Spock-Mindedness

My oldest sister was a big Star Trek fan when the series aired originally back in the 1960's. She aligned herself with Spock, emulating his coldly logical view of things. She incorporated that so deeply into her being that to this day she still has her "Bones" side deeply repressed.

I don't think she's a happy person. She's can be quite angry and quick to condemn.

I need to get back to the brainwashing! It really is an eternal struggle between my Spock-me and my Bones-me. "Get back in the box you green blooded, pointy eared ..."

You may well be right. I'm not so sure we were designed or meant to be fully Spock. Nor fully Bones. The Bible -- to the extent it "describes" God -- does so in a way that seems to suggest a full measure of both. Spock in the sense that God is all-knowing and perfectly rational; Bones in the sense that emotions such as Joy and Anger are part of His being.

* * *
I don't think trying to consider the physical makeup of God is something that'll yield anything satisfactory. Anything you consider will limit him. In a sense, it's a form of idolatry.

* * *
I don't have the mental capacity or the desire to try to unravel the mysteries of the origin of the universe. Call me a simpleton, but to me it just doesn't matter. My efforts now are to be more and more brainwashed ... if "brainwashed" means seeking God more sincerely and knowing him more closely. What I know is that when I really seek God there's a peace that descend on me; when I step away I am left with a cold, lonely sense.

Note: like the scene from 2001 when Frank Poole's lifeless body drifts into deep space. Shudder.

I have an imagination ... but it's not all that active. To the degree it is active, it frequently gets me into trouble.

And I possess a deep vein of unbelief in me. Deeper than you, I'm sure of it. I understand what you're getting at with the insurance reference. In a thousand ways each day I show the ingrained nature of my unbelief.

I thank God that I have some belief. My goal now is to grow that.

* * *
Okay, if ...

• Spock = 100 Spock-points and 0 Bones-points
• McCoy = 100 Bones-points and 0 Spock-points

Then give me the rating of each character:

• Kirk
• Scotty
• Chekov
• Sulu
• Uhura
• Nurse Chapel
• Yoeman Rand

(Homer Simpson: "Uhhhhuhhuhhh ... Yoeman Rand ... )

* * *
My 1995 Altima went back into the shop yesterday. The timing chain was so stretched and loose it was slapping around. If it were to break, the engine would be toast. (As opposed to a timing belt which, if it breaks, it just breaks.)

A few months ago it was $1300 for a new distributor. Today it will be $1700 for a timing chain replacement and some other miscellaneous things. $3000 for a car that's 10 years old and has 166,000 miles on it.

Worth it? That's the dilemma. At what point do I cut this car loose? To buy a new car -- brand new or used -- will cost $15,000 minimum. The math seems to suggest that $1700 is a good investment ... but only if I can be reasonably assured the car will now run trouble free for some period of time. I can have no such assurance, of course.