Biblical Limericks: Relevant, Schmelevent…

If Revelation was relevant
to the people to whom it was sent
the Mark of the Beast’s not,
despite what we’ve been taught,
a microchip from the government.

Revelation 13: 16 - 18

Red Rock Dam - A (Not Very) Frightening Place

I have lived here in Newton, Iowa for just over two years now, and only recently realized that I am living a mere half hour away from the sight of one of my childhood's worst nightmares: the Red Rock Dam.

I know.  It doesn't look all that frightening.  It's a rolled earth embankment with a concrete gravity control, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1960 - 1969). An expansion is planned to add a hydroelectric power station (to be operational by 2018).  But this was the very place where Russel S. Doughten filmed significant portions of his film A Thief in the Night (1972) and its sequel A Distant Thunder (1978). And when I was a child, I was terrified by those movies.  This is where Jerry (with those marvelous sideburns) chased Patty and threw her over the edge.

My wife and I (and our dog) took a drive there this morning.  We hiked along the trails, watched families riding on bicycles, saw people fishing and boating.  We ate a picnic lunch along the river bank.You'd hardly know that this place was so spooky.

A Thief in the Night (1972) from James Alvin Sablan Sr. on Vimeo.

The Four Visions of Dr. Tarrec - New Music

It was in the 38^th year of my life that I was given a series of four visions, strange and bewildering dreams that foretold in symbolic fashion the future history of our world.  I recorded my impressions and memory of these visions but was told, at the time, to keep them sealed and hidden.  But now, these many, many years later am permitted to disclose what was revealed to me.

The First Vision
An angel having six wings came to me in the night and stood by my bed.  He said to me, “Doctor, it is given to you to see and to know of what must be.  Behold; the end of this present age is not far off.”  The angel stretched out his arm and pointed to the far wall of the room, and there upon the surface of the wall a saw a woman, dressed in silver pursued across the desert by a man (who was not a man) with no face.  She was fleeing from his wrath and his fury toward a glowing city on the horizon.  When this faceless man (who was not a man) realized that he could not catch her, he rose into the air and sprayed the sky with a sparkling poison.

The Second Vision
I saw a sorrowful woman of surpassing beauty weeping, for she was in great misery.  Her tears formed a pool around her feet.  But then she was transformed into a great horned owl.  And when she expanded her wings to their full length, they blotted out the moon and the world was submerged into darkest night.

The Third Vision
The angel showed me a violent storm over the ocean.  There was much lightning and loud wind.  Suddenly a sea serpent broke through the surface of the waters, roaring louder than the winds of the storm.  He stretched his neck up through the clouds and began to devour the stars.

The Fourth Vision
There was a well secured castle, with fortified towers and gates floating upon a bed of fog.  And a guard and the gates called out to me, “None shall enter this city.  No one, by any means shall pass through these gates.”  Then the seven arc-angels of heaven came down and began to chant one of the celestial songs.  The words were strange and unreportable.  I watched in amazement as the castle began to disappear and the fog dissipated into the dawn.

And after the visions had been shown to me, I asked the angel, “What do these things mean?”  But he did not reply.  No answer was given. 

Sound Samples from the Freesound Project 

The First Vision
Off Charger 

The Second Vision
Crickets 

Owl 

The Third Vision
Vinyl Scratch
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Vinyl Scratch
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Kernel Crash 

Biblical Limericks: Not My President…

Paul said: Obey the authorities,
they’ve been ordained by God, if you please.
But you will ignore this
and stubbornly insist-
this president’s from the wrong party!

Romans 13: 1

It's Official - I'm a College Student Again

I often tell people that I'm on a 25 year plan - that is, if I work really hard and focus all of my attention,  I can cram all four years of college into 25.  I think I can do it.  It will take some blood, and sweat, and tears, but I think I can, just maybe, do it.

All I need to finish out my bachelors degree is a few (7) general ed type classes - some English Comp., Literature, Art Appreciation, Science and Math.  And of those, only the Math requirement has me sweating. I like math, I just am not very good at getting the numbers to line up properly.)

I'm now enrolled at the local community college - Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) at the Newton, Iowa campus.  I've purchased my books and everything.  Whoo hoo!

I have two classes this semester - English Comp. I and an online Literature Class focusing on Science Fiction. (How cool is that?!)