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Our Daily Thread 10-10-14

Good Morning!

It’s Friday!!!

Today’s header photo is from Cheryl.

On this day in 1845 the United States Naval Academy opened in Annapolis, MD. 

In 1865 the billiard ball was patented by John Wesley Hyatt. 

In 1933 Dreft, the first synthetic detergent, went on sale. 

And in 1977 Joe Namath played the last game of his NFL career. 

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Quote of the Day

“Age is not important, unless you’re a cheese.”

Helen Hayes

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 Today is Vernon Duke’s birthday.

And it’s Mike Milinin’s too.

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Anyone have a QoD?

66 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 10-10-14”

  4. It means that tomorrow morning Mr. P gets up with the dogs and I get to sleep in. Where are the days when I could sleep until noon? Nowadays sleeping in means 6:30 or 7. I started going to the gym again last night. I managed a 40 minute program on the elliptical. I like to take and exercise class, but there are none a time I can attend. They offer Pilates, yoga, and Pure Barre. I would love to do those but the classes are all at times I can’t attend and work too, so I guess it will just be what I put together. I do like to lift weights but haven’t done that in a long time.
    November 15 I have to put this body in a ball gown and everything I am finding is capped sleeve or bare armed.
    I forgot to tell you my excitement yesterday. I was busily working away in my office when I noticed a woman standing outside my door. This meant she had come in our back employee entrance and had not come in the front by the receptionist. She walked into my office with a sob story about needing some money for gas to get to Mobile to her granddaughter at a high school. the grand daughter supposedly is 4 months pregnant and was having pains and needed to get to the women’s and children’s hospital. I happened to have five dollars on me so I gave it to her. Our new company policy is that the back door shall remained locked at all times. You must enter with your key and lock the doors behind you upon entering and leaving.

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  5. “New company policy” as of now, or was it already in place?

    When I started in my Chicago job, the building we were in (for the first few years) was in a questionable part of town–so much so that my co-workers told me that under no circumstances could I work late, after dark, and have my car be the last one in the parking lot. If I was going to be that late, then I must park in the garage a few blocks away and call security to take me to my car when I was ready to leave.

    I did that once, and the young security officer refused to come, telling me there was no reason I couldn’t just walk the few blocks. I dug in my heels–company policy said he had to come and get me under those circumstances, and no way was I going to walk. It was a safety issue, and I’m not a wimp but I’m also not a fool. He told me fine, but I might be waiting several minutes. I said I could wait. It wasn’t a very long wait.

    Within months in that same parking lot, at lunchtime (read bright daylight, plenty of cars, people coming and going) three women from my office were held up at gunpoint. I don’t think the guy got anything (possibly he got one purse, I don’t remember), but they were pretty shaken up.

    Suddenly security started treating our building as a place that needed protection. Not only did they fence all of the parking lot but the driveway, but at morning and evening and lunchtime a security officer sat in a vehicle beside that driveway watching every car and every pedestrian that came in and out.

    Sometimes men have a hard time recognizing that women truly are vulnerable; we don’t just feel vulnerable; we are. The wise woman is just slightly paranoid when she is out in public by herself. I’d rather be thought timid (or even racist) than be careless, when my safety is the issue. (But as I say that, remember that I lived for seven years as the only white person on my Chicago street, in a home where I invited friends to come only during the day, and even then they were sometimes hesitant. I’m no wimp if I know I’m supposed to be somewhere or do something; I know and trust that God will protect me from any harm that isn’t supposed to come my way, and He will be with me in any harm that is supposed to come to me.)

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  7. BTW, I thought that the header photo might not bother people who can’t stand to see predators eyeing poor helpless birds, considering how much smaller the predator is than the prey and the partition between them. I was photographing the stork, and the bat-eared fox showed up to admire the bird too, so I included it in the picture.

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  10. I don’t take security for granted either. That is the reason I have a car, even though everything is so close here. As a single, I don’t go anywhere after dark unless I drive. I feel very secure: bars on all windows, even additional arc mesh on one window where the screen was cut by someone. Outside door with deadbolt, then my front door with deadbolt, then even my bedroom door has a deadbolt. Yup, I rest easy here, except for this mild cold.

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  13. Morning Janice.
    My itouch was not holding a charge. Finally today I realized that I was not turning it all the way off and found that I had 27 icons still open. Perhaps it will work better now.

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  14. Yes, Chas, it’s Friday..

    I won’t be around much this weekend, so you’ll have to wait on the pigskin results. A new grandchild and a wedding, as well as a homecoming parade with the older grandchildren at my alma mater. Fortunately, all three are in the same town. Too bad the wedding is at the same time as the football game. I don’t often get a chance to attend college football games, especially ones featured in our weekly poll.

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  15. “Too bad the wedding is at the same time as the football game. I don’t often get a chance to attend college football games, especially ones featured in our weekly poll.” I’m glad you get a chance this week! (Oh . . . that isn’t what you were saying?)

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  16. Hey, question for y’all. First of all, I bought vouchers for photo books so family members could buy books I made of our family reunion at a reasonable price . . . and unfortunately I bought too many, and I am in the good/ bad position of having to make several by the end of the month.

    Anyway . . . my husband and I have both had the lifelong dream of an African safari. It’s unlikely to ever happen, but it’s something both of us would like. We talked about having an African-themed library, but realistically libraries are book-themed. We do have a few African pieces around (bookends and a table that are elephant shaped, for example). Of course, my parents met and married in Africa and their wedding photo was taken in front of a grass-roofed church (I never thought about it . . . but I really should get that framed!).

    So, here’s my question. I realized that we actually have better access to wildlife-of-Africa photos than we would get on a safari, simply by visiting the zoo. I have photos of more than 20 species of animals that live in Africa, including great ones of several, and I decided I can make a book about “our African safari” (the front cover has an asterisk and *zoo version). Any ideas of what I can do to make an “event” out of looking at our “vacation photos”? I haven’t finished or ordered the book, and definitely haven’t received it yet. I do have one family dish that my parents brought back from Africa (though technically it isn’t an African dish, but an Indian one with American touches). But I think I can probably make a silly/fun/romantic date out of it . . . I just can’t offhand think of how.

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  17. That’s OK Peter, we will unanimously declare mumsee the winner and throw a party.

    According to a memo posted in the lunchroom at work, we’ve had problems with unknown folks following people into office spaces where keycards are needed.

    While we used to have our own building, we’re now leasing ground floor space in a five-story office building that includes doctors, banks as some of the other tenants. There’s a lobby attendant so everyone coming into the building itself (theoretically) is usually seen by him.

    I remember after 9/11 — when we were still in our own building — they initiated a lot of extra steps (key cards, employee IDs, etc.) that had to be used whenever we were coming or going. It’s less intensive now, but we still need keycards to get into the newsroom.

    The “I just need some gas so I can visit a relative” story, though, is quite a common story line around here, I’m afraid. 😦 But I know I’ve handed over a few dollars even when I’ve (pretty much) known the person was jiving me, thinking well, maybe it’ll do me some good to part with some of my money today in what is at least a gesture of goodwill, then I say a quiet prayer for the person.

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  19. No winner until the games are all done.

    And I’ll be going to the wedding, after I drive past the stadium to check the score. It’s a small university. The stadium looks more lioke a high school stadium in a large city.

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  24. So, everybody is in Carmel? That is truly a lovely town. I went there once! That is really impressive since I have not been too many places. 🙂 I really loved Point Lobos, too

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  25. QOD: on my farmlette pulling fence posts so I can replant them and grow an orchard. But the orchard will not be fence posts. The fence posts will hold up the hog panels which, in turn, will hold up the goats from going into the orchard. The orchard will be apple trees, nut trees, whatever other fruit trees I manage to grow, some grapes and some hops (always planning for my old age).

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  37. Donna, I meant the lot, not the size of the cabin. The lot looks nice, but I kept expecting it to say 1.2 acres or whatever, and unless I missed it, it doesn’t. Even when I bought a house, I wanted to know that; on a lot, it’s fundamental. Especially if you want more than one or two sheep.

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  39. It says it is a “nice homesite.” But you’re right, the crayola-drawn words “Lodge Area” looks pretty small. Hmmm.

    OK, I’ll skip the sheep. But I need a bathroom and a kitchen in my cabin-by-the-numbers.

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  42. Another CT article on Left Behind: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/october-web-only/some-final-notes-on-left-behind.html?utm_source=ctweekly-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=12146562&utm_content=307042026&utm_campaign=2013

    Now, thick-headed as I am, I think I understand all the complaints. The complainers were expecting to be fed by this movie, to have their faith walk somehow enhanced, etc., but the movie is really directed at the ones who do not believe. It clearly portrays how the unbelievers see Christians so they can identify with it. I use to have some of those thoughts myself before becoming a believer. I can remember feeling those ways because I haven’t been a Christian for three-quarters of my life. The Christian critics are disgusted with the portrayal of Christians because they thought the movie was going to be all about them. To me that seems a bit self-absorbed. The movie relates to typical feelings about Christians because this is the first movie of the very beginning of the first book. Duh! I would wait to make judgement until later if other movies are produced to see how the Christians are portrayed at that time. This may be the kind of movie to get seekers to become open to thoughts about eternity. Is Christianity just suppose to be about those in the fold, or is it to also include a reaching out to where the unbelievers are at? Am I the only one who looks at it this way?

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  43. Janice, I haven’t kept up with the reviews (and know little about the film), but I would generally agree with your thoughts that “Christian films” should be have more meat and realism.

    I think the more common concern I’ve seen expressed by Christians has been about the eschatology represented in the film. Saw this post a few days ago which addresses that:

    http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/will-christians-be-left-behind

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    ” … Ultimately we must assess doctrine not on the narrative of church history, but on the text of Scripture. That fact that the secret rapture, and dispensationalism, are the new kids on the eschatological block doesn’t necessarily mean they are false. Previous generations could have misinterpreted their Bibles. As Protestants we hold Scripture, not church tradition, to be authoritative.

    “But the secret rapture faces biblical challenges as well. There are no biblical texts that explicitly teach it or anything like a two-stage coming of Jesus. Passages that supposedly describe the secret rapture could just as easily be read as referring to the glorious second coming, and in fact have been read that way throughout the church’s history. …

    “Full disclosure: I have not seen the new Left Behind film, and probably won’t. I’m mainly avoiding it because the reviews are so poor, and I’m too busy for potentially bad art. But more generally, what should Christians do with movies or books or teachings built on the secret rapture theory?

    “Watch and read and listen to what you want, but be aware.

    “Be aware of the historical background and biblical challenges surrounding the secret rapture doctrine. Don’t just assume it’s true because of the emotional effect of its portrayal in a movie or book. Just as we don’t ultimately build our beliefs on church tradition, so we shouldn’t build our beliefs on popular films or novels.

    “And be aware that the secret rapture is one of those “secondary doctrinal issues” over which Christians can disagree. It grieves me to think of churches or Christians dividing over it. …”
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    We’ve covered this ground before and I definitely don’t mean for this comment to be divisive. There are several eschatalogical (sp??) viewpoints that fall within orthodoxy when it comes to the universal Christian church.

    And I agree that unbelievers (and believers) can be intrigued by portrayals of end times — which then can lead to more careful studies of the Scriptures, which is never a bad thing.

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  44. Ironically, I’d be more interested in a film that depicted a mysterious disappearance of people that wasn’t tied to Christianity — a secular mystery. In this case, the biblical end times debate is too much of a stumbling block for me personally when it comes to novels or movies that depict dispensationalism.

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  45. Thanks, Donna, for your considerate comment. I have not studied the end times enough to know exactly what I think (do any of us know for sure?) will happen. I guess I see the movie as a wakeup call to those who are not inclined to think of what happens for eternity.The movie cracks open the door for them to ponder the light in the distance. To me that is a good thing. Highly articulate Christians having theological discussions will not do that for the average Joe or Jill on the street who know nothing of the Bible. For those who are drawn in by the Left Behind movie and want to know more, they can advance to that higher level in time, but they have to first have that door cracked open.

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  46. um, Donna, I think you need to keep looking, those cabins don’t even have a closet. The one they bill as having a walk in closet – the closet looks to be 3 x 3. I have about 300 to 400 square feet here and it is fine, but I have storage space. Thanks for the posting. I love to look at house plans and see how they are organized.

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  51. Um, Donna? I believe that is two hundred acres. And Kim, it is out of town toward Orofino, so no, but it is walking distance if you don’t mind a few miles walk.

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  52. Janice, I haven’t seen the Left Behind film and have no intention to–I only read one or two of the books and found them appallingly bad in theology and in writing. But the reviews don’t look at all like the movies are too subtle and Christians don’t get it. It looks to me like the movies completely stereotype Christians. And I seriously doubt they are doing so from an unbeliever’s point of view and later the unbelievers will see they’ve been seeing wrong . . . few movies have that sort of depth, and especially not from one movie to the next, and I seriously doubt this one does.

    I don’t care a lot whether Christians are portrayed well or poorly. I do care if producers at least try to be accurate. For example, it’s OK to show Christians as messed-up sinners, but don’t show us as cartoon-cutout people who make Barney Fife and Floyd the barber look like deep intellectuals.

    I really don’t think that movies are a good form for evangelism, and definitely a horror movie as pre-evangelism seems particularly weak. Not that God can’t use it–I wouldn’t be at all surprised if people come to Christ after seeing this, because God can use anything. But it really seems a lot like waiting till people get off a scary roller-coaster to evangelize them because maybe they’re scared enough now . . . people just don’t go to horror films for theological pondering. That isn’t the part of the brain they’re engaging.

    If a movie is good for a theological discussion (it seems to me), it’s far more likely to be a good movie, probably even a secular movie, that looks honestly at human realities: for example, the depravity of man, or what it means to deeply love someone and then lose them, and so forth. Something by Dickens or other classic writers. The kind of movie that opens up real, honest, open discussion and can get people talking about ultimate truth. Not the kind of movie that gets them remembering the last blood-and-guts blockbuster movie they saw, and how scary it was and how much better its special-effects were.

    I really think that for evangelism we’re better off building relationships and talking than in trying to scare people with a horror film. And when it’s a badly made film that makes us look like idiots, I have a hard time seeing how it’s going to draw anyone to want to talk to us more about the subject.

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  53. I hate horror movies and in no way experienced this movie as a horror film.It is difficult to be an accurate critic if one has not seen the film. I enjoyed the movie, and so did my husband. He is much more an intellectual than I am. (He once was our state representative in the national science fair for one thing.) I would like to see the movie again. But as mentioned previously, I have not been a Christian as long as some others have, and I know that makes a big difference. That is why the end time discussion is not as important to me. I have not gotten that far along in my studies. When I truly get that deep into the study then perhaps I may do a turn around and be appalled by the movie.

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  55. I am just wondering what these critics thought of The Shack? I really did not like the way it twisted up what I read in the Bible. But maybe it was intellectual enough so that I just couldn’t stretch my mind to make it fit my childlike understanding. 🙂 😦

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  57. Janice, horror movie was the wrong term. But it’s being touted as an adventure film, one of those in which car crashes and plane crashes are cool. That doesn’t seem like the type of thing that is a good setting for talking about serious topics–thus my example of the roller-coaster. A movie like this fits in the “entertainment” category and stimulates that part of the brain. It doesn’t seem likely to promote deep thinking. Even you, as a Christian, apparently didn’t walk out of there wanting to do more research about the end times–why would an unbeliever, who sees this film as another exciting (or badly done) end-of-the-world movie?

    I tend to look at such things through the grid of Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death. Postman, an unbeliever, had some wise things to say about whether the big screen is the best way to portray Christianity. Basically, he said that the moving screen does well with entertainment and selling us stuff (emotional appeal), but not nearly so well with serious topics (news and religion and education). It’s simply the wrong medium for it. (His book is well worth a read if you haven’t read it. I probably need to reread it myself!)

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  58. One thing about The Shack that many people were incensed about was that God the Father was portrayed as a black woman. But they missed the point that that was because the man in the story had had a bad relationship with his father, & couldn’t relate to God as Father. Later in the story, when he had forgiven his father, God then appears as male to him.

    (This is not an endorsement of the book, merely an explanation of an oft-repeated complaint.)

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  59. Oh, that one, Kim. Yes, you walked by that one. I was thinking you meant the other.

    Left Behind, I enjoyed the books and if I ever watch the movie, I will enjoy it as well.

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  62. And I tend to agree with Cheryl, film just generally doesn’t translate the Christian faith very well. (I always wind up saying, “the book is better”.)

    On a related note, I read a CT article a few weeks ago that reported (I hope this isn’t true, it was unclear to me whether the writer had actually seen an advance of the film or was just repeating what he’d heard from other sources) that the Zamperini film may have left out his conversion altogether.

    I did hear that early on the filmmakers were struggling with how to portray that as they were aiming to appeal to a young audience and I don’t think any of the key folks (writers, producer, director) are Christians.

    I don’t think any of us would have expected a full-length sermon by a look-alike Billy Graham to be included.

    But I hope at least they manage to convey what happened to change him after he returned from the war in some kind of faithful way that is Christian-specific … We’ll see.

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  63. Back to Christianity on film, not only is “the book better,” but often the films can be cringe-worthy — as I said, I have’t read much about the Left Behind film just released, but if there are some of the typical stereotypes of believers used, well, ouch. And groan.

    I read one secular review that ripped it, pretty much ridiculing the faith in a pretty vicious way that did seem to rely on unfortunate stereotypes (although the writer also was theologically illiterate, which didn’t help).

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  64. Yes, Donna, it is Denzel’s new movie. It wasn’t exactly what I expected but it was good. It was good vs bad. Of course Denzel is the good guy and kicks the bad guys behinds. I don’t think it is among his best movies but I don’t resent the price off the ticket

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  65. Rise of the Planet of the Apes, BTW, was the prequel to the original film from the 1960s — telling the story of how the apes wound up taking over the earth. It got excellent reviews, unusual for something that’s a take-off.

    Good old sci-fi escapism. It’s Friday night, I had to work late, it was a frustrating week & that’s about all I’m up for. 🙂

    That and looking at Idaho houses online as I plot my future bail-out, backup plan.

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