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Centers of the battle
We know why God loves cities. We also know why God hated Sodom.
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Sunday showdown: Both parties look to sway fence-sitters for this weekend's healthcare vote
Abortion debate: Pro-lifers differ on abortion provisions found in the healthcare bill
Ken Blackwell praises Sen. Tom Coburn's warning to Democrats changing their nay votes on healthcare. 
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On this day in 1951: I Love Lucy premiered on CBS.
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back to top91 Comments to “Whirled Views 10.15”
I loved Lucille Ball, I read everything about her and even had a cat named Lucy. My father on the other hand could not stand her for some reason. Some years ago when her biography was on TV there was a home movie of her and Desi in the pool with one of their grandchildren. It was clear to see that they still loved each other.
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Al Gore’s claim about polar bear extinction has been exposed as a hoax. Polar bear numbers are actually increasing. And we have had eleven straight years of global cooling. Maybe that’s they’ve started calling it Climate Change, rather than Global Warming.
Here is what he said about a photograph of polar bears on ice IN AUGUST,
The report goes on to say,
“You have to keep in mind that the bears are not in danger at all. This is a perfect picture for climate change…you have the impression they are in the middle of the ocean and they are going to die…But they were not that far from the coast, and it was possible for them to swim…They are still alive and having fun.”
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Kim
I’m with your dad on that one.
For some reason I have always loathed watching anything with Lucille Ball. “I Love Lucy” is bad enough, but there aren’t words to describe my dislike for “The Lucy Show”!
There’s only one exception, for some reason, I find The Long, Long Trailer funny enough to tolerate watching her.
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I’m just now out of bed for the first time since Monday night. Flu. After three days without bathing or shaving, I saw Tony Stewart in the mirror.
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What happened to Old Hickory.
He argued with me about how empiricism is not the best route to truth. It certainly does not give us a reason to live or alleviate our despair about death.
However, here at worldmagblog I read many comments telling me that the Bible us true because it lists names confirmed by archeological research or because “Darwinism” can be proven incorrect.
Now Xion is arguing that polar bears are increasing. This may be true. If there is evidence to support this claim…
Oh, my gosh. What am I saying?
Why are people who criticize empiricism tossing out empirical arguements to make their claims?
Old Hickory, are you OK?
In any case, what part of i-n-c-o-h-e-r-e-n-t don’t you undestand?
Last addressed to all conservative Christians here, not just OH. Who may be suffering from depression, something I have experienced, so I feel empathy for him, though among some conservatives, empathy is a bad word.
Unless it is applied to fetuses.
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Wow, Stubob, where could you possibly have been exposed to the flu? I am glad to hear you are recovering.
Lucille Ball: put me in the camp with Kim’s dad and RoyClay. Hubby liked her shows but I never did. Something about it was just off.
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I love I Love Lucy. It’s still funny, today. I love the whole retro toaster, coffee pot, housewife best friend thing. I love aprons, the funny differences between husbands and wives, Lucy and Ricky… I love the heavy shiny waffle irons.. the whole thing. Just love it.
Mumsee, I don’t check in everyday. I am usually painting at my new studio. I took second at the fair and won 6 dollars. : ). In my town in Florida, second place meant several hundred dollars. Still, I’m honored.
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I love the black and white. But, I will say this: she lies to her husband a lot, and I don’t like that. But, as my husband pointed out, it’s a sit com. Her preposterous lies are part of the humor.
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StuBob,
From the going to Rome thread it appears you are not as recovered as I had hoped. Still need rest and plenty of fluids. Do not get out and about too early, we don’t want a relapse.
EYG,
Congratulations! Six dollars! Wow! What one could do with six dollars…:
buy a couple of notebooks and a package of pens for artwork
buy two bags of mini milky way candy bars
buy a bag and a half or salt and vinegar chips
buy five rain ponchos of the really cheap variety
buy one of those special coffees people talk about
buy two gallons of gas
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TRS,
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear TRS, happy birthday to you!
)!!!!!(!!!!!!)!!!!!!!!(
chocolatechocolatechoco
latechocolatechocolatec
vanillavanillavanillava
chocolatechocolatechoco
latechocolatechocolatec
cinnamoncinnamoncinnamo
chocolatechocolatechoco
cayennecayennecayenneca
chocolatechocolatechoco
vanillavanillavanillava
chocolatechocolatechoco
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ARGH! Who bumped the stove this time? Anyway, I made it bigger than the one for KBells yesterday, not because I like one of you better than the other, but just in case somebody should happen to let her dog in again I wanted to make sure there was enough for the rest.
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On this day, I find myself mourning a professional wrestling icon’s passing: Captian Lou Albano.
*sigh*
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EYG, my husband often complains about how stupid and illogical people on sit-coms are and I have to remind him that well adjusted people aren’t funny.
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Re: Lucille Ball
I never saw “I Love Lucy” much because it wasn’t shown on a channel or time that I got to see it growing up. My sister and I did watch “The Lucy Show” and generally enjoyed it. I disliked it sometimes, because I hate seeing someone embarrassed. Sometimes it just went too far. But mostly I found it funny. At least she was generally bringing the laughter on herself, rather than making fun of someone else, which I hate seeing.
My parents never watched it with us, or any other sitcoms except M*A*S*H in its later years as it tackled more serious themes. They liked dramas and family shows like “The Waltons” and “Little House on the Prairie” that taught positive values. My mother especially only wanted books and TV shows that improved the mind and character, nothing just for entertainment. She let us watch them, but would never join us.
(Plus she became increasingly concerned about dangerous electromagnetic radiation coming from the TV. She never trusted color TVs, and in later years wouldn’t watch black&white either. One of the saddest things I remember from her last years in the nursing home was seeing her sitting in a wheelchair in front of the TV, apparently drugged to the point of not caring that she was doing something so potentially hazardous to both her physical and mental health.)
My mother also said she had read that Lucille Ball as an actress was a prima donna, very difficult to work with. I don’t know if that was part of her not wanting to watch her.
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The reason that there is so much uncertainty about exactly how many polar bears there actually ARE in the Artic is primarily due to the high MORTALITY RATE among Polar Bear Counters.
You see, polar bears are white and they spend most of their time lounging around on white snow and sitting on white icebergs. It is VERY hard to see a white polar bear sitting in the snow.
Also, up North, where polar bears are, there are a lot of blizzards. And it is PARTICULARY hard to see a white polar bear sitting on a white snow drift in the middle of a blizzard.
Just ask your average seal about this; they will wax indignant, and go for hours and hours, about how terribly hard it is to see a polar bear (and about the unfairness of life in the Artic, in general).
Anyway, the average Polar Bear Counter frequently has difficulty determining whether that big white hump in the snow is ACTUALLY a polar bear (and hence needs to be counted) or maybe is just a snow drift containing a dead 19th century Artic explorer or maybe a live one trillion kiloton yield nuclear missile that fell off a SAC bomber during the 1950’s, or something.
So what the trained Polar Bear Counter does is this; he pokes at the hump vigorously with a long sharp stick. He keeps poking and jabbing and jabbing and poking until he has determined whether or not there is a polar bear actually in there or not.
You can see how this sort of thing can lead to considerable undercounting of polar bears. And also a related high mortality rate among Polar Bear Counters.
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The following is gross and perhaps inappropriate for the children who read worldmagblog. You have been warned.
At my last physical, my doctor said to me, “You are in great shape for a 65-year-old man. Except you have the prostate of a 70-year-old.”
This week I visited my doctor. My blood pressure, which has been too high for much of my life, was measured at 112/70. As I make too many jokes at my HMO, I said, “I have recovered from ‘white coat syndrome.’” My doctor laughed politely.
He prescribed medicine to shrink my prostate. He said a side effect is it drops blood pressure sharply. He said, “I am tapering you off the clonidine [a blood pressure med he wants to get me off anyway].”
He said this new medication should be taken at night before I go to bed because it may make me dizzy and faint-headed.
As everyone who reads my comments knows, I don’t need any help at being dizzy and faint-headed.
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Don’t worry, Mumsee, the dog has been banned from the Internet, but I’m beginning to suspect the cat has figured out my password. I keep getting UPS packages of cat toys and cans of tuna that I don’t remember ordering.
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I see Drill is here. I am Drill’s evil twin brother. You think he is funny because he is a rightwing religious fanatic. If I spot a polar bear in my woods because of the coming ice age, I will give it directions on how to cross the ice that will be covering Puget Sound and head for Drill.
Drill, I live on an island in Peget Sound. I don’t know where you live. I will take a wild guess. I know you don’t want to tell me where you live, but you can say “close” or “far” or something like that.
I am going to say, Tennessee or Kentucky. I have a neighbor in the woods who is from Kentucky. He is a nice guy, though tired of the computer business and thinking of becoming a real estate appraiser.
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Random,
The arguments here against empiricism are not that it is bad, only that it is incomplete. Empiricism is an excellent way to know many things, one of the best ways we have for learning about the world around us. But it is not the only way to know things, and it is inadequate for some things.
Appeals to empiricism are very relevant when it comes to the question of climate change. Appeals to empiricism are not much help when it comes to abstract ideas such as beauty, hope, and loyalty. And if empiricism falls short when it comes to those, why should we accept it as a way of determining ultimate truth about ourselves and God (if He does exist)?
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To heck with Polar bears, if the north pole melts what will happen to Santa?
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HappY Birthday TRS! Does Paul McCartney own the copyright to the second verse of the Birthday Song Cheryl taught us yesterday?
Mumsee’s cake is big enough that I may get some. But I have to go the the Live Embers (old folks club) today and will get something besides brownies.
Mumsee, StuBob got the flu from a patient. Hospitals and doctor’s offices contain sick people. I try to avoid them.
Random: I worry about Hickory too. Monty also disappeared. They were valuable additions to the blog. Somewhat different, but we need that.
I never watched Lucille Ball, nor anything else, in those days. But I think she had character; which is more than we get from most these days.
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Mumsee (9): You may be right. I’m taking medications I won’t name, but which have been known to alter one’s thinking. On the plus side, I’m not coughing as much as I was.
Maybe this is what my writing needed. I could be the next Hunter S. Thompson!
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Random Name,
Empiricism is not sufficient for knowing ultimate truth, but it’s certainly quite sufficient for discerning derivative truths. That’s probably what Old Hickory was saying as well.
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StuBob,
Much as we all have laughed at the ourageous worry perpetrated by the media in reference to swine flu, it is not hitting everybody easily. Some have serious complications. In your mind altered state I will tell you some. If you are on the mend and suddenly find yourself relapsing, perhaps blue tinged fingers (lack of oxygen in the blood) and fever returning, you may need to call on another doctor. But you knew that.
My neighbor, who has CLD, appears to have it as well. She no longer has a fever but we are watching her carefully.
It is possible StuBob already knows this so this is also for the rest of you. Take it seriously, as with any flu. Children tend to get it, we have two closed schools here. They have the usual symptoms, appear to recover, and some relapse, sometimes with deadly consequences. Stay away from crowds, wash frequently, keep your hands away from your face other than for eating purposes.
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Happy Birthday, TRS!
Random, I didn’t know before now you were on island in the Sound. Do you mind mentioning which one? I love that whole area, and in my college years and following I spent a fair bit of time with some friends from Bainbridge.
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Happy Birthday, TRS. Have a great day!
Mumsee, one of my Florida friends pointed out that six dollars doesn’t even buy a tube of paint.
Then my husband reminded me not to despise small beginnings. This was my first designation or ribbon. I’ve been painting almost two years. I never set out to compete, it was done with my husband’s encouragement.
Now I’m learning to paint koi fish. I don’t know where this is all heading, maybe nowhere… But it is fun to enter this artistic subculture!
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Kbells! I never thought of that!!! Poor Santa!
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I getting frustrated trying to get a flu shot for my son. Wal Greens gave them at the church but he was too young and they told me to call his doctor. The doctor’s office doesn’t have them yet and has told me to call back Monday two weeks in a row. At least I have had a shot and will be able to nurse him without worrying about getting sick myself.
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Happy Birthday, TRS!
You better check in soon; it looks like the cake is going fast.
Mmmmmmmmmm…
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Random Name,
In addition to what Pauline and Ree have said regarding empiricism:
If someone were to ask you to defend your use of empiricism, you would not exclusively use empiricism to do so, for that would be fatally c-i-r-c-u-l-a-r.
Can you show us some quotes from people ’round here “criticiz[ing] empiricism”?
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Good morning, everyone. I am in a hurry, somewhere I need to be soon, but wanted to say hello. And I’m back home after a hard but good trip to spend some time with my brother and his wife (with end stages of breast cancer)–details on yesterday’s WV, posted fairly late at night, for anyone who wants to know more.
Happy birthday, TRS.
Sorry, Mumsee, I may have been the one who slammed the door. I was too tired last night to really know what I was doing.
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Random Name:
Maybe I am just a mild-mannered white-haired old widow, bent with age and wisdom, who teaches Sunday School in Knoxville, TN, who spends all her time putzing around in her garden on sunny afternoon and baking cookies for her church socials and watching the science fiction channel late at night.
Or maybe I am a giant of a man, hard-eyed and sun-leathered, a hard-riding, hard-drinking rancher under endless Montana skies, with fingers stained brown from rolling homemade cigarettes and a voice like a river of gravel.
Or maybe I am a high government official in the Luxembourg government, a well-dressed dandy, wealthy as the Count of Monte Cristo, cosmopolitian and polished, speaking ten languages and smoking the finest cigars.
Or – actually – I may merely be a kind of electronic current, an invisible wave breaking momentarily upon the shores of your computer, a sort of ghost in the machine (deux et machina), an improbably sentient (or not) swirling of electrons, endlessly flowing in black micro-space.
Imagine, if you can, a swarm of electronic bees moving at the speed of light, settling first here and then there, hither and yon, ever roving, fleshless, bodiless; or imagine, if you can, a phantom ship, full-sailed and heeled over hard, driven ever before a gale, doomed to ever sail upon the heaving pitiless seas of the electromagnetic ether, an incorporeal spectre-ship, tempest-driven, storm-lashed, bathed in the white glare of lightnings, with unearthly fires flickering and writhing along her rigging and gray seas washing and churning over her bow.
Why, oh why, must you always know?
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#12 – JUSTU331, remember to wear some rubber bands in your beard in tribute to Captain Lou! Bring back Bruno Sanmartino!
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Cheryl, thank you for sharing. I cried when I read your account of the visit. I am glad they have had this time to say goodbye, but I am sad it has dragged on as well. Several days ago I posted something on Whirled Views to Make It Man about the loss of his cousin. I hope if you go back and read it, it will help you with the loss when it comes. Hugs and Prayer.
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Cheryl, you are in my prayers. What a bittersweet time for your family… I know it’s exhausting.
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#19
Pauline, you know I respect you a great deal, so I am saying this seriously and respectfully. Also, as I have said, there are questions empiricism can’t answer and problems it can’t solve.
However, one person’s subjective evaluation of beauty, hope, and loyalty is just as good as the next person’s. Most people here regard God as good and justified in damning everyone to Hell for the sins of the [imaginary] people Adam and Eve. I agree that we are all doomed to die and that all humans are damnable, but I regard the God that people here so revere as an unplesant bully.
That may be heresy, but there is no empirical test for heresy, so my opinion is as good as yours.
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Happy Birthday, TRS. I see the cake has cinnamon. That is a good mix, chocolate and cinnamon. And I am only taking one piece, mumsee, so don’t blame me for taking more than my share. Someone else took extra, it seems.
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#20
When my daughter went to kindergarten, the bad little boy next door named George said to her, “There is no Santa Claus.”
My daughter came home from school and asked me, “Daddy, is there really no Santa Claus?”
I said, “What do you think?”
She said, “I think George is correct. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I said, “I thought it best for you to figure it out yourself.”
After that, the God and Jesus stuff was easy.
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#23
The Bible is true because the Bible tells us it is true.
Your ultimate truth is my nonsense.
My ultimate truth is your nonsense.
Care to join my church of nihilism?
I thought not. Roger Williams was a devout Christian. At the end of his life, he refused to join any church.
Nevertheless, devout as he was, I suspect he sensed the Hounds of Hell [aka Nihilism] snapping at his heels.
Thought it might only have been his Puritan neighbors.
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#25 KevinB
Can I trust you? My email works and I reply to it and keep emails to me private. If you email me at eman_modnar@yahoo.com and promise not to “out my location” on wmb, I will tell you the name of the town where I live and even attach a picture or two.
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I have been gone for a week, the theater, canary show in San Pedro, emptying out our garage for the new renters and, of course, the drive-17 hours each way. (Thank you for cruise control!)
I just looked over some of the past headlines from World Mag Blog. I usually find Tokarev’s articles interesting, but 259 posts by Musing and Reader? I would be embarrassed.
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#30 Old Hickory asked me about empiricism and politely asserted it is not the only way to truth. Now he seems to have disappeared.
I am a little worried about him. I suspect the conservative Christianity on display here is bad for some people.
In “real life” I have known at least two conservative Christians whose lives collapsed because of mental illness and personal problems. Atheism is bad for some people as well. I know atheists whose lives have collapsed because of mental illness and personal problems.
Me? I am merely contemplate the existential dilemma with cheerful despair. I figure I will die, maybe tomorrow, or maybe twenty years from now, so “What! Me Worry?” is my motto this week.
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#32
Get serious.
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Here are some photos of the most alien looking landscapes on earth. I thought this group of photos quite good, and enjoyed them very much. Hopefully you will also:
http://matadortrips.com/photo-essay-the-most-alien-landscapes-on-earth/
Cheryl, good to hear from you. I’ll have to go back and read what you wrote.
And Kim, belated thanks for what you posted. It was touching.
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#31 stirred the following comment
I damaged our house because of a moment of absent-mindedness. A craftsman was working on repairs this week. The other day, he said, I will not be in tomorrow. I have to take my brother to the cancer institute.
“What kind of cancer does he have?” I asked nosily.
“Brain cancer. He went to an institute in Texas, but they ran out of things to try. He is 48. He said to me, ‘It isn’t as if I haven’t had a life to live; and it’s been a pretty good one.’”
I didn’t aske him if he had come to Jesus because that’s not my thing.
A day later, my wife and I carpooled to a meeting of the organic farming group with a couple of other members. One of the other members talked about helping a friend of hers, an elderly lesbian, get ready to die. (She has terminal cancer.)
She is going to visit her grandchildren for the last time. (I guess that means she was married at one time.) Again, I am not the one to pester such people, even if I knew them personally, about Jesus.
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I listened to the BBC recommended by Arcadia. Scary. Fortunately, I am in the family of the risen King and don’t need to worry.
So, they believe that if they recite the ninety nine names of Allah they will get to go to Paradise. And, of course, love Mohammed. The way to feel closer to Allah is to meditate on his names. Finding a piece of paper in the mud, cleaning it up and perfuming it will make your name fragrant in his thoughts. The names should be said at different volumes and different stances and you will gradually have that name become a part of you. Certain names you are not allowed to recite loudly or often as you might become that (overpowering is one). Anyone can recite the names but it is better to have a spiritual leader guide you in it (telling you which ones to recite and how often) so you don’t get out of balance. The names should be prescribed like a medicine to fix what is wrong with you, you can overdose. You need to vibrate the name out, give your life to it through your breath and then allow it to say its own name around you as long as you can sustain the feeling. Allah has a hundredth name but people cannot say it. But if you read the Koran you will say it. But it is hidden. And people cannot say it.
Hmm. Sounds like an emotion based, meditation based, fill yourself with unknown entities based, religion of works. Some of us knew that. I did not know it was quite so emotionally based and about feeling good. The scary thing is if you get several million people giving their minds over to feeling, what happens? Or five people? Or twenty nine?
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Someone asked in the last month or two for a story about a bona fide healing. Here’s one from someone I’ve met a couple times. I’d not heard this before:
http://www.brandilyncollins.com/healing.html
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San Pedro? My home town!
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This is for Drill.
I don’t know if it conveys empiric truth or not. I don’t know if Drill is open to considering anything that does not agree with his pre-determined views. He may be.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091015/sc_afp/britaincanadaarcticclimateenvironmentscience
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Happy Birthday, TRS.
My daughter has been baking a lot of delicious cupcakes recently, so if the cake runs out before you get a slice, I’ll save a cupcake for you.
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#47
I am glad the person was healed. (Said seriously and not sarcastically.)
The rest of this comment is less respectful.
From a religious point of view (and I am very dense on this, I admit), I don’t know why God would choose to perform a miracle on one person and not on another. Even if the story is true (and I am not asserting it is not), it strikes me as saying whatever God does is good and right because God is the definition of good and right. If a person dies of cancer, God meant for him or her to join him. If God provides a miracle, God meant for the person to stay alive.
This does not convince me there is a God or that anyone posting posts or comments here about God knows what they are talking about or has anything useful to offer.
Eventually we all die and do not know what happens after that. If you believe in miracles then that does not communicate to me that you are not dismayed by death. I don’t know how Christianity developed, and I do not believe in it, but it is amazing how brilliantly it is knit together to alleviate some kinds of existential suffering for some people. For other people, it is a total failure.
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“I don’t know how Christianity developed, and I do not believe in it, but it is amazing how brilliantly it is knit together to alleviate some kinds of existential suffering for some people.”
Um… perhaps because it didn’t “develop”, it is true?
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Energy Saving Tip:
Just order all of those Powerful Free Tapes advertised on the radio and use them to run small appliances.
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Happy Birthday TRS.
Cheryl – Praying for you and your family.
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Kim (#1) Weird, my dad hated her, too, especially when she cried!
Happy Birthday TRS.
Praying for Cheryl & Karen O’s mom.
Bob, we completely missed that San Pedro canary show on our pet’s blog ….
Annie Oakley and the dogs spent some time eyeing one another through the baby gate in the hallway last night. I was surprised the Annie was so calm, no hissing, she took a few steps toward them, before calmly returning to “her room.”
Cowboy and Tess were mesmerized by the semi-close encounter, but I think they’ll be OK with some supervision & training at first. They didn’t bark or get excited, just seemed very focused, so I tried to break their concentration by talking to them a lot, telling them she’s a “baby” and lives here, too, so they need to be nice & gentle with her.
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Happy Birthday, TRS! And happy belated birthday to Kbells, too!
Lots to pray about on the blog this past week. Cheryl, MIM, and Harris, you and your families have been in my prayers.
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#52
I consider the possibility. There is very little empirical evidence for it. I am not very responsive to the other type of argument.
There may be genetic predisposition to religious belief and my wife and daughter and I may lack that genetic trait.
What kind of God would let people inherit a gene for lack of religious belief?
For that matter, is there a genetic predisposition to scapegoating and prejudice? Sometimes it applies to people of other religious beliefs; sometimes it applies to people of other skin colors; sometimes it applies to people of other sexual orientations.
This type of attitude is very common here. Are you all related?
Are you the result of …
Never mind. I will get myself in trouble again.
As I say, I am too easily amused.
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KBells, the top hook of the candy cane will still stick out of the water. Santa will add a dock there. The reason you could never find Santa’s house was because you enter the candy cane and the elevator takes you the the SOUTH pole. Santa’s fine.
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Remember the old days under Bush, when the liberal meme was all about troops not havin’ enough body-armor and IED proof trucks? Well apparently things have gotten so much better in Iraq/Afghanistan that Congress feels those things are no longer necessary. It seems guns, ammo, and maintenance aren’t necessary anymore either. Congress has found more pressing things that need the money more.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/15/troop-funds-diverted-to-pet-projects/
“Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis.”
” While earmarks are hardly new in Washington, “in 30 years on Capitol Hill, I never saw Congress mangle the defense budget as badly as this year,” said Winslow Wheeler, a former Senate staffer who worked on defense funding and oversight for both Republicans and Democrats. He is now a senior fellow at the Center for Defense Information, an independent research organization.”
” These are the accounts that pay for troop training, repairs, spares and supplies for vehicles, weapons, ships and planes, food and fuel,” Mr. Wheeler said.
Raiding those accounts to fund big-ticket projects the military does not want, but that benefit senators’ home states or campaign contributors, amounts to “rancid gluttony,” he said.”
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Random Name. Here is the best information on Roger Williams:
http://www.reformedreader.org/rbb/williams/rwindex.htm
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Random Name: You are hardly an empiricist, let alone a skeptic:
Let me quote to you from the link I provided yesterday on the Ice Project:
“Perhaps the most startling new information gleaned from these records is the knowledge that natural climate is far from stable; quite the opposite — major, fast changes in climate are found throughout the record. It now appears that Earth’s climate changes dramatically every few thousand years, often within the span of a decade. Data gathered through ice core analysis challenge traditional assumptions of how climate operates. Further, the authors show that climate conditions over the past several thousand years, which we take for granted as normal, may in fact be significantly different from that in the previous 100,000 years. New data suggest that relatively balmy conditions allowing the flowering of human civilization since the last Ice Age are not the norm for the last few hundred thousand years. Yet despite the apparent mild state of climate for the last 10,000 years there have still been changes sufficient to contribute substantially to the course of civilization. We live in a changing climate that could under certain circumstances change even more dramatically.”
In other words, past climate swings have been incredibly dramatic and unpredictable; sometimes severe cold has been preceded by short warming periods – and guess what – models don’t predict the past at all.
No one is saying that climate does not change, Random Name.
The problem is that predictions and assertations of global warming based on current scientific techniques and methods are pure garbage. Behind it is no science at all – it is all about political and economic control.
A cartoon-educated generation will believe in cartoon science.
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AJ are we fighting just one war though now? I could see a decrease in the demand, but I personally think infrastructure and military are the first thing our lovely government should be taking care of…not the last…
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Random Name: As far as your much-touted ‘empiricism’, that is hokum as well.
If you are strictly an empiricist, you can believe only in what your senses perceive, if that. And certainly, to be consistent, when your senses end (i.e. when you die), the universe dies.
An old book that I recommend is ‘Flatland’ – there the ultimate empiricist is the King of the Geometric Point, the self-defining external reality-denying all-encompassing Ego.
I do not think that is you at all, so you are not a through-going empiricist.
However, the smallest child singing ‘Jesus Loves Me’ lives in a far bigger environment than the little windowless box you have inserted yourself into.
It takes far more credulity for you to believe that a conscious sentinent self-aware questioning creature (you) spontaneously arose in a dead universe from dead matter than that everything has absolute meaning and structure and purpose – external to the ego and independent of your self-serving senses.
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Some more spider lore for Drill:
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-%26-technology/scientists-discover-tedious,-left%11wing-spider-200910132133/
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Drill, you’ve read Flatland? I’d forgotten all about it until you mentioned it, but I’ve read it too. Weird concepts, but so good a description of those who live in this marvelous world and don’t believe in eternity.
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A stranger checking in…8)
Happy Birthday TRS! Praying for you, Cheryl and StuBob…
Random Name (#20 about Santa)–that is exactly why we do NOT “recognize” Santa in our home—less confusion, just the truth.
My family is doing well. I haven’t been around since probably July. I’m going to go back now and see what has been going on here. Several of you all have been on my mind, and in my prayers!
Two praises to report–my dear sister in the Lord, who is receiving chemo for breast cancer, is responding and in great spirits! She asks for prayer for her parent’s salvation; she feels this is why the Lord is allowing this trial.
Second praise–our church situation was resolved. It took several months (actually two years if you go back to the beginning) but the Lord worked in the situation and we are able to stay with our church home. Praise God!!
Enrollment in our children’s Christian school is UP this year (and tuition stayed the same); may we keep honoring Him in all we do!
Blessings on this cold rainy day!
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MMacMurray–I read the article about your school. Praise God–good to know there are lots of “sister schools” out there!
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Hi all,
Thanks for the birthday wishes. I hope I got here in time for a slice of cake!
Mmmm. Mumsee is a good baker.
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My MIL, Mary, is not doing well. Some of you may remember things I’ve written about her. She has Alzheimer’s Disease (for about 10 yrs. now), lived under our care for 4+ years, & has been in a nursing home for a little over 4 1/2 years. (For various reasons, it was no longer possible to care for her at home.)
Her decline was quite slow for a while, but she began declining more rapidly in the past couple months. Has had some seizures over the past few weeks.
Today she is very lethargic & breathing heavily. A Catholic priest (she’s Catholic, we’re not) gave her the Last Rites this afternoon.
I guess it’s merely a matter of time now. Lee (my husband, her only child) spent some time with her, talking to her, though she is sleeping so soundly, she doesn’t respond. When older daughter Emily gets out of work, we’re going to go up for a visit.
We are ready to let her go. She’s been miserable these past several years. We believe that her faith was indeed in Jesus, & have peace about where she is going.
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The major networks are joining Obama in pushing the volunteer service thingy. It’s called the “I Participate campaign”. 60 tv and news shows will participate. It’ll be hard to miss.
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/10/15/leaked-memo-reveals-the-white-house-has-control-of-your-television-set/
So where does the websites steer you to volunteer? Why left wing advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood of course.
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/sright/2009/10/15/part-ii-search-and-ye-shall-find-left-wing-advocacy/
“Go ahead… open that link and you’ll see twelve opportunities to serve. Look at items “H”, “I” and “L.” All are from Planned Parenthood:
“With President Obama’s focus on health-care reform, now is an exciting and crucial time for us to broaden our support and make sure that the new health-care plan includes women’s health. We’re holding a series of phone banks to identify new people who share our commitment to reproductive freedom.”
When I clicked for more info I found out that the phone bank listing was a month old, but there was a handy link for other opportunities to serve Planned Parenthood, like this one:
“Planned Parenthood Los Angeles is currently seeking adults to volunteer as our High School Speakers.”
Unbelievable.
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Hi Momoffour. It’s good to hear from you and I’m glad things are going well for you. I have been praying for you and yours.
And for you Karen, mostly about Emily that you mentioned. I had forgotten your MIL.
NJL, that’s a relief. I had been worried about Santa too.
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The discussion on global warming continues, so I want to repost something I posted (I think) Saturday evening.
I think it’s really a relevant comment on the situation.
From Time, June 24, 1974:
“Climatological Cassandras are becoming increasingly apprehensive, for the weather aberrations they are studying may be the harbinger of another ice age.
Telltale signs are everywhere —from the unexpected persistence and thickness of pack ice in the waters around Iceland to the southward migration of a warmth-loving creature like the armadillo from the Midwest.Since the 1940s the mean global temperature has dropped about 2.7° F. Although that figure is at best an estimate, it is supported by other convincing data. When Climatologist George J. Kukla of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory and his wife Helena analyzed satellite weather data for the Northern Hemisphere, they found that the area of the ice and snow cover had suddenly increased by 12% in 1971 and the increase has persisted ever since. Areas of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic, for example, were once totally free of any snow in summer; now they are covered year round.
Scientists have found other indications of global cooling. ….etc. “
This shows that regardless of the hype, nobody knows, and to make us buy murcury lightbulbs and monitor thermostats is just a nefarious plan to control our lives.
Why no global cooling today?
We tried it, and there’s no money in it.
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TRS, how did you like the cayenne pepper in the cake? I’ve been holding back, a little reluctant to try it.
RN, I did reply to your #40 by email. In case I wasn’t clear in my very brief message or in case the subject line suggested otherwise, I do promise not to “out your location” on wmb.
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Ever had Aztec hot chocolate?
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Ken #64: Thanks for that link. That made my day.
Cheryl D: Oh, yes, I have read Flatland – not for a while, though. First time I read it, I was probably 10 years old.
For reasons not immediately apparent to me, it really impressed me even at that age. I actually dreamed about Flatland (and higher dimensions) for a while, like other kids my age dreamed of the Lone Ranger or Little Orphan Annie.
However, I hasten to assure you that I am now completely normal in every respect and make sure that I never read anything that has not been approved by the State.
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Cheryl D: Also, my sympathy to you and yours in the situation with your sister-in-law, which I have tracked silently the past couple of days, until now.
Eventually, all such shadows and sorrows will flee, and will be no more.
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Karen O, my prayers are with you and your family at this time. There is something about Catholics, they just won’t let go until the Priest tells them it is OK. It would be nice if all of you could tell her it is OK with you for her to go. Sometimes I think I would have liked that with my dad.
Cheryl and Karen my heart is with you.
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Karen O., Praying for you. May she have a gentle passing, and peace for the rest of you.
And thank you, all of you, for your prayers. I’m still feeling very sleepy today, and hope I sleep well tonight. But when my brother told me last night that my visit there might have been “the best ever,” to say such a thing in such circumstances, I knew that God had used me to love them well, and I felt awe and gratitude. And I knew that the prayers of the saints were a huge part of that, because I was very weak myself.
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#73
I must admit to leaving the layer with the cayenne pepper. I’m sure it is wonderful, but my stomach gets upset if things are too spicy.
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The cayenne is a complement to the chocolate, not overriding.
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Happy Birthday, TRS!!!!
#64:
I had to read it, after Drill said it made his day. 
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#60 Joe B.
Thank you for your link about Roger Williams and Baptists.
I am not a Baptist. I am not a Christian. I am a nihilist.
I suspect that Roger was groping his way to becoming a nihilist, but fortunately for him, his head was so filled with religious indoctrination he died before he got all the way there.
I am not quite sure what the proper religious underpinning is to explain that the Puritans should have paid the Indians for the land they took from them, or for realizing that Christians should not kill other Christians over doctrinal differences, or that religion and the state should be separated as much as possible, but like a gifted quarterback who has never been properly trained, Roger had the right instincts and new how to work the field.
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OK, last comment for the day, to keep the moderator busy.
What are you so afraid of?
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I used to like Lucy when I was younger, but I didn’t laugh as much when I got older. I don’t know if I heard it somewhere said that her show encouraged deceit. I know it was part of what made the show funny, but it became less funny later in life, maybe for that reason.
We used to crack up at the 3 Stooges until we watched the Biography about their life. I feel so bad now because they really were hitting each other and it caused pain. Curly was my all-time favorite. I really didn’t like to watch it unless he was on.
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#59
That is SO sad.
While the Dems are in control it is time to rape and pillage.
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NEWS2ME (83): I used to like Lucy when I was younger …
We used to crack up at the 3 Stooges …
FRANK: Here’s a bit of trivia for you:
The 23-year-old Ball received top billing as a gangster’s (blonde!) moll in the 1934 Stooges short, “Three Little Pigskins.” Enjoy this 18 min. Hulu video!
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Frank, my son used to watch the Three Stooges on TV. We had to stop it because he started acting like them. Bonking people on the head.
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Chas,
Really? Did you also disallow Bugs Bunny and Road Runner cartoons?
I was raised on the Stooges and Our Gang, and I never once double-eye-poked my brother or released a skunk in class. Ain’t that funny?
So what kind of “raising” is necessary for children to properly understand slapstick? (That’s not a slam on how you raised your kids … I’m seriously askin’ … )
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My hubbykins loves the Three Stooges and laughs until the tears roll down his face. He does not hit people. I watched parts of two episodes with him and tears rolled down my face but not because of laughter. I empathised too much with the victims. People who appreciate slapstick (Jerry Lewis?) think it uproarious. People who don’t, don’t see anything funny about “hurting” others. I will never understand the mindset of one who appreciates it. They will never understand mine. But hubbykins does not expect me to watch it anymore and I don’t expect him to stop watching.
Along with it, he is a fan of Rush and Glen. I am not. They are like political slapstick in their behavior toward others. I cannot watch it without getting emotionally angry and messed up with them and the whole situation. He watches it and gets thoughts and ideas on the political situation.
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Since this hasn’t been visited in four hours, I will comment on the three stooges in today’s WV.
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