Sigh

People are getting a lot of justified amusement out of Harold Camping's prediction of the Rapture tonight. This thing with a few gullible Christians, like most problems Christians have, would not be a problem if we would actually read and follow the Bible.

21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Deuteronomy 18:21-22, 1984 NIV

The last date Harold Camping predicted for the rapture was Sept. 6, 1994. Didn't happen then either.

What if it was Sept 5, 1994, and we didn't already know Harold Camping was a false prophet? Well, that's covered too.

36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Matthew 36-44. 1984 NIV

I'm going to be in New Jersey with my parents for dinner where I don't have all the guns and food. Definitely not what I would be doing if I were expecting earthquakes.

Only one girlfriend now

I broke up with the other two. I feel kind of terrible because I feel so unjustified and unworthy of having been in the position of choosing among women in the first place. One had some things in common with my first wife that I was unable to see past; she handled the breakup like a saint. The other, the extremely pretty one, just spent the better part of an hour telling me that I'd made the wrong decision but she wouldn't take me back if I asked. Also, she was very critical about the multiple-dates thing, which I think was fair, and critical that I didn't give her much of a chance, which was also fair; however there was only one way for me to stop multiple dating which was to stop giving someone further chances. So as I reflect on those breakup experiences, it reinforces my feeling that I made the right choice to break up with the pretty one.

My now one and only girlfriend thought I was breaking up with her before, and handled that experience so kindly. Like the student pastor who reminded me too much of my first wife, it's a real contrast with the pretty one.

I guess honestly I'm kind of glad for the multiple dating thing because I could potentially have married any one of them and I only dated one of them I would only have had a one in three chance of finding the one I'm with now. And if I had only dated her alone I think I might not have realized how uniquely lovely her heart is and been able to see past her looks.

Standing up when no one else will

Vigilantes Band Together to Protect Sex Workers (h/t Instapundit)

It would be nice if this were not necessary. But this is a valuable reminder of one of the fundamental principles of good policing formulated by Sir Robert Peel when he founded the once-exemplary Metropolitan Police Force:

Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.