Good morning!
It’s cold here this morning. I guess summer is about over.
What should we talk about today?
Quote of the Day
“The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.”
Patrick Henry
Wandering Views 
I have a Question of the Day that I have been mulling over for a few days. When was a time you have seen someone live out their Christianity? Let me explain what I saw and perhaps that will give you a clue of the answer I am looking for.
Everyone has their quirky little things they like to watch, Mr. P and I like to watch Chopped on Foodnetwork. The other day he, Baby Girl, and I had it on sort of in the background. They had invited former chefs who were good but for some reason had lost back to a recontest of Chopped.
One of the chefs looked to be a man of Asian descent. He kept talking about how since the last time he was on the show he had become a Christian and how important his faith in Christ was. These sort of “public displays of affection” make me somewhat uncomfortable. You know along the lines of the bigger they are the harder they fall. I prefer to display my faith in God rather than tell everyone and anyone I am a Christian, but that’s me.
One of the other chefs was from France and I think her grandmother had raised her and taught her to cook. The grandmother was sick so this woman wanted to win to go back to France to see her before she died. At one point she was running across the kitchen with a full pot of boiled potatoes, slipped, fell, and suffered 2nd degree burns but got back up and finished her dish.
It came down to the two of them. Before the final decision, my snarky self said to P and BG, “If he is such a good Christian and he wins he should send the other chef back to France to see her grandmother. That is what I would do with “found money”. Guess What? He won! Everyone was congratulating him and he said “Wait just a minute. I intended to use this money for (whatever he had said earlier in the show), but I think it is really important for you (the 2nd place chef) to see your grandmother, so I would like to send you back to France to see her.”
Both P and BG accused me of having seen the show before. I hadn’t. I haven’t recently won $10,000 but I would like to think if I did, and being in the position I am now, that if I knew someone that needed my help I would be the kind of Christian that would step up and help.
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Kim,
I think that’s a case of showing someone the love of Christ, not just telling them about it. Personal examples are much more persuasive than mere words. I know that’s been true in my own life. Hat tip to the Chef, well done.
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Kim,
I will answer your question eventually, but not today. But what you are talking about is something I plan to discuss in a coming post, once I finish it. You can tell people about Christ, or we can show people Christ thru our actions and lifestyle. Personally, I feel the second way has a more personal impact. More about that soon.
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AJ, I was told early on that as Christians we are sometimes the only Bible some people will ever “read”. I think others hold us to higher standards because we are Christians BUT I think we should hold ourselves to higher standards because we are Christians!
I am currently teaching a new agent the Keller Williams Ignite plan to jumpstart your career in real estate. One of the questions is Your Big WHY? Why do you do what you do? Is it so you can retire early, is it so that you can pay for your child to go to college? Is it so you can donate more to charity?
As Christians perhaps we should ask ourselves the Big Why? Or maybe it is the the Big What? What do you do to so Christ’s love? What is that song from the 70’s? They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love….
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“Why” is a complicated question to a answer. Ultimately, it’s to feed your family.
But there may be another reason you’re at that particular place.
Elvera has a thing for watching the sunrise over the ocean. So, we watched it rise at Va Beach this morning. She has never seen it siet ovber the ocean, but I have.
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Chas,
You got your head back!
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Chas, if you were to visit Gulf Shores/Orange Beach you could watch the sun rise over the ocean in the morning and set over the ocean in the afternoon. Kind of like a two for one? Elvera will understand that, like a BOGO!
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Kim – Your story of what the Christian chef did choked me up a bit. Love stories like that!
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4 of 7 (continuing series on Cyberia (not a utopia) imagined society
Death and Unfairness.
As they grow up, children discover death. They see pets die; they see beloved humans such as parents, relatives, and friends die. In their sadness and confusion, children ask, “What is death? Why do we die? What happens after we die?”
The answer would be, “We don’t know. Death causes a very sad feeling we call ‘grief.’ All we can do is carry on as best as we can and care for the survivors. Here in Cyberia we try to prevent death as best we can by living carefully and safely, and by improving our medical knowledge and skill. We don’t promise you won’t die, but we will make our best efforts to keep you safe and healthy for a long time.”
Cyberian children also discover that life is unfair. They observe that some people experience good fortune for no sensible reason. Some people suffer misfortune for no sensible reason. Good people sometimes experience great suffering or die in painful and unpleasant ways at early ages. Bad people sometimes live prosperous and pleasant lives, escaping any punishment or severe consequences.
When children discover that life is unfair and ask, “Why?” adults answer, “We don’t know. That’s just the way life is. Let’s try and make life as fair as we reasonably can, using sensible rules and compassion.” As children grow older, they encounter more complicated and difficult analyses. For example, at some point children are introduced to “The law of unintended consequences.” Quite likely Cyberian children begin learning this principle before their hormonal urges kick in and as they learn about how babies are created.
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AQOD
Do you know any Muslims? I have never been to the Mid-East, but I have known quite a few in the U.S>
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I have to think about the QOD. I am going to church today and do not want to be late. In fact, in about 30 seconds, my wife will start nagging me.
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Yes, I have and do know (and work with) Muslims. This is the United States, after all, where there is this wonderful thing called freedom of religion. 😉
Nice story about the TV chef, Kim.
And welcome back Chas. I’m glad you were able to escape your captors (as I imagined it playing out yesterday) after they tied you up in a chair and gagged you with a bandana. You overcame the bad guys. Maybe Elvera helped, dashing in, firearm in hand to untie you. Cool. Just like on NCIS or something.
On that note, I’m making cop calls from home today since I have a 9 a.m. meeting to cover here in town close to where I live.
So I’d better get to those calls, see who’s been tied up or shot or stabbed overnight. Otherwise known as sin. We see the effects living in a fallen world all around us (and in us). 😦
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As for mentioning Christ when doing something nice for people, how would people know otherwise that He is the reason you give your energy for making life better for other people? Without mentioning Jesus then a person gets all the glory for their actions instead of giving the glory to Christ and showing that one has been an instrument used for God’s good purposes. On my own, without God, I am not capable of thinking of the needs of others before my own needs.
I have known Muslims through work situations. We have not had opportunities to discuss religion in the settings.
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That is a nice quote from Patrick Henry. I don’t remember the reference, but the Bible speaks of things being brought to light. I pray our leader’s hidden transactions will be brought to light. It seemed to happen when the microphone was turned on when Obama spoke privately to Putin. We just need the rest of the story.
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Car burglar spotted & captured early this morning — carrying bags of stereo equipment. 😉 Otherwise, it’s all quiet on the western front this morning, or so it would appear.
But the day is young.
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Random,
Your perspective is confusing to me. I’ve asked you a question or two after other installments to try to grasp it, but you haven’t responded to them and now I don’t even remember what they were about. But here’s another for this installment. As I understand you, the premise of your worldview is that we’re just matter in motion with no meaning. But then you say such things as children will discover that “life isn’t fair” and, based on your premises, I don’t understand the concept of fairness and why anyone would have even think in such terms. No one compares the relative justice of physics and chemistry as they act on matter because there’s no expectation that material things “ought to” act in any way other than how they act.
I understand why, if reality is as Christians say it is, we would ponder and fret of unfairness and injustice, but I don’t understand it if reality is as you say it is.That’s why your musings are unintelligible to me.
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Good morning.
Janice, is this the verse you’re thinking of? (I Corinthians 4:5) Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
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In response to Random’s AQOD, I’ve known lots of Muslims. Most of the Muslims I’ve known have been from minority Muslim countries such as the US and India, but I’ve also known quite a few from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. I used to tutor some Saudi Arabian Muslims in English back in the mid-80s in college. And my Indian husband had some Pakistani Muslim friends in college that I knew. One of them went back to Pakistan to marry his cousin in an arranged marriage.
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Actually, I misspoke. When I think about it, I guess I’ve actually known more Muslims from Muslim countries than the ones I’ve known from the US and India.
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We had ice on the pig water but it does not appear the gardens froze.
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And, why would Cyberia need any rules? Who sets the standard? Why do they get to set it and not somebody else, say, an axe murderer? It is so unfair….
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Good day everyone. I really like the Patrick Henry quote and I have seen it’s relevance in the past couple of years. Here in Wisconsin we have a governor who has a habit of keeping everyone in the dark and springing proposals on the citizens so late in the process that the legislation can’t be properly scrutinized by citizens, the media or the opposition party prior to the vote. Recalls have taken away his ability to do this for the past couple of months, but gerrymandered redistricting will return the state to one party rule again in January. It looks like we will be back to concealed motives and closed door legislation.
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Good Morning all….it is raining here!!! A cold rainy day and loving every blessed drop!
Qod….Our friend Gerard, who passed away last week after battling pancreatic cancer for almost 4 years…he lived our his walk with our Lord. Self less, doing for others…all the while fighting for his life. He lost his home in the fire this summer, yet, he reached out to others in pain…there was not a dry eye at the Memorial service…he never said one ill word of others…his eyes were totally focused upon serving as an ambassador of Christ here on earth.
There are many here like Gerard….they shine in the darkness….
That was a great example you shared here Kim…and like Karen, I found myself teary upon it’s reading….
Paul and I know a Muslim couple as friends…they are from Bangladesh, their marriage was one that was arranged by their families. They joined us for Thanksgiving dinner two years ago…we prayed in Jesus name before our meal…they sat quietly as we did so and told us they,too, have a similar tradition of praying before a meal…only to a very different (g)od….
The “cyberian” children seem to be raised as masters of their own soul….which will always result in death….only the Creator of all living things can bring life to the soul…
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Janice,
Of course you are correct, they couldn’t know unless we tell them we are followers of Christ. I did a lousy job explaining myself there. What I meant was that we need to share the words of the Gospel, and that does have an impact, but when the words are accompanied by Christ like actions, they can carry greater weight to the observer. I don’t want anyone to think I was overlooking the necessary words about faith and Christ, they need to hear them. They need to know that the actions from us are in response to Christ’s commands to us. It’s not us they should follow, but the example we’re following, Christ. Hope I explained myself better.
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For those of you who are new to Random, he is our version of a troll. We’ve been through all of this before (I suspect he saved all this foolishness from the last time he posted it). All he’s trying to do is, as my hubby would say, “get under our goat.” He doesn’t want real discourse and he won’t answer your questions. I just skip his posts.
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Francis of Assisi reportedly said “Teach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.”
I agree, though, that we must be sure that God gets the glory, not ourselves. I think most people who already know a person are aware that they are Christian and live life accordingly, but that still wouldn’t automatically make them realize that your actions are Christ-like in a particular public situation. In a situation like the cooking show example, the fact that he had talked about his conversion during the show may [or may not] tell someone witnessing the charitable act that he was glorifying God with his kindness, so I think he should have made a simple statement to that effect.
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Linda, I enjoy responding to Random when he is not in attack mode. I skip him at those times. But when he is just setting up little scenarios, it is interesting to me.
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Of course, I was raised in Cyberia and the Truth broke in and set me free.
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AJ, you are very clear in your explanation as you expanded on it.
Ree, that was a good response to Random. I fully appreciate what you had to say.
6 Arrows, that is probably the verse I was thinking of.
Sometimes I read Random’s posts and sometimes I pass them over depending on time available and mood. I try to answer any of his reasonable questions and treat him as I would a brother who has opinions quite different from my opinions. I am amused that he is creating this alter-world as if he was god. The believers here know that God created us in His image, and Random is being creative as his Creator made him to be by coming up with his fantasy world. So I praise God for giving Random the ability to be creative. Now if only that creativity could be utilized to bring glory to God. God did give freewill, too, so we will see what happens to Random in God’s timing and in God’s way. He is offered the same gift of grace as everyone else.
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My QOD response
If a Christian does a good deed should he or she not tell anyone about it? If an atheist or person of a different religion does a good deed is that an example of Christ working in the heart of a person in mysterious ways?
I spent the morning doing good deeds with a Christian neighbor (and some of his fellow church members) who are the living embodiments of people who do good deeds all day long in a humble, modest, and competent manner. My neighbor tells me he would joyfully attend a wedding of my daughter and my daughter-out-of-law (if Washington state’s Gay Marriage law holds up against the effort to overturn it). Is he a “good Christian?”
I consider his church (probably the largest on our island) the closest thing I have ever encountered to a church I might join if I thought there was the slightest truth to religious belief.
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AJ: You can tell people about Christ, or we can show people Christ thru our actions and lifestyle..
I have never been able to find the exact quote, but I seen references to it, so I want to believe it is accurate and true. Roger Williams fled persecution by other Puritans who disapproved of his preaching. He lived with “Indians,” (aboriginals); became fluent in their languages, and wrote the first linguistic and anthropological study of American aboriginals. Apparently, when asked about converting or at least “testifying” to the “pagans,” he apparently said something along the lines of, I want to live such a good life as a Christian that the Indians will want to become Christians because of my example.
Compared to Thomas Jefferson, who kept slaves (and fornicated with at least one of them) and was pretty questionable as a Christian as far as belief, I would say that Roger wins the award for best American forefather (for both Christians and atheists) going away. Roger was (apparently) happily married all his life (fathering 6 children). He was “guilty” of many good deeds by most standards (secular or religious). I am fairly confident if he appeared today, he would chastise me for my lack of belief and support my right to speak heresy.
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Donna Yes, I have and do know (and work with) Muslims. This is the United States, after all, where there is this wonderful thing called freedom of religion.
Exactly. Somewhere up in Heaven, Roger is going, “You go, girl,” however it would have been phrased in slightly post-Elizabethan English.
Ree: That’s why your musings are unintelligible to me.
Unless I have clear reason to think someone is being untruthful, I assume they are telling the truth. I believe my musings are unintelligible to you. [If there is a God, He will understand them and treat me appropriately, which may or may not be painful to me.]
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Messed up my close italic. God will forgive me.
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Ree: One of them [Muslims] went back to Pakistan to marry his cousin in an arranged marriage.
I once asked a woman from India (probably a Hindu) about arranged marriage. [Her marriage had been arranged.] She said (approximately), “Americans have a misconception about arranged marriages. I was not “forced” to marry someone. My parents arranged for me to meet appropriate men. Appropriate in terms of caste, background, religious belief, income, etc. We are not directed or obligated to marry someone in particular. If we hit it off, we may eventually marry. If we don’t hit it off, we look for someone else. Having lived in America for a while, I would say that it works about as well or poorly as the American system.”
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Mumsee: And, why would Cyberia need any rules? Who sets the standard? Why do they get to set it and not somebody else, say, an axe murderer? It is so unfair
I am an animal. Animals try to survive. I try to survive. Most humans try to survive. As social animals we tend to agree on practical ways to survive, such as prohibiting murder. As social animals, we possess empathy. As empathic social animals we have some emotional reason to sympathize with each other, protect each other, and help each other. As animals that rose to the top of the food chain by being the meanest and most cunning SOBs on the planet (and surrounded by other creatures (who wish to consume and/or destroy us) ranging from great whites to viruses) our judgment and empathy is less than impeccable.
Of course, it’s always possible that we care for each other and kill each other because we originated in the Garden of Eden and two of our ancestors disobeyed God.
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God will lose his (infinite) patience with my italic sins.
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Nancyjill, Thank you.
Linda Shaffer: I just skip his posts.. Thank you.
Mumsee Linda, I enjoy responding to Random when he is not in attack mode. I skip him at those times. But when he is just setting up little scenarios, it is interesting to me. . . Of course, I was raised in Cyberia and the Truth broke in and set me free.
.
Thank you. And I suspect if Cyberia existed, some people raised there would become religious believers. Though I can’t help wondering what they would believe?
6 Arrows: Sometimes I read Random’s posts and sometimes I pass them over depending on time available and mood. .
Seems sensible to me.
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Random, this quote: “6 Arrows: Sometimes I read Random’s posts and sometimes I pass them over depending on time available and mood.”
Um, I didn’t say that. JaniceG said that. 😉
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6 Arrows: I apologize. I hate to be rude and inaccurate at the same time. I appreciate your forbearance.
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Humans have always proselytized. Once, some people saw tracks and had a discussion something along the lines of:
Person 1: Those are buffalo tracks. Follow them and we will eat well.
Person 2: You are ignoring the lion tracks following the buffalo tracks/. Follow the tracks, and the lion will eat well and vary his diet a bit..
Person 3: Some day this will be called “Evolution in action.”
Person 4: Let’s eat #3. There’s no lion around to quibble.
Person 5: Some day Ezekiel will be born and tell us cannibalism is wrong [5:10]
Person 6: Some day, Jesus will be born and tell us, “Bite me.” [John 6:53).
At which point, a pride of lions ate them all because they were so not paying attention. Except for #6. The jackals got #6, especially torturing him before they crunched his bones, for speaking so rudely, inappropriately, and sarcastically,
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Random,
My comment about the Pakistani Muslim marrying his first cousin in an arranged marriage was not a commentary either on arranged marriages or on marrying first cousins.
My husband is the only one among six siblings whose marriage was not arranged (in a manner somewhat more restrictive and less libertarian than the one your Hindu friend told you about) and his parents’ marriage was arranged in a manner much more restrictive. In fact, they didn’t meet until shortly before they were married. His parents, whom I also had the privilege to know before they passed away never laid eyes on each other until the day they were married. And all of these marriages lasted (thus far) until death did them part. I wouldn’t call them ideal, but they were workable and the ones involved seemed at least as happy with them as most Western couples.
And in regard to marrying first cousins, although it seems strange to me, I happily read, without judgment, Jane Austen and Anthony Trollope novels from the 18th and 19th centuries whose Christian characters sometimes marry first cousins.
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Random, it is possible she is not being forebearing. She may be planning retaliation. It would seem more sensible. To be fair.
We continue to prepare for our camping excursion. My part was to make chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon and chipotle and some plain ones for those who cannot eat the good ones. I am done. Except for the taste testing, that will continue through tomorrow.
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On my other comment about the unintelligibility of your question, your only response was something about whether you do or do not believe that I don’t understand your question…or something like that. (It was a little unclear whether you do or you don’t believe me because you seemed to indicate that you did in one sentence, then you went on to say that you don’t in the next. But I guess your credulity or lack thereof is neither here nor there.)
Unfortunately, you did nothing in furthering my understanding by explaining how, within the framework of your materialistic worldview, the ideaof fairness is an intelligible concept. So, I’m again requesting that you would indulge me and explain what seems to me to be an irreconcileable contradiction in your worldview.
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Ree, I read your comment and clarification with interest. It seems quite sensible. I have nothing intelligent to say beyond that, so I am not saying it.
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mumsee, I do not understand your comment or understand what it references: Random, it is possible she is not being forebearing. She may be planning retaliation. It would seem more sensible. To be fair.
I am sure the fault is mine.
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You did not understand that? Let me help you. You thanked her for her forbearance. I suggested that might not be what is in her mind. Perhaps she is planning retaliation. If there is no fairness to come later, we ought to seek it now. To be fair.
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Ree: Unfortunately, you did nothing in furthering my understanding by explaining how, within the framework of your materialistic worldview, the idea of fairness is an intelligible concept.
I am not sure “fairness” is an intelligible concept. If I am hungry, I am unhappy. If I am in a restaurant and I am hungry and I have money, and the staff say, “We won’t serve you because “We don’t like your looks,” I think “That’s not fair.” Is that an intelligible concept? Probably not.
If I am in a restaurant, and hungry, and have no money, and the staff say “We won’t serve you because you have no money,” is that an intelligible concept? Probably. Is it fair? Probably.
If I am in a restaurant, and hungry, and have no money, and the owner says, “I will serve you, but you will have to wash dishes for us in return,” is that an intelligible concept? Probably. Is it fair. Probably.
If I am in a restaurant, and hungry, and have no money, and the owner says, “I will feed you because I am a Christian and the Bible tells me: ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ and I will feed you.” Is that an intelligible concept? My instinct tells me it is, but probably not for the same reason some here might find it intelligible.
I probably do not do as much charitable work or giving as many or all here do, but I do some. I have sometimes given money to people who claim to be hungry and I have sometimes refused to give money to them. Are you different?
Today I am using the Internet to pull Biblical quotes out for whatever my mind says is applicable without studying my written Bible or pulling them from memory. I do so for (at best) questionable motivation. Is that fair?
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That is most definitely fair, because the Word of God does not return void.
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Hmmm, how to step into this conversation…
Random, no need to apologize. I didn’t think you were rude.
Mumsee, I might be planning retaliation? Actually, I’m planning your cake. It probably shouldn’t be chocolate chip with cinnamon and chipotle since it would be virtually like those cookies you made, wouldn’t it?
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50!
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Mumsee, Thank you. Now I get it. It is difficult to “retaliate” on a message board on the Internet. I suppose one can do so by hurting my feelings. It’s difficult to hurt my feelings. I taught high school (and similar activities with adolescents) for about ten years. Adolescents have evolved to hurt the feelings of adults (for sensible evolutionary reasons). I survived ten years of such treatments by some very talented and skillful monsters without committing suicide or murdering any of the little darlings. It is possible to hurt my feelings, but very difficult. (For one thing, I would need to care about you more than I do as a person of average compassion and decency who is not a Christian.) Also, I made my remark as a person of average politeness who does not want to get kicked off this web site (and has been kicked off the WMB web site). But if she is plotting some incredibly fiendish and clever retaliation, (which I probably well deserve), BRING IT ON!!!!.
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6 Arrows: On the other hand, I have a sweet tooth and eat more sugar than is good for me. So if you want to retaliate in a kindly and deadly way, and know how to send me a cake as an email attachment, do your best/worst. Though my doctor examined my heart in detail not too long ago and said, “I see no sign you are going to croak in the near future.” So I may have time for the combined efforts of WV and the church where I volunteer to save me from that bad bad dude named Beelzebub. Meaner than the junkyard Hell Dog.
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Random’s Law: # [I forget which because I am sliding into dementia.]
Human beings like to proselytize. Careful science study (plus irresponsible making stuff up) reveals that most humans are 16.37 times more willing to proselytize than to be proselytized unto.
The program decrees: “Random, you are supposed to come wander into our land and cry out I have discovered the truth. Jesus saves.. You are NOT supposed to wander into our land and proclaim I have discovered the UNTRUTH and proclaim if for all to ignore..
I will go away for a while. If I am not struck by lightening by an angry Allah, I will return and read what everyone who is ignoring me has said.
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I don’t know. Having our own personal troll gives the site a little bit of spice. And, I’m still holding out for his eventual conversion. 😉
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Random, no retaliation from me.
Tammy, speaking of “spice”, I should probably get going on making Mumsee’s birthday cake soon.
Mumsee, got any requests for certain ingredients in your cake before I check my virtual pantry?
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chocolate with chipotle and cinnamon is always good but surprise me!
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Well, I waited a respectful amount of time and nobody else claimed it, so…
57!
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Random,
Thanks for your response. You offered some perfectly good examples of fairness and unfairness which were quite intelligible to me. But the unacknowledged underlying presupposition behind all of them is the existence of some kind of metaphysical standard in regard to how things ought to be as opposed to how they are. And I agree–there is such a standard. But if the world were as you say it is–that everything that exists just came about through some inexplicable physical processes and that life itself is just a biochemical process that has no meaning or purpose beyond itself–that’s when the idea of fairness becomes unintelligible.
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wow, I was just about ready to claim 57, after all, my birthday is tomorrow. But I see somebody else already got it.
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I am having trouble with my Internet, so I hope it doesn’t crash into Mumsee’s cake. So I’d better get it to you before that happens…Here it is, one day early:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MUMSEE! (tomorrow) 🙂
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
meltinyourmouthyourmouthchocolateicing
cranraspberryfillingcranraspberryfillingcra
chocolatecakechocolatecakechocolatecakec
hocolatecakechocolatecakechocolatecakech
smoothandluxuriouscinnamonvanillaicingsm
alittleflavorsurprisefromanunknownlandatin
ybitofchipotlemangochipotleswirledinswirle
chocolateicingchocolateicingchocolateicingc
chocolatecakechocolatecakechocolatecakec
hocolatecakechocolatecakechocolatecakech
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That is a cake to be alive for!
Happy Birthday, Mumsee, one day early! When does the cake get cut? Do we wait until tomorrow?
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Who has a knife?
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I never got the 57 thing. What’s that about?
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Cake! And there is some left! Thank you!
Ree, it is the year we were born.
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Are there plates? Where are the forks? Is there any cake left?
We should have sung something first. I can sing something. “I Love L.A.” and “Talk to the Animals,” I just heard those songs on a CD. Or EW&F’s “Fantasy,” I can sing that too.
throat-clear,throat-clear.
Ready? Hummmmmmmmmm Do-Re-Mi-
Am I off pitch? I think I’m off pitch. Never mind.
Too bad we didn’t have candles for Mumsee to make a wish on and blow out.
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Ohhhhhh, I see. I always wondered why such a random number was so coveted. Well I was born in 1960–a much better year, if I do say so myself.
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Did I hear some throat-clearing around here? Bad for the vocal cords. Bad, bad.
And where are the candles? THEY’RE ON TOP OF THE CAKE!
oops, sorry, didn’t mean to yell
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Where are my glasses? I’ve lost my glasses. I took them off to sing. Now I can’t find them.
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Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birth (voice cracks on the high note) -day dear Mumsee,
Happy Birthday to you!
Sorry, started in too high a key.
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This is such a fun party. Where’s Mumsee?
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putting children to bed, of course.
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For those of you who are new to Random, he is our version of a troll. We’ve been through all of this before (I suspect he saved all this foolishness from the last time he posted it). All he’s trying to do is, as my hubby would say, “get under our goat.” He doesn’t want real discourse and he won’t answer your questions. I just skip his posts.
My “real name” is “Stephen Kahn.” I live on Whidbey Island, a large populated island in Puget Sound, Washington. I was born in 1944.
I am an atheist of Jewish ancestry. I participated on World Mag Blog for about six years, never pretending to be something I was not, but using the screen name “Random Name.”
After those years of participation, I was banned from wmb. Before we go any further with this, I would like people to define the word “troll.” This is my Alternative Question of the Day for tomorrow (Thursday, September 13, 2012). Thank you to anyone who responds tonight or tomorrow. I will refrain from any comments about “troll” until Friday.
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A friend and former colleague of mine may have gone to that church you’re talking about, Random.
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a troll, by mumsee.
Hmmm, we have had them in the past. What comes to mind is some girl that came on here with some fairy like definition of Christianity. She talked and talked but only speaking, not listening. She never answered so it became apparent she was a troll, to me.
Another kind is when certain topics come up and people have apparently googled and come up with our site for posting strong opinions, with no discussion.
Ed was sometimes troll like when he came on and badgered and badgered about evolution, saying very obnoxious things about God.
When Random does that, I consider him to be trolling. Just trying to get people to snap at him so he can laugh at the “stupid Christians” rather than trying to have an actual discussion.
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Nope, I was wrong. Wrong island. He was on Bainbridge and the church was on Bainbridge also. It was a UMC.
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I know this is going to seem silly, but when I think of a troll I think of the little ugly dolls with the soft tuft of hair that stuck straight up in a triangular shape. When I was in high school we kept troll dolls on top of our classroom desks. They were probably considered to be a good luck charm by some. Perhaps they were a bit like Chas’ pet rock. They just stood around and were one of the many fads we went through such as the Duncan yo-yo fad. They never had anything to say LOL which makes them be quite a contrast to how “troll” is used today.
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seventy five!
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That is what I think of when I see “troll” until I start describing what I think they are and what they are doing.
Aunt Betty had a troll with her when she flew across the Pacific. She gave us trolls for Christmas. I still have mine.
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Oh, I see somebody else got seventy five. Sorry.
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75? So that’s a special one too? So now who was born in ’75?
And whose birthday are we celebrating today?
Anyway, happy birthday to someone. Did I hear someone say it’s Mumsee’s birthday? Or was that a different day?
I just can’t keep track of any of this!
Happy Birthday, Mumsee. I think.
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Anyway, the post number doesn’t have the same effect when the posts aren’t even numbered the way they were on WMB.
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Oh and Random, I don’t think you’re a troll.
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And Mumsee, you might as well claim 75 if you want to. Whose gonna notice? No will count and check, will they?
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I mean who’s, not whose.
And now I see that your birthday is tomorrow, Mumsee, not today. Well it’s still today here in California, but the date stamp on the posts says it’s tomorrow, so Happy Birthday Mumsee!
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Ree, the people who were born in ’57 graduated from high school in ’75, so both numbers are coveted by three people here that I know of.
Other people have reasons for picking up certain other numbers. Cheryl seems to have a fondness for 88. (By the way, where is Cheryl? I don’t think I’ve seen her the last few days.)
Of course everyone loves #1 and #100.
Troll (from Wikipedia): In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.
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Since it’s tomorrow here in Michigan and I’m headed for bed…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIS!
Excellent cake, 6 Arrows. Thank you for making it.
Mumsee, have a great trip.
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Of course, I should’ve figured that out. Thanks. Now I feel more in the loop. I did know Cheryl liked 88, but I don’t know why.
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I am going to lay my trolling head down to sleep, hoping once again to raise it in the morning. Most people (both religious and non-religious) I have discussed “preferred ways to die” with (I am a morbid so & so) have indicated “in one’s sleep.” I kind of agree, but that would be a rude shock to my wife and I don’t wish it on anybody. Probably I will wake, feed the chickens, go to the gym and post at some point or other. My dentist, an atheist and older than I am, told me about one of the main other dentists in our small town, who in fact did die in his sleep. I am working on a reply to Ree, whose reply to me fascinates me. Be afraid, etc. Thank you to all for your definitions which I am mulling thoughtfully.
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