Month: May 2015

by

Our Daily Thread 5-15-15

Good Morning!

It’s Friday!!!

And thank you all for the birthday wishes yesterday. 🙂

Today’s header pic is from Janice. 

______________________________________________

On this day in 1602 Cape Cod was discovered by Bartholomew Gosnold.

In 1862 Congress created the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In 1940 nylon stockings went on sale for the first time in the U.S.

In 1948 Israel was attacked by Transjordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon only hours after declaring its independence.

And in 1957 Elvis Presley inhaled a cap on one of his teeth. He had to be taken to a Los Angeles hospital to have it removed from his lung. 😯

______________________________________________

Quote of the Day

“I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

L. Frank Baum

______________________________________________

Today is Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi’s birthday. 

______________________________________________

Anyone have a QoD?

by

Prayer Requests 5-15-15

It’s Friday, so please remember to pray for Mumsee, Mike, and the Nestlings.

Anyone else?

Psalm 142

¹ I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.

2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.

3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

5 I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.

6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.

7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

by

Our Daily Thread 5-14-15

Good Morning!

Today is this young fella’s birthday. 🙂

me 003

______________________________________________

On this day in 1643 Louis XIV became King of France at age 4 upon the death of his father, Louis XIII.

In 1804 William Clark set off the famous expedition from Camp Dubois. A few days later, in St. Louis, Meriwether Lewis joined the group. The group was known as the “Corps of Discovery.”

In 1897 “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Phillip Sousa was performed for the first time. It was at a ceremony where a statue of George Washington was unveiled.

In 1948 Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the independent State of Israel as British rule in Palestine came to an end.

And in 1973 Skylab One was launched into orbit around Earth as the first U.S. manned space station.

______________________________________________

Quote of the Day

“There are eleven million Jews in the world. I don’t say that all of them will come here, but I expect several million, and with natural increase I can quite imagine a Jewish state of ten million.”

David Ben-Gurion

______________________________________________

I pretty much have to play this one, which is good because I like it. From The United States Navy Band

And this is because it’s one of my favorite songs/bands, plus it’s the birthday of the rather strange lead singer, David Byrne. 

______________________________________________

Anyone have a QoD?

by

Prayer Requests 5-14-15

It’s Thursday, so please remember to pray for the folks in PNG.

Anyone else?

Psalm 141

¹ Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

5 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

6 When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

7 Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

8 But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

by

Our Daily Thread 5-13-15

Good Morning!

No music from me today. You folks are gonna pick it and post it instead.

So what’s it gonna be? 🙂

______________________________________________

On this day in 1607 Jamestown, Virginia, was settled as a colony of England.

In 1846 the U.S. declared that war existed with Mexico.

In 1911 the New York Giants set a major league baseball record. Ten runners crossed home plate before the first out of the game against St. Louis.

In 1940 Winston Churchill made his first speech as the prime minister of Britain.

And in 1975 hailstones the size of tennis balls hit Wenerville, TN. 😯

______________________________________________

Quote of the Day

“For myself, I can only say that I am astonished and somewhat terrified at the results of this evening’s experiments. Astonished at the wonderful power you have developed, and terrified at the thought that so much hideous and bad music may be put on record forever.”

Sir Arthur Sullivan

______________________________________________

Anyone have a QoD?

by

Prayer Requests 5-13-15

It’s Wednesday, so don’t forget to pray for The Gambia.

Anyone else?

Psalm 140

¹Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.

4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

6 I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, OLord.

7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

by

News/Politics 5-13-15

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread

1. The court has taken action in the Hillary email scandal. 

From FoxNews  “A federal judge has agreed to reopen a lawsuit that seeks access to emails from Hillary Clinton’s private server. 

The federal judge’s decision marks the first time a court has taken action in the email scandal.

Judge Andrew Napolitano explained the particulars behind the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit this morning. 

Judicial Watch and the State Department – usually on opposite sides in these types of cases – are actually in agreement, with both asking Judge Reggie B. Walton for the documents to be turned over. 

Napolitano called Walton a “tough cookie” and “probably the last judge in Washington, D.C., [Clinton] wanted this issue to be in front of.””

_____________________________________

2. The First- and a half- Amendment. 

From NationalReview  “Free speech and artistic and intellectual expression have been controversial Western traditions since the rise of the classical-Greek city-state. When our Founding Fathers introduced guarantees of such freedoms to our new nation, they were never intended to protect thinkers whom we all admire or traditionalists who produce beloved movies like The Sound of Music.

The First Amendment to the Constitution instead was designed to protect the obnoxious, the provocative, the uncouth, and the creepy — on the principle that if the foulmouths can say or express what they wish and the public can put up with it, then everyone else is assured of free speech.”

“Apparently there is no longer a First Amendment as our Founders wrote it, but instead something like an Orwellian Amendment 1.5, which reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press — except if someone finds some speech hurtful, controversial, or not helpful.”

Cowardice abounds. When artists and writers mock Mormonism in a Broadway play like the Book of Mormon or use urine or excrement to deface Christian symbols, no Christian gang seeks to curb such distasteful expression — much less to kill anyone. Every religion but Islam knows that its iconography is fair game for caricature in the United States; none sanctions assassins. Jihadists seek to make this asymmetry quite clear to Western societies and thereby provide deterrence that gives Islam special exemption from Western satire and criticism in a way not accorded to other religions. And they are enabled by Westerners who prefer tranquility to freedom of expression.”

_____________________________________

3. Jonah Goldberg points out an uncomfortable truth about the left. They love anti-religious art, as long as it’s anti-Christian. 

From NationalReview  “Why aren’t liberals offering Pamela Geller a federal subsidy? Geller is the blogger-activist who organized the “Draw Muhammad” exhibition in Garland, Texas, which inspired some DIY jihadists to attack the event. The would-be terrorists chose poorly: They were cut down by Texas lawmen shortly after wounding a security guard.

Let’s hop in the WayBack Machine for a moment.

In 1986, the National Endowment of Arts paid about $20,000 for Andreas Serrano’s “Piss Christ.” Serrano peed in a glass, plunked a plastic icon of Jesus on the cross into it, and then snapped a picture. I will say the lighting was lovely. But, as strange as it seemed to the “arts community,” some people were offended.”

“But whenever Congress attempted to curtail funding of offensive art, editorial pages, faculty lounges, and museum boards launched a nationwide elite freak-out. In 1989, when the Senate voted to restrict some funding for offensive art, Richard Koshalek, the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, told the New York Times that he felt that the vote was “a form of psychological tyranny, trying to put the art world into a state of terror.” Painter Robert Motherwell exclaimed that “for Congress to act as censor is outrageous. The ultimate end is fascism.”

“Note: None of the critics said such work should be banned. They said it shouldn’t be publicly showcased on their dime. And yet, opposition to a taxpayer subsidy was almost universally seen as unambiguous censorship and violence against the First Amendment. Another interesting tidbit: Christians didn’t try to murder these artists. Nor did Christian organizations exhort their members to do so.”

_____________________________________

4. Is classical mythology too “triggering” to teach to college students? Or is it just too much to bear for these special little snowflakes? Or do they just need to shut up and stop whining? I’m goin’ with C. Final answer. 

From Reason.com  “In Columbia University’s student newspaper, four members of the school’s student Multicultural Affairs Advisory Board call on professors to be more sensitive when teaching provocative or controversial material… such as the Roman classical poet Ovid.

Ovid is best known for The Metamorphoses, a 15-book narrative poem that covers more than 250 mythological stories. Written entirely in dactylic hexameter, The Metamorphoses inspired future writers from Dante to Chaucer to Shakespeare. Whether or not it’s something today’s students should spend time on may be up for debate, but I think most people can understand why an instructor teaching it would focus on things like the language and imagery invoked. 

Not these Columbia students, however. See, some of the myths Ovid recounts involve sexual violence. Zeus’ daughter Persephone (aka Prosperina), for instance, is kidnapped, raped, and taken as a bride by Hades, king of the underworld. The op-ed writers suggest this ancient Greek and Roman myth is too triggering to be taught in today’s classroom: 

During the week spent on Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” the class was instructed to read the myths of Persephone and Daphne, both of which include vivid depictions of rape and sexual assault. As a survivor of sexual assault, the student described being triggered while reading such detailed accounts of rape throughout the work. However, the student said her professor focused on the beauty of the language and the splendor of the imagery when lecturing on the text. As a result, the student completely disengaged from the class discussion as a means of self-preservation. She did not feel safe in the class. When she approached her professor after class, the student said she was essentially dismissed, and her concerns were ignored.

Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” is a fixture of Lit Hum, but like so many texts in the Western canon, it contains triggering and offensive material that marginalizes student identities in the classroom. These texts, wrought with histories and narratives of exclusion and oppression, can be difficult to read and discuss as a survivor, a person of color, or a student from a low-income background.”

_____________________________________

5. To finish up, we’ll let Kirsten Powers explain how liberals ruined college, but I think you already have an idea how after #4. 

From TheDailyBeast  “The root of nearly every free-speech infringement on campuses across the country is that someone—almost always a liberal—has been offended or has sniffed out a potential offense in the making. Then, the silencing campaign begins. The offender must be punished, not just for justice’s sake, but also to send the message to anyone else on campus that should he or she stray off the leftist script, they too might find themselves investigated, harassed, ostracized, or even expelled. If the illiberal left can preemptively silence opposing speakers or opposing groups— such as getting a speech or event canceled, or denying campus recognition for a group—even better.

In a 2014 interview with New York magazine, comedian Chris Rock told journalist Frank Rich that he had stopped playing college campuses because of how easily the audiences were offended. Rock said he realized some time around 2006 that “This is not as much fun as it used to be” and noted George Carlin had felt the same way before he died. Rock attributed it to “Kids raised on a culture of ‘We’re not going to keep score in the game because we don’t want anybody to lose.’ Or just ignoring race to a fault. You can’t say ‘the black kid over there.’ No, it’s ‘the guy with the red shoes.’ You can’t even be offensive on your way to being inoffensive.” Sadly, Rock admitted that the climate of hypersensitivity had forced him and other comedians into self-censorship.

This Orwellian climate of intimidation and fear chills free speech and thought. On college campuses it is particularly insidious. Higher education should provide an environment to test new ideas, debate theories, encounter challenging information, and figure out what one believes. Campuses should be places where students are able to make mistakes without fear of retribution. If there is no margin for error, it is impossible to receive a meaningful education.

Instead, the politically correct university is a world of land mines, where faculty and students have no idea what innocuous comment might be seen as an offense. In December 2014, the president of Smith College, Kathleen McCartney, sent an email to the student body in the wake of the outcry over two different grand juries failing to indict police officers who killed African-American men. The subject heading read “All Lives Matter” and the email opened with, “As members of the Smith community we are struggling, and we are hurting.” She wrote, “We raise our voices in protest.” She outlined campus actions that would be taken to “heal those in pain” and to “teach, learn and share what we know” and to “work for equity and justice.””

_____________________________________

by

Our Daily Thread 5-12-15

Good Morning!

5-9-15 0535-9-15 054

______________________________________________

On this day in 1847 William Clayton invented the odometer.

In 1926 the airship Norge became the first vessel to fly over the North Pole.

In 1940 the Nazi conquest of France began with the German army crossing Muese River.

In 1965 West Germany and Israel exchanged letters establishing diplomatic relations.

And in 1978 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that they would no longer exclusively name hurricanes after women.

______________________________________________

Quote of the Day

“There was an old man with a beard, who said: ‘It is just as I feared! Two owls and a hen, four larks, and a wren have all built their nests in my beard.”

Edward Lear

______________________________________________

Today is Giovanni Battista Viotti’s birthday. 

And on today’s date in 1960 Elvis and Mr. Sinatra appeared together on the same TV special. And of course, YouTube has it. 🙂

______________________________________________

Anyone have a QoD?