Random

...Tomorrow is the 400th anniversary of the birth of Rembrandt van Rijn.

...Back in Turlock again -- arrived Thursday afternoon -- flying early morning from Newark, New Jersey. There's a lot to like about NJ -- although I suspect the winters would be a pain. And they, like Oregon, seem to have a prohibition against pumping your own gasoline. So they have people at the pumps to do it for you. They don't do windows or check the oil or tires or... -- just pumping gas. And the gas is comparable in price to California. I suppose it provides jobs for a few more people.

...While I was gone another downtown Turlock building burned -- Minerva's Furniture. I think that's the fourth large fire downtown within the last year -- all suspicious.

...David Plotz is blogging thru the Bible -- now in Leviticus.

...Missionary-types might find the Brigada newsletter useful. I've subscribed for several years and pulled out more than a few gems.

...Turlock continues to stave off Wal-Mart and their plan to create a superstore in town. I went to a couple of Wal-Mart's superstores in New Jersey. (Yes, they have them even in the quasi-rural hilly area I was in.) The small town businesses seemed to be thriving in spite of their monster store neighbors. And the Wal-Mart shopping was a lot more relaxed and less chaotic than what we experience in Turlock. We may be sentencing ourselves to live with a cluttered Wal-Mart. But, hey, what do I know? Besides I'm on my way out. They don't have Wal-Mart on Guam -- just the world's largest K-Mart -- where the tourists go to stock-up before returning to Japan.