Where do You Put the Anchor?

My disgust over my experiences with car dealers has driven me to broaden my pickup search to the used market. I got fed up with used trucks because the asking prices I had seen were just plain stupid, but given the intransigence of the Ford dealer I tried to reason with, maybe Craigslist isn’t a bad option.

I wanted a relatively small truck. Half-ton. I’m not all that eager to maneuver a tank through Miami traffic. I have no idea how you get a big truck into Miami’s miniature parking spaces. But there are some deals on bigger trucks, and as much as I hate the idea, I can get diesel, with all of its advantages. I found some F250s, but everyone says the Ford diesels are an abomination, so I wrote them off, and I’ve been looking at Chevy and Dodge. I found a monstrous white Dodge with a 6.7-liter Cummins, for $19,000. It has around 75,000 miles on it, but the overhaul interval on these things is 350,000, so I think I could get my money’s worth out of it. Also, people are reporting 18 miles per gallon on these tanks, with excellent acceleration.

Here are the problems. First, it’s huge. We’ve already covered that. Second, there is no warranty. I’d have to buy one. If I bought a warranty, I’d probably have to leave the emissions crap on the truck, and it looks like this garbage is the only thing that can kill the engine. Third, it’s a Dodge, so it was probably put together by monkeys. They have the worst fit and finish in the universe. I have never owned a Mopar product, but the ones I have ridden in were a lot like what you would expect Chinese cars to be like. Fourth, I have a neurotic fear about running out of diesel while looking for a station that sells it. I should also note that it’s a six-cylinder, which makes repairs cheaper but probably makes it rough.

If I took off the emissions stuff, I would have no engine warranty. On the other hand, if I took off the emissions stuff, I would probably never need an engine warranty. Hard choice.

The specs on this thing are like something out of a science fiction movie. It will pull an aircraft carrier on a trailer. It will accelerate better than most cars. It gets better mileage than my Thunderbird. You can put a the weight of the Washington Monument in the bed.

Unless I abused it, you would expect it to last nearly until my grandchildren died. It’s pretty ridiculous.

It’s way, WAY cheaper than the new trucks I’ve been looking at.

It has pimp rims. What is it with people?

Maybe I’ll go take a look at it. I fear it would be like driving a bus. Depending on how cheap insurance is, I suppose I could hold onto the T-bird for a while, for city driving.

Or I could drop the whole idea and become a regular U-Haul customer.

Why be Distracted by Facts When Theory and Wild Guesses are What Really Matters?

Man, what a day I had.

I ran up to church to meet with the pastor about the book I’m helping him write. I also dropped off a couple of items I thought could help them out. I spent an hour and a half with him, going over organization and structure. Then he invited me to a GAP meeting. This is what they call their small prayer groups: “God Answers Prayer.” The church has about a million of these for women and maybe fifteen for men, which shows you how the demographics are. The one I went to is the pastor’s group, so all the guys there were leaders. Two were former military, one was the pastor’s son, one was a music leader, and another was a cardiologist. Okay, I guess he wasn’t exactly a leader, but he seems to be close to the nerve center.

The pastor made the mistake of asking me what my impressions of the church were, and I guess I spewed for ten minutes, telling them all sorts of background they probably did not want to hear about. But they were very nice about it. When I talked about an experience I had had, in which the presence of Jesus came to me and pretty much sat next to me, one of them nodded his head vigorously. I think he knew exactly what I meant. I need to know more people like that. I felt like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, when they dumped him in a room full of other people who had been given visions by extraterrestrials. Someone else understands!

They’re doing all sorts of wild stuff up there. They’re opening an accredited Bible school, where you can get a for-real degree that can later form the basis of a master’s. They’re having a huge convention-type thing just for women, and they’re going to need male volunteers. Not sure what for, but I suppose it’s safe. They’re having a men’s prayer breakfast. And the pastor is thinking of putting together a deal where men help confused boys get it together. A lot of kids in that area need basic instruction in things like manners and hygiene and responsibility. Who else is going to teach them?

They seem happy that I’m willing to show up once in a while and do something, but from my perspective, they’re doing me a favor. This is what I wanted. Going to church once or twice a week, leaving a little money, and going home do not constitute living by faith. I want to be part of the team.

For a long time–as long as I can remember–I’ve felt out of place in this world. Unwelcome. I find the mindset and lifestyle of unbelievers grubby and dismal. I don’t seem to be able to fit in, even when I try. I don’t think there is a place for me in the brutish realm of people who think this is all there is. I’m hoping I can be more at home among people whose beliefs are like mine.

A reader–maybe Ed–once left a comment about this sensation. It was a scriptural reference, reminding us that Christians aren’t really part of this world. We’re like ambulatory embassies. Present in a hostile country, but property of a different land. The Bible actually calls us ambassadors.

I feel so relieved. This stuff works. This is how life is supposed to be. Not a luxury cruise, but still, a succession of triumphs. Even our losses are wins. How can you beat that?

I kept saying something wonderful was going to happen to me, didn’t I? I didn’t know what it was. I admitted that. It looks like it’s going to be an assortment of wonderful things.

But why talk about things I can’t prove? Much better to whine about how old the dinosaurs are and whether our ancestors were monkeys. Those are the things that really matter, aren’t they? And the apparent trivial inconsistencies in the gospels…I should be deeply, deeply concerned about those. Why get caught up in things like joy and purpose and miracles and answered prayers and victorious living? No intellectual cares about things like that.

Sorry I even brought up the subject. What was I thinking?

Watch Your Back, Michelle!

I can’t find anything remotely interesting in the news today. I guess the Kanye West thing is fun. We already knew this guy was foolish, but it’s funny to see his hero call him a jackass. Have you heard the recording? Text can’t capture the contempt in Obama’s voice. He thinks West is a moron. A real idiot.

Obama has an amazing talent for alienating his allies. Maybe that’s why he wants to bomb Pakistan. I thought it was just ignorance, but it may be a fundamental characteristic of his personality.

I’m not sure why conservatives are criticizing Obama over this. He told the truth for once. That’s a huge improvement. Obama is one of the worst liars ever to occupy the Oval Office. His record of promise-breaking is right up there with Hitler’s. I’m glad he finally said something candid.

You have to wonder how this will affect his standing with young blacks. They consider Obama the messiah, but any successful rapper is a demi-messiah in their eyes, so they will have to choose sides. I don’t know what the reaction among non-celebrities will be, but I would expect rappers to be very torn. In order to support Obama, they will have to overcome the intense urge to close ranks.

Obama recruited West to push his message back in 2008. Wonder if there will be any more meetings! I’d love to be a fly on the wall.

I can’t name a Kanye West song. I consider myself lucky.

I wonder what it was like to live back in the days when celebrities were relatively civilized. I think we were a lot better off with Gene Kelly and Lauren Bacall than we are with Kanye West and Lady Gaga.

I see Jimmy Carter is calling Representative Joe Wilson a racist for interrupting Obama. Let me see if I can magically predict what Carter will say in his official statement. “This ugly outburst was rooted in hostility toward a black President, which is unacceptable, since the appropriate targets of mindless hatred are the awful Jews.” I guess I’m demanding, but I’m not interested in racism analysis from a notorious anti-Semite.

I got my weekly Winn-Dixie ad. This is a big event. I intended to buy and freeze a lot of wings last week, but I failed, so now I suffer from suspense as I root through this week’s specials to see if I still have a shot.

HOLD THE PHONE! PORK SHOULDER, 99¢ A POUND! YES! YES!

Wait…I was supposed to be looking at wings.

CHURRASCO, $3.99!

Dang. Focus.

No wings.

I wouldn’t mind smoking a shoulder for Sunday, but the Mancamp crowd is hard to pry out of its usual haunt, because none of them want to drive. After all, beer has been known to materialize at Man Camp. I guess you should realize something is wrong when you’re middle-aged and you have to plan your social events in a way that makes it unnecessary for you to drive drunk. I used to have to quit drinking two or three hours before I left. I don’t have as much interest in alcohol now, so I don’t have that problem.

Aren’t pigs fantastic? Pork is the king of meats, at prices paupers can afford.

All I Want is to be Only Mildly Cheated

I am really irritated with the automotive industry. It took me weeks to pick out two acceptable pickups, and when I made a reasonable offer on one, the dealer didn’t even counter. I haven’t made an offer on the other one. I guess I could go ahead and do that.

A long time ago, I read one of those expose books written by former car salesmen. The author pointed out that dealers are not always rational. Most of them are used to treating the public like suckers, and sometimes they get very offended when you aren’t sufficiently humble or stupid. Sometimes they will refuse to sell at a price which will make them money, simply because they can’t stand the thought of not cheating you. Maybe that’s the situation I’m in.

I made an offer which is reasonable to begin with. It will let the dealer recoup the cost of an old undesirable vehicle, and I threw in $500 to defray his expenses. I’d go up a couple of hundred bucks, if necessary. All this guy had to do was make a sane counteroffer. Instead, he tried to convince me that I should spend four figures in interest in order to get a thousand-dollar discount. He gets the commission on the financing. He gets the thousand. I pay interest amounting to maybe two thousand. That’s not a counteroffer. That’s a sad delusion. Maybe they’re up there smoking opium and pretending we’re in a boom. But we’re not. Trucks are rotting on lots everywhere. You can’t sell an inefficient truck for $2000 more than you paid for it, unless you’re surrounded by complete idiots.

It’s no wonder dealers go out of business so often. It’s no wonder there is no such thing as customer loyalty. How can you be loyal to someone who spends every second feeling around for a soft place to stick the knife?

I’m going to call the guy I bought the Thunderbird from. Maybe he can get this truck moved down here for me. If I have to pay $200 to move it, it’s still better than giving up because the salesman is crazy.

I have looked at used F250s. Apparently, the 6-liter diesels they put in these things are complete garbage, so that rules out a whole class of trucks. I hate diesel anyway. Diesel smells, the valves make a racket, and I just know I’ll run out of gas…I mean “fuel”…looking for a diesel pump.

I know the 2009 F150 is a very nice truck. When it comes to full-ton trucks, I have no idea who makes the best.

Oh well. Back to shopping.

Day Saved by Desperation and Willingness to Take Insane Risks

I made banana nut bread last night. First time. We’re trying to keep weight on my sister during her cancer treatment, and I had frozen bananas from one of my trees, so it seemed like the thing to do. She gave me a recipe from one of her friends, and I gave it a shot.

It came out very well, but I had to mess with the recipe to make it work. I think this person recited the recipe from memory and got it wrong, because it called for 2 1/2 cups of flour and only one egg and one stick of butter. It was so dry I couldn’t turn it into dough, let alone batter. I added a second egg and some banana liqueur, and it worked. Next time, two eggs, a stick and a half of butter, and two cups of flour. There is no point in playing.

The recipe didn’t contain any spices. I think a small amount of cinnamon and nutmeg would be helpful. If I get it right, I’ll publish the recipe.

It’s amazing how badly people cook. You hear about a fantastic recipe for this or that, and it turns out to be something off the back of a can or box, which forty million people are already using. That’s pretty much what happened here. I looked at the web, trying to find out what the recipe needed, and I noticed that virtually all banana nut bread recipes are nearly identical to this one.

Not my favorite thing on earth, but if you make it right, it’s worth the effort.

I Will Organize Your Life

I managed to get some work done on the book today. It’s not a great sign when someone who needs organization comes to me. I am not known for my hospital corners and neat files. But I’m managing. I’m writing an outline, and today I started an introduction, which, itself, is a lot like an outline. If you write the introduction to a book before you start the book, it ought to give you some idea which way you’re headed.

I’m still all excited about fasting, even though I hate it. I went to a barbecue and ate like a normal human being. That kind of self-control is new to me. If fasting will do that for me, I’m all for it. And it’s not just food. I’m doing better in other ways. Is this the answer to things like drug addiction and compulsive gambling? I have to wonder. It worked for me. Am I the only one who gets that kind of treatment? Presumably not.

Today I came up with a theory that if you fast, God won’t send you to hell, because you’ve already been there.

I’ll be shooting up to the church on Wednesday to talk about the book and drop off some junk. I won’t be as far along as I had hoped, but I’ll have a very good start.

The other night, I wanted to unwind, so I turned on the tube and looked at Daystar. This is like TBN, sort of. I hadn’t heard of it until earlier this year. They were interviewing a guy named Larry Huch (pronounced “huck”), and he was talking about the significance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I can’t get used to Christians saying “ROSH huh shuh NAH”; all the kids I grew up with said “ROSH huh SHAH nuh.” Anyway, I keep talking about the Forty Days of Teshuvah, prior to Yom Kippur, and how the Jews believe this is like Lent. If you get it together during this season, repenting and praying and giving, God will bless you or refrain from punishing you in the new year, which starts in a couple of weeks. That’s the theory.

Larry Huch has written a popular book about such things. It’s called The Torah Blessing. I’m thinking of getting a copy. They were giving away copies to anyone who would pledge 25 bucks per month to Daystar, over the coming year. I don’t want it that bad, but I might buy one.

Seems like charismatics all over the US are going nuts over supporting Israel and learning about Judaism. Huch even claims the Bible says God will give prosperity to people who pray for the peace (probably “shalom,” which means more than peace) of Jerusalem.

My pastor is planning to have somebody blow a shofar in church. THAT is way out there. It shows the progress churches (some) have made in figuring out what really matters to God. The older, established churches tend to be hostile to Israel and Jewish interests, but the newer ones have a much better attitude. Jews may find us annoying, but we’re actually helping, to such a degree that the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (funded by Christians, run by a Jew) has a fairly powerful voice now before the Israeli government. We’ve flown hundreds of thousands of Jews to Israel. We feed old Israelis. We help poor Jews in the former USSR. God has helped us to get off our butts and get a lot done. It’s as great a gift as any of us could ask for.

The wild thing about it is that it was predicted by prophecy, and the people who believed the prophecy weren’t just Christians. The Jews themselves proclaim it. They note the passage that speaks of a day when ten Gentiles will grab the hem of a Jew’s garment and say “We will go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.” They talk of Isaiah’s prediction about Gentiles carrying the sons and daughters of Jews to Israel. That’s not just nonsense televangelists say to get people excited enough to send them money. Rabbis say it.

Fun times. Unless you go to a church that preaches replacement theology. To them, the Jews are just a bunch of jerks.

Daystar just signed a contract to broadcast Christian TV into Israel. Not sure how that’s going to work out. In Israel, the word “missionary” is pronounced with the same sentiment as words like “Nazi.” At least they’ll be able to see that someone on the planet is on their side. I’d guess that 95% of American Jews have no idea how supportive some branches of Christianity are. The figure is probably not much different in Israel.

John Hagee insists that Jews do not have to accept Jesus to get salvation. He makes a very good argument, based on the life of Joseph, whom he sees as a type of Jesus. I would love to believe it. Since I have never made any headway whatsoever toward converting a Jew, and since I have very low expectations of future success, I don’t know if it matters much.

One odd thing about the gospels: they claim the Jews said they wanted the blood of Jesus to be on them and their children. Isn’t this what Christians say every day about themselves? If you apply the blood of a sacrifice to yourself, aren’t you accepting the benefit of that sacrifice? It seems strange that it should be bad–an admission of guilt–for a Jew to apply the blood, while it’s very good for a Christian. This passage would seem to back up Hagee’s contentions. If someone calls you a Christ-killer, say, “I sure hope I am,” because if you aren’t responsible for the sacrifice, it can’t do you any good.

Here’s something really weird, since I’m writing about weird things. On Yom Kippur, the Jews sacrificed a goat. This goat had a red thread tied around its throat. A second goat with a white thread was sent into the wilderness to starve. After the atonement, the thread would turn from red to white. Between the time of Jesus’s death and the destruction of the temple, the thread did not turn white. The odd thing about this story is that it doesn’t come from Christians. It’s from the Talmud. It doesn’t refer to the death of Jesus, but it does refer to a period beginning forty years prior to the temple’s ruin, which is essentially the same thing.

Christians say it proves there was no longer any need for an animal sacrifice for atonement. Jews say the thread was just there to help the priests remember which goat was which, and that the miracle had nothing to do with the atonement. We disagree about what it means, but the testimony that it happened is not controversial, and it comes from Jews.

Part of the Jewish response is that Jewish followers of Jesus continued to use the temple. But not all sacrifices were for atonement. There were all sorts of things that went on at the temple. Christians who study this stuff believe sacrifices will continue in the Messianic Age, in the rebuilt temple, in spite of the fulfillment of so many things. They believe this because the Bible predicts it, and because some sacrifices have nothing to do with erasing sin.

Go ahead and read the Jewish response to the Messianic interpretation. It’s no threat to a Christian’s faith. All it proves is that two sets of people can agree on the facts and disagree completely on what they mean. I present the story because it’s of value to Christians.

And now I have to deliver banana nut bread to my sister.

Somehow it Does Not Seem Right

Yesterday was amazing. I had already been to church on Saturday night, but I think it’s important for family members to attend together, so I went on Sunday with my sister. Sometimes you just know a message is right for a certain person, and this was one of those times. I didn’t want her to miss it.

When we arrived, I let her decide where we would sit. I always take the first convenient seat. There are TVs all over the church. It makes no difference at all where you sit, except that the music is way too loud at the front. But she likes to be up by the stage. Yesterday, she didn’t care where she sat, so we took two seats in the back. The message was great, and when it was over, the pastor’s mom came up and introduced herself. She and her husband sit in the back, and because we were so near them yesterday, they noticed us. That was great. Anything that helps us get more involved is good.

Afterward, I went to watch the Dolphins with Val and Pat and Tommy, and although I didn’t expect to achieve anything with regard to religion, by the end of the day, two people had decided to go to church with me. I couldn’t believe it. We’ll be going on Saturday.

The sermons my pastor is turning into a book contain a section in which he says each of us has four “families.” One family is our friends. He says you can’t hang around with people who don’t believe, because they pull you back into a worthless lifestyle. That had concerned me, so before I went over, I asked God to help me lead rather than be led. And look what happened. I was content to sit there and be quiet. I had very little to do with it. But it happened.

On the way home, I thought about the offer I made on the pickup. They wanted about two thousand over what they had in the truck, and they wanted me to finance it. The theory behind financing is that I get a thousand more off the price, because Ford has a finance rebate. I don’t want to finance, because I hate debt.

Well, guess what? It’s an even worse idea than I thought. If I finance, the payments will be several hundred a month. Under the terms of the contract, I’ll have to pay for several months before I can pay the balance off and get rid of the loan. Now, what do you call the first payments you make on a loan? “Interest.” It has no effect on the principal. It’s pure profit for Ford. Depending on the rate, I’ll be shoveling a huge pile of money directly to Ford, effectively jacking up the price of the truck.

Man, I get tired of being treated like a moron. Do they seriously think I’m stupid enough to pay them over two grand in interest to get a thousand back? On what planet do they find people dumb enough to fall for that?

Show me where I’m wrong. The loan isn’t interest-free. On their sites, they’re quoting 7%. That means something like two grand in interest, and until Ford gets it, the amount you owe remains constant. Principal comes later.

Talking to a car salesman is about like talking to Satan. If you can deal with car salesmen and drug addicts, nobody alive can fool you. Their tactics are exactly the same. You have to wonder how much higher new car sales would be, if people didn’t dread being lied to and abused every few years. Realtors are angels compared to car salesmen. So are most other salespeople. I wonder why the car industry attracts the worst liars. Car people can’t even tell the truth in the service department. The dealers hire slimy salesmen and call them “advisers.” Their advice usually amounts to “spend money and get nothing in return.” Geez.

Lawyers can’t hold these people a light. They are not even in the same universe.

The crazy thing is, this is their best behavior. This is how they act in a recession, while trying to sell an old truck nobody wants. A vehicle which tops out at 18 miles per gallon. I can’t even imagine dealing with them on something that’s actually appealing to buyers.

Craigslist is starting to look better and better.

Not really. It’s horrible.

Anyway, I am passing up the fantastic deal the salesman offered me. Call me crazy.

Dialysis Too?

From Heather:

They did the cardio vert on mom yesterday. They only had to shock her once and it went really well.
Her heart is back in normal rhythm, but she is experiencing anemia due to her kidney’s not functioning, they are giving her two units of blood today.
Could you please pray that her kidneys are healed and her body is cleansed of cancer? We are asking for a total healing so she doesn’t have to go on dialysis.

Pulley Project

I went to Northern Tool and picked up a band saw. I just got done with the basic assembly. If you get one of these things, have a friend handy when you assemble it, because it’s not fun. I used a hoist to get it out of the box and onto its base, but if I didn’t have a hoist, I would have had to cover the floor with a blanket or something, assemble the whole saw on its side, and pull it upright. It weighs about 120 pounds, so it’s not a joy to handle.

Here’s a bummer: one of the pulleys on the belt drive is chipped.

I emailed Northern to see if they could send me a new one. Meanwhile…I have a lathe! I have steel! I have a band saw (which will still work in two of three available speeds). I can make a new pulley!

Maybe.

I have a lot of aluminum. I should be able to slice off a piece and turn it on the lathe. Unfortunately, all the aluminum is square stock. I don’t know how much it will like being turned into round stock.

Anyway, it’s a project I can conceivably do. Very exciting. The original pulleys are cast iron, but I don’t think aluminum will be a problem. The big pulleys on my lathe are aluminum.

Guess we’ll find out.

And Then I’ll Stop

I believe today is the day to break down and buy a horizontal band saw. I have piles of metal and no way to cut it into usable pieces. I thought the dry cut saw was the answer, but I was sadly mistaken. It works great for small jobs, but big cuts dull the blade and take forever.

Looks like it’s time to drive to Northern Tool.

I could have gotten a nice used Jet cheaper, but at the time the ad was running, I had no way to bring it home.

I have to get the garage together. The whole length of my table saw top is covered in junk. During the time leading up to Yom Kippur, I am trying to repent of laziness and irresponsibility, so the garage mess has to be dealt with. Maybe I’ll set up the saw and attack the disorder.

The effects of the fast I did week before last are still with me. In addition to having more self-control, I’m down about nine pounds. And before you say it’s because there are days when I eat fewer calories, let me rain on your delusional campfire. I could fast three days a week and gain weight, because I would more than make up for it on the remaining days. If I go above two thousand calories a day, I gain weight. I can eat six thousand calories in a day without breaking a sweat. You don’t have to eat a tremendous amount of food to do it. Four pints of ice cream, for example. It’s very easy to put 2,000 calories into a meal. The reason I’m losing weight is that I eat less every day, and the reason for that is that I no longer feel the same way about food. This is no different from the testimonies of heroin addicts who have been freed instantly.

I hope I can get similar changes in other areas of my life.

Avenger of Suckers

I made an offer on a 2009 pickup. It amounts to about $500 above the money they’ve put into the truck. I know the cost of the truck and the delivery charge, and I know how much the holdback is, so I subtracted the holdback and added $500. It’s a good offer, for a year-old truck that tops out at 18 MPG. A truck nobody else wants. They should be willing to sell below their cost, given the age of the truck and the current market. That’s how life goes, when you’re in retail. You can’t make a profit on every deal. I know they have other costs, but that’s not my problem.

The dealer turned me down flat. They want $1200 more. Sure, if Mary Poppins and Frosty the Snowman decide to buy a truck so they can drive around the world with elves in the back, shoveling candy to the little girls and boys who go to bed on time and swear allegiance to Barack Obama. Other than that, they pretty much have to deal or sell it to another dealer at auction.

After I got their response, I decided there was no way I was going to contact these characters again. When you’re negotiating, and you make an offer, and the other side pretends to be utterly uninterested, you wait for them to crack. These guys have to get rid of this truck. I don’t have to buy one.

Today, after four days, they got back in touch. It was just an auto-response. But it proves my point. The only way to deal with a car salesman is to apply the screws and tighten them until he squeals. My offer was too generous; they probably think I’m a sucker. The only way to convince them otherwise is to let them sweat. I offered them more than I think the truck is worth, because I don’t think a Christian should hammer people ruthlessly in the marketplace. They should be satisfied with that.

I may respond tomorrow. I may respond Monday. Maybe I’ll get cold feet and kill the whole idea. I try to think of my money as God’s money. I don’t want a truck just for fun. I want to make sure I’m doing something intelligent. Maybe I was wrong to decide to buy. Time and prayer are always good ideas.

Anyway, it’s funny to watch them play the game.

I think my response will be, “Please consider my offer withdrawn.”

They want me to finance the truck, which will get me a thousand dollars in Ford money. They want to add that money to the price, plus over $200. I do not borrow money if I can avoid it. I don’t care if Ford likes it; I don’t care if they understand that I plan to pay it back in four months. It’s a scam, and anyway, I think borrowing is like daring the devil to wreck your plans. If I pay cash for a thing, I’m free and clear. If something bad happens later, I won’t have to worry about collection agents. I won’t have to take a job I hate, because bills for things I’ve already worn out and discarded will be coming to me over the next five years. And nobody can repossess what I bought. When you borrow, you give up choice. You put yourself in a position where you have to earn, regardless of how you do it. And working is less enjoyable, because you’re not anticipating buying good things with the money. You’ve already enjoyed the good things. All that’s left now is the drudgery of paying for them, and paying the people who charged you for the privilege of enjoying them before you really owned them. And if you choose to go bankrupt, the cost is your self-respect and your good name.

The Bible says it’s arrogant to say you will do this or that, in the future. You should say, “God willing, I will.” If you borrow, you’re saying, “I will continue to earn enough money to pay for all the junk I want to have right now.” Is that smart? I don’t think so. The Bible strongly discourages borrowing. It encourages lending, but it does so with the understanding that you can’t charge usury, and you may have to forgive the loans.

I just realized I’m wearing a T-shirt that says, “Borrowing is for the weak.” It’s from Northern Tool. I couldn’t resist buying it. It’s supposed to be funny, but it’s also one of the universe’s fundamental truths.

I wonder what a $200,000 house would cost, if we didn’t have the mortgage system. Probably $50,000. When people pay real money, as contrasted with pie-in-the-sky future money, they have to pay a lot less. Three things make things cost more than they should: insurance, borrowing, and government involvement.

A Harley dealer once told me some guy came in for a trade-in, threw him the keys to his old bike, told him which new bike he wanted, and said, “Make it $250 a month.” That was all he cared about. He opened the henhouse door and drove the fox in with a cattle prod. Over time, the bike probably cost him fifty grand. The picture would have been a lot different had he had to shovel out up front. MSRP would have been something like $18,000. He probably couldn’t afford it.

I don’t like borrowing. I don’t like borrowing. I don’t want to be a finance company’s slave. I don’t care if it looks smart on paper. When you look at the paper, isn’t it “walking by sight”? Aren’t we supposed to walk by faith?

I don’t care if everyone does it. Most people do lots of really stupid things. My errors are sufficiently abundant as it is.

On another subject, I have a question. What’s a reasonable amount of money for one person to spend on groceries, per week? I don’t really know. I have turned into a bargain-hunting maniac, frequenting Costco and subscribing to grocery-chain sale emails, and while I haven’t added up the cost of my food, I’ll bet it’s pretty low, because about 80% of my meals are cheap, simple, healthy stuff I eat just to stay alive. What should I be paying? Seems like I should be able to do very well on a hundred bucks a week, plus maybe twenty-five for treats, but I’m not sure.

The most expensive meat I eat regularly is fish, at around six bucks a pound. I like to buy prime beef for $12-$13, but that’s rare, and lately I’ve been finding it at Costco for seven-something. I buy whole pork loins for peanuts and cut them into chops and freeze them. I avoid prepared vegetables, like Birdseye and so on. I generally steam or nuke fresh produce. I eat boring oatmeal for breakfast. On the weekends, I like to treat myself to McMuffins and pizza and Chinese food and ice cream, but that adds up to about three meals.

I’m looking around the web, and other people claim they do great on a lot less than $125. Maybe I’m overestimating.

Anyway, the information would be appreciated.

Doing Things Wrong is Never Right

Still trying to create an outline for the pastor’s book.

Today I watched DVDs instead of using audio CDs. It was somewhat depressing. The theme of the book is family planning. I don’t mean the Planned Parenthood type of family planning, which means planning to have your unborn children sucked out and put in dumpsters. I mean approaching marriage and family with forethought, goals, and rules. This is not how my family worked, and the results are about what we should have expected.

Pastor Rich is the grandson of a pastor. Evidently his grandfather did something right, because his father became a minister and ran a church in Nassau, and Rich is a pastor, and he has four sons, none of whom appear to be drug addicts or repeat felony offenders. According to my mother, my grandfather considered becoming a minister, but he became a prosecutor, a tort attorney, and a judge. And he grew cigarette tobacco. He had four daughters. Two are dead because they were cigarette addicts. My sister now has lung cancer. Three of the four sisters had bad marriages. Most of the grandchildren have had problems, as have the great-grandchildren.

Over the last eight years or so, I’ve been learning things fortunate people learn by their tenth birthdays. When I watch these DVDs, I realize these things are obvious. You can be very smart and get pretty old without learning obvious things.

When we insist on doing things our own way, we are like socialists. Socialism never works, but the people who keep trying it don’t believe that. They keep saying they just need to make some adjustments. They need to find the right people to put in charge. Whenever there’s an improvement, they claim it means they’re on a trend that leads to perfect bliss. That’s what sunk the Soviets. They looked at 1900, and they looked at 1950, and they saw a big difference, and they figured things would keep improving. But that’s not what happened.

If you do things your own way, you may have success in some areas of your life, and you may have periods where things improve, but you’re never going to have the kind of family you would have if you did it God’s way. It’s a con game, and you’re a con artist as well as the victim.

Maybe a few people who read the book or get the disks will learn and manage to avoid the kind of needless, wasteful problems my family has faced.

Winn-Dixie Abandons Me

I just suffered a major catastrophe. This is really bad. I got an email saying my weekly Winn-Dixie ad was ready to view, and IT’S NOT UP. I was hoping to load up on cheap chickens and wings, but somehow Winn-Dixie has failed me.

Wings are the ultimate in cheap, excellent, low-carb food. Throw seasoning on them, bake for an hour at 425°, toss in a mixture of Frank’s and butter, and you’re done. I’m sure there are better recipes, but this one is so good and so easy, everyone should know it.

To make it work as a budget meal, you have to have cheap wings. I was counting on Winn-Dixie for that. I was going to buy a big package, break it into smaller lots, and freeze them in vacuum bags. Maybe the ad will pop up in a while, and my hopes will be revived.

What a fool I was, back in the years when wings were always cheap. Back when nobody wanted them. I knew they existed, but they sounded unappealing.

When I went to Columbia University (where classmate B. Hussein Obama was a total cipher), I used to go to a joint called the Chicken Gourmet. It was one of the many bizarre inexpensive restaurants in the area which were run by Greeks. I always went for a burger known as the Super Cheese. The sign advertised Buffalo wings, but I had no idea what they were, so I never tried them. I’ll bet I didn’t have wings until 1989. Sad.

Okay, down to business. I have accepted the fact that my blog has turned into a prayer resource for sick people. I have some items.

Reader Aelfheld, who helps hurricane-magnet Ward Brewer maintain his blog (which I can’t find today), has this to say:

I almost hate to do this, but a friend’s friend by the name of Ben has been diagnosed with stomach cancer at the ripe old age of 28. He’s been through one surgery, but he’s lost a good bit of weight and the doctors put in a feeding tube to try and stimulate his intake and digestion. He still has chemo- and radiation therapy to look forward to. I’m told he’s confident and upbeat, but certainly additional prayers can help.

Imagine. He’s 28.

Yesterday I mentioned Heather’s mom. Here is today’s news:

First off a great big thank you and God Bless to all of you who are praying for my mom.
Mere words can never express the gratitude that I feel for lifting us up in prayer. If I could see you all, I would give you a big hug.
They had to stop and shock her heart like this when she had her open heart surgery. Her heart just gets all out of rhythm and that is the only way it can be brought back to normal.
I have to tell you this, her heart rate was in the 100s when the dr. sent us to the hospital. You could see her jugular vein, jumping in her neck. I think it scared her doctor as badly as it scared me. The funny thing was though, today she felt better than she had since she had be released from the hospital on the 26th.
So right before I left the hospital tonight they came in to do her 8P blood-draw, BP, and temp, and her heart rate had come down to 90’s and that’s with no new meds either! So I know that prayers are working! Just keep them coming.
God is so good!
Thank you and God Bless!

My buddy Mike is going through some difficult times. I can’t give details, but it’s family stuff, not disease or financial problems. He is on my list today, and I hope he’ll be on yours.

I told him about the powerful results fasting had produced in my life. Maybe it will help him. I’m still losing weight, and I still have increased self-control and peace.

As for me and my family, we are trying to get things arranged so the cancer treatment goes smoothly. I am going to have to take a hand in managing appointments and getting information from doctors, and there are sensitive financial arrangements that have to be made, and this may be a hard couple of days, so any help would be very welcome. In particular, my dad will be under a lot of stress.

I am very grateful to see that my early mornings are working again. For a while, I couldn’t seem to get up earlier than 7:00, no matter what I did. Rising wasn’t the problem. Things kept coming up to prevent me from getting to bed early. Over the last week, that problem has gone away, so I’ve been doing much better. I’m convinced that getting up as early as possible is a very important part of a successful Christian life. I want to make sure my enemies start the day walking on their heels, and like I’ve said before, almost nothing worthwhile happens after 9 p.m. If Jay Leno means more to you than peace and prosperity, you are hopeless.

Wait…Jay Leno retired, right? I forgot.

This couldn’t have happened at a better time. Tomorrow is a chemotherapy day, and my sister will also have lab work, so she needs to be at the hospital at around 8:00, and we don’t know whether she’ll feel like driving home, so she’ll need a ride. She may also start radiation. It’s not clear. She isn’t researching this stuff the way I am. I’ve seen a lot of ominous information about radiation side effects. Chemo has been almost painless, but radiation causes fatigue as well as eating problems, and when they irradiate your head, all sorts of things can happen. So I’m trying to see to it that we’re ready. Because I’m already getting up early, morning rides to the hospital will be no problem.

I don’t tell my sister the negative things I’ve read about her condition, unless she insists or there is an important reason to tell her. She doesn’t know much about her own cancer, and she doesn’t want to. I suppose she has a right to decide how much bad news she wants to hear. And the news is so bad, I’m not eager to tell her.

Sometimes I feel tempted to tell her she has to get on the ball regarding some issue or other because x or y is in her future, and she needs to be ready for it. But I avoid dropping big bombs.

I’m getting back to work on my pastor’s book now. Thanks for everything.

Seems Like Everyone is Sick

Heather’s mom needs prayer.

My mom is back in the hospital. Her heart is going to have to be stopped and shocked back into rhythym. She is also in kidney failure, but they are improving, so all prayers are appreciated.
God bless!

We are trying to get things going with my sister’s treatment. Not medical issues, but difficulties getting family members to work together peacefully and smoothly. If anyone wants to throw out a prayer, I would sure appreciate it.

Catch a Gamefish, not a Bottom-Feeder

I can’t believe I’m finally writing something that will be useful to God. For a long time, I’ve wished I had some way to put my writing ability to good use, but I came up dry. The main issue is that I’m not qualified to write Christian books on my own. I am not a Bible scholar or a pastor. I suppose I could write something if I had someone with more authority guiding me, but I would have to stay away from anything tending to make me look more knowledgeable than I really am. By helping an experienced pastor with a book, I can bypass the problems. The ideas are his, and he has the final word, so it’s not too likely that the world will end up reading something stupid which I inserted through ignorance.

I wish I had gotten this involved long ago. Christian life is much easier when you know you aren’t alone, and it’s also easier when you’re doing something that gives you purpose.

Yesterday while I was working on the book, I kept seeing one indication after another that God aimed this project at me. I’m not just writing it down. I’m learning from what it says, and it’s exactly what I need. It’s always startling when he confirms himself, which is strange, because it happens so often, you would think I’d get used to it.

The book is about planning a family, and the section I’ve worked on so far is about finding a spouse. Guess what he compares a quality spouse to? A dolphin. The green fish my father and I catch off Miami all the time. He compared unsuitable spouses to catfish. You can catch them anywhere, and the bait doesn’t matter. If you want a dolphin, you have to search and be persistent, and you have to go where they school. When I read that, I remembered what Aaron always tells me. “Fish in stocked ponds.” Coincidence, right? Tell yourself that if it makes you happy.

I had no idea the pastor liked to catch dolphin. What’s my dad’s favorite thing to do? Dolphin fishing. My dad, the guy I pray for all the time, hoping God will get through to him. I emailed the pastor and told him he needed to fish with us. Later I told my dad. He said, “I’m afraid he’ll get the Holy Ghost on me.”

He was joking, but it just might happen.

The book contains a lot of solid advice no one ever spelled out for me before. For example, you have to look at a potential mate’s family and ask yourself if you want your kids to be around them. The example he gave was a father-in-law who gets drunk at seven a.m. and spends the day cursing at everyone. Conventional wisdom tells us you marry the person, and that love conquers all. In reality, you marry the family.

He also said you should not demand fireworks up front. This is another thing Aaron likes to talk about. The Orthodox have their kids meet each other and get to know each other, but they don’t have the kind of long, meandering engagements the rest of us have. There’s no sex, and maybe sometimes the chemistry is not obvious at first, but they expect to grow to love each other. That’s virtually the same take you’ll see in the book. And doesn’t Ecclesiastes say the end of a thing is better than the beginning? That’s a universal principle.

He used Samson as an example of what happens when you date or marry outside your faith. Again, this is something society tells us is romantic and sort of noble, but in reality, it’s a recipe for misery.

He called Delilah a catfish. She was a Philistine, from the same area that gives the Jews so many problems today.

Socially, the church is not right for me and my sister. At least, it seems that way at the moment. I would guess that the church is about 75% black, and a lot of them are from the islands, and a big percentage of the congregation is made up of single mothers. It makes for a tough financial picture. And it’s not the kind of place where everyone will look like me or have a lot in common with me. But I don’t see the problem. It’s working. The closer I get to it, the better things seem to work. Maybe now I can get more involved and find ways to do more to help.

I haven’t heard anything back about the truck I made an offer on. If I get a suitable vehicle, I can help the church with guest speakers and so on.

In other news, the benefits of fasting seem to be lasting. Maybe this is the key to self-control. Maybe if you fast AND combine it with directed prayer, it cleans you up. All I know is, I’ve lost a belt notch, and another one is about to go. And I don’t feel deprived at all. And I feel more relaxed and less irritable, and I seem to have more control in all areas.

I’m the only one losing weight, fortunately. On Sunday, I made cornbread and soup beans for my sister, and yesterday I made her take a loaf of homemade bread home. Radiation is on the way, and so is most of the chemo, so she needs to eat everything she can find. I don’t know if she’s taking it seriously enough, but luckily, this is an area where I have a special gift.

After lunch I’ll be working on the book again. I can’t wait to get to it.

If you haven’t come up with a project for the Forty Days of Teshuvah, there is still time. Get to it.