No more big-cat names for OS X, and other (more important) notes

Mavericks and non-mavericks
Mavericks and non-mavericks

Way back in this post (right at two years ago) I teasingly predicted that Apple was going to have to finally depart from “big cat” nicknames for OS X or else things were going to get silly. Of course, that prediction panned out. The upcoming version of the operating system due out this fall is to be code-named “Mavericks” (which is to say, “gets results by refusing to play by the rules”). The word is one of the few that is full-blown American in origin: Its coinage here was a result of the independent, think-outside-the-box attitude of an 1800’s Texan named Samuel Maverick.

Words completely indigenous to the U.S.A. are rare because our language is so full of pre-existing English words from the U.K., which was already filled with words imported from other languages, including Latin, French, Spanish, German, etc. Of note: way back when our Continental Congress voted on what was to be our official language, only one vote carried English over German. How different might things have been when World Wars I & II occurred, if Americans were speakers of German instead of English? I shudder to think. While the Nazi’s eugenics program was running amok, we (here in the U.S.A.) already had our own eugenics program hard at work sterilizing minority women, often without their consent or knowledge. Had we also been Germanic in language, we might well have favored the Nazis instead of siding against them.

Our nation has made many right choices (such as fighting to end slavery), but we have made many wrong choices too, such as with the issues of slavery (prior to our war to end the practice) and abortion. There is no guarantee we would have sided against Germany otherwise.

There is a difference between a practice being legal and it being lawful, or right. Abortion is not lawful but it is legal. Furthermore, so-called same sex marriage is not lawful, but in some places is now legal. Just as the SCOTUS was wrong “in its infamous decision in Dred Scott v Sandford (1857), [when it] ruled that Congress lacked the power to prohibit slavery in its territories” so also the SCOTUS is wrong now in its ruling that the Fed and the State of California lack the power to prohibit so-called same sex marriage. We would do well to remember that just because the courts rule a certain way does not mean it is right or lawful. Truth is transcendent of the wrong decisions of rulers, courts, and parliaments, etc.

Regarding issues such as abortion and so-called same sex marriage, we can only pray that America will eventually right herself as she did with the issue of slavery, and that such a righting does not involve a bloodbath beyond the one already occurring with murdered babies and women who are harmed and dying younger (long before their time) due to complications because of their abortions, including greatly magnified risk of breast cancer and other ailments. The cost added to our healthcare fiasco due to the increased number of pre-term births, caused by prior abortions, is staggering. Questionable research data indicating that wide-spread acceptance of so-called same sex marriage will not be detrimental for the children raised in such homes is being exposed as bogus. More solid data reveals the opposite is true. Marriage between one man and one woman is “America’s Greatest Weapon Against Child Poverty.”

When the prevailing “rules” say that human babies are not human persons until some time after they’re born, we’re no more right than when we considered black humans to not be persons. When the prevailing “rules” say that we as a society must redefine crucial words, such as marriage, for the sake of not offending someone who demands that their deviant practice be officially condoned, we’re no more right than when we sterilized women without their knowledge and consent. When the rules are wrong, you must go against the tide, against the rules. In order for America to ever become righteous and get back on the right path, we’re all going to have to be mavericks, which is to say, people who “get results by refusing to play by the rules.” We must strive against the foul tide of this hour. We must do our best to speak out on the real war on women (namely, abortion) and the dual-factors of a real war against babies and children (namely, abortion and so-called same sex marriage). Before we can pray “God bless America” we need to pray “God help America… God save America.”

In Lieu of Flowers, God Gave Us a Miracle: The True-Life Story of Zach Sandy

Front cover of the book "In Lieu of Flowers, God Gave Us a Miracle"
Front Cover

We are pleased to announce that the new book about Zach Sandy from Whitestone Publishing, “In Lieu of Flowers, God Gave Us a Miracle: The True-Life Story of Zach Sandy” is now available for pre-ordering at a discount! Order from either Amazon.com or AuthorStock.com — Save money and be assured to have your copy in hand for the HUGE LAUNCH PARTY scheduled for July 11, 2013, the 1-year anniversary of Zach’s miracle!

With high school behind us, this was supposed to be a last chance for summer fun with family and friends before heading into the real world of college and work. Tragedy never strikes us, always the Jones family down the street, right?

Brandon and I had just finished a basketball tournament, which we lost in an inglorious fashion, and we were sitting in the gym. His youth pastor ran up to him and said he had a call from his dad.

Brandon took the call and then looked at me and said, “Zach was struck by lightning.”

According to the light-hearted mood, I answered, “Well, good for him.”

The blood drained from his face as he replied, “No, Zach was actually struck by lightning.” I ran outside and found my sister. We immediately began praying with a group of friends, and after that I made a few phone calls, asking friends to pray. I turned around and saw Brandon walking out into a field. With emotions running high, and my world falling apart, I followed him. We spent about 15 minutes with our faces in the grass travailing and pleading before God that he would perform a miracle….

—Samuel Vaughn (cousin to Zach and Brandon)

‘Debt Sinkhole’ lingo dumped on advice of experts

Debt-sinkhole

Send Them Up the Escalator

BIlly Cole with Doug Joseph
Above: Billy Cole with Doug Joseph on July 27, 2007. Brother Cole is holding the very first proof copy of the book Life and Ministry of Billy and Shirley Cole. The year 2007 was a special one: In spite of his illness and age, Brother Cole was able to come to WV District UPCI Youth Camp and speak. While he was there, the district inducted him into the Esteemed Elders Society. Also, after over three years of work, Brother Joseph was able to present to Brother Cole the very first proof copy of the book The Life and Ministry of Billy and Shirley Cole.

Bishop Billy Cole was always mentoring. Even when an elder serving under him did not yet realize that pastoring was in the future, still the stories and lessons learned from the bishop were good preparation for pastoring. Whether the younger minister knew it yet or not, he was being prepared for his fullest potential.

Many lessons that I learned from Brother Cole have benefited me in pastoring later. His true story called “Send Them Up the Escalator” (below) has been very helpful.

In pastoring there are wonderful moments when I am very confident I’ve heard from God for what to preach. It’s great when the Lord gives you a nudge and you know which direction to go. However, painfully, being a pastor also means that on many occasions you must preach regardless of whether or not you have a nudge from above. Being able to be a blessing over the long haul depends on how you react to those in-between times—when you’re forced to “carry the mail” without having been given any mail! What will you say then?

When I’m in such a condition, sometimes I consciously think back to the times I heard Brother Cole recount a true story about him being in an airport with Rev. Charles Mahaney, a great man of God who was also an incessant cut-up. I’m going by memory, so it’s somewhat of a paraphrase.

Brother Cole and Brother Mahaney, two road-weary, battle-hardened warriors of the faith, were unsure of where to go inside a massive airport. They passed one unmanned helpdesk after another. Brother Cole’s normal way to react to such circumstances might have been a slowly increasing frustration and mounting tension. Whether Charlie Mahaney simply was wired differently, or whether he was trying to defuse the situation, he reacted with humor.

As the two confused travelers approached yet another empty helpdesk, Mahaney suddenly jumped behind the desk and pretended to be an employee of the airport. Immediately a line of people formed! Mahaney began giving advice!

(I have tried to imagine what faces the great Billy Cole must have made as he watched his humorous friend deal with one weary traveler after another. )

Suddenly, an actual airport employee appeared. Naturally, he was not overjoyed at the fact that an imposter was dealing out unofficial (and potentially detrimental) “help” advice. Under the employee’s stern gaze, Brother Mahaney vacated the helpdesk.

“Just what have you been telling people?” the employee asked.

Mahaney answered, “I told everybody to go up the escalator, and there would be help there.”

After a tense pause, the employee seemed to relax and said, “That’s OK, actually. There really is a staffed desk at the top of the escalator.”

After telling this story to his elders, Brother Cole always gave his huge, unguarded, heart-warming laugh. He would conclude by making a helpful application:

“Sometimes, you won’t know exactly what to preach,” he said. “That’s no time to break out some new, weird doctrine. That’s the time to stay safe. Preach something you know well, such as Acts 2:38 and Jesus-name baptism, or about the Oneness of God. When you don’t know where to send folks, be safe and just send them up the escalator!”

Thank you, Bishop. We miss you. I know you’re enjoying life above, at the top of the escalator. I’m doing my best to send people up. I plan on getting there myself too.

Zach Sandy: killed by lightning; now alive and well!

Press release: July 13, 2012
For immediate release.

Zach-miracle-52-family-prayer-with-zach

Parkersburg, WV – On Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 18-year-old Zachary Sandy was struck by lightning and was without pulse or breath for somewhere between 20 to 40 minutes.

The lightning strike happened on a baseball field in Parkersburg, WV that was being used by a church-sponsored youth camp. Several others who were on the ballfield were also knocked down by the lightning, but other than Sandy, none was seriously injured. The blast literally shook the ground. Pastor Tisdale, local to the area, was among those knocked down. His wife was also impacted by the blast. Their son, a young preacher named Caleb Tisdale, was taken to his knees by the strike. Along with others, the young Tisdale, who knows CPR, rushed to Zach, who was laid out and stiff as a board. Tisdale said that smoke was literally coming from Sandy’s mouth and body; an image he said he will never forget. Sandy’s shirt showed burn marks and smelled like it had come from a furnace. The lightning had blown holes in the young man’s tennis shoes as the electricity exited his body. The hair on the back of his head was singed and burned where the lightning entered his body. He had broad, red, track marks and second-degree burns caused by the lightning having traveled through his body. His cell phone was fried, its screen shattered, a cover blown off, and some buttons partially melted. Immediately both prayer and CPR were implemented.

Sandy was not breathing, and he had no pulse. Tisdale performed CPR on his friend until being relieved by paramedics, who arrived about 15 minutes later. It was not until sometime after Sandy was loaded into the ambulance and was on his way to Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital in Parkersburg that he finally displayed a faint pulse. By the time he arrived there, he had been intubated (put on a breathing machine). He had a stable heart rate. There was talk of airlifting him to either WVU Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV or the West Penn Hospital Burn Center in Pittsburgh, PA. However, a helicopter could not be procured at the time. So, he was taken by ground to Morgantown. There a crowd of family, church members, and other friends had gathered, and an impromptu prayer meeting was held. Sandy was flown from there to West Penn Hospital Burn Center.

Within hours, prayer support had been registered from over 30 states and two foreign countries. The very next day, the tube and breathing machine were removed, and Sandy spoke, drank, ate, and walked. The following day, doctors reported that all neurological tests had come back normal, and that as soon as Sandy’s muscle enzymes returned to normal, he could be discharged and sent home. Both family, church, and friends agree that there is no other explanation but a miracle. At the Christian Apostolic Church in Clarksburg, WV, Sandy’s pastor, Rev. Doug Joseph, stated, “Thus far, each and every prayer has been answered. At first we were cautioned that he might suffer brain damage from being under CPR for so long without a pulse. Everyone prayed and the Lord answered. Then we were cautioned that his kidneys might not work properly or that other internal organs could be damaged. Again the Lord heard prayers. We were warned that burns caused by lightning strikes almost always grow worse over time before they get better. His burns did the exact opposite. We’re all elated and thankful for the great touch of God bestowed on this precious young man.”

In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family encourages donations to the Zachary Sandy Medical Fund to help cover medical expenses. Donations can be submitted via mail, online, or in person. Details are available at: http://cac.wvupci.com/zach/

—-

For more info, contact:
Pastor Doug Joseph
Christian Apostolic Church (UPCI)
Clarksburg, WV
(304) 629-1196

Note: Photos, updates, links, etc at http://cac.wvupci.com/zach/

Forever Fighting Bad Guys (or Eternity with the Good Guys)

Our most beloved stories focus on times of crisis. Humans may say and think that we long for peace, but as a species we secretly think such times would be too boring. We are drawn to drama, to the aid of the underdog. Something deep inside elicits exciting existence — times of horror haunting us, of evil evolving in our midst, and of crisis crushing us unless we can vanquish the demons and go from victims to victors.

This is perhaps why some scoff at the Bible’s promise of eternal life. Some supposedly wizened teachers’ words betray an obtuse opinion that God never made any cosmoses prior to or after our own — except, they happily confess, His endless maintenance of a dull, fabled home of harp-strumming angels floating on cumulus clouds. How boring.

Yet the Holy Scriptures paint a different picture: war in the heavens, fought amongst angelic species predating us, and who (like humans) have broad capacity for choice, even to rebel against God. The prospect of counting epochs like days and millennia like hours, as we develop continually through aiding young, unique, future species, is enthralling to this whispering warrior, who is quite certain that Eternity with the Good Guys will be far more exciting than even our grandest imagination can grasp.

War-in-the-heavens
“War in the heavens”

One academic type has argued that it is proof of our evolution that we have grown from caring about family to village, from village to caring about state, and from state to feeling patriotic about nation. He argued that the next step in our evolution is to care about our global populace. Listen: It is neither evolution nor good when the expediency of the masses overrules the conviction of conscience of the individual or minority. Finally, in the end, it will be maturity, not evolution, that truly takes us even further than caring about all humans and creatures globally, onward to caring for new species God has not even created yet. There will be battles against evil. Wars against tyrants. Epic excitement. Crisis. Are you up for it?

There’s still time to get it by Christmas

The Last Bye, front cover, 500x762
The Last Bye, front cover

There is to be a book signing in the foyer of Christian Apostolic Church (Clarksburg, WV) on Sunday, December 18, 2011 (before and after the services). Available copies will be on hand.

Order your paperback copies online at either Amazon or AuthorStock. (Note: To have your shipped copy signed by the author, order from AuthorStock and mention so in a note during payment or via email.)

For those who desire an ebook, the Kindle version is available as well. In addition to Kindle devices, the ebook can be read on Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Blackberry — via a free Kindle application.

If you loved “The Chronicles of Narnia” series by C.S. Lewis, then you are sure to enjoy Doug Joseph’s “The Last Bye.” Instead of “The Horse and His Boy,” this novel is more like “The Flying Dinosaur and His Boy.” This fun, exciting, and heart-warming tale is a stand-alone read. Yet it is also the much-anticipated conclusion to the amazing, uplifting story arc that began with Tess and Daniel in “New Immortal” and “Tesseract” (Books I & II). In this thrilling episode, everything hinges on their alienated-yet-adventurous son, P’erry. While growing up on a distant moon-world, called Sset, P’erry suffers heartache, makes friends, discovers the Tirra (great flying creatures), has breath-taking adventures, and achieves phenomenal, crucial accomplishments for the people of his world. “The Last Bye” is the final book in the “Millennial Teleport Trilogy.”

Purchase the book now in Paperback or Kindle.

Visit my Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/dougjoseph

Check out my writing: Books I, II, & III of the Millennial Teleport Trilogy

Books-123-of-the-millennial-te

Book One: New Immortal — Prophecy. Sci-fi. Adventure.
Book Two: Tesseract — Sci-fi. Adventure. Romance. From a Christian perspective.
Book Three: The Last Bye — If you loved ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ you’ll love this!

Read free samples of the Millennial Teleport Trilogy on Amazon.com

Tips for new authors (Q&A)

Recently a new writer sent me the following:

I am writing a book called “The Mirror of Deadly Reflections: Is that God or Me?” I started in October 2010, and I am about 70% done now. About 6 months ago I was told that I might want to think about getting a book presentation together in order to possibly gain support for editing expenses.

This brings me to my reason for writing. Someone told me that you might have some wisdom for me and give me intelligent direction on going about creating a book presentation. They said that you had written books in the past, and are highly successful in writing. I am nervous to even think of doing such a thing, and that is why they suggested that I talk to you.

I have no idea what a book presentation even consists of. Can you give me some ground rules for creating a presentation on a new book? Is there anything that I need to stay clear of saying or suggesting? The presentation will be used both on the internet and by mail, with the possibility of in person (Lord help me) if the need arose.

Thank you for your time and have a blessed day,

I answered with the following:

Writing your book tends to make you an expert on your subject. Publishing your book tends to help you be seen as such. Imagine that after you are published, someone wants to interview you on radio or TV. What would you want to take with you when you go? That is what you put into your book presentation. Or imagine that you are going to do a book signing at a bookstore, and you are to be given 10, 20, or 30 minutes to speak. What would you want to take with you when you go? That is what you put into your book presentation.

The world of publishing has changed dramatically, and it is still changing. Three technologies have changed the whole game.

  1. “Print On Demand” (aka POD) — There is now no need for anyone (neither a publishing company nor a self-publishing author) to front thousands of dollars for a long print run. A book on a hard drive can be turned into a paperback on demand with the printing cost per book being the same for 1, 10, 100, or 1000 copies.
  2. The Internet — has begun a sweeping change that is taking the power base from the big, traditional publishers and spreading it out over the masses. The amount of power held by any single publisher is lessened as it is diluted across many. Amazon is not a publisher; it is a market place. Barnes and Noble is trying to follow suit. (B&N seems to always be the runner up, always late in catching up to Amazon.)
  3. eBooks — have changed the degree of need for ink and paper, and that change is still shaking out. Kindle is Amazon’s dominant force here. B&N tries to catch up with Nook.

In the old days you, as a writer, would self-promote (aka self-publish) your book to a small audience of big, traditional publishers. They would close doors, and maybe, perhaps, you might get one to open a door. Often, that one would cause you to sign away some or much of your rights in exchange for editing, designing, printing, and (some) promoting. Too often they would then tell you, the author, that the success of your book depends on your own personal promotion of your book.

If their ability to promote is not sufficient, then is all they are otherwise offering worth signing away rights and a large part of what should be your royalties? They offer a sense of legitimacy, an air of professionalism, and skills of editing, designing, and printing.

The days of authors needing their sense of legitimacy are fading. Whether or not you are professional does not depend on them. The skills of editing and designing can be hired very affordably, without signing away rights or royalties. The up-front cost of printing has all but dissipated.

For all these reasons and more, I choose to self publish first, and then offer my finished product to a big, traditional publisher. Such has gotten my writing into their catalogs, on their websites, and even in some of their promotions. Self publishing through CreateSpace.com also automatically gets my writing up for sale on Amazon.com. (Amazon owns CreateSpace.)

I also sell to my friends, family, and acquaintances through a website called AuthorStock.com — a site I founded for myself and other Christian authors. I can take orders, get the full amount directly, and do my own shipping, while not having any middle-man take a cut. It also lets me sign my books before shipping them, if that is desired. Pre-signing a book for a distant friend is not feasible if they order through Amazon (because Amazon does the shipping). They would have to ship the book to you from Amazon, and then you would have to mail it to them — double shipping.

To see actual bookstores powered by AuthorStock.com, visit either of the following:

If you can provide an edited, laid-out book interior as a PDF, and a cover design (wrap-around) as a PDF (you can even use templates from the CreateSpace web site) then you can print a book with CreateSpace for NO upfront costs.

Hope this helps.

The Last Bye – new novel by Doug Joseph

If you loved “The Chronicles of Narnia” series by C.S. Lewis, then you are sure to enjoy D. Joseph’s “The Last Bye.” Instead of “The Horse and His Boy,” this novel is more like “The Flying Dinosaur and His Boy.” This fun, exciting, and heart-warming tale is a stand-alone read. Yet it is also the much-anticipated conclusion to the amazing, uplifting story arc that began with Tess and Daniel in “New Immortal” and “Tesseract” (Books I & II). In this thrilling episode, everything hinges on their alienated-yet-adventurous son, P’erry. While growing up on a distant moon-world, called Sset, P’erry suffers heartache, makes friends, discovers the Tirra (great flying creatures), has breath-taking adventures, and achieves phenomenal, crucial accomplishments for the people of his world. “The Last Bye” is the final book in the “Millennial Teleport Trilogy.”

Purchase the book now in Paperback or Kindle.

Check out all of my novels: Books I, II, & III of the Millennial Teleport Trilogy

Books-123-of-the-millennial-te

Book One: New Immortal — Prophecy. Sci-fi. Adventure.
Book Two: Tesseract — Sci-fi. Adventure. Romance. From a Christian perspective.
Book Three: The Last Bye — If you loved ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ you’ll love this!
Read free samples of the Millennial Teleport Trilogy on Amazon.com or on AuthorStock.com

Word of the Day

Zeitgeist

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Zeitgeist (German pronunciation: [ˈtsaɪtɡaɪst] ( listen)) is “the spirit of the times” or “the spirit of the age.” [1] Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and/or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.

The term is a loanword from German Zeit – “time” (cognate with English “tide” and “time”) and Geist – “spirit” (cognate with English “ghost”).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist

God. Family. Church. World. Doug Joseph is an ordained Christian pastor & presbyter, author of fiction & nonfiction.