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The New American Digest

For Followers of Gerard Van der Leun's Fine Work

  • About American Digest
  • About New American Digest
  • “The Name In The Stone”
  • Remembering Gerard Van der Leun
    • from the website: Through the Looking Glass
    • from the website: Barnhardt
    • from the website: Neo’s Blog
  • Articles
    • The Overland Stage
      • The Holladay Overland Stage: 1 – The Central Route
      • The Overland Stage – 2 Company Operations
      • The Overland Stage – 3 Exploring The Route – An Overview
      • The Overland Stage: 4 – South Platte/Julesburg/Ft Sedgwick
        • Jack Slade
      • The Overland Stage: 5 – Julesburg to Junction Station (aka Ft Morgan)
      • The Overland Stage: 6 – Junction Station to Latham
      • The Overland Stage: 7 – Latham Crossing to Fort Collins
      • The Overland Stage: 8 – LaPorte to Virginia Dale
      • The Overland Stage: 9 – Virginia Dale to Cooper Creek
      • The Overland Stage: 10 – Cooper Creek to Pass Creek
        • Fletcher Family
      • The Overland Stage: 11 – Pass Creek to Bridger Station
      • The Overland Stage: 12 – Bridger Pass to Duck Lake
      • The Overland Stage: 13 – Duck Lake to LaClede
      • The Overland Stage: 14 – LaClede to Almond
      • The Overland Stage: 15 – Almond to Rock Springs
      • The Overland Stage: 16 – Rock Springs to Fort Bridger
      • The Overland Stage: 17 – Fort Bridger to Weber Station

I find I don’t wish to explore new lands, but to explore again those I have already passed through, trying to see what I’d missed in the first hectic rush … Gerard Van der Leun

Home→Published 2026 → January → 25

Daily Archives: January 25, 2026

Snow Surfing

The New American Digest Posted on January 25, 2026 by DTJanuary 24, 2026

Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan

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Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Replies

Sunday

The New American Digest Posted on January 25, 2026 by DTJanuary 25, 2026

I'm going to church today. One of my neighbors does guest preaching and although I'm not their kind of Christian (and probably not anyone's kind of Christian), I'm curious to hear what he has to say and how he says it.

Way back when, he and his wife would have been known as "Jesus Freaks" but they're both too young for that era. But they are - or seem to be - sincere in their belief so I don't push back when they try to save my soul. They mean well and they're not pushy about it.

My soul is between me and any God that may exist; declaring a love eternal - or not - for Jesus isn't going to make any difference. I'm headed for purgatory anyway; not good enough for Heaven, not bad enough for Hell. I suspect I'll have lots of company.

Why do I suspect many of today's belief's come from the religious/political class efforts to keep control of the riff-raff?
Perhaps a study of the Church and its activities over the past couple thousand years?

If you desire life ever-after ... "Love your neighbor", "turn the other cheek" ...
Sounds nice at first, but do you really want to live forever??? I mean, longer maybe, healthy, but forever?

Now, I don't really want to dis that sentiment, but most Christians I know and have known, prefer the Old Testament god and use the "I believe! so my sins are forgiven" excuse to justify what they will.

But Jesus also said: "I come not to bring peace, but a sword."
The guy was a shit-stirrer: tossing tables of the bankers, dissing the religious leaders of the time, pissing off those in power; that's the Jesus I can believe in - they do not execute passive beta males in that manner.

In any case, I want to hear my neighbor speak. I know my attending services will encourage them to see me "born again" but I was raised in a hillbilly Presbyterian offshoot church and came to be (inadvertently) leery of holy-rollers and particularly preachers. But they are good neighbors, I like them, and it won't hurt to establish myself as a "good guy" for the coming times.

And when it comes down to it, I'd rather live in a Judea-Christian society than the apparent other alternatives and I will stand with those that do believe "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace" (Luke 11:21)

Update:
OK. That's enough of that for a while ...

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Contact: dt@newamericandigest.org

Gerard Van der Leun
12/26/45 - 1/27/23


Gerard's Last Post
(posthumous): Feb 4, 2023
"So Long. See You All a Little Further Down the Road"

When my body won’t hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Where will I go?
Will the trade winds take me south through Georgia grain?
Or tropical rain?
Or snow from the heavens?
Will I join with the ocean blue?
Or run into a savior true?
And shake hands laughing
And walk through the night, straight to the light
Holding the love I’ve known in my life
And no hard feelings

Avett Brothers - No Hard Feelings

The following was posted along with the announcement of Gerard's passing.
Leonard Cohen - Going Home

For a 2005 interview with Gerard


January 2026
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Most Recent Comments

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    John Fremont gave the name from the pyramidal tufa structures in the lake in 1843 or 44. One of them…

  2. azlibertarian on County FairMarch 13, 2026

    Not only do we not want to have an aircraft shot down anywhere, but especially over Iranian controlled territory, we…

  3. SK on Pyramid LakeMarch 13, 2026

    Why is it called pyramid lake?

  4. Joe on County FairMarch 13, 2026

    You do understand the comment by Randy Fine?

  5. DT on County FairMarch 13, 2026

    Could be that a collision story is preferable to a shot down story. Can't believe anything they tell you, even…


Blogroll
The New Neo
Jean's Blog - Pondering
The Feral Irishman

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
I'm not sleepy
and there ain't no place I'm goin' to

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning,
I'll come followin' you

Take me for a trip upon
your magic swirling ship
All my senses have been stripped
And my hands can't feel to grip
And my toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin'

I'm ready to go anywhere,
I'm ready for to fade
Unto my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it


Men who saw night coming down about them could somehow act as if they stood at the edge of dawn.


From Gerard's site. The picture always caught my eye.

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Contact: dt@newamericandigest.org

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