Today's News | Christian Views
| Home | Community | WorldMagBlog | Commentary | Previous Posts | Podcasts | Contact Us | Subscribe |
Aftershock
Caregivers predict a second wave of death in Haiti
FULL STORY
Friends in odd places: A wide spectrum of groups file support for Christian Legal Society case
Crowd favorite: Sarah Palin spoke to a receptive audience at the Tea Party convention
Tea Party 2.0: Attempting to nationalize their movement, Tea Partiers gather in Nashville 
Good morning and happy Black Friday!
On this day in 1924: The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade was held in New York.
Welcome to our daily (except Sundays) open thread, where you, the commenters, choose the topics of conversation.
All original content Copyright © 2010 WORLDmag.com and may not be reproduced without permission
Click to Print
Include Comments
back to top122 Comments to “Whirled Views 11.27”
We had a nice but busy Thanksgiving. We did a lot of work, they about 4 pm, we went to Elvera’s sister’s. We later had a nice dinner of roast beef cooked over charcoal. Very good.
Another busy day. My son and his family arrive tonight. I will take them out for dinner because the kitchen is closed.
Those of you going out shopping, be careful. Not everything cheap is a good deal.
Report comment to moderator
The front page of the Hendersonville Times-News has a story about the Rescue Mission cooking 44 turkeys for dinner yesterday. A nice article.
Report comment to moderator
My daughter and grandkids are in Vermont for Thanksgiving. My son-in-law went to a Oriental Buffet for dinner. All is well with my soul.
Something for my Christian brethren to ponder:
Galatians 2:20; “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” NKJV
I would encourage all of us to apprehend this verse and make it truth in our lives.
Blessings to all, this beautiful day.
Report comment to moderator
A friend of mine is jumping out of a plane today to celebrate his 50th birthday.
Report comment to moderator
Happy Day After Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had a great dinner yesterday. I did, and I learned a decision from 2001 was the right one for me. I’d been wondering about something, and the answer came yesterday, and I’m grateful for that.
Chas seems to have had a fine holiday with more to come. It’s good to hear from Roger again!
I will walk to the office today to check in and do a few little things, but then I’m only going to local stores. I refuse to go out there and drive to shopping malls.
Report comment to moderator
I had Southern Thanksgiving Wednesday night with family. Niece was home from college. Wow! She is beautiful. Nephew and his stepfather seemed to have reached a truce. Baby Girl loved sitting in the kitchen with the big kids.
Yesterday I had Yankee Thanksgiving with friends. He was thankful for having survived all of his medical ordeals, she was thankful for her faith, his mother was thankful to be up and around so soon after being in a coma and almost dying. I was thankful for good friends.
Today I am showing condo’s at the beach. Please pray they want to make an offer and close before Christmas. Tonight I am having Thanksgiving with another set of friends. I am also thankful for all of you here at World.
Report comment to moderator
I gave my assistant the day off (well-deserved, I might add), and I’m holding down the fort. The payoff will be that he has to do the same for me on Christmas Eve.
I grumbled a bit at first. But my commute was a quiet, uncrowded pleasure, there was no line at the place I get my breakfast, adn the office is free of jangling phones and the usual bustle. I may get some work done today! And of course, I can leave early.
One more thing to be thankful for.
On another note – last night, after a wonderful dinner with us, my mother-in-law returned home to find her cesspool backing up. She called a few services, but no one was available, so we invited her to stay with us.
She did. Before she settled in, she ticked off on her fingers why her well-appointed home is The Mid-Century Modern Atrium Ranch Of The Apocalypse: “I’ve had Fire (unattended garlic bread went ablaze), Flood (the cesspool), Pestilence (the flu), Famine (ran out of Grape Nuts)… all that’s missing is War.”
I said: “Put up your dukes, woman, let’s do this!” I don’t think I’ve ever seen her laugh so hard.
Report comment to moderator
It takes a brave man to pick a fight with his MIL.
Report comment to moderator
Good Morning Folks. Our company has the day off today. NJLawyer, did you have some of my Cornbread Dressing at your Thanksgiving day dinner yesterday?
Report comment to moderator
Iranian authorities confiscated the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize given to human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, Norway said Thursday.
“The medal and the diploma have been removed from Dr. Ebadi’s bank box, together with other personal items. Such an act leaves us feeling shock and disbelief,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a written statement.[cnn]
==============================================================
World Magazine removed President’s Barak Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Secular-Atheist-Homosexual Agenda announced today, from their headquarters in London. The filching was done at the time the Secret Service was distracted by party crashers at the state dinner for the Indian Prime Minister. [Random News Service]
Report comment to moderator
Thanks for that update, Random News Service.
Report comment to moderator
Today is an important day here in Alabama. The first thing hubby did was to put on that ugly orange and blue t-shirt. I put on my lovely crimson one and gave the kid a choice. And even thought the red shirt came with a cookie he picked the orange one. Children will break your heart.
Report comment to moderator
Speaking of food, and recipes, one of my favorite webcomics has a hilarious take on green bean casserole, the staple of many a gathering:
http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/091126.html
Happy day after Thanksgiving. I trust you’re still thankful?
I am. I’m glad all the work is over, and I can now relax.
Now if my lovely wife will just go visit her family and let me go turn in the shop today…
No really. I enjoyed having the boys over, and helping make the turkey, chopping up pecans, onions, and celery with my Ulu, eating a comfortable amount of good food, taking a walk, learning to play Khet, and watching the new animated movie Up. I even enjoyed cleaning up…
But now it’s time for some shop time…
Report comment to moderator
Actually, Joe B, I did not, but I’m making it this weekend. I didn’t have to cook yesterday (my assignment was fruit), but I have a small turkey and I’m ready to roll to make a post-Thanksgiving for some people who had to work. (They are my guinea pigs.) Truth be told, yesterday the cooks did make stuffing but failed to serve it! There was so much food on the table no one missed it.
At the risk of upsetting KBells, I’m thinking this was some sort of football choice. Remember, the kid is young.
Report comment to moderator
Can the Peace Prize be annulled?
Report comment to moderator
Mim, that was funny, and it’s how I feel green bean casserole. There is one house I cannot go to because the hostess makes it, no one eats it, but she always makes it the next time around. I don’t get it.
Report comment to moderator
Reminds me of Chuck. We watched the Black Friday episode last night where Morgan’s girlfriend brought greenbean casserole to the Thanksgiving dinner at Chuck’s. No one wanted to eat it.
I used to like green bean casserole. The more people dis it the harder it is to think about eating it. I don’t know what it is but it doesn’t taste as good as it used to.
Report comment to moderator
Random News Service — now there’s something to which I could subscribe.
Report comment to moderator
What is up with Kerry’s daughter getting a “get out of jail free ticket”? Now they have no evidence of her drunken driving? Hmmm…
Report comment to moderator
I like green bean cassserole if it doesn’t have onions in it. I suspect we’ll have one tomorrow. They make a special dressing for me, without onions. Elvera says they all have me spoiled. Not so, they just know I’m not going to eat anything with onions.
Those of you with dogs may appreciate this story about Chyanne:
http://us.mc839.mail.yahoo.com/mc/welcome?.partner=sbc&.gx=0&.tm=1259334434&.rand=1il9ocr5pe0sq#_pg=showMessage&sMid=1&&filterBy=&.rand=1720095950&midIndex=1&mid=1_960815_AG1ck0UAACL5Sw%2FdyA5gYH9KFt8&m=1_962512_AGFck0UAACqNSw%2FpXguKohYy2R8,1_960815_AG1ck0UAACL5Sw%2FdyA5gYH9KFt8,1_959598_AH1ck0UAAONqSw%2FMeg0kEEyATjE,1_953323_AGtck0UAABuJSw6vrwcHNiCV%2FXU,1_951910_AHNck0UAAQ8CSw6OtQ8ceiZ%2FYfk,1_946854_AHNck0UAAPo1Sw4PxwhP4ituyW4,1_944606_AHFck0UAAQbGSw3lnwapZzROzpg,&sort=date&order=down&startMid=0&pSize=25&hash=3490cf9cd532e5f247e3149093571106&.jsrand=4628058
I hope the link works.
Report comment to moderator
I didn’t mean for it to go to the e-mail, just the story.
Report comment to moderator
Thomas,
A couple years ago Christmas Eve, we had our septic tank back up while relatives were here…
A nice man with a tank truck had mercy, and rescued us (for an additional holiday fee). We were so thankful we gave him our Poinsettas to take home to his wife.
Report comment to moderator
Make It Man – How is your mother-in-law doing?
NJLawyer – Since stuffing is my favorite part of the meal, I would have missed it.
Report comment to moderator
Black Friday – They should interview each person in line at Best Buy and ask them if they have a job. (It’s only 8:41 a.m. here.)
I thought the interview with the woman who had her hours cut from 40 to 25 hours was interesting. She was in line at Best Buy.
“I’ve definitely cut down. You have to cut down, because you have to eat,” Fryman said. “It’s definitely made a difference in the way I’m shopping.”
“She said she usually shops on Black Friday, but got out earlier this year to find a camera for her daughter. They bought a $300 Nikon camera for $172. Other than that, she’s focusing mostly on practical items like clothing.” AP
I looked at the Black Friday ads. They did have clothing for 50% off. Shouldn’t she have been in those lines?
A person gets a little hard hearted about stuff like this when their husband works at a law office. There are people who go out and buy new stuff and cars and then immediately file bankruptcy. The gov’t has made it easy for some to work the system so well that they end up with an expensive house and lots of other new stuff even though they have filed for bankruptcy more than once.
I feel bad for people who really DO need help. These days it’s hard to tell the difference between the person who needs money for booze and cigarettes, and the one who needs diapers and formula for their baby.
I guess the woman with the new camera can always get a box of food at the food bank. Isn’t that just like Americans–cutting down means only buying the expensive camera and not the new TV?
Report comment to moderator
Happy day-after-Thanksgiving everyone. Sounds like you all had a good day.
We’re back to work today, 3 days worth of papers to get out for the weekend and Monday. I’m writing 2 stories — one on one of those curb address painters who does full color “custom” designs. Most popular around here are images of the local lighthouses, Catalina Island, the local beach, the bridge. But if you want a picture of your dog, he can do that, too.
Other story (thanks to Mickey for posting the first thing I’d seen on this) is about the new Salvation Army kettle collection sites now taking debit/credit cards. There’s one in our area, but the woman from the corps was going to have to get back to me this morning to let us know exactly where.
After that, a long night of editing no doubt. Glad it’s Friday, anyway!
Report comment to moderator
The lady cancelled on seeing the condo’s
KBells, if it helps the cute little face in the avatar is wearing his red jersey today.
Report comment to moderator
I have never had a Nobel Prize withdrawn from me personally, but when I was in 3rd grade, I had secured the part of the Witch in the Hansel and Gretel Play when it was yanked from me by the authorities (the Teachers Politboro) and given to their favorite, one Melinda Greble, a little mousy girl with strange, radioactive, orangish hair and a mole on her chin. I recall that the mole had a most remarkable, single, very long hair growing out of it.
Anyway, I still have deep and unhealed scars from this situation.
I could have been a famous Hollywood actor, probably, if not for that.
Report comment to moderator
Karen,
Thanks for asking. She’s doing well enough she came over for dinner yesterday. She’s amazing. She’s fooled the doctors many times. You just never know with this woman. Despite all that, her condition will never get better – she was diagnosed with Myelodysplasia three years ago. She goes in for an injection to help her make blood cells every three weeks now. (I can’t believe how much those things cost!) So we’ll enjoy the time we have left!
Report comment to moderator
Speaking of the parade. Does cable show more of the parade?
Every year the parade gets shorter and shorter because there are more interviews with people who want plugs for their TV shows. They have a talk show under the guise of the Thanksgiving Day Parade? Look there goes the parade, “So how is your show and what are you doing for Thanksgiving, and I hear you have a new pet?”
Then the other channel has what’s on broadway under the guise of the Thanksgiving Day parade.
Our daughter just turns off the TV and walks away.
Report comment to moderator
KBells, never mind, Bama will beat them Tigers, and you look better than both of them put together.
MIM, I’m glad your MIL is better, and glad to see you back.
Report comment to moderator
What ever happened to the blog’s longest denizen? Did he tell us goodbye or just quietly creep away or have I just missed his posts?
Report comment to moderator
Kim,
Sorry you didn’t get a sale. Anything tied to the housing sector is having a hard time right now. I can so relate. Every lost sale hurts.
Report comment to moderator
Who are you talking about Mumsee?
Report comment to moderator
Yes, Mumsee, what denizen?
Report comment to moderator
Mumsee, #31 – do you mean KRM?
Report comment to moderator
What happened to OH. ???
I am very suspicious that Hessian wasn’t OH.
Didn’t Hessian disappear right next to Friend of a Friend?
I went back a ways but couldn’t find the place he vanished.
Report comment to moderator
Green-bean casserole. Ugh. I love green beans, but that stuff is vile. Is it served outside the South? I’d never heard of it till I moved down here, and it’s on every table here. I told my sister it’s the fruitcake of Thanksgiving, except that I like fruitcake. Sure enough, the hostess had a dish of it on the table yesterday, and I took two or three beans that looked like they didn’t have any “stuff” on them, just to look like I was taking something from the dish, and choking just that portion down took courage.
But overall the Thanksgiving was good. Misten and I were both invited to a home with two people and two dogs, and one other lady and her dog were invited. The dogs had to do a little bit of lying down at first just to calm them enough to give them the run of the house (Misten’s biggest issue was she was so excited she kept wanting to express her joy by barking). But eventually they were all loose together while we ate, and except for an occasional growl as someone told someone else she was higher on the doggie food chain, it all went well. (Misten is usually quite happy to be submissive, but she even did a small growl at another submissive dog, apparently not wanting to be in actual last place. Yesterday’s pack actually only included one dog that likes to be dominant, and Misten knows all of the dogs from us dog-sitting each other’s dogs.)
The amazing thing to me is that the hostess made dishes of table scraps for each dog (including the owner’s specifications about what her dog liked or could have–Misten got extra broccoli but no bacon); all of us but the hostess thought we’d be starting a doggie war, but she and her husband each put down two dishes with the right dog at each, and they all ate for a couple of minutes without a growl or a theft in the bunch. (And Misten was the second one finished!) The sweet thing was that when all the dogs knew it was their turn to eat, the other three went to the person preparing the food, but my dog came to ME and looked at me and not at the food. She wanted the same thing they wanted, but she came to her own provider and didn’t go to the food itself; I had to send her to the person who had her food.
Report comment to moderator
I’m thinking that “longest denizen” is probably a snake, and as far as I knew we didn’t have any of those on here. Any 30-foot boa constrictors out there that want to confess your true identity?
News2me, yes, Hessian was very definitely OH. There was no doubt at all in the writing style and even the things he said, and when I said hi to him by his old name, he instantly confessed. Friend of a Friend didn’t read like him.
Report comment to moderator
Amos was invited to Thanksgiving as well. Marty (my friend Steve’s mother) has had a lot of health issues this past year and Amos befriended her and ended up on the sofa with her getting petted and stroked. The closest I have ever come to making green bean casserole was a can of French cut green beans, a can of shoepeg corn, a can of cream of celery soup and a cup of cheddar cheese. It is pretty good. Haven’t made it in a really long time and had forgotten about it until this discussion of green bean casserole. Alton Brown on Good Eat made one from scratch with fresh green beans, homemade cream of real mushrooms and onion he had fried out himself. WAAAAYYYY too much work for something no one really likes.
Report comment to moderator
I used to love the Macy’s parade, my parents took my brother and I to it when we were little, Daddy even made a two level platform sort of thing so we could see over taller people.
When it was first on TV, it was just the parade. Then they started doing musical numbers in front of Macy’s. That’s not parading, that’s singing and dancing. So, I stopped watching for several years.
We tried to watch on 2 different networks yesterday and gave up in disgust. CBS spent more time doing interviews than showing balloons. The worst was when the two hosts were interviewing the actor Jimmy Smits and one of them just had to comment that there were three Latinos on TV. As if that never happened before. NBCs cameras were placed so that we got frequent shots of all the commercial billboards in the area.
And, as long as I’m complaining, will someone please tell the Disney folks that the last kid they had that could carry a tune was Annette? There was one of them “singing” with Kermit the Frog yesterday, and HE sounded better.
Other than the parade, it was a lovely family day yesterday. Granddaughter made the green bean casserole & we all enjoyed it along with several other veggie dishes.
Report comment to moderator
FOF just came and went. Puffffffffft! Just like that.
The house is in good shape. I have even swept off the front porch. Elvera is piddling in the kitchen and we’re waiting for the denizens from Greensboro to arrive.
We’re expecting a sunny sixty degrees tomorrow. That will be good for the smokers who gather on the deck.
Report comment to moderator
I like green bean casserole, though how good it is depends on how it’s made. I like using frozen green beans, and only enough cream of mushroom soup to make it hold together, and lots of French fried onion rings. And a few years ago I read about putting shredded cheese in it, which makes it even better.
A couple years ago, Wal-Mart had some boxes of frozen Campbell’s green bean casserole on clearance after the holidays, so I picked on up, figuring it now cost no more than the ingredients to make it myself. I served it for Easter, and my teenage son really liked it. He doesn’t care for mine, but he said I could serve that kind anytime. It had less green beans, more cream of mushroom soup. I didn’t like it as well, but I bought another package while it was still on clearance.
This year I thought about skipping it, but decided to go ahead and make a half recipe. I used canned green beans, which I don’t like as well but they’re cheap. I left out the French fried onions because onions make my husband sick since his gastric bypass surgery, and just used onion powder (which doesn’t bother him). Then I sprinkled dry bread crumbs on top. And mixed in cheese. It came out surprisingly well. But unsurprisingly, I’m the only one who has eaten any so far. (My husband can’t eat a big meal, so he stuck to turkey, mashed potatoes, and corn casserole.)
My son asked for apple pie, and I was going to make my own – well, sort of – I’ve never tried making my own crust after seeing my father struggle so much with the crust, and it usually burned in some spots. Using the refrigerated pie crusts works really well. But when I looked at the cost of the pie crusts and apples compared to buying a frozen pie, the frozen pie won.
The pie had just come out of the over (around 9 PM) when my husband called from work to say he had forgotten to take his evening medicines and he had forgotten his cell phone and he needed a looser pair of pants because he has to bend over a lot. (Usually he wears shorts, but last night some managers were going to be visiting.) So I quickly ate a piece of pie and headed out. When I got back, over an hour later, the pie was all gone.
My younger son told me several times what a good cook I am. He thought the pie was especially good. I told him Mrs. Smith makes very good pies…
Report comment to moderator
Hessian referred to himself as being Old Hickory. FOF did not.
Pauline, I am not a baker. I will cook anything else anyone wants and especially like to make appetizers but I just cannot get excited about making dessert. Mrs. Smith bakes all my pies. Most of the time I forget to offer anyone dessert. Yesterday Debbie had make a gingerbread trifle and a chocolate pumpkin pie but I didn’t have any. I eat the good stuff
Report comment to moderator
Hi News2me – 35
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving –
Friend of a Friend wasn’t OH – I do believe it was someone who was, shall we say a friend of someone’s on the blog.
Report comment to moderator
Denizen: KRM. Where has he gone? One does not just disappear.
Green bean casserole: I had never eaten it until a few years ago and like it very much. My kids make it. Can of green beans or fresh, cream of mushroom soup, lots of fried onion rings. Good stuff. My loss for not finding it earlier. Now I eat it at every opportunity.
Report comment to moderator
Sorry that should have been News2me, #36
Report comment to moderator
Daughter made apple pies, banana cream pies, and caramel pecan pies this time around. They were delicious of course.
Report comment to moderator
“WAAAAYYYY too much work for something no one really likes.”
Depends on the crowd. We like it here, but didn’t miss it yesterday since my wife made her own dressing. She’s always trying to make it like her Mom’s maid (With eight rambunctious kids you know you need some help!) used to make it. You know those southern black women can cook! She’s been researching recipes for dressing for the last four days, and finally combined about three different recipes. We loved it.
Report comment to moderator
“…someone who was, shall we say a friend of someone’s on the blog.”
OH. One of THOSE. Imaginary friend eh? Or…
‘nuther words….
A sock puppet.
Report comment to moderator
At the risk of being accused of being racist, yes, southern black women can cook better than just about anybody on earth. Wednesday night we had my mother in laws dressing. It is my favorite but I can get pretty close.
Report comment to moderator
I’m avoiding going out to the shop.
I went up there earlier to get the glue gun and repair the wreath. It was a little shivery, and I’m enjoying being warm…. Perhaps the little heater I turned on will take the edge off.
Well. Guess I better change clothes and go get at it.
TTFN.
Report comment to moderator
There are always these accusations of being a sock puppet going on. Be who you are and say what you mean and be done with it.
Report comment to moderator
MiM: it’s 80+ here in sunny Southern California today.
Report comment to moderator
So, it has come to my attention once again that I do this whole kid thing for the money. I have heard people say that before. Do people on here believe foster care is done for the money?
Report comment to moderator
Mumsee,
There are waaaay easier ways to make money. I’ve never known a foster parent who decided to take kids in for the money.
Kbells,
Yes kids can break your heart, but so can football teams. Sorry Auburn! Roll Tide Roll!!
Report comment to moderator
Donna,
It’s up to 80 where you are? – We have 66 degree’s outside right now on the coast.
Report comment to moderator
“Our troops are fighting to keep us free”
As a cold war veteran who spent 2 1/2 years station on the front lines (such as they were) at Bitburg AB, W. Germany, I was absolutely incensed when I read this story from HSLDA (my bold):
Our troops are “liberating” Iraq and Afghanistan, enabling their girls to attend school.
And we still have numerous troops garrisoned — er, I mean “stationed” — in Germany, one of our “strongest allies.” I was stationed there in the arly 80’s to defend the west from the possible incursions of the Soviet east.
But due to a statist holdover from the Third Reich, German parents are still subject to imprisonment for having the temerity to educate their children at home?
Aren’t we busy “liberating” the wrong country?
And more to the point, just how are our troops in Germany, Japan, Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan “keeping us free”?
Looks like it’s “Kaiser uber alles,” even with our “strongest allies” …
Report comment to moderator
54. Why would someone say something so stupid. Foster parents I know spend a lot more on the kids than they are paid.
Report comment to moderator
Mumsee, some people cannot bear to see the good in other people. It is most definately their loss. I could not do what you do if they paid $1,000 a week PER child!!!!. I do lot perceive you as the kind of person who would do this for any amount of money no matter how small. I know you do it for the love of the children.
Report comment to moderator
Mumsee, I’m not sure where KRM went. I think I saw a handful of comments from him a couple of months ago, but can’t remember the thread.
About foster care – whoever is saying you do it for the money is speaking either out of sheer ignorance or malice. As Adios said, there are far easier ways to make money than by taking in foster kids…
Report comment to moderator
Victoria: Ah, well you’re right! Just checked and it’s 64 where I am, only going up to around 70 today. Guess I figured since we had mid 80-degree temps yesterday, we’d get them again today. Bad reporting!
Bet that still sounds pretty warm to Make It Man, though.
Report comment to moderator
Mumsee’s really quite rich, but not in the traditional “money” sense perhaps.
Report comment to moderator
Actually, somebody said that to my dad and he could not figure out why they would say that as they were otherwise intelligent. He tried to show them the error of their ways but to no avail. I do believe I could probably find something somewhere, even with my very limited skills, that would pay more than forty cents an hour for a twenty four hour a day job. It does not bother me at all, I was just wondering what the prevailing thought is.
Report comment to moderator
I rode the airporter home one day and got into a interesting conversation with my seat mate. We were in the front seats, so the driver also joined in. I just basically interviewed him–he was a solar energy guru and I had a kid interested in the subject. After about an hour of him talking his head off, he recovered and said, “but enough about me. You’re obviously intelligent. What do you do for a living?”
Ah, the temptation to invent something glamorous.
“I raise children.”
The bus driver burst out laughing. “You make a lot of money in that line of work?”
I grinned. “The pay isn’t too good but the fringe benefits are terrific.”
My seat mate eventually recovered, I returned to asking intelligent questions of HIM, and we all had a lovely two hour ride home.
Making money on kids, indeed!
Report comment to moderator
The two things that bothered me the most in “myths of foster care” were, first, that people do it for the money. (I estimated that I “spent” about $10,000 to take in two kids for six weeks, if you include everything I had to buy to prepare the room, costs of paperwork and stuff, and the loss of rental income from that room. True, I haven’t been able to keep that room filled with a boarder for much of the time since I had kids, but I actually “kicked out” a good roommate to have kids.) If I’d had two kids full-time for two years, I’d have recovered some of my losses (without getting paid for any of my time), and after that I’d have earned about a dollar an hour, counting only the time they were awake and not in school. Yes, there are easier ways to make money. My question would be are there any harder ways to make money?
And the “I could never stand to give them back” is a backhanded compliment, because it is REALLY saying, “You obviously have a harder heart than I do, because you CAN give them back.” The truth is that taking in foster kids isn’t supposed to be about the parents at all; it’s about the kids. And if it breaks your heart (as it does) and costs you money and sleep and time and gives your bruises and lice and property damage and lots of other things you might prefer not to have, well, that’s part of loving children who are very needy. If I gave those children 2 percent as much as it cost me to love them, it was worth it. All the resources I have came from God anyway.
And as God just proved to me, giving me a nice car for cash in a year when I’m making about two-thirds as much as my frugal budget, His math sometimes works in our favor in ways that don’t make sense. So, even if we sometimes give “more than we can afford,” what happens in our life is ultimately up to God’s math and not ours.
Report comment to moderator
Kim, anybody who accuses you of being racist for saying something positive about another race doesn’t understand the term. (Unless it’s a veiled insult, like saying, “Jews sure are good with other people’s money” or whatever.)
Report comment to moderator
Mumsee – There does seem to be the idea out there that many foster parents do it for the money. I know I’ve heard that several times. Every now & then we do hear of foster parents abusing or neglecting the children in their care, or taking money for children who have “disappeared”, but I think this is rare.
I think maybe you should invite this person to your home for a day. See what they think after watching you in “loving action”.
Report comment to moderator
A while back Donna J. posted a link to Hillbuzz.org. They appear to get a group of gay men in Chicago who backed Hillary Clinton and now want to help get Sarah Palin elected. I have popped in several times to read what they have written. They encouraged people to volunteer with the USO over the holidays. It is what they do since they cannot serve in the military. Today I clicked on a link from there that is “A Conservative Lesbian”. It truly does appear we all have more in common that we have seperating us. I love that they call Obama Dr. Utopia. You should all check it out and see what you think. Before Thanksgiving they were encouraging people to make sure they invited friends and neighbors who were likely to be alone to share the meal. I have to say that recently I seen a lot of kindness there.
Report comment to moderator
Karen O,
That is what I told my dad. Send them here for three days, we will set them straight.
Report comment to moderator
I realise that nobody is in the mood for serious stuff right now, but it’s extremely curious, and somewhat amusing that Dubai is having a financial crisis. They have all the money in the world! Next, King Saud and China will be in trouble.
Not so far fetched as it sounds. Right?
It is impossible the have more money than some people can spend. Severals ago, I read that one of the Saudi princes had a lifestyle that required $250,000/day.
Report comment to moderator
#31 Mumsee
“What ever happened to the blog’s longest denizen? Did he tell us goodbye or just quietly creep away or have I just missed his posts?”
Of whom are you referring? I lay claim to that appellation.
Report comment to moderator
Bob Buckles, are you fighting with KRM for that title? Any chance you invited him to your Spare Oom and did him in? Beginning to wonder about that.
Report comment to moderator
Finished my chores for the day which included repainting the downstairs bathroom and the front hall….a good morning for me, no phones ringing, just paint slinging and now time for football. My beloved Colorado Buffaloes play the dreaded Cornhuskers….my hopes are not high but who knows.
Then it is back to painting this evening with my beautiful wife and then tomorrow off to the gun store to buy another gun before the government tries to take mine away.
Report comment to moderator
I love green bean casserole! So much so, that one time at a pot luck I put a huge scoop on my plate, only to find out it was asparagus! It tasted okay.
As for KRM, he claims to be the one here the longest, but how can anyone tell for sure?
And Kbells- I like red better than orange, but I really have do not care who wins today. I did pick ‘Bama
Report comment to moderator
MUMSEE!! Heaven forbid! CARMEL PECAN PIE? I have Competition?
Oh the horror of it.
Report comment to moderator
Well, I don’t like to brag, but daughter is brilliant. And her pies are not to be passed by. Ever.
Report comment to moderator
Thanks Victoria. Same to ya.
No, I didn’t think that FOF was OH.
I just wasn’t sure that Hessian was OH. He kept calling himself OH and saying he wanted to be kicked off permanently. It was like someone wanted OH to get kicked off. It was very odd.
Then right after FOF said his piece Hessian disappeared.
I just thought it was odd.
I’m not on all the time so maybe Hessian was on after that but I can’t verify that. The whole thing just seemed so odd.
Yep, did I mention it was odd.
Report comment to moderator
News2me – 77
Most everyone has a distinct style when writing – they may not be able to see it, but it’s there all the same. OH was Hessian as he claimed, I have no doubt.
As far as FOF, that was obvious too, but it doesn’t really matter now – they know what they did, but it didn’t work – it’s such an old game.
Report comment to moderator
What kind of game? I think you guys are giving it all too much thought. I have been here for quite a while and it has never interfered in my day to day life. As I said earlier, say what you mean, be who you are and be honest about it.
Report comment to moderator
IAF #73
Which reminds me of this email I received. It had a photo of a person’s house with this sign out front, with an arrow pointing to their neighbor’s house.
“My Next Door Neighbor
wants to BAN all GUNS!
Their house is
NOT ARMED!
Out of RESPECT for their opinions
I promise NOT to use MY GUNS
to PROTECT THEM.”
Report comment to moderator
Thanks Victoria
While I watched the posts of Hessian, I wondered if anyone was able to recognize his style of writing. Good eye Victoria.
thanks
PS Do you know who FOF was?
Report comment to moderator
I have a good guess.
Report comment to moderator
Well do dish girl
Report comment to moderator
News2me – I posted to fast and didn’t thank you
but I do THANK YOU!
Report comment to moderator
When I lived in Georgia I used to bake pecan pies. The pecans were everywhere on the ground. I never ate a bite. My ex ate them all.
I kept a bowl of them in the livingroom for decoration. But our cat thought they were for her. She would get one nut out of the bowl and bat it around the apt. until it disappeared, and then get another one.
That was the cat that fetched paper balls. Never taught. She just did it.
Report comment to moderator
News2Me, While Old Hickory was on here as Old Hickory and later as Iambic Pentameter until he was called on that name and returned to being Old Hickory, he kept saying he couldn’t stop coming on here but wanted to. And then he disappeared, having asked to be banned.
On one thread one night, a man came on calling himself “Hessian” (it was a discussion of Vikings) and saying only, “Hessian is here!” The next post said only, “Oh my, that worked. It wasn’t supposed to work.” (I don’t know that I have this wording precise.) I figured immediately that it was someone who wasn’t supposed to be able to get on, and the style made me think of Old Hickory, though I wasn’t positive yet. Then I went to the Whirled Views thread, where this Hessian was into philosophical discussions almost exactly like what OH did in his nihilism posts, so I said “Welcome back, Old Hickory; we’ve missed you,” and he sheepishly admitted his identity, and said what he had done in asking to be banned, trying to get around the ban, and discovering he was able to.
So, in writing style, subjects that interested him, wanting to be kept off the blog and claiming “inability” to stay off, and his own admission to being Old Hickory, the evidence all points to his being one and the same. I rarely agree when someone else says “So and so has to be so and so,” but in this case I had no doubt at all, and was sure enough to call him out myself.
As to “Friend of a Friend,” my own “suspicion” is that it’s someone who knows someone on here, and maybe checked out this blog based on that person talking about it . . . but frankly I don’t care who it was. It was a one-time poster or a person choosing to be anonymous, and the person’s identity doesn’t matter.
Report comment to moderator
It does make you wonder how many people lurk here and don’t post. I don’t know and don’t care who is acting as someone else or not or whatever. It is funny that Random is our own self proclaimed narcissist but the very definition of narcissism would keep him from posting as someone else.
Report comment to moderator
Well, while it was obvious to me that Hessian was Old Hickory, although I don’t usually “get it” when someone has a sock puppet. And, then the heavy hints from others just get me curious but leave me unsatisfied, since I can’t figure it out.
I often wonder how people figure it out.
In the “old days” (are you sure that KRM or Bob has been here longer than me? I’ve been here pretty long), people would actually track down sock puppets by researching a poster’s IP address. I don’t know how to do that either.
Wouldn’t work if you had two different posters from the same household, though.
Report comment to moderator
I think Lynn told us once how many regular posters we had, and the number of lurkers. They know how many are registered, and how many hits they have. But sometimes we, (I) visit the site without posting anything. Indeed, without reading everything.
Report comment to moderator
OH/Hessian confessed to an addiction to WMB that he was unable to overcome on his own, so he asked to be banned. I presumed he got back on with the same IP address, showing he hadn’t been banned at all.
I don’t know if that kind of addiction is as physically hard to overcome as, say, drinking or smoking, but I do know that, every time I get tired of one or two people “hijacking” a thread for a personal argument, or of some non-believer’s constant bashing of Christians, I swear I’m going to stop coming here. Then I find I can only stay away a week or two, so I lurk for another week or so, because I get to wondering what all the nice folks that come here have been up to, then I find myself back here commenting again.
Report comment to moderator
Karen, I, too, enjoy stuffing, but at the house where I had dinner, things are always a little odd. These people just cook what they like and give their guests a a lot of choices. We didn’t have a turkey in the usual sense of the word, but rather “turkette” — a roasted breast of turkey. They also did a pork roast. Also lasagna, which was a meal in itself. And a new recipe for Brussel sprouts. String beans were bright green and plain. Loved them both. Since we did’t see a whole bird, no one thought about the stuffing, but I will make my own this weekend, so I was cool with it.
Report comment to moderator
All the comments about sock puppets and screen names and identities is rather endearing. Evidently a few people here have met each other in person, but most of us are nothing more than pixels on a screen to each other, and all we know about each other are based on the personas we create.
Anybody can pretend to be anybody and we would not be much the wiser. I could be an 80-year-old Christian woman. Victoria could be…well, probably no one else could be Victoria but Victoria.
By the way, what happened to Jon Rowe?
My wife and I just finished a biography of Thomas Jefferson, who was a theist at most and perhaps an atheist or agnostic.
It is rather amazing that the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence could own slaves and (almost certainly) father children on one of his slaves. The ability of human beings to deceive and convolute themselves is truly amazing.
However, all of us here are right on top of the truth. Two hundred years from now people will still be reading the comments of worldmagblog with amazement and appreciation.
Report comment to moderator
Here in Dane County, Wis., which includes Madison, the implausible has happened: the rate of infant deaths among blacks plummeted between the 1990s and the current decade, from an average of 19 deaths per thousand births to, in recent years, fewer than 5.
From New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/us/27infant.html
The reasons for the improvement in successful pregnancies seems to be complex and subtle. Worldmagblog doesn’t do complex and subtle very well. Mostly they like to get hysterical about abortion. One might think they would be just as excited about successfully preventing miscarriages as about persecuting abortion providers, but I suspect not.
More enticing to engage in witch hunts and post witch hunting comments than to actually do the hard work of preventing miscarriages (which are, after all, “Acts of God”)
Report comment to moderator
Random: By the way, what happened to Jon Rowe?
Jon and NJLawyer got into a pretty heated argument a few weeks back. During the course of it, NJLawyer accused Jon of being a defender of NAMBLA and said she would not trust him around small children.
Jon apparently took the Lord’s name in a vain in a subsequent post; however, Mickey McLean deleted the post and banned Jon for making it, under a new rule Mickey made up on the spot and invoked with no warning. (Contrast that to the banning of Llama, who broke the well-established rules frequently and got numerous warnings before finally being banned.)
NJLawyer, as usual, got to falsely accuse someone of a vile thing and suffer no repercussions whatsoever.
While I obviously drop in to read a thread here and there, which is how I came across your post, I officially quit the board over this incident. Mickey’s obvious favortism and lack of any sense of decency or fairness in deciding what constitutes a bannable offense (accusations of wanting to have sex with children, fine; an angry outburst by the recipient of such an accusation, you’re outta there) finally got to be too much.
I never appreciated how good a moderator Lynn Vincent was until Mickey took over.
Report comment to moderator
RN (93): Kind of like the abolitionists seemed to “get hysterical” about slavery, I suppose. You said it yourself, how could Jefferson have owned slaves?
The answer is that all societies and cultures in every era have major blind spots. We need to be examining that all the time. I suspect (I hope) in a couple of generations, abortion will be looked upon with the same shock as slavery was after it was finally abolished.
They allowed killing babies in the womb? Imagine that.
Report comment to moderator
“Jon apparently took the Lord’s name in a vain in a subsequent post; however, Mickey McLean deleted the post and banned Jon for making it, under a new rule Mickey made up on the spot and invoked with no warning.”
The website policies have always prohibited profane speech. The definition of profane is contempt or irreverence for what is sacred. That’s is taking the Lord’s name in vain. Micky didn’t make the rule.
Report comment to moderator
#94: I pretty much agree. I’m not even sure he ever did take the Lord’s name in vain: I don’t think anyone’s admitted to seeing it. Unless, maybe, he was already moderated at the time, and it never made it through at all.
#96: The website policies are ambiguous enough that it could be argued that Jon may have toed the line, but in light of precedent, even recent precedent that I’ve been around to see, the behavior of a few other posters at the time, and especially Rule of Engagement #5, (from Website Policies: “In terms of banning/not banning, we will take into account that person’s history of being naughty/nice.”), I think it can be said that the decision was questionable at best, no particular offense to Mickey.
Note that what Mickey specifically said, though, (something to the order of taking the Lord’s name in vain results in automatic banning), most definitely is to be found nowhere.
In truth, I’ve been a bit upset about it.
Report comment to moderator
Why I lay claim to being the earliest poster on WMB.
How many of us were on the World discussion board where we bought the same book through World and then discussed it? I have two of those books. Anyone else?
This was the predecessor to WMB.
Report comment to moderator
I miss Jon. I liked him. I didn’t always agree with him, but I liked him.
I was on that thread actively, and — if he took the Lord’s name in vain — it happened and the post was removed within 5 minutes or so. I suppose it could have been that fast.
On to other things…
Random, if you can’t get it right, and INSIST despite all evidence and explanations the contrary that a miscarriage (not generally preventable) and the willful destruction of a viable fetus are the same thing and comparable, then you honestly fall down a few (hundred) notches in my estimation.
That’s like saying someone dying by accident or from disease and someone intentionally shooting them are the same thing.
Good grief.
Report comment to moderator
#98
I remember it happening!!! I just didn’t participate.
Report comment to moderator
#94 Steve G
Why did Llama get banned?
Report comment to moderator
#98
Well, I remember it happening at least once. I honestly don’t remember it more than once.
But, I was definitely on here before this incarnation, and actually lived through an earlier change. I was here…well, a long, long time…years. But, I can’t remember exactly when I joined. 5 or 6 years ago?
I remember Christopher. He was a good debater for the Christian side, then got disgusted and left.
Unfortunately, I’m terrible with names, but if you mention some of the oldest old timers, I’ll bet I remember them too!
Report comment to moderator
#98 TRS
“I remember it happening!!! I just didn’t participate.”
So, If you didn’t participate, does that mean that you were or were not on the discussion board? (I sound very baby to myself!)
Report comment to moderator
I remember being on the World Magazine discussion group and people talking about reading the same book, but I was NOT part of a group that was exclusively reading books and talking about them.
Does that make sense?
So, if there was a group that was ONLY about reading books that morphed into this one, then I have not been on as long as you. But, I was part of the discussion group through two incarnations, and long, long before registration was required.
I wish I had a better memory, but I just don’t for certain things.I’d make a terrible witness.
Report comment to moderator
So, I seem to have missed this interesting event with “FOF,” but I went back and found it.
You really think it was OH? My Grammar Nazi self noticed a few misspellings… OH didn’t generally have any, I didn’t think. IDK. He was good at disguising Iambic Pentameter, methinks.
So, there was talk about narcissistic personalities, and more importantly, a few favorites were mentioned. Which leads me to wonder: why was I not on anyone’s favorites list!!!
Pauline: I read your posts.
They’re very good: your sister might be right.
Report comment to moderator
I like Jon too and wish Mickey would give him another chance, but I disagree with SteveG that Mickey is making up rules.
Report comment to moderator
KBells: The “automatic” ban that TJS Catlover mentioned in #97 is what Mickey made up. If he had removed the post and issued a warning to Jon, that would have conformed to the stated moderation policies. Banning him with no warning goes way beyond what the policy says. Jon told me in e-mail later that he had received no direct communication either, and didn’t even know why he’d been banned until I e-mailed him about it.
A warning would have been sufficient, especially given Jon’s exemplary history of being nice and not naughty in general (per the quoted rule in #97.) Whatever he said, it was in direct response and reaction to NJLawyer’s slimy accusation. He spoke out of a very understandable anger, and had a very good track record in general for civility in his discussions here.
Mickey banned him for reacting to NJLawyer, but NJLawyer got to accuse Jon of being a closet pedophile and didn’t even get the proverbial slap on the wrist. It was pathetic, and obvious favortism on Mickey’s part. Either that or just plain incompetence, maybe some of both.
Once I got the full story, partly from Mickey’s vague comments the next day and partly from Jon directly, I announced my departure over it. I said then, and will reiterate here, I’ll come back when — and only if — Mickey lifts the ban on Jon. I’ve seen no sign that that’s happened (looking for one is why I’ve stayed in as a lurker), so I remain officially gone.
Report comment to moderator
Christopher Taylor, Robert Perry, KRM, JaneD/Pentamom…
If I remember right, KRM always claimed to have been on the longest. I lurked a lot in the early days but have been on at least 5 years, through the days of Joanna Veith and Joe Carter prior to Lynn and now Mickey.
I also wish that Jon Rowe had not been banned.
Report comment to moderator
I remember all those people! I started reading the blog when it began, then posted my first comment within a few months.
And remember DR? I guess he’s too busy with college to hang out here anymore.
Report comment to moderator
As for Friend of a Friend, I thought he/she was a friend of one of us, lurking & observing. And taking notes?
Report comment to moderator
I came on board here back in 2004, I think. Or 2005. I don’t remember who was moderator then, but I remember when Joe Carter came on as moderator. Those were indeed the Wild West days (or the drive-by shooting days). Was I ever glad when registration became required. And for all of Mickey’s problems with Jon Rowe, he is doing a fine job. Not as good as Lynn. But how do you follow the Benevolent Dictator, as I dubbed her? She is indeed, a hard act to follow.
Report comment to moderator
#108
Thank you! Yes, I remember all those people.
Christopher Taylor was the one I was thinking of earlier.
Report comment to moderator
Could we vote Jon back on the island?
Report comment to moderator
#113
I would be happy to cast a vote in favor of his return.
Keeping order among a group of people who push the envelope as far as “rules of engagement” are concerned is a difficult thing.
I remember my (brief) experience as a classroom teacher, finding it very difficult to decide when someone had actually crossed the line and deserved punishment rather than just a warning. People are so good at coming so close to the line but not clearly going over, and while you’re deciding how to respond, a dozen more do the same thing, and then you’re stuck with whether to punish all of them, and then some are going to protest that since you didn’t punish that other person right away that you apparently were allowing that behavior. When someone finally steps across the line clearly you tend to jump at the opportunity to make an example of that person.
I don’t know if that’s the case with Mickey’s banning Jon, but that was how the situation seemed to me, especially when he said “If you can’t tell, my patience is wearing extremely thin. There are a lot things I’d rather be doing on a Saturday night than babysitting this group.”
Report comment to moderator
Do any of you remember why Peter Leavitt left, I DO – Peter was one of the best posters, yet there were some who felt it their duty to take pot shots – I would guess jealousy played into it.
Outkast left, he got tired of it, he too took pot shots.
As far as FOF, that was obvious.
Report comment to moderator
I should have been clear:
Outkast left, he got tired of it, he too took pot shots from a few people here.
Report comment to moderator
Jon definitely did cross the line in language in that post, I’d say. Whether it warranted “automatic” banning after years of following the rules isn’t my decision to make.
Can we vote for his return in exchange for someone else?
I don’t care if he’s here or isn’t, honestly; I found his posts tiresome and nearly always skipped them. But others have been worse “offenders,” in my opinion.
Report comment to moderator
Jon made a comment which caused him the problem. Mixing Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah with ________ was disrespectful and untrue, it was a slap in the face to anyone who understands these ceremonies which the Jews give their young boys and girls.
I still support NJLawyer.
Report comment to moderator
For the benefit of those who didn’t see it: The topic was the claim that only those who believe the Bible have a consistent and objective standard to oppose homosexuality, pedophilia, polyamory, etc.
Jon pointed out that in fact the Bible does NOT offer that basis. And one of his arguments in support of that view is that the Jews marked the passage from childhood to adulthood — and therefore, old enough to marry and have children — at age 12 or 13.
For that, NJLawyer said Jon supports NAMBLA and that she would not trust him around small children.
I don’t think Jon should have been banned for responding in anger to that sleazy lie, but I can understand that Mickey might feel differently. What I cannot understand is how he — or anyone with a shred of decency — can think that Jon deserved banning but NJLawyer did not.
Report comment to moderator
I’ll add my voice to those who would like to see Jon’s banishment lifted. Of course, I don’t always get what I want; and the moderator is well within his rights to ban whoever he chooses. I’m just saying it would be nice to see Jon get a second chance.
Report comment to moderator
I lurk on here regularly, but usually chicken out of commenting. I agree that it would be nice if Jon Rowe were given a second chance.
Just my two centimes.
Report comment to moderator
Cheryl D: Kim, anybody who accuses you of being racist for saying something positive about another race doesn’t understand the term. (Unless it’s a veiled insult, like saying, “Jews sure are good with other people’s money” or whatever.)
I think it is you who does not understand the term. Racism is usually about negative stereotypes, but really any kind of stereotype is under the umbrella. Whether you’re saying that black people are lazy or Asian people are great at math, you’re pre-judging people based not on their individual characteristics, but on their race.
Report comment to moderator
back to topJoin The Conversation
You need to be a registered user of WORLDonTheWeb.com to "join the conversation."
If you are not a member yet, what are you waiting for? Register / Login Now!