and if you see those things, what is going on is not organic.

One final thing to look for is who is supporting a message or such that would not normally do so. For example, if you suddenly see Russia Today, Iran, China, or others sharing the message on something in America or Europe, might want to think about what they are supporting — and why. When enemies of a country start endorsing (directly or indirectly) messages and people from within that country, you might want to take a very close look at what is being shared or endorsed.

There are a few other signs, but these get you going in spotting most non-organic psyops, online or in the real world. The truly sad thing for me is how many otherwise reasonable people fall for part of such, and end up giving credence to the whole thing directly or indirectly. It happens, and any of us (including me) have probably fallen for such over the years. Then again, once bitten twice shy comes into play there. Pay attention, apply some logic and reason, and view anything political with skepticism.

Two Local Stories Going National

Well, really three if you count the redistricting story, but I’m sitting that one out for now. My thoughts on the Indiana GOP and most politicians (of both parties) would probably have me in confession for months. Instead, two other stories are going national and I am seeing some key details not always making it into social media and/or corporate news.

First up, the shooting death of a cleaning lady who was at the wrong house. I’ve actually heard two different accounts, that they were dropped off at the wrong house or that they drove to the wrong house. She was trying the key when the homeowner shot through the door, striking her in the head and killing her. Her death is a tragedy and I would ask you to pray for all involved.

The account from police and the lawyer for the homeowner indicate that he was awakened after just a short time asleep, heard someone trying a key or keys in his lock, retrieved a gun that he had never shot before, and after sending his wife into a safe room, fired a shot through the door without warning or having a target in view. Said round hit her in the head, killing her instantly, and he has been charged with voluntary manslaughter.

Now, having taken Guy Relford’s Indiana Gun Law course (highly recommended if you own a gun in Indiana), I know that Indiana does have a very robust Castle Doctrine law, but that there are exceptions and caveats. I also know that what the homeowner did violates my own personal code and what I have taught in the past. Then again, from the gun law and other legal courses over the years, I know that my code is not the law.

I also know that the homeowner has been smart enough to hire Guy Relford for his defense. If I had the money, I would hire him too at need. I think that may be the only thing that keeps the homeowner out of prison.

Let’s face it, even among strong 2A types what was done is going to be a hard sell. Speaking for me personally, having a gun (guns actually) and never firing it (or getting training on use technical and legal) is another month in confession for me; firing without a clear target (if anyone I trained does that outside of certain combat situations I will smoke them until corpsmen are needed to get them back enough to do it until they drop again, and I will proudly go to confession for that); and, firing without any warning or attempt to determine the situation (yes, I have challenged and de-escalated, more than once), well, I’m not going to be a sympathetic juror. If I’m a hard sell, what do you think is going to be the case for anyone not 2A or even anti-2A? The nicest I can say is that Guy has his work cut out for him. That said, I will wait until all the facts have come out before saying much more on this case.

The second story that is going to be blowing up soon is that a military humvee crashed recently on I-65. Some guardsmen were in a convoy on their way to Camp Atterbury when a car-hauler abruptly changed lanes, apparently striking one of the humvees, causing it to swerve and roll, eventually hitting another car. Three were injured, and Terry Frye (no rank given in story) was killed. Turns out the driver of the car-hauler, one Goderdzi Gujabidze of Brooklyn NY (who required a translator to talk with LE afterwards), is an illegal alien. A hold has been placed on him by ICE and is being honored. Expect this story to have legs.

Once again, not really the best image for Indianapolis (or area). That said, if some of the recent national coverage on crime actually results in real changes, prosecutions, and proper sentencing…

Cloudflare Strikes Again

If you can read this, it means you aren’t going through Cloudflare to get here. Once again, Cloudflare is having problems and chunks of the internet are not online as a result. X is up sorta (intermittent and there are media problems) and a variety of other sites, such as SciTechDaily, are still down.

I’m old enough to remember that one of the ideas behind what became the internet was decentralization and distribution so that the network could and would stay up in the face of disasters up to and including nuclear war. That the system would route around gaps and stay up for as many people as possible.

However, the ‘best and brightest’ alleged-elites thought the internet would be better centralized and controlled (and much easier to turn off if the peasants proved too revolting). Thus we have centralized operations and single-point failures even without apparent ill-will. I use apparent advisedly as I have wondered if certain things were not various actors, state and non-state, testing and trying on occasion. After all, theoretical knowledge is useful but there comes a point where you have to test before you use it.

Right now, I lean towards incompetence (and I regard any engineering that allows single-point failure modes as incompetent) but how many times have we had major internet outages in 2025? Heck, this is either the second or third just for Cloudflare. It does make one wonder, and one also wonders if anyone in U.S. leadership at any level has started to tumble to the fact that centralizing internet operations might have been a mistake? If Elon is smart, he has an alternate internet based on Starlink ready to go at need (and after he is safely off Earth).

Sorta Back

Well, the yard/pre-estate sale went well. More than half of what I put out sold; most of what I really wanted to get to good homes did so; am keeping a few things for now/the next yard sale; and, most everything that didn’t sell is headed to the closest major charity that takes donations starting in just a bit.

I didn’t make Vespers Saturday or Church yesterday as I managed to overdo it a bit. I pulled some muscles in my right arm Wednesday (I think) during preparations, and then went into things as if I were still a teenager. Seems setting up and tearing down six tables, plus hauling stuff out to put on them and then hauling stuff away at the end of the day, would have been better for two people to do. The good news is that I can still open up a six-foot (or eight-foot) table, get the legs down, then do the jerk-and-flip to get it on its legs in roughly the right spot, and repeat in reverse at need. The bad news is that doing it repeatedly is not something the body appreciated, nor did it appreciate all the lifting and toting. Seems my days of ‘eh, it’s easier just to carry it than to use a hand truck or dolly’ are mostly behind me.

The other good news is that the shoulders held up well and I’ve got more confidence on doing some work at the gym than I’ve had. Once the arm is healed, really thinking I need to add in some serious arm and shoulder work.

Still dragging, but suspect part of that is allergies. Not sure what it was, but something set off the sinuses during all this and it has made breathing fun. It can make me feel a little short of breath, but pulse is good and blood oxygen is in the high 90s, so sinuses seem to be the culprit. Yet and still, may get it checked out if it doesn’t clear up fast. Glenn Reynolds makes a good point in this substack post about not putting things off to age, etc. Thinking about adding a good iron supplement as my iron and red blood count have been low the last couple of times. Can’t hurt, might help.

I’ve put a little bit away for the pilgrimage, paid cash for a few things such as food, and am not flush but not too tight right now. Even better, made headway on clearing out the storage unit (still a long ways to go) and am in a better position to clean and re-organize here as a part of that. Really do want to get rid of everything but my books, kitchen gear, and a few sentimental items.

Remind me and I will do an update on the pilgrimage soon. Not a lot happening on some levels, but a lot on some others. Hopefully more posting this week, will see how things go. Also, making some changes to the Amazon gift list for things for the car, making sure those are marked. Onwards.

Belated Veteran’s Day

While I am not a veteran, I respect and honor all those who have served in uniform over the years. It has been my honor to have been a small part of the parade in NYC a couple of times, and to head up some events at the NASDAQ on Veteran’s Day. I’ve even marched in or helped out a time or two with the Indianapolis parade.

I’m blessed to have met a number of regular readers from here and from Blackfive over the years, and I salute you all. And, per my usual posts there and here, Veteran’s Day is the right day to thank for service and to honor the living (Memorial Day is for those who gave all).

Yesterday was very different from years past. Instead of being involved in events (and raising a glass with real Vets), I spent it going through years of things getting ready for my yard/pre-estate sale this weekend. I was actually surprised at how many assault packs I have, and will be selling them all along with a tactical briefcase and other odds and ends. Lots of clothing and even some artwork. There are some antique tools, a modern drill press, and a grinder/motor stand that is a bit unusual: it was made from scrap at an aerospace machine shop. It is a bit rugged, shall we say. I’ve even decided to sell a few mementos given me over the years. I have no children to give them too, and would rather see them off to a good home while I can rather than risk them hitting the garbage can once I’m gone.

Today I hope to hit the storage unit one last time before spending the afternoon and evening at the Church. I have a meeting with a nun who knows a great deal about liturgics who may be willing to help me as I learn about the same, then Vespers and a class. Also, borrowing two folding tables from the Church for the yard sale. Tomorrow will be spent on final pricing and preparation. Friday morning I roll things out and the adventure begins. If you are in or near Indy and interested, drop me a line and I will give you the addy.

Finally, don’t limit your appreciation of Vets to Veteran’s Day. All this week is a good time to buy a meal on the QT, buy a drink for them, or do other things to say thanks. For some, simply sitting and listening to them is the best and nicest thing you can do, especially our older Veterans.

Thoughts On A Theological Smugging, Part II

Last week, in this post, I started laying out the foundation of a few thoughts on the early Church and why traditional Churches reverence the Theotokos. Now, as I said then I’m not a theologian nor do I present this in any way, shape, or form as definitive or incisive. To quote: “…rather, it is an opportunity to lay out for your edification and my clarification some points about early Christianity and traditional faiths and how they differ from non-traditional Christianity. Given how many people there are out there today for whom history begins and ends with their own lifetime, it is good to review real history and how a number of things developed within it.”

In a very short recap, the early Christian Church was based on oral tradition, not written. This actually continued up well past 1,000 AD and on some levels continued well into the 1800s with the memorization of verses, songs, and other traditional elements of worship.

For an example of the difference between a written focus and and oral focus, look to the difference between the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Mark. The former was written by a very literate and well-educated man (who actually met with the Theotokos in gathering information for his work) who, while familiar with the oral tradition, was also brought up in and on the written word. As a result, the Gospel of Luke is the most literary of the Gospels included in the New Testament. The latter is built on a clearly oral tradition using both repetition and kai parataxis (the use of “and” to link elements together). This makes it easier to memorize and to chant/sing.

Now, oral tradition does not entirely rule out the use of the written word. “Cheat Sheets” probably were developed about the time of the first written language. Fragments of such exist from early history, and the writings of the Apostolic Fathers not only fill volumes, but there is a wealth of those fragments out there. Often missing context or the information scientists and theologians would give portions of their anatomies for, but they do exist. Keep this in mind, it is on the quiz later.

Just as the New Testament did not come into existence (as we know it) for several hundred years, a unified liturgy for the Church took even longer in many respects. At first, there was no set service and a ‘day of worship’ could mean all day and into the night. Some services were so long that food and drink were provided during breaks in the service. A number of traditional Churches will echo and honor this tradition during Pascha (Easter for you heathens out there *smile*) with nuts and dates, along with a small bit of wine, being offered to participants of one particular service.

Keep in mind that I am, in many respects, just starting to study the history of the liturgy, so this is likely to be a bit sparse and jump around a bit. I would say it was noted early on, even by the Disciples and first Apostles, that it would be nice to have a consistent liturgy. It would help ensure that the right things were said and done, guard against heresy, and make services a bit more timely and manageable.

Complete aside: one of the more interesting things about the early services was that at first, confession was done in public and round-robin. X stood up and confessed their sins before all, sat down, and then next in line/row/whatever Y did the same. While this does provide a strong incentive for one to change one’s ways (so as to avoid embarrassment and such), it does have a tendency (given human psychology) towards incomplete confessions. It also tends to cause a good deal of strife, especially if X stands up and admits an affair with W’s wife. Which is why the Church moved with surprising rapidity (change being frowned upon then and now in traditional venues) to having the priests hear confessions on behalf of the congregation. It’s why in Orthodox Churches it is done at a designated space (often to one side) that is technically in public but offers some degree of privacy to the participants. The current Roman Catholic confessional came, I am told, from the Irish. Keep in mind that while confessions need to be complete, you also don’t want or need to provide such a level of detail that you could lead your priest into sin. Maybe a topic for another day.

Now, back to the topic at hand. One of the first people that we know worked on developing a unified liturgy (worship service) for the Church was no less than James, the half-brother of Christ (more on that later in the series). While he got a good bit done, his martyrdom probably prevented him from doing as much on it as he would have liked.

Not an aside, it is worth noting that James was also known as “James the Just” for several reasons, including references to his ensuring that Mary and Jesus got their just portion of the estate when Joseph entered repose. Again, not in the Gospels, but in Church tradition and some of the writings I’ve mentioned. There is more to come on James and perhaps a few others. Especially since the man who took his work and created the basic service still in use today in Orthodox (and other) churches, St. John Chrysostom, is also noted in Marian issues. I also need to mention St. Basil the Great, as the liturgy he developed is still used on special feast days within the Church and does, in my opinion, tie into the topic. For some of the structure of the liturgy, along with that of a type of hymn/prayer, are things we need to consider in the upcoming posts.

As a final little bit for today, I also want to call out the Greek word for woman. In particular, I am referring to the word presented as γύναι or Γύναι which has the very literal and limited translation as “woman” (gynai, root of gynecology, etc.). It is the non-extremely literal translation I want to get into later, as the use of the particular word in question sheds some interesting lights on scripture and it’s interpretation as it is only used about three times in the entire Bible. Yet one more reason I think trying to interpret scripture entirely on your own and in isolation from everything else is far more an idiocy than a heresy (as discussed last week).

I had hoped to get into a bit more today, but this is a good place to finish some of the foundation for future discussion. There is more to come, and while some may not be definitive, remember that Faith is built on Divinity, not the lack of definity (no, not going to apologize for the word play).

Posts In This Series:

Thoughts On A Theological Smugging

Thoughts On A Theological Smugging, Part II

Jared Issacman: YES!

I am beyond happy that Trump has re-nominated Jared Issacman to lead NASA. It is well beyond time, I don’t think his original nomination should have been pulled in the first place, and the fact that so many in the space-industrial complex are unhappy fills me with great joy.

If you haven’t worked there, it is almost impossible to describe the mess that is NASA. It went from “Can-Do!” to “Can’t Do” with increasing layers of risk-averse management in an amazingly short time. Almost any hint of failure, or the possibility of failure, would get good ideas and programs cancelled. Think I’ve already told the story of the Tethered Satellite System, but it is a classic example of zero-sum safety run amok (the loss of Challenger being different but resulting in the loss of life).

NASA has strayed so far from it’s official and core mission it’s not funny. It’s one reason I’m glad to know that there is already some form of “Athena” (and love the leak as they leaked a Canary Trap). NASA should not be in the launch business (never should have gotten this far), nor should it be the single-route into space on any level.

Issacman is the single best shot we have for saving NASA from itself and those growing rich off it’s indulgences. It needs “Athena” in a big way, as that is the way to ensuring the future of humanity, and that humanity has a future. One can only hope that for once, Congress will move quickly and decisively to get him into position. It can’t happen soon enough.

Also, if he happens to read this, I hope he will move on the necessary research to ensure humanity can reproduce in microgravity and, to quote Bugs Bunny, GET US OUT OF HERE!