The Managed Desktop

Consult with colleague/s.

Start thinking practically

What would a 'big bang' involve?
- uninstalling the Novell client
- uninstalling any applications which run from Bio-Srv0
- removing
- printers queued via Bio-Srv0
- connecting to SciEng1
- home directories
- team space
- printers

Blogging towards freedom

Step by step.

Desperate. Stuck. We need to find a way forward and upward. We need to be honest.

(1) There is no way that 1000 Biology PCs can be moved to the Managed Desktop by Easter.

(2) I haven't a present for Uncle Eddie, or for Granny.

(3) Attending the Men's Prayer Breakfast would mean not walking to the shops to buy bread, or cooking breakfast for myself and the kids.

(4) I can't afford to buy a decent portable CD player.

That'll do for now.

Christmas Day
Joy, excitement, adrenalin, respect, plenty, initiative - a few of the positives to emerge to-day.

Christmas Eve
What is 'the meaning of Christmas'? Is it that we have just turned a corner - the winter solstice? The longest night of the year has passed - but only careful measurement will reveal this truth.

Or are we remembering the birth of a baby boy - an apparently insignificant event, but which would prove to have been the hinge of history?

Boy?

The CCLASP Christmas Party
Tired, tired, tired ...

Not really wanting to party, party, party ... but here I am ...

Marking the passage of the years - we were here one year ago, little imagining what was about to hit us.

Confidence
I feel like a fish out of water; in a bar, on a Sunday afternoon, waiting for a waiter to bring me a coffee. And waiting for the party to return from the pantomime ...

It's been a while
More than one way to maintain a blog. There is much to be said for updating regularly. But why not have one blog which relies on opportunity? It only gets updated when something interesting is happening, and the regular blog is inaccessible. Or nothing is happening, and writing the blog defeats boredom.

Waiting for a PC to build. Too much to do to-day, but this is the priority. Trying not to become too stressed.

Meadowbank fireworks 

As it says on the tin

I'm writing my thoughts (laboriously) on a HandSpring Visor (deluxe).

The adventure, continued

Of course, it wasn't my intention to remain exiled off-station - it would have been unkind for me to expect my family, worn out by their journey, to trek a further couple of hundred metres to find the car - not to mention the questionable security implications of where I would be leaving the car. So I drove back to the station, the approach road to which was now considerably busier than it was previously. I began to worry whether I would be back in the station in time to meet my train.

Eventually, I reached the barrier guarding the entrance to the short-stay car park. I pressed the button for a ticket, and was greeted with "out of fanfold tickets". There are moments in life when a threshold has been crossed - this was one of them. Eventually I found someone looking vaguely official, and told him of my predicament (shared by the lady driver of the car behind, of course). I went back to the car, and saw that the machine had another button marked "call for assistance". So I did - "intercom engaged". I tried again, and someone answered. "The machine is out of tickets," I cried. "Just drive through," was the answer. "There's a barrier in the way," I bellowed, politely. The barrier lifted, and I drove through.

We were not yet 'out of the wood'. As the lady driver and I realised, we would have difficulty leaving the car park, without a time-stamped ticket. We found a burly, uniformed man who was arguing with a couple who had evidently been caught out by the '£20 for every subsequent hour' rule. He told us to head for the station reception (we would recognise the place because of the goldfish), where our problem would be sorted out. Sure enough, a kind gentleman gave us what I would from then on refer to as 'get out of jail free' tickets. These were simple exit tickets - no need to pay. I discovered later on that this was standard procedure for the situation I was initially facing - if the train I was meeting was late, I could find my way to this office, and claim an exit ticket, which would avoid the £20 surcharge. Perhaps Network Rail should have considered printing this information somewhere that people could read it?

At 18:41, the advertised expected time of arrival of my family's train, I was standing opposite the platform where the arrivals board assured me that it would arrive. A train arrived. The passenegers alighted. My family were not among them. As I fumbled for my mobile phone to call my wife to ask her where (the hell) she was, the phone rang. She told me that they were stuck somewhere south of Kirkcaldy. "But your train has just arrived," I puzzled. Back to the station reception, who told me that her train was indeed stuck north of Inverkeithing, and that the train which I had seen arriving must have been a different train.

The story so far
My wife and children are travelling from Perth. Their train was due to arrive in Edinburgh at 18:14. I was planning to meet them, arriving in the car at Waverley Station at around 17:50. Traffic on the way had been light. I had to give myself time to work out which platform the train would arrive on. I discovered that Network Rail were going to charge me 50p for half an hour, or £2 for an hour. Subsequent hours would cost £20 (not a misprint).

It turned out that the train was expected at 18:41. I calculated that there was a definite possibility that if I waited in the station to meet my wife and children, it would cost me £22. Network Rail, it seems, fines its customers for the late arrival of trains.

I did the only thing I could in the circumstances. I went back to the car, drove out the station, paying 50p, and found a parking place in a side street.

Settling down
This course is all about creating MSIs, and I have access to two computers. One of them I am using as a base machine, the other for doing the packaging.

Trying to be clever, I've told Wise Installer to store the project on a network share, but this causes it to take longer to compile.

Continuing the theme - trees, with buildings glimpsed behind them ... 

Making mistakes
Misunderstood an instruction, which means that I am now running late. Now watching two computers rebuild themselves.

Learning MSIs
Three days - being taught how to package MSIs. 'MSI' stands for Microsoft Installer, and becomes shorthand for the file which contains everything required to install a package.

Lunchtime walk - autumn colours 

Not feeling well
Came home at lunchtime; still not feeling 100%

Not feeling well

Am I ill, or just tired?

There is always the old way ...

Like this

But struggling

This blog

Inevitably, this blog is going to be raw and scrappy. It's recording thoughts as they occur, before they mature, before they've been censored. I may regret what I write here, but that's the point.

Using Plogit

Not feeling good

Nothing to feel good about.

V. tired

How do we proceed? The commonsense thing to do would be to go home and sleep - but that simply doesn't belong in my repertoire. I'm working (!!)

Learning about Active Directory
A new language - what is he saying? So, am I learning anything?

Back again

Needing to open the safety valve. No great issues, just the mounting pressure of many tasks, not of which is quite as simple as it should be. I want to go somewhere and hide.

Crashing through deep water

Every step is harder than it should be.

A wee cry

It might be useful to have a stress measuring device - like a pressure indicator - so that I could check and know when there is a need to 'blow off steam' somehow. I feel that throughout this morning, my stress level has been climbing - partly because I had down for this morning a single task, which I haven't even started, because other, more pressing tasks, have got in the way. Partly the problem is that I spent most of yesterday attending a funeral - but even if I'd been here, I wouldn't have made much better progress. Part of the problem, also, is that I am supposed to be co-operating with a colleague on this task, and he isn't the easiest of people to work with (and I certainly don't need his help at this stage, which makes it especially difficult).

A new location
The RNIB offices - the cafe a vis; my first glimpse of the new parliament building (which extends across what used to be a road).

Visual Blogger again - worth a try ...

Struggling

A step at a time; a day at a time. Duty this afternoon. A trip to the RNIB offices this evening. Waiting to hear whether a few of us would be welcome at a colleague's mother's funeral.

Why won't BloGTK let me put in a title?

Never mind. I don't suppose that it would have been a particularly happy title. But to-day, let's build upon what was endured yesterday. If I'm angry, be glad that others, including Martyn Joseph, are angry also. And if I'm sad, let me try to help those who are sad.

How?

What's the ... point?

Wonderful. We now have roaming profiles. A profile which follows us around. But suppose we have to login simultaneously at two computers. We are careful. One computer is our primary computer, the other is our secondary computer. We never allow the secondary computer to overwrite the profile maintained by the primary computer. Except when we're tired. Maybe it should be a rule - when people are tired, they get to go home. Period. No questions. No problem.

Here we go - BloGTK (which doesn't seem to do titles), but which works from Linux ...

Struggling

I've done some work - though what good it will do me, I don't know. I feel that to-day I have to concentrate on tasks which are purely technical (avoid politics!). Whether to-morrow I shall have the stomach to tackle the jobs I'm avoiding to-day remains to be seen.

By his bootstraps

He pulls hard at his bootlaces. But no vertical movement.

Crying

This is serious. We go forward, not back. Upward, not downward. Into the sunshine, not stay in the dark.

How?

I'm going to make a habit of this

This will be my safety valve. My honesty channel.

I am at work to-day, because I have to be. The week-end wasn't restful, it was stressful. I was tired on Friday night. I was even more tired on Sunday night. Life is a steady eating into resources which I simply cannot spare. People want, they don't want to give.

I love Lesley, and I'm sorry that we haven't been able to make her birthday special. A cake sounds like an idea. I need to make this a quiet lunch hour.

Let's keep trying Visual Blogger. It seems as if it's going to do a title.
I've typed in a title. But it doesn't show up on the blog.

A prayer answered

w.bloggar does do titles.

But this is where we have to get serious. I'm not blogging for fun. I'm trying to sort myself out. And here is where I expect to be the most honest.

Next year, I shall turn fifty. It's about time that I tried to resolve some of the questions which have tripped me up just about every day since I was twenty (and younger). Like - who invented Monday mornings? I started work at 09:15 this morning. It is now approaching 11:45 (two and a half hours later), and I still (being honest) have achieved nothing. I've pootled around - maybe, yes, if I started now, it would still take me two and a half hours to reach the point where I could seriously start to diminish the height of the 'to-do mountain'. I seem to have circled around the blogging tools, and arrived back with w.bloggar. Which is fine. And, if a title really does appear, then I shall be over the moon, and truly grateful.

But, I've been in some bad places too. Websites which, in current parlance, are not 'worksafe'. Why do I go there? Let's not go there again.

And turn back to what I should be doing. Working. Supporting users (note - 'supporting users', not 'rolling out the managed desktop', or 'rolling out eDiary', or whatever). But what users want my support? And what is the right way to give it to them?

It becomes a three-way contest - w.bloggar, BlogJet, and now Visual
Blogger.

Misery

People who exert authority drive me mad. But what can I do?

When the day comes ...

... shall I be too exhausted to enjoy it?

The valley of the shadow of death

Maybe over the top. But I am not looking forward to this afternoon. I have to represent my employers' viewpoint. But I am not in sympathy with it. And I am not too sure what contribution I can make this morning.

From darkness to light

Let's be as positive as we can. This is a difficult time. The students are returning. Services are expected to be running. People are not necessarily familiar with what they have to do.

I'm tired, and stressed.

A voice crying in the wilderness

Sadly, this may be the last entry with BlogJet. My 30 days' trial is nearly 'up', and unless I decide to buy, I shall have to let this piece of software go. Maybe I'm being silly. For some reason, I don't particularly like the toolbar icons. And I've spent quite enough money this month already.

I believe in God. I have no good reason to complain. Yet my continual song is "I want to commit suicide." I don't suppose that I mean it, but why does it surface so frequently? Do I find the frustrations, difficulties, and challenges of ordinary life simply too much to cope with? Do I not think that living is worthwhile? Is there something in particular causing me to be unhappy?

A sad entry, I'm afraid.

There is always the plain and simple way to add a blog entry - by logging in at blogger.com.

So, here I am. V. tired. Yesterday spent a long time waiting to see a doctor on behalf of my daughter. And, to-morrow my son is to have a minor operation.

Is BlogJet becoming indispensable?

Maybe. Somewhere to write down my lowest thoughts - an end-of-day diary, but not in comfort, with a mug of cocoa, and bed inviting, but about to drive home, then cope with two lively youngsters (though one isn't feeling well to-day).

Thanks.

What does this say?

About me ...

I should be on my way home

To-day was another of those days where I seem to have ended up with more to do than when I started. Wouldn't I have been better to stay at home?

Look at the steam rising from the fence! 

Despair

What is the point of having a blog if, when your feelings are black, you can't express them. So, here we are - a Tuesday afternoon, and already I'm worn out. How am I going to get through Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, let alone Saturday and Sunday?

Life is hard. Is anybody having fun?

Blogging from a tablet

Microsoft have updated the handwriting recognition on the tablet, which should make it easier to blog.

In theory. The practice is not quite so simple. Difficult to get any real fluency, however.

Back to work

Monday morning - never welcome.

Shouldn't you be in church? Why? Well, we presented ourselves at the church door, and two ladies tried to persuade Matthew to go to creche. Sadly, (and I don't think that this is true only of our church) the structure of the institution matters more than individuals. So the fact that last week, Matthew happily attended Sunday School along with his sister, which was acceptable as long as I was there to look after Matthew (who is too young for Sunday School), means nothing.

I've managed to pull a few weeds, and in a few minutes we can return to the church to collect Lesley and Hannah, so maybe this is what we have to do this year.

Abbess Hild (having travelled forward in time) 

Whitby Abbey 

Trialling

I've used w.bloggar, and I'm happily using mo:Blog from my PDA, so do I need to try BlogJet? I like the fact that BlogJet lets me assign a title to each blog entry (as does mo:Blog). In w.bloggar, I can make the initial phrase bold, but I prefer having a consistent 'way of doing things'.

But the icons on the toolbar of BlogJet are too pretty.

Testing BlogJet

I have installed an interesting application - BlogJet. It's a cool Windows client for my blog tool (as well as for other tools). Get your copy here: http://blogjet.com

"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." -- Pablo Picasso

Silence
Fear. People's disapproval. Why do I so earnestly desire approval?

Magic
I learnt a new word to-day. Brennan Manning describes Jesus' turning of water into wine at Cana as thaumaturgic. Is it fair to suggest that a simpler word to use would have been magic? Possibly too simple. A website which I have found (but not explored) says that there are two kinds of magic - thaumaturgic and theurgic. I guess that the former relates to the personal power of the magician, while the latter taps into the latent power of the universe? And maybe Brennan Manning was trying to emphasise that Jesus did the miracle himself, not by any other means.

Which brings me to the point. I am reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. A recent visit to Whitby was the trigger - in particular a clever stunt pulled by English Heritage whereby they had actors wandering about Whitby Abbey pretending to be famous characters from the past. 'Bram Stoker' gave a creditable account of how he came to write Dracula, and included some of the story itself, so, of course, here am I trying to find out more. And a scary story it is. Very, very frightening. But do we not need to be reminded, in our modern, sceptical era, of an extra dimension, which we may call magic, or the supernatural?

So Jesus practised good magic. Is it heretical to put it like that? He did miracles. We do not need to be afraid of bad magic because God's magic is good, and more powerful. CS Lewis talks of magic. Not easy.

In limbo
Just over an hour to go until we leave. Until then, there is a sense of being nowhere - we have, in our hearts, already left Moorlands - we are not yet on the road - and we are still a long way from home. I have just moved from the dark vestibule to a bench from which I can see the sea. The procession of boats taking people out to sea has begun. The speedboat, the mini Endeavour, the Esk Belle, the old lifeboat, and a green and white craft whose name I have forgotten. There is a haze softening the edges. It is still cool - even enough of a breeze to allow the seagulls to ride along the cliff top.

The crowning of the Rose Queen
A village fète - quintessential rural England.

Putting to sea
In a scale model of the Endeavour ... but to-day, tired.

Mixed feelings
When I saw the piano in the Ocean Room, I sat down and tried some scales. I knew I was taking a risk - on Christian Guild there is always a requirement for somebody to provide musical accompaniment at morning and evening prayers.

One way trip
Whitby to Sandsend - along the beach - the tide being out. Searching for treasure - pebbles smoothed by the sea, shells, seaweed. Heavy going for the youngest member of the party.

How do we know God? Telling a young person that we should speak to Jesus, but where is he?

Terrified
A train journey en famille is an adventure. So much could go wrong. Recalling the old Scots psalm I to the hills will lift my eyes, from whence doth come mine aid? But then My safety cometh from the LORD, who heaven and earth hath made.

On the train
We change at Darlington. Not easy, but driving would have been far, far more difficult.

Spitfire - at Edinburgh Airport - as far away from Glasgow is it is possible to be ... 

Cautiously stepping out
Comments are enabled (but only for other bloggers). I'm tired; really too tired to work, but 9-5 is 9-5. Heard on the radio this morning that most people would welcome shorter hours (i.e. work fewer hours, not make an hour last just 50 minutes). Who wouldn't? Sometimes, when the flow is there, it might be good to work on into the evening, but only if one knew that the time would be released on another occasion. I'm rambling.

Now we are six(ty)

According to Daniel Goleman, some people are simply born timid. I am reminded of the lion in The Wizard of Oz, who hopes that the wizard will be able to give him courage. My reaction to this insight is, mostly, anger. Some people are genetically more fearful than others. So those who accuse me of cowardice have no more moral standing than those who tell gays to become straight.

Tweaked the formatting

Thanks to Scott Johnston, I have changed my settings to something more appropriate - I now longer appear to be blogging through the night ...

27/07/2004 14:35
So. This blog is called 'Visor Thoughts', but the Visor is likely to be retiring within a month. But let's stick with the name. If this blog survives for 20 years, then some people may get confused. What devices existed 20 years ago, which we remember only by name?

I want to say something profound, but I can't.

26/7/04 7:09
Computing in the garden (which looks more like a jungle). But this is where it's at. Barely coping with life.

26/7/04 8:37
One life or two? Trying to manage my life using two handhelds is using one too many. But how to move forward? One way would be to retire the HandSpring (aww...), and to re-configure the Tungsten to synchronise with my home computer. Maybe the diary should live on ChaosHost instead of QuickSilver.

A good habit?
A diary (like everything else) needs to be maintained. Regularity is the key.

At last!
What this blog was meant to be - composed on a Visor DeLuxe, and uploaded using mo:Blog.

19/7/04 9:34

Getting ready. A trip to Isabel's first.

A defining phrase

I am bad; God is bad.

Darkness and silence
Nobody reads this, anyway. But in the early 21st century, here on record is the experience of one man - darkness and silence. But remember the psalmist (42:5 Msg) Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God- soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God.

26/6/04 13:09
Raining; a blog lets me be heard from places where I used to be inaudible.

I seem to be working my way through a serious crisis of faith. It's come about for a number of reasons.

My daily bible reading (courtesy of Scripture Union) is taking me through the early chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. It could be argued that the major player who dominates the action is not Peter but the Holy Spirit. To me it is inescapable that the presence of the Holy Spirit can be felt. Nobody has to argue that every believer receives the Holy Spirit. Rather, people remark that the Holy Spirit has been poured out, because they see something happening. This is in contrast to our day to day religious experience, where, basically, nothing happens.

Several weeks ago, I caught a cold. I'm still coughing, with a sore throat. Typically, I catch a cold, argue for a few days with God - why doesn't he heal me? - but it goes, and I carry on. This one hasn't gone (or, if it has, it's left a legacy). I'm still suffering. Not much, of course. You'll think that I'm whingeing. I'm not. It's OK. It's just that day after day I'm reminded that nowadays God does not heal. At least, not in the spectacular way in which he healed in the time of the Gospels, and in the time of the Acts of the Apostles.

Maybe I've got stuck in some unhealthy patterns of behaviour. I simply do not have a regular opportunity to pray in a traditional manner. I've tried alternatives, such as transcribing my prayers on to a handheld computer. But this highlights the situation - communication with God seems to be happening in one direction. Possibly, writing my prayers down has misrepresented reality. Perhaps, when I pray, quietly, alone, uninterrupted, God speaks to me as I pray. I hear him, without hearing an actual voice. I sense his presence.

But what can I do?

Then and now

Then the Holy Spirit did things. Now he doesn't?

A question
Read in the Acts of the Apostles, in chapter 8, starting at verse 15, and through to verse 17. Philip had evangelised a town in Samaria. The people (many) had become Christians. But they hadn't received the Holy Spirit. Only when Peter and John arrived were these people given the Holy Spirit.

Let me say this again - black and white. Some people became Christians. Some days later, they received the Holy Spirit. It is possible to be a Christian, and not to have received the Holy Spirit.

I simply daren't apply this to myself, but the inference is clear.

Another step

How can I describe myself? An unbeliever? No - I believe,
I just don't think that I measure up. We all know the parable
of the talents (if you don't, you can read it in Matthew's
gospel, starting at chapter 25, verse 14). I identify with
the servant who buried the money he was looking after, afraid
that he might lose it.

Reconstruction

Luke 14:33 means that I am not a follower of Jesus. Perhaps it would be more honest to say that a combinatign of Tony Byers' preaching and a persistent sore throat have finally breached the defences of my faith. The words 'honest' and 'honesty' keep cropping up.

Praying

How many times have I asked God to take away my sore throat - why hasn't he answered me?

Religious zealotry

Love God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul,
but also love your neighbour as yourself.

Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise! Fine words, a great story, but it doesn't happen any more. Not here, not now. So why tell us that we should be spreading the good news the way Peter and his friends did, when we lack the basic resources? If I was able to tell a lame man to get up and walk, then, just maybe, people would pay attention when I tell them the 'good news'. If I tell them a story they've heard over and over again, that 'Jesus died for their sins', they say 'huh?'

Fear

At the beginning of the book we know as The Acts of the
Apostles, there is an episode where, in quick succession,
a husband and wife die, having tried to pretend that they
were donating the entire proceeds of a sale of land to the
group when, in fact, they were keeping some of the money
for themselves. Not sure if, to our eyes, the punishment
(if that's what it was) fits the crime.

Faith

The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples on what we call the Day of Pentecost (because it coincided with the Festival of Pentecost). Views differ (enormously) on how we should expect to experience the Holy Spirit to-day.

Waiting

A ballet rehearsal, then photos being taken ... stuck ...

22/5/04 17:07 Grandma's house

Summoned to fix a television, then required to find a post office book somewhere in a pile of rubbish on the floor. Son, unfortunately, wee'd in his pants. Should I hide my feelings? Smile through gritted teeth?

08:31 31/05/04 The Holy Spirit In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit arrives, and enables the disciples to speak in foreign languages. (Not, please note, unintelligible babblings.) But the continuing frustration is that his presence should be tangible, not just 'believed in'. There is nothing clever in believing in something for which there is no evidence.

Watched a perceptive and interesting programme on television this evening. The programme previewed the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and characterised the coming debates in terms of what is seen as the most significant difference in theological viewpoint within the Church of Scotland. Illuminatingly, the programme makers visited two congregations, one located in the Gorbals, the other on the outskirts of Aberdeen. The minister of the former emphasised the work he was doing in the community, to promote harmony, to heal divisions, to help the poor. The minister of the latter said that he wished to be faithful to the gospel. The snapshot of the church highlighted bible study and prayer. From my own experience, I believe that both pictures were, on the whole, fair representations of their subjects.

Of course, the two viewpoints may be alternate sides of the same coin. But in practice they can underly fierce debate.

But there is one thing, at least, that they have in common (perhaps unknowingly). The Iona Community (with which I believe the minister in the Gorbals is strongly associated) has a rule (or, at least, when I knew them, had a rule). For half an hour each day, each member should spend time quietly with his or her Lord. And Scripture Union (who probably belong towards the opposite end of this particular spectrum) promote the idea that to enjoy a healthy spiritual life, a Christian should spend around half an hour each day, reading his or her bible, to get to know his or her Lord better.

I see the weakness of the evangelical point of view. There can be greater emphasis on what you believe than in whom you believe. And I can see why the evangelical point of view tends to be media-unfriendly. But I have to say, from personal experience, that nothing beats a daily read of the bible to keep me on the straight and narrow.

Rant for the day I have to travel to Kirkliston on Saturday from East Lothian. There is an Edinburgh CrossRail service from Newcraighall which goes on to Bathgate. But does it stop anywhere near Kirkliston? Of course not. So, it looks as if I shall have to take the car.

Take note, Edinburgh City Council. You say that you want people to leave their cars at home, that you want to reduce congestion. But you do not make transport services available. I see on maps a place called Ratho Station, but if I search the rail network, it claims to be 'not found'. If you want people to leave their cars at home, then put pressure on the rail operators to stop where it would help.

Or, if you are particularly mean, just tax drivers for driving into the city.

13/5/04 15:15
Waiting ... to hear whether we are to continue with the dexamethasone. Daughter's sight has improved, but there is always a cost - in this case the medicine has side-effects.

Making it easier

Surely a good thing ...

Back online !!!

10/5/04 22:53

There must be a better way. I can't support granny's computing from afar. And I can't face a daytrip to do it there. But why isn't it working? I can check her mail from my own computer.

10/5/04 23:01

Just fine-tuning the system ...

Burning the midnight oil

But maybe one success (and there have been a few successes to-day, as well as a couple of notable failures) will help me sleep.

Inside the Active Directory - sounds great - wait and see ...

Seems that it was Francis Bacon who said, "What is truth? said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer." But what is truth?

29/4/04 14:38
Thinking allowed. People talk (argue) about inerrancy. What do they mean? It seems to me that those who take seriously the whole (Christian) bible (the old and new testaments) claim that the bible is inerrant, while those who disagree with some aspect of what it teaches say that it isn't. The problem for me is that while I am uncomfortable with trying to argue that any piece of writing is inerrant, I am generally more in sympathy with those who say that the bible is than with those who say that it isn't.

Congestion charging
Mixed feelings. Angry, because it appears to be a tax imposed by Edinburgh City Council on people who live outside the city. They're claiming that their primary concern is to reduce congestion, but in that case why are the residents of Currie and Balerno exempt? We do have to find ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but it has to be done fairly.

Sleep deprivation - a method of torture - a by-product of being a parent ...

Weekend becomes week. Family and personal concerns give way to work concerns. But family questions which can only be answered by people who work 9-5, Monday to Friday still have to be asked. And, it is in the nature of the way that one thinks, that one's mind goes on trying to find answers even when the priorities have shifted.

Syndicated
The Site Feed link goes to an RSS feed - Atom - so you can be quickly notified when this blog is updated.

Exploring i-church. Feeling just a little bit guilty, as I sign up for the newsletter, of unfaithfulness towards the physical congregation I belong to. But I do not intend to transfer my allegiance. I just think that the Internet could help my local church to function better as a community.

Journeying
I believe, what? Do I believe the same now as I did 40 years ago? Is there something which is real and unchanging, which I should believe? Is my belief more accurate now than it was?

On the help desk
Realising that one of the most significant emotions affecting my working life (my whole life, in fact) is insecurity. It's not just job insecurity. I do worry that my job isn't secure. But more than that, I worry that if I lost my job, I simply wouldn't be able to cope.

A new trick (thanks, HanDBase mailing list) - to enter date & time, just do dts. Wonderful.

Since I am here ...

Let's give things some thought. Why are people still opposed to Jesus? Why would they rather believe some scientist who pretends to be able to explain that Jesus really didn't rise from the dead, than a bishop of the Anglican church who argues that he did?

It's Easter Sunday. I am an ordinary human being. I have never seen anyone rise from the dead, nor, honestly, do I expect to. But I reckon that Jesus did rise from the dead. This is the bottom line. (Sorry about the cliche - what I am trying to say is that here is something which cannot be avoided.) Either you live your life, based on the assumption that he didin't rise from the dead, or you take it as gospel that he did. If you think that he did, but that it is somehow irrelevant, you're wrong. If someone rose from the dead, then it matters.

Decision: whether or not to attend a concert this evening. Nobody else in the family wants to go. Just me.

Why should I go? It'll be good music, and interesting. It's something to do with the church, which I should support. And I should especially support the event when it coincides with my own interests.

Why shouldn't I go? Well, it's a Sunday evening. I've got work to-morrow. It would mean leaving Lesley on her own with Hannah and Matthew.

Decision: I would like to go, but I can't.

2004 04 06 2137
Listening to Joan Bakewell interviewing Wendy Cope on Radio 3 tonight, I liked the quotation from George Herbert - something like 'dare to be true'.

Relaunching this blog
Heretofore, entries in this blog have been technology tryouts, but we seem to have arrived at a platform (mo:Blog on a Tungsten E - making the blog title a misnomer, I'm afraid).

But this is to be a journey, from enslavement to freedom.

Trying
A fresh start.

A real post
Simply don't know what the answer is.

The journey
There are some who say that achieving internal purity just isn't worth the effort. But what's the alternative? To be forever vulnerable? Never to know when you're going to fall and somebody's going to accuse you, or make capital? Or to 'come out', and make it public? Would those who despise purity be just as quick to despise the lack of it?

Justice
In Deuteronomy it says that anyone who is hanged on a tree is under God's curse, which implies such confidence in the system that miscarriages of justice never occur. But, of course, they do.

2004 04 04 2110
The tooth fairy is about to visit - what is the going rate?

Rant 2004 04 03 1249
Radios - I prefer them to televisions. But I'm tired.

Something's not right about Microsoft Money (version 11). It is claiming that I am not making a regular contribution to a savings plan, but I am, and it should know about it.

Testing 1,2,3
mo:Blogging

This was meant to be a way to blog from my HandSpring, but currently that appears somewhat infeasible. But it would be good to get some momentum going, so let's try blogging without a web browser - using w.bloggar. But I'm not too sure how to use it ...

It doesn't seem to be designed to be an offline blogging tool.

Not being composed on the Visor, I'm afraid, but using w.bloggar on a PC. But this may help to get some momentum going.

East meets West
The Italian, Pontius Pilate encounters Jesus, the Jew. Was Pilate a bad man?

1 versus 2; or 3 versus 5; Graffiti or PalmOS.

Hi, everyone ...