62 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 10-20-16”

  3. Ready for some sleep over here. I spent hours working on the book order this afternoon. One class had a 1200 dollar order. Oh, my… I took a break and went to the store and bought peanut m and m’s to help me through the stress. Then I was so wired with chocolate that I had to walk it off later. I am still working on the order and it will be over 5,000. Very complex. And then the teacher’s get credit, so on Monday I will have to figure out another order of their credit buys.

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  4. Kim, You mentioned yesterday that Mr P watches CNN a lot. He needs to turn to Fox News, they are more balanced and their women are much better looking. 😉

    An Illustration from Drudge: This is on CNN:
    Host Chris Cuomo asked Collins what he thought Trump could do in tonight’s debate to prove he was fit for office. However, the Congressman went off script.
    “Two thirds of the public know that Hillary Clinton’s a liar, she can’t be trusted and now the two faces of Hillary are coming out – the fact through Wikileaks she says one thing and….”
    The feed is then immediately cut.
    Cuomo continued the discussion with pro-Hillary Congressman Hakeem Jeffries for a full two and a half minutes before Collins returned. Cuomo was sure to ask Collins a question that would steer him away from the subject of Wikileaks. Collins was only then allowed to speak for a brief time before the segment ended.

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  5. Good morning. I thought I might be first.

    That’s a tree full of cedar waxwings, by the way. Most of them are probably juveniles (the one spreading its tail clearly is), and the red “wax” doesn’t show on any of them. There ended up being at least 24 in the tree by the time all the birds had landed, and in a leafless tree of course that meant seeing every one. Now if only I could see and photograph that many in a tree full of berries or other fruit . . .

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  6. Gorgeous header❤
    I better not show it to Miss Bosley. All those birds would overwhelm her, and she might attack my tablet.😸

    I’ve been noticing on Facebook, in the writing community, that writers in the south more than other areas are open about politics while others hide their political feelings. I’ve seen it mentioned that a writer who wants to sell should not post political messages because it can alienate half of the potential customers. I have also seen how Facebook is a place to let people know more about oneself in a personally engaging way. I just keep wondering about if the elusiveness is a form of dishonesty just to make some bucks. Having business background, I certainly see or appreciate how that works. But if sales are more regional, then are people in the south only going to buy from those who are upfront with their politics? This is on my mind because this morning I was surprised to see a literary agent who I met at conference had posted on who she will vote for and why. Any thoughts? I apologize in advance if Linda thinks this is too political for this thread.

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  7. I got a good report on my friend, Karen, last night. Looking forward to hearing more good today.

    When Art went to the doc yesterday, they saw his incision site in his groin was having a little drainage but does not appear infected. He was given a prescription for an antibiotic creme. I hope that clears up quickly. I did not expect that.

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  8. I’m up early as I have to head out to one of our sister papers for a political candidate interview with our editorial board. It’s one of our nearby papers (and I used to live in that city) so not a long drive, but longer than usual and I can’t be late. I’m planning to make sure I arrive 30 minutes early.

    I steer clear of politics on social media — officially because I am a journalist and don’t feel it’s appropriate for journalists to discuss politics (in a partisan way) on an open forum like that. But personally I think it also just ticks people off who might not agree with you (and I personally find those posts often times annoying if not offensive, depending on how snarky they are).

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  9. And in my neck of the woods, my political views are a distinct minority.

    Fox isn’t as good as it used to be, or maybe I’m just becoming weary of the same-ol, same-ol from Hannity, O’Reilly (who is their highest paid host, btw, he makes a startling amount of money), etc., etc., all the usual rants.

    I prefer Hume & Wallace and Baer and would hope that in the future the station tries to build more on those qualities and personalities, being more news-oriented rather than opinion oriented.

    CNN usually does a decent job, but they have been letting their hand show in this election. But for news, especially breaking news, it’s a decent network. I prefer watching it for a change of pace over some of the predictable Fox partisan commentators. And I don’t really care if the women are made up or pretty or not. 🙂

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  10. Elvera, in my room, looked into the other room. She said, “There’s the doll. All the children want to play with my doll.”
    I said, “Caden didn’t. Caden didn’t care at all about that doll”.
    Caden’s a boy.
    It’s binary.

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  11. Although I preferred toy guns to dolls when I was a kid 🙂 Too many cowboy-cowgirl TV shows in those days. Grown-up cowgirls who wore fringe and boots and knew how to shoot and ride were my role models.

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  12. I actually take newswomen more seriously if they’re not model-perfect. Gorgeous, made-up women make me think they’re in that spot due to their looks more than their brains. They may have both, but when I see a female journalist who wouldn’t necessarily be on the cover of Vogue, I listen to them more.

    Hume says he’s often teased about his “hang dog” look. 🙂 So glad to see him back in a more central role on Fox these days. Hope he stays there. Wallace, too, he did an excellent job in the debate last night and maybe helped the image of the network among those who refuse to watch it (like most of my colleagues — one co-worker even had it “blocked” by his cable provider).

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  13. Interesting stereotyping (for lack of a better word) going on with Chas and Donna. He likes Fox because of the better looking female reporters, and Donna prefers female reporters who aren’t as good looking.

    Just saying.

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  14. Janice, my training as a worker with the pregnancy counseling center comes into play here. Jesus didn’t come to condemn and since I have no control over my Facebook page, I see no point in opening the door to being linked with ideas I don’t agree with in the political sense.

    I’ve always refrained from commenting on politics, abortion and homosexuality for that reason and because many of my relatives will write me off and disengage from conversation if I show my hand blatantly.

    I cannot minister if they see me through a political lens.

    Certainly they know I’m a believer and my website displays that, but I aim for the winsome, not the in-your-face.

    It is difficult, as a result, for them to get away with sweeping condemnation of Christianity because they know me. They can’t talk about heartless pro-life people because they know me. They can’t accuse all Christians as gay-bashes and haters because they know me.

    That may be a fine line for you, but it is frequently a tightrope for us out here. I live on the outskirts of Sodom and Gomorrah, my faith has to be deep to survive. I’ve read a lot about Christian life in despotic communities, I know I need to be careful to be effective.

    Other than my statement, “I’m not voting for president,” I only discuss politics with people who love me and whom I do not think will betray me.

    But even if they do, I’m living the life I believe God has called me to live. Hope this helps. I’ll probably end up in jail anyway, and then we’ll see how God will use me.

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  15. Thankful to have got my assignments in on time. Time is flying as regards school.

    Janice, why should it be dishonest to keep one’s political opinions to oneself? Politics should be a very small part of one’s life, even if one is called to work in government. Politics are an inevitable part of the operations of this temporal world, but like so many worldly elements, hold an incredible potential for evil and corruption, no matter what the political party or identification. When I see fellow Christians tying themselves in knots over who is in power or who will be in power, I always thing of what Paul said, “No man that wars entangles himself in the affairs of this life.” When I interact with non-Christians, the thing I want them to know about me is the God I serve, not the political party I vote for.

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  17. Janice….I have many FB friends who put their views out there. The purpose of FB for me is to stay in touch with friends and family…they all know my views already. There are post that I will “like” and those may be seen by my “friends”….some may disapprove at what they would deem “extreme’ views of mine i.e.: protection of the unborn, marriage between a man and a woman, my disapproval of Clinton, Obama and their ilk….however…I do attempt to be uplifting on my own timeline and comments….
    It was interesting to me that my Pasadena daughter posted in the wee hours of the morning that after watching the debate and viewing comments on FB, she was going to defriend some friends and family alike…so silly….(she happened to have voted fo Obama…twice…she loved Bernie and will vote for Clinton….yes I raised her…but she ended up having polar opposite views of her mother….and father…. 😦

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  19. Janice, no, it isn’t at all dishonest not to say publicly all that one thinks–especially in a setting where it might be considered unprofessional or where it is likely to be divisive. When I attended a mostly black church, I almost never discussed politics with my fellow church members. But then, I’ve rarely done so at any church. Politics doesn’t interest me enough for me to put even a smidgen of my career in it–I can’t see ever writing a blog post or a published essay on politics. Now, I personally do not think abortion is “political”; it’s moral. But much of the country sees even that as political. And it’s not related to topics I write about, so I’m not likely ever to write anything about it professionally.

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  22. We do, and she is lovely. She took her time arriving so I did not go to Colorado though husband and two children went. A good time was had by all. Baby was born late Monday night after thirty six hours of labor. Both baby and mom are fine. Daughter did mention that she did not think I was forthcoming on how painful it was. I asked if she felt confident she could express how it was, she can’t. But all is good now and we are all home. The children got to see a bear at the wedding, which was quite the highlight as most of the guests were from out of the country.

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  23. I’ve been scarce for the past week because my mother-in-law passed away. It was unexpected because she was not ill, but also not unexpected because she was 91 and frail. She was the kindest person I ever knew, and strong too. I’ll probably re-post on Rants and Raves this week what I wrote on the occasion of her birthday in August.

    I hope everyone has been keeping well here. I look forward to catching up.

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  27. Janice, no apology necessary, and I took your thoughts to be more about Facebook than politics. By the time I got back to respond, several others have echoed my (and your) position on it. As I messaged to someone the other day, “stick to pictures of your adorable children and cat videos . . . oh, and pictures of your dinner are OK too.”

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  28. Hurrah! Congratulations, Mumsee! Is this the first granddaughter?

    On the pain of childbirth: When second sibling was preparing for her firstborn earlier this year, we tried to prepare her by saying that the pain would be incredible (I speaking out of what I had witnessed in deliveries, my other siblings and mother speaking out of experience). She still found it terrible to go through. One of things nurses have to try to do is assess pain levels, but we acknowledge that pain isn’t really measurable and each person experiences it differently. So, no woman can ever really describe to another what the pain is like, although, from what I’ve witnessed, Jesus described it perfectly: “A woman, when she is in labour, has sorrow because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers the anguish no more, for joy that a man is born into the world.” I have watched all three of my siblings give birth, and each one is exhausted by the end of labour, yet when the child is placed in their arms, all that is forgotten as they greet their little one.

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  30. Roscuro’s post reminds me that I always thought the “1 to 10” pain-rating scale was silly and meaningless. Once when I was asked to rate my “pain level” I said, “I’ve had pancreatitis and I’ve given birth. This is nothing.”

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  31. Roscuro, probably my favorite photo I have taken of my sister is a few minutes after her second son was born (it was her easiest birth of five, and the one I got to witness). She lies in bed, exhaustion all over her face, hair a mess, some blood on her gown, but her face is absolutely radiant as she gazes at the son in her arms.

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  32. The new header photo is mallards in flight, two males and two females or juveniles. I like it that the colors are visible and they have different wing strokes.

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  35. Kevin, sorry to hear of your loss. That verse I quoted about childbirth in my last post comes just before this one in John 16: “You now, therefore, have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man takes from you.” (v. 22)

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  37. Linda, the trouble with pain is that it is a subjective sign – it can’t be measured like blood pressure or pulse rate can be. Yet, we need to have some sort of scale because we need to determine the dosage needed for pain medication. One innovation to get around the problem has been to develop pain pumps on IVs, which allow the patient to press the button and receive more pain medicine (it is set so they can’t overdose) when they feel the need.

    I was just writing about pancreatitis in one of my assignments and coincidentally, during break week, one of my teachers had an attack of pancreatitis and had her gallbladder removed as a result (gallstones are one of the many causes of pancreatitis).

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  40. Part of my post was really about noticing differences between the south and other areas of the country. I do not know why more writers in the south seem to feel more free to post about politics than people do in other areas of the country. I live in an area which is highly liberal, in some respects like a mini CA atmosphere. I don’t feel so free to post about politics although I do sometimes. I did get a Facebook live message from a fairly well known Christian nonfiction author today (after I had posted here). She said she never posts on politics because she is a coward. But her daughter had been brave and posted so she would, too, because of her pro-life position. So, twice today, I have seen unexpected posts from people in publishing who are making thoughts known that they never would have in the past. I guess I am wondering if this is a political “coming out of the closet” moment?

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  43. I’ve started “hiding” political posts I find annoying (mostly Trump ridicule pieces, of which there are many on FB). I’m thinking FB is so smart they may figure out I don’t want to see these anymore. 🙂

    It’s 91 degrees in LA and I’m writing about outdoor ice rinks coming to the area for the holidays.

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  45. Sorry, Kevin, for your loss. It is always difficult to lose those people that you feel have added kindness, goodness, patience, joy, etc. into your life. We all need more of those who exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

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  46. Janice, the older I grow, the more I see the pro-life position as being outside the realm of politics. When, almost two years ago now, Canada’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously, that people had a right to choose to end their lives if they were suffering incurably, five out of the nine judge panel had been appointed by the Conservative government at that time. It was government headed by a Prime Minister who was said to be a Christian and who had a good number of Members of Parliament in his party who were also said to be Christians. Yet not only did the judges appointed by the Conservatives make such a ruling, but the Conservative government itself would not reopen the question of abortion and left it to the now Liberal government to write the law on assisted dying. When the Supreme Court in 1988, struck down the abortion law, the government had a year to re-legislate the law; it was a Conservative government at that time as well, and they did not do it. There is no use in my identifying my convictions about the worth of human lives with a political movement, because no political movement can carry that weight. Politics is about doing what is expedient at the moment, and humans always find it expedient to devalue other humans. When, in the 1950s and 60s, abortion was illegal, the sterilization of the so-called unfit, which included victims of rape and racial minorities, was government policy in both U.S. states in the U.S. and Canadian provinces.

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  48. I never knew it might take that long. I took Elvera to the hospital on the way to work. They called me about 1:00 to say he was on the way. I still had to wait about 45 minutes. I thought that was a long time.

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  51. Janice, since I live in the South and I have a lot of the same political views as you I will tell you…DON”T. Just Don’t post anything political, controversial, anything on Facebook. As a real estate agent before FB I would told not to have any bumper stickers on my car and when FB became about career networking rather than a “safe” place to connect with friends and family I stopped posting too much political. I didn’t change my profile photo to a picture of the Eiffel Town with Je suis Charlie, I didn’t put a rainbow across my face for marriage equality. I am fairly cagey there. Occasionally I will trip up and post something I shouldn’t and when it causes too much of a stir I delete it. I also don’t post a whole lot about Mr. P or BG on facebook.
    I have noticed recently that fewer and fewer people at liking or commenting on my posts and if I were more insecure it would hurt my feelings I don’t let it bother me.
    Look at Michelle’s FB page. She handles her’s very well and posts her blog link there. Look at mine if you would like to. No matter what your position you are going to alienate people…unless you happen to be one who doesn’t have to worry about who you alienate.

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  54. Kim at 4:54. Other people thought I should be at the hospital waiting all that time.
    But she was doing her thing and I was doing mine. I was working as a GS-2 WAE (While Actually Employed-read “hourly worker”) We didn’t have insurance and Chuck cost over $100. I think I was making $1.42/hr. But later, I became a GS-3 Cartographic Draftsman. that helped a little.
    Elvera had lost her job because at the time NYLIC (New Your Life) in Ft. Worth wouldn’t allow
    a woman to work there in maternity clothes. She worked until she was five months along, then they fired her.

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  58. Dropped her off and went on to work 🙂 Chas, you continue to amaze us

    Our newspaper’s ethics policy prohibits us from signing petitions, working / volunteering or otherwise supporting campaigns, and putting bumper stickers on our cars

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  60. My first took 36 hours as well. I played “The Messiah” all night as I paced, singing along, “For unto us a child is born.”

    Eventually, a son was given.

    My husband left for a new duty station two hours later. Whew!

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