Meditation in a Carl's Jr.

This past week, I was still on a jury, which will continue this week (but not Monday, for the holiday). I have been going taking the Metro every day, and walking to the Lake Metro station from home, which at my brisk pace is only 15 minutes away. I've wandered around downtown, and have eaten at three different Carl's Jrs.

Other than that, I use my lunch hours to read. I finished a C. S. Lewis book of essays (God in the Dock) and will finish reading Faiths in Conflict? Christian Integrity in a Multicultural World by Vinoth Ramachandra. That book was first suggested to me by a guy in a men's bible study last year who thought it would be a counter balance to the very thought provoking, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel P. Huntington, which I had just read at the time. Huntington's book is an ambitious, influential and highly acclaimed attempt to articulate a framework that would make sense of our post-Cold War world. To get into Huntington's thesis would lead me to far afield. Let me just say that Ramachandra believes that Huntington's thesis is seriously flawed. He believes a 'clash of civilizations' is an unreliable guide for understanding the world in which we live and a dangerous blueprint for Western foreign policy. He focuses on the problem of looking at 'Islam' as a civilizational category. But he talks about many other things, like Hinduism and the Indian search for identity and the 'Jesus Enigma', the current chapter I'm in.

Some other quick things: John and I did a videochat via the web on Thursday night and that was cool. He'll show up again at the beginning of the men's bible study on Thursday. Jenny has the technology too and so we'll probably try it soon. I also heard back from my insurance company (USAA) and they'll be compensating me for my 'total loss vehicle.' I'm glad to say that they will be giving me a reasonable amount of money, slightly larger than I expected from the bluebook price. So I'm in the market for a car, a reliable sedan, say between $4500 and $6500. I may just want to get another Accord (!), maybe a slightly newer model ('97). But I don't yet know. I should price some cars and see what's out there. Jessica and I also spoke with a couple of wedding photographers and I'll be calling one soon to book. Also last week we finished registering at Bed Bath and Beyond but will probably register at Robinsons-May too. Consider the cappuccino machine, and how much you'd enjoy coming over and having a cup at our place.

Oh, and I got invited to a workshop in the Black Forest of Germany for July 31st-August 6th, 2005. It's at a place called the Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach and I intend to accept. Jessica and I will be married and maybe this will be a chance for us to visit some of Europe!