Poll of a Billion Monkeys

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thankfulness, Repentance, and the Reconnaissance of God

The Exchange - Thankfulness, Repentance, and the Reconnaissance of God


In examining what I should, and am, thankful for this year it has occurred to me that perhaps any recounting would be insufficient. After all I have too many things to be thankful for this past year.

The year before this past one, (2006 AD) was a personally dark one for me. Death all around me, the near dissolution of my marriage, failures great and small, any number of personal and family and professional and even national woes. But this past year (2007 AD) has been a year of an entirely different character. It has been one of the most productive and pleasing, not to mention rich in achievement and purpose, years of my entire adult life. Much of this change in my fortunes and the fortunes of my family is due of course to the fact that I (and we) radically changed our approach to life (from one of constant complaint and discouragement when things went against us to one of thankfulness for the opportunities and solutions offered us in overcoming our problems and once again prospering), repented of (not just admitted and confessed, but actively repented of) some sins which were interfering with our happiness. Our main problem and chief defect, as I look back upon those events and that situation with the passage of another years is that we were absorbed in the confluence of our problems and not concentrated upon the achievements of our important objectives. In short, our woes outweighed our wisdom, and our ungratefulness outweighed our humility, at least within the circuit of our own minds, and hearts. But thankfully, we had an Ally. One who was not so much concerned with our distrust and fears, as with our potential, one who was determined upon his steady and unflinching duty, while we were absorbed with the seeming solidity of our doubt.

While during my dark night of the soul I was spending my time bitching and braying and barking at the moon about the injustice of how things were drifting south into a Sargasso Sea of sterile stagnation, God was out scouting a clear path through, charting a course of movement towards salvation and safety, in short reconnoitering in our favor. Then He came and got us, and steered us clear. Because we let him of course, but nevertheless while we weathered the storm, he scouted the path, he navigated us to clear port. And so I take from all of our troubles in the year proceeding, and all of our successes in the year just passing, that I can be very thankful that while I am sometimes lost in the thorny path, caught in the storm, lashed at sea on the slim and creaking bark, there is a Navigator, a Scout, a patient Guide who finds the way and then returns to lead me, and those around me, to the safer land, the better port, along the road less taken, or at least along the road less purposely chosen. In short I am thankful that when I decided that I had run a’ground there was another who would take the wheel, who could master helm, thankful that when I was lost and wandering in the trackless wilderness of my own confusion that there was another who would scout ahead and lead me beyond the desert of my own despair, beyond the limits of myself.

Christ I am grateful for your assistance, and for what I have learned from you (and re-learned, as being a man I must on occasion be reminded of those things which are obvious, and yet nevertheless ignorantly ignored when I am in every way consumed with nothing but myself and my own interests), God I am grateful for all I have been given and enjoy, and great and Holy Ghost I am thankful that you have reminded me yet again there is a better way. And that a Ghost really does walk the earth, silent, watching, guiding, aware, waiting to turn men aside from the path of self-absorption to the trail leading through to that Undiscovered Country where all things real exceed all things imagined.

And now remembering that there is a better way, mindful of what can be done with the proper attitude and position towards all we experience, and grateful for the fresher manner in which it seems all things have been again reborn, I thank you God, that I am but a man, and yet that I am but your man. Which says not so much about me of course, but it does say this as a matter of course, where you lead I will follow. So, lead on. I’ll follow as my limitations allow. But I will follow.

For there is no better path to roam.
Or surer.


© JWG, Jr. 2007

Monday, November 12, 2007

The Gaming Imperative

Humours of Idleness - The Gaming Imperative


For those of you interested in gaming and games, visit this site all this week:


Free Role Playing Games and Support Materials


look for the links to the free materials.




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Sunday, November 04, 2007

American Superior Pups

The Exchange - American Superior Pups

For an article on the American Superior please see this link: The American Superior

Also see - SAR: Please Help

All puppies have been sold.

We have decided to have one last litter since so many people have requested an American Superior puppy, but the litter to be born sometime between March and April 2008 will be the last litter from our female.

I have decided to post pictures of all of the puppies except the one we are keeping, Sam, because out of curiosity several of the new owners have asked to view pictures of all of the pups of this litter, and I am more than happy to do that. Therefore I am re-posting pictures of all of the pups, even the ones already sold or already on deposit. If they have been sold or are on deposit then this will be noted next to their name and the information about them.

This time the litter developed from thirteen pups.

This litter has produced two varieties, mantle (black furred with white chest), tending towards short haired, and brindled (tiger-stripe) who tend towards having fur of medium length. Most appear as if they will be Saint Dane in body shape, with a couple who will apparently be Great Bernards.

Below are pictures of the litter for the readers of this blog, and for those who have already purchased one of the puppies.

They are already weaned and eating both semi-solid and solid food.

All of the pups are extremely intelligent.
They will all be large dogs and will make excellent family pets, and/or guard, watch, hunting, and work dogs. All pups are one-quarter Saint Bernard and three-quarters Great Dane.

The father is a trained guard-dog. Our pups have been kept as family pets, work dogs, police dogs, and watch/guard dogs.
They are very protective of children and very affectionate.

If you would like to own one of these puppies then please contact me by email: occu77@netzero.com


Marcus - male, brindle, very exploratory and playful (Already Sold)



Achilles - male, black, largest of the black males, most physically powerful of entire litter, extremely protective and already good watchdog, extremely calm and affectionate (Already Sold)


Goddard - male, black, most affectionate male, also very playful, good kid dog (Already Sold)


Echo - female, brindle, very pretty and playful (Already Sold)


Ivana - female, black, largest and most powerful female of entire litter (Already Sold)


Mina - female, black, smaller female who is very affectionate (Already Sold)


Regina - female, black, very independent and inquisitive (Already Sold)


Tabitha- female, black, independent and very protective (Already Sold)


Jake - largest of the brindles, heaviest dog of entire litter (Already Sold)


Sasha - first sold, smallest of brindles, very fiesty and spirited (Already Sold)



Bart - father, Great Bernard (one-half Saint Bernard, one-half Great Dane)


Noal - mother, black (mantle), full blooded Great Dane




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