Two Grim Anniversaries
Yesterday marked the anniversaries of two American tragedies that were not altogether unrelated. Yesterday marked the 18th anniversary of end of the Waco Siege and David Koresh's Mount Carmel Meltdown in which he ordered mass suicide in lieu of mass surrender as the federal government belatedly imposed its will according to the Constitution. In all 76 people died including 20 children.
Yesterday also marked the 16th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing which killed 168 people including 19 children at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building when a bomb built and delivered and detonated by Timonthy McVey and two accomplices destroyed the building ostensibly in retaliation for the Federal Government's assault on the Mount Carmel Compound two years to the day previous. McVey deludedly viewed this as an atrocity not the responsibility of David Koresh and his followers but of the Federal Government. McVey was executed in 2001 while one other accomplice was convicted and sentenced to life and a third accomplice has never been identified let alone apprehended. A couple was also convicted of conspiracy in the case but they were further removed from the plot than the other three. When told that many children had died in his bombing McVey responded that they were "collateral damage". Needless to say he won't be too thrilled to face God someday whom in turn won't be too thrilled to see him either.
Vacation Time Is Here
Today wrapped up school heading into Easter Vacation/Spring Break which this year came later than normal. Indeed, when Cuesta College resumes classes there will only be three weeks left in the semester, finals week included. This morning I took my big test in my History of California class taught by Dennis Judd which covered the period of the Gold Rush through the Depression. I believe I did better on the essay this time than last but may have not done better on the multiple choice part which he makes intentionally tricky. I hope I did better than the 81% I got on the previous test back in early March which I was able to get upgraded to an 84% via extra-credit. On Monday I aced my tsunami and volcano unit test.
I Am Gravedigger
This past Monday I had the ignominious task of burying two cats: one was one of the strays Mom had adopted and named Fuzzy and one was my friend and neighbor Mark's dear pet Lucy. I was the one whom found Lucy lying in the street in front of Mark's home as I rolled down the alley to the house I rent from Mark behind his own place. Lucy was a wonderful cat with Personality Plus; a much larger personality than seemed to fix in her feline body. She was intelligent and playful and funny and friendly and outgoing and simply a real character of a cat. I was privileged to be her human friend and will miss her.
More About Church
In my previous comments about going back to church I neglected to mention the name of my church home which is North County Christian Fellowship. I highly recommend this church located here in Paso Robles. It is a Pentecostal church and I am not Pentecostal or Charismatic. I first attended this church bringing with me a lifetime of accumulated biases and prejudices regarding Pentecostals and Charismatics. Not all of these were unfair or inaccurate as many people for whom those labels apply quite legitimately conform to my negative preconceptions. However, I can honestly attest to the reality that at NCCF the folks whom make that their church home are a very real group of people with very few exceptions. God compelled me to make NCCF my church home at the minimum to teach me to lose my negative biases and prejudices against the aforementioned subsets of the Christian family. God loves those people just as much as He loves non-Pentecostal and non-Charismatic Christians. It is the Gospel that binds the Church Family together even if we diverge on a few other doctrinal details. Since joining NCCF I have formed a number of deeply fulfilling friendships and attend two weekday night church Home Groups (akin to a bible study but a bit more involved - we break bread together and enjoy a little fine wine).
Back to Rockhounding
I have been unable to devote any time to this life-long pleasure of mine thus far this year or most of last year but I hope to change that over Easter Vacation/Spring Break. For starters, the Salinas Riverbed is within walking distance of my home here in Paso Robles and I hope walk down there and find some petrified whale bone and arrowheads.
Feedblitz Still Down
I plan on later this week either re-upping my Feedblitz subscription or replacing it so that in either case those of you whom wish to subscribe to this blog may do so.
California Disasters Group
Once again I invite you all to join California Disasters on Yahoo Groups, one of my of my few labors of love in life. Since I'm only just now starting to use embed codes in this blog I'm using this opportunity to screw around a bit and post an embed coded link to my group.
Fini
Good luck with your rockhounding. Have found many a shark's tooth at the railroad cut in Templeton. Enjoy!
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