The Sunday Sermons
I am grateful to everyone who emailed and commented urging me to continue to post my sermons. To that end, I have created a subdirectory here and used a standard blog template for the index page there.

Yesterday's sermon is here. I'll post future sermons weekly, planning on early Sunday mornings.

by Donald Sensing, 5:07 PM. Permalink |  

On blogging sabbatical
I am this day beginning an extended sabbatical from blogging. There are a number of reasons both professional and personal. Primarily, I have had to re-evaluate whether I want to continue to devote the time and energy that it would take to maintain the site. In my heart, the answer is no. Other uses of my time and personal resources are perforce taking priority. And they should.

I do not know how long I'll be offline, but don't envision resuming posts for at least 6-8 weeks. This site will stay online, but only new content to be posted on this extended break will be photos and text about my son's graduation from boot camp at Parris Island Oct. 22.

I am deeply grateful for the gentility of my readers and the considerate emails you have sent me over the months, both to express compliments and point out mistakes. Honestly, I remember getting exactly two flames. Even the folks who disagreed with me, sometimes strenuously, were never personal about it. You are wonderful people. I wish the best of success, prosperity and God's blessings for you all.

Update: Yes, the sermon postings will continue.

Also, Matthew White is continuing to explain Marine Corps boot camp, week by week.

by Donald Sensing, 9:20 AM. Permalink |  

Offline for the nonce
I'll have no more posts until Monday, except possibly the Sunday sermon. Thank you for your forebearance.

Update: Scott Forbes emailed to advise me that

Someone using the handle "onehandclapping" is currently vandalizing a Daily Kos message board, and an over-zealous commenter there just suggested *you* might be the attacker... and posted a link to your site.

I'm pouring water on this farfetched theory ... .

This is a big problem

This is the three-day predicted track for Ivan:



And this is the five-day predicted track:



Click images for high-resolution view. Note there is no difference - buit both images are dynamically linked to the NOAA site for Ivan. Neither are the two links to the same URL.

There is a potential for devastating flooding in the Appalachian mountains in eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia. Mountain runoffs fill extremely quickly and in heavy rains are often highly destructive.

In the TVA system, officials began opening spillways a few days ago to lower reservoir and lake levels, preparing for the inches of rain Ivan is expected to drop here. But that lowered water has to go somewhere. Guess where? Ultimately to the Mississippi River. Lucky for New Orleans it got mostly missed by Ivan, else that flow could have added to the problem.

But that's not all. Jeanne has already slammed Puerto Rico and is predicted to head straight toward southern South Carolina, where lies Parris Island. As many of you know, that's where my son is stationed.



I note that today the PI web site has a link for the first time to the command briefing on 2004 Hurricane Preparedness. It's a PowerPoint (*.PPT) briefing, if you want to see it. Very informative, too.

by Donald Sensing, 11:01 AM. Permalink |  

And the hits just keep on coming
August was the record month for my SiteMeter stats: just under 210,000 page views and ~153,000 unique visits.

As of last night, it was exactly halfway through September and already this site had received almost 170,000 views and more than 120,000 visits.

According to Awestats server statistics, 59,754 different computers have logged into this site so far in September, vice the existing record of 77,933 for all of July. This month's visitors have made 130,844 total visits and 227,068 page views.

I am grateful for your patronage, and I thank you for reading!

by Donald Sensing, 6:55 AM. Permalink |  

I am taking to my bed
Today I stopped at the Public grocery not far from my home. As I checked out, the sweet young thang at the register asked me, "Do you want to take the senior citizen discount?"

I turned 49 eight days ago. I think I will just withdraw from the world for a few days.

I mean, I don't really look all that old!

by Donald Sensing, 3:06 PM. Permalink |  

Bad day in Iraq - dozens dead
Here are news links of the carnage in Iraq today. I have to go to a meeting (sigh) but I hope to post some thoughts about this when I get back. As bad as this news seems, it might indicate some things favorable for Iraq and its future.

by Donald Sensing, 5:49 PM. Permalink |  

Linkagery