Diary of a Network Geek

I don’t normally talk about this stuff.
As you long-time readers know, I identify as a Christian, though a poor one at best. Despite that, though, I rarely talk about theology much. I’m a little fuzzy on most of that to begin with, so trying to espouse a view in that area is, well, somewhat tricky. Still, when someone pointed me to this article on Christian Teachings, I have to admit that I found it interesting. Lies and lying have often fascinated me, more so lately. I’ve often been amazed at individual’s ability to tell bold-face lies and expect them to be believed. Even more amazing to me are the people who believe them. I think the secret lies in the lier believing their own lie. Certainly, the above linked article would support that concept.
I know I haven’t always told the truth, but I sure do my best these days. I try not to be too hard on myself for my own past. God knows, there are plenty of people who are willing to beat me up for my past misdeeds without me helping them. But, I try to remember that spiritual progress, not perfection, is the path I try to take. It’s the seeking for God and a better way to live my life that matters, not the ways I fall short of that ideal. Though, if I keep falling short the same ways over and over in consistent patterns, that is something I need to look at and fix. For instance, having a string of failed marriages would say more about me than about the people I married. But, so far, I’m doing pretty well, all things considered.
I’m far from perfect, but I am working at it and consistently getting better.

I decided on The Napoleon of Crime : The Life and Times of Adam Worth, Master Thief.
I read the prolog of this little beauty some time ago, but when I re-read it today, I was hooked. I have to admit I have a certain dark fascination with the criminal element of every stripe. I want to know what makes them tick, how they make their choices and what their lives are like as a result. Of course, the fact that Adam Worth was the model for perhaps the most famous criminal of all time sort of weighed in this book’s favor. (For those of you who aren’t familiar with who the “Napoleon of Crime” was in literature, review your Arthur Conan Doyle.) Also, the fact that this guy was at his peak about the time that my paternal grandmother was born didn’t hurt either.
Anyway, it’s a bit of interesting history and may prove useful in my sad attempts at writing sometime in the future.