Lifer!

I received my National Rifle Association Life Membership pack in the mail today. It's quite a nice set. A set of bylaws, a gold-plated certificate and several badges, decals and even a suit pin. Thankfully, I now no longer need to remember whether I've paid my dues yet each year ... they're paid for ever!

A Good Day For Customer Service

I hate calling anywhere for customer service. Even when I keep my expectations low, I usually find myself deeply disappointed. So, imagine my trepidation at needing to make two such phone calls! I needed to call Starbucks and the NRA Store.

My Starbucks Gold Card (colored black to confuse people) is coming to it's end and I needed to register it so that my account balance could transfer over to the new card (actually colored gold this time). Only the numbers on the card were all but worn off. It took both myself and the lovely (and younger) Sis. Geek wearing reading glasses to be able to read the main number, but neither of us could read the security code numbers which were smaller to start with. Thus, I called customer care after reading the FAQ on their website carefully. The customer service representative that answered was amazingly helpful and while he couldn't read the numbers himself over the phone line, he went one better and registered me for the new card anyway and pre-started me at Gold level memebership. That's excellent customer service and one more reason for me to continue enjoying Starbucks coffee.

Next, I needed to call the NRA Store. I had a gift-certificate from my in-laws (have I mentioned that I have the greatest in-laws?) for the NRA Store. Unfortunately, their website does not accept their own paper gift certificates. It happens, so I called in my order. The very nice lady I spoke to then promptly had difficulty getting their in-house system to accept the gift-certificate either. This is why I normally try to do everything by the web these days. After being put on hold, she worked with a supervisor and about five minutes later came back and had everything sorted. Most excellent! (As Bill and Ted would say) So, I can now look forward to my new NRA life-member hat that I *had* to order after upgrading my membership as my year end present to myself.

That's two helpings of excellent customer service in one day. I must be dreaming!

Project 2:38?

I'm re-reading a book by Donald Knuth. Nothing unusual about that, I actually have several of his books. But this one has likely not been read by too many of my fellow geeks. The book is called "Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About" and is a collection of six presentations he gave on religion. It's an interesting book with quite a few interesting ideas in it. I just finished chapter 2, in which he was explaining his 3:16 project. 3:16 was a personal project where he took the 3:16 of books of the bible and studied that verse in depth, eventually giving rise to a book. He chose 3:16 because he wanted to include John 3:16. This got me thinking that perhaps a 2:38 project could be fun.

Just Tell Me What You Are

In these wishy-washy days, people don't seem to be keen to be defined by what they are, but prefer to be known for what they aren't. I got to thinking about this on the way home from the in-laws today as I drove past a large'ish Seventh Day Adventist church building. Now, I'm sure they have things they stand for, but mostly they're known as the folks who think that we're wrong for having church on Sundays and that we should celebrate on Saturdays like they do. Hmmm.

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Colossians 2:16 [KJV]

The Seventh Day Adventists are not wrong for having church on Saturdays, but nor are we for choosing Sundays.

And for those who like a little more politics in their reading material, we can make similar observations about President Obama and especially so of his advocates. A large part of the campaign approach of then candidate Obama centered around the point that he wasn't Hilary Clinton and then even more emphatically that he wasn't George W. Bush. And pretty much that was it. Oh sure, he made promises and expressed opinions, but all politicians do that. It just strikes me that being the un-Bush is a pretty weak platform to run on. (It did get him the Nobel Peace Prize, for what that's worth these days!)

Happy New Year

I'm an old codger! I was tucked up and snoring by about 9:30 last night. It's been a few years now since I tried to stay up until midnight to welcome in the New Year. The way I see it, the year lasts 365 days, so I'll have plenty of time to enjoy it. Why rush? I'm over visiting the in-laws and they aren't late night folks either, so we all tucked up early.

For those wondering why we didn't have a watch-night service, the answer is that they annoy me, err wait, I don't think I'm supposed to admit that. The other reason is that in a small congregation, the holidays (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving etc etc) are times of shrinkage. Bigger churches gain bodies with extra visitors during holidays. Sadly, the bodies they gain are usually from the smaller congregations when folks go to see family and visit their big fancy church for a treat. I've considered getting mad about it, but it's just the way life is, so I accept it. It all balances out in the end because our town is close to a popular state park and we get quite a few visitors from other churches each summer when they come to our area to camp.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday. I'm mumble mumble years old and delighted to be still upright and breathing and able to take nourishment.

The lovely Sis. Geek woke me with a present this morning and packed me off to work with a smile. The geeklets have presents to give me this evening. One of the congregation sent me a birthday text message as I was geting ready to step out of the door. And then when I got to Starbucks for my mid-week study, I was on the phone with Sis. Geek, standing around outside, and Angie, one of my regular baristas came out with my usual order of coffee for me. (When I went in and tried to pay for it, she wouldn't let me. Bless her little cotton socks!)

Life is good!

Set the bar too high?

So there I am at the fellowship after oldest geeklet's piano recital and I was going through the line for snacks (Mmmm ... snacks!) when I overheard just a snippit of the conversation between piano instructor's husband and some other parent.

Other parent was complaining that people (I assume he meant us evil conservatives) were alledging that President Obama was setting the bar too high. Don't know which bar.

Piano instructor's husband replied, to the effect of "well, why not set the bar high?"

I was under strict instructions to be on my best behavior (even had to take my NRA cap off at the recital), so I refrained from joining the conversation and pointing out that when President Obama even seems to know where the bar is, that he has trouble clearing it on the lowest settings!

It really sucks having a president who still needs training wheels for his leadership role.