Last Updated on September 30, 2010 by Dave Farquhar
There’s no one thing to write about. So I’ll write about a few little things. Deal?
Amusement. My boss sent me this link. Shockwave is required. If you’re like me and don’t keep Shockwave installed, find someone who does and send the link, and watch them watch it. It’s even more amusing than watching it yourself.
Softball. We lost to an undefeated team, 12-10. I played left field, made one putout. A former teammate (from last season) sailed one over my head. I ran after it with all I had, and held him to a triple. I was happy about that.
I went 1 for 2 with a single, RBI, and strikeout. I wasn’t happy about the strikeout. I had a 2-2 count and I knew I had to protect the plate. I didn’t choke up on the bat. The pitcher decided to risk wasting one. But it wasn’t a total waste–the ball looked almost like a strike when I committed, but quickly dropped and moved away from the plate. Most softball pitches don’t have that kind of movement. Normally I know better than to swing at that kind of stuff.
I hit better when the other team doesn’t have a young, single, attractive female playing second base.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
It was my first game with my new glove and spikes and I was mostly happy with it. Not that I smiled once during the game. I’m too hyper-competitive for that.
Deep thoughts. Charlie asked the toughest question I’ve heard all year. No, it wasn’t about Unix. I sent him my thoughts, which provoked more thoughts His reaction to the things he’s read since has me thinking, but I don’t have time to write my thoughts appropriately. Tomorrow maybe?
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.
Perhaps Paul had been meditating on Hebrews 6:1-8, which has always seemed to me to be pretty conclusive. However, I suppose that there must be a plausible explanation believed by those on the eternal security side of the debate.
Those that I respected who did not believe in eternal security seemed to explain it this way: the danger in continuing in sin wasn’t that one would commit a sin that couldn’t be forgiven, but rather that one ran the risk of losing one’s ability to have faith. Taking parts of verses 4-6 in the Hebrew passage (NIV), “It is impossible for those … to be brought back to repentance…”. That seems to me to fit, the ability to repent being hand in glove with the ability to believe.
The passage in Romans states it more explicity, “…they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith.” (from 11:20). The passage doesn’t make sense unless it is possible to lose that faith. At least that’s how it looks to me.
I don’t, however believe in what someone termed “the eternal insecurity of the believer”. In Hebrews, for example, the critical loss of faith seems to be evidenced by visible fruit (of the wrong kind) over some period of time.
So, I don’t think this is a brief lapse of faith or some critical sin, but rather a departure taking some time. It’s a sobering warning, but not one which should produce insecurity, but rather repentance where needed.
Now that I’ve probably far overstepped my level of exegetical competence, I guess that I’ve said enough.
You got a new glove?!? Maybe that’s why you guys lost. You told me up and down that the glove you left behind after a game that ended up in a ‘Lost and Found’ box could never be replaced. Say it ain’t so, Dave.
Steve, good thoughts and I can’t find any reason to disagree with you.
Jeanne, the new glove’s bigger than the old one. I could catch a volleyball with it–assuming I can reach it. Much better for playing the outfield, and, in a pinch, first base. The other glove was better for playing second or short. It’ll take time to break in, but since I’m going to be an outfielder for a few years (unless a miracle happens and my range increases to the point where I can play short), I need to commit to the change.
And I did get my old glove back. I’ll use it if I ever have to play short.
I use the Mozilla browser (about 95% compatible with the sites I visit, the MS Sharepoint portal throws a real wobbly).
To use Shockwave (when “I” want it) I copy the NPSWF32.dll from a temporary directory to the plugins directory.
Requires a restart but this is not to much hassle as I rarely ever want to see a shockwave play.
Tim.