Good news and bad news

Last updated on: December 15, 2010 at 8:40 pm By Fred Clark

First, some good news: "Parks' residents buy out owner for $31 million." Residents of Country Lakes Villages (Palmetto, Fla.), a two-park manufactured home community, have completed their bid to buy their parks for $31 million. The homeowners bought the Palmetto property from [a Calif.] company that had owned it for 12 years. The California company paid $14.1 million for the park in August 1998. The deal that just closed included 444 lots. … The sale price translates into $69,820 per... Read more

TF: Fly Like a G6

Last updated on: December 15, 2010 at 1:34 am By Fred Clark

Tribulation Force, pp. 298-306 The conclusion of this chapter is a flurry of rhythmic editing — a frantic cutting back and forth from Buck's storyline to Rayford's and back again. As in film, this creates a choppy but propulsive effect, giving the sense of some impending collision or climax. Back and forth, back and forth, Buck, Rayford, Buck, Rayford — building towards … Well, nothing much, it turns out. Rayford rides from the U.N. building out to JFK Airport. Buck... Read more

The indignation of the persecuted hegemon: An illustration

Last updated on: December 11, 2010 at 6:12 pm By Fred Clark

Sometimes you encounter a specimen of something that is such a perfect example that it's difficult to do more than just stand back and gawk, marveling at the sheer purity of the thing itself. We've discussed here the feigned offendedness of the IndigNation — those who seem addicted to and intoxicated by finding or manufacturing reasons to self-righteously puff themselves up with artificial umbrage. And we've discussed the bizarre contradictions of the persecuted hegemons — those who claim the privilege... Read more

Getting laid off is not the same as getting fired

Last updated on: December 10, 2010 at 5:41 pm By Fred Clark

Getting laid off is not the same as getting fired. That should be particularly obvious, as for the past three years America’s economy and the economy of many other countries around the world have been shaped by mass lay-offs and not by mass firings. But yet this confusion persists — particularly on right-wing talk radio, on Fox News and among conservative pundits and politicians. The effects of this confusion are cruel. Advice given on the basis of this confusion is... Read more

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Last updated on: December 9, 2010 at 5:14 pm By Fred Clark

The House of Representatives passed the DREAM act. (The Senate, being the Senate, will probably never vote on the measure.) This originally bipartisan bill was first written by Sens. Dick Durbin and Richard Lugard and has been kicking around for about a decade. Columnist Ruben Navarette Jr. offers a useful summary: The bill targets young people in the country illegally, offering them "conditional permanent residency" if they came to the United States before they were 16 and if they attend... Read more

TF: Beyond Good and Evil

Last updated on: December 7, 2010 at 6:45 pm By Fred Clark

Tribulation Force, pp. 295-297 "At last we meet," Nicolae Carpathia said, rising and coming around his desk to shake hands with Rayford Steele. "Thank you, Ms. Durham. We will sit right here." Hattie left and shut the door. Nicolae pointed to a chair and sat down across from Rayford. "And so our little circle is connected." Apart from the reminder that evil people say "Ms." instead of "Miss," this meeting doesn't seem all that suspenseful or perilous. Jerry Jenkins is... Read more

Do all paths lead to God?

Last updated on: December 3, 2010 at 5:42 pm By Fred Clark

I want to address a question I'm asked quite a bit by catechists here in comments or, occasionally, via e-mail. I call them catechists because it doesn't seem that they're asking the question because they want to learn the answer, but because they already know the correct answer and they're quizzing me to see if I know it, too. I don't. I don't even understand the question. I can't make sense of it. The question is this: "Do you believe... Read more

Crabs in a bucket

Last updated on: December 1, 2010 at 6:55 pm By Fred Clark

Here is a remarkable finding from a recent Gallup poll. Americans were asked to rate a series of issues before the final session of this Congress as "Very important," "Somewhat important" or "Not too/Not at all important." "Passing legislation that would keep the estate tax from increasing significantly next year" was rated as very important by 56 percent of respondents. "Extending unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed" was rated as very important by 48 percent. It doesn't help that Gallup... Read more

TF: Must be the clouds in my eyes

Last updated on: November 30, 2010 at 6:36 pm By Fred Clark

Tribulation Force, pp. 293-295 When Hattie excused herself to answer the phone on her desk, Rayford slipped his New Testament and Psalms from his pocket. Those little pocket testaments are enormously handy for any Never Get Caught Without A Book situation. I've got a couple of those in my car for exactly that reason. Mine are from the Pocket Testament League — little 3-by-five bindings of the New Testament plus the Psalms and Proverbs — and I have sometimes done... Read more

"The Creation," by James Weldon Johnson

Last updated on: November 26, 2010 at 2:31 pm By Fred Clark

And God stepped out on space,And He looked around and said,"I'm lonely —I'll make me a world." And far as the eye of God could seeDarkness covered everything,Blacker than a hundred midnightsDown in a cypress swamp. Then God smiled,And the light broke,And the darkness rolled up on one side,And the light stood shining on the other,And God said, "That's good!" Then God reached out and took the light in His hands,And God rolled the light around in His handsUntil He made the sun;And... Read more