Thursday, July 20, 2006

The Sleeping Sword of War

I found this map, and an accompanying article, at www.biblenews.com. It details the events of the Battle of Armageddon, in a handy graphical way, as detailed in the Revelation of St. John the Divine. This is truly the "Mother of all Battles," according to the words long written down. People who aren't even believers believe in the veracity of the Revelation. I was struck upon reading the news this morning, and took another look at this map. Ethiopia moved into Somalia, to fight Islamic extremists, and prevent them from taking over the fledgling nation. There are ships from the Israeli, Syrian, Russian and American navies in the Mediterranean Ocean (just where those ships are in the picture) ...and, see that dotted line, tracing the Kings of the East's path? Well, that crosses Iran, Iraq, and Syria and Jordan. Israel announced this morning it intends a total invasion of Lebanon; so far our president is all but silent, as he watches Rome burn, since his bull-headed mishandling of the world's most sensitive region has brought us to this pass; and now he does nothing. I predict that the warmongers who have his ear will talk him into a deeper involvement yet, in this most benighted realm. Where is the end to all of this? That salient question seems to never occur to the Bush team; but here before you, in this picture, is perhaps one answer. Perhaps Iran has already puchased a nuke from the starving nation of North Korea with their overflowing coffers of oil money? That, too, would be a doomsday scenario, enacted in the Mideast, but authored by the stupidity of our leaders here in the USA.
There are two dooms here, then; this part of the world is vying for not a settlement with each other, not a judgement of who is right, but a conflagration, a final battle that, in the minds of those who seek it, is the will of God made manifest by armies, well-girded or ragtag. This Gott mit uns mentality allows people to fight to the death as there cities crumble and burn around them, as their children grow up in the rubble, and, as oh, yes, their support sinks ever lower in the polls due to endless foreign wars. Those of us yet too insulated to care about all of this, one word of warning; the hand has written, and moved on, but go to the wall and see; a great battle is coming, has already started; it lacks only being all joined, and then the hawks will have what they have worked so hard for these past few years; World War III, and whatever they have planned for thereafter...

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Long Gone Lonesome Blue

After a false starts, my communication with a certain Louisiana college has proven fruitful...the stand-in for the usual grad chair informed me that I am free and clear to register, which means that I am free and clear to return, in pretty much the same half-assed shape that I showed up the first time, just two years older and, even if I do say so myself, quite a bit wiser for the having left. I'm in better shape than that first time, by long shot. I'm free of a lot of people, for better or ill, my social roster is lighter than ever before, and it looks to remain so.
So, back to the Atchafalaya, back to the books, and once more from these green hills to proceed. This time, (at long last) there is no return; and I will not leave the bayou until the doctorate is mine.
And, then, the world is mine oyster, which I, with sword, shall open.
To the bayou, then. Au Revoir, green hills and tangled thicket; if we never meet again, we are too long in the knowing, already.