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Whirled Views 4.18

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It’s Friday!

Today’s quote is from a poet: “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine.”

57 Comments to “Whirled Views 4.18”

  1. 1. Gravatar by mommy 04.18.08 at 7:54 am

    Don’t know who said it, but it sounds pretty “new age” to me. Not Biblically sound, I would suggest.

  2. 2. Gravatar by adios 04.18.08 at 8:36 am

    I thought Emerson said that, but I’m not sure I would describe him as a poet.

  3. Ralph Waldo Emerson. He also said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

  4. Good morning all. Just thought I would check in. Seems like so many of the old regulars are gone that I thought I would let you know I am still lurking around. I sometimes go on line from work and check the comments but I can’t always log in and post.

    There have been a few things lately that disturbed me and I certainly didn’t want to post my thoughts on them from work. Really abortion as art???? A pregnant “man”???? Just can’t wrap my brain around those two subjects.

    I do have to admit that if I had plenty of money, there are a couple of cosmetic procedures I would have done. Because of make-up techniques if you were to see me in person you would never notice that my left eye is smaller and seems to droop in every photo I have ever had taken. A slight little tuck up of my eyebrow would really open it up. I have been saving for years for a tummy tuck because exercise and situps have never done what I really want to accomplish but something always gets in the way. New tires, the rent, groceries, you get the picture. My sister in law had breast implants but nothing major. She just went from a AA to a small B. For the first time in her life she doesn’t have to have clothes altered. Me? I would definately not do that. My best friend from growing up had breast reduction. She no longer has the extreme back pain she did have, but because she did have bulimia growing up she is very young to be fighting osteoporosis.
    The 18 yr old drama queen is still at work but I have finally decided what to do with her. I took her outside, informed her I was old enough to be her mother and I was going to give her the benefit of my years of therapy. The best thing she could do is shut up and “fly under the radar”. She has taken to calling me “mom” and has taken about 25% of the advice I have given her which was some of the advice I gave her. Whenever someone says something to you instead of arguing just look at them and say “you know what? you might be right” and walking away. I also explained that she was young and cute and when she was telling people older than her what to do it wasn’t taken in a kindly manner and to stop trying to be the center of attention and the authority on everything. She has only taken about 10% of that advice.
    I do have another situation at work that could cost someone there job and I really can’t go into detail about it. I was involved and I have tossed and turned all night worrying about it. If you could just say a prayer for T and that all will work out all right. Thanks. Kim

  5. 5. Gravatar by janie 04.18.08 at 8:47 am

    Hi, Kim,

    Thanks for the update. I’ll pray. I haven’t posted much lately, either, but I’ve been lurking around when I have time.

  6. 6. Gravatar by Mickey McLean 04.18.08 at 9:29 am

    Adios wins. Enjoy your digital cappuccino:

    ~~0)

  7. Kim,

    Of course the media loves these kinds of stories because it sells…

    But I don’t “get” either one of these individuals myself.

    The pregnant woman is just that. A very confused woman, but a pregnant woman nevertheless. How else does one define the sex and gender of a person born with female chromosomes, female biology, and who is now pregnant because she stopped taking male hormones, and artificially inseminated herself?
    I repeat my question of the other day. If I wanted to be referred to as a black man, would you still refer to me as black if I didn’t change my skin color? (I never did find the article that inspired this question.)

  8. Wow. I actually found the article. I guess my “search brain” is actually active today..

    http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/opinion/article3600604.ece

  9. 9. Gravatar by Frank in Phoenix 04.18.08 at 11:17 am

    Where’s that alleged “liberal, Bush-hating, anti-American, terrorist-loving” media when you need them?

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3761058.ece

    Report reveals Iran seized British sailors in disputed waters
    The UK Times
    April 17, 2008

    Fifteen British sailors and Marines were seized by Iran in internationally disputed waters and not in Iraq’s maritime territory as Parliament was told, according to new official documents released to The Times.

    The Britons were seized because the US-led coalition designated a sea boundary for Iran’s territorial waters without telling the Iranians where it was, internal Ministry of Defence briefing papers reveal.

    Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act detail for the first time the blunders last spring that led to what an all-party committee of MPs came to describe as a “national embarrassment”.

    The captured 14 men and one woman were paraded on Iranian TV for a fortnight before being freed a year ago by a smiling President Ahmadinejad, who gave them new suits and bags of presents.

    Newly released Ministry of Defence documents state that:

    — The arrests took place in waters that are not internationally agreed as Iraqi;

    — The coalition unilaterally designated a dividing line between Iraqi and Iranian waters in the Gulf without telling Iran where it was;

    — The Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ coastal protection vessels were crossing this invisible line at a rate of three times a week; It was the British who apparently raised their weapons first before the Iranian gunboats came alongside;

    — The cornered British, surrounded by heavily armed Iranians, made a hopeless last-minute radio plea for a helicopter to come back and provide air cover.

    Iran always claimed that it had arrested the Britons for violating its territorial integrity.

    Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, repeatedly told the Commons that the personnel were seized in Iraqi waters.

    […]

    Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and a Gulf of Tonkin-type “incident” (read “pretext for military action against Iran”) was averted.

    This time.

    But where is this story in the “rug-chewin’ liberal” American media?

  10. 10. Gravatar by Travis Birkenstock 04.18.08 at 11:27 am

    Anyone catch the 1-hour CSPAN broadcast of Justice Scalia speaking to honor students at TJ High in Washington DC last week?

    Very good stuff. Wonderful exchanges. I’m not usually on his side during tug-o-wars, but no question that Justice Scalia is a brilliant mind and a very engaging speaker.

    Check it out if you can, it’s been re-run a few times.

  11. 11. Gravatar by kBells 04.18.08 at 11:31 am

    This is so cool.

    http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/devilspool.asp

  12. 12. Gravatar by mumsee 04.18.08 at 11:49 am

    KBells,

    Fairly certain I would not be able to put myself in that water. But it is impressive. thanks.

  13. 13. Gravatar by NJLawyer 04.18.08 at 11:50 am

    I looked, KBells. I dont’ think you’d get me that close to the edge.

  14. 14. Gravatar by mumsee 04.18.08 at 12:15 pm

    NJLawyer,

    But you would get in? I got the impression the current grabs you and drags you to the edge. Not for me. I am too much of a control freak.

  15. Just wanted to say hey.

  16. 16. Gravatar by mumsee 04.18.08 at 12:33 pm

    hi EYG,

    been busy?

  17. Back at ya, EYG.

  18. BTW- Did anyone feel the earthquake this morning in the MidWest? I didn’t.

  19. 19. Gravatar by kBells 04.18.08 at 12:42 pm

    Mumsee, that’s what I was thinking. I don’t know if I could even get in.

  20. Louisville, KY isn’t really the Midwest, I guess, but we felt it here. The news reports said skyscrapers in Indianapolis were swaying, though.

  21. Cheryl D. said she felt it, too, over on the R&R thread. We look to be about an hour from the epicenter, east along I-64.

  22. 22. Gravatar by mtcon 04.18.08 at 1:38 pm

    Kbells, I’m with the rest! I can look but I couldn’t get in the water. I also will not send it to my daredevil kids.. They would probably spend their life savings to dive in.

    Earthquakes- We had an earthquake “go through” our town a couple years ago. At the time I was living on the 3rd floor of an old brick apartment building. I was reading in bed and heard a rumble, then a wave about a foot deep (or high, kind of hard to explain) actually went across the building! It was amazing that the whole building didn’t fall down, but it didn’t really do any damage! The epicenter was about 90 miles away (ATCF)to the south.

    DW and DD felt it also about 120 miles further north but not as pronounced.

    Are they strongest at the epicenter or at a distace out?

  23. 23. Gravatar by michelle 04.18.08 at 1:38 pm

    Book report: This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor by Susan Wicklund.

    I’ve been waiting for this book to arrive at our library for several months. Trained as a journalist, I like to read both sides of a story and I was curious about what Wicklund would have to say for her job–which, like many others, I view with great distaste.

    Inspired to become an abortionist after her own grim experience with an abortion, Wicklund has been on the front lines of the abortionist-in-the-crosshairs news. It’s hard for me, as a pregnancy counseling center volunteer, to read about the despicable acts intimidating pro-life activists inflicted on Wicklund and her family.

    No, I don’t approve of abortion. But as I noted last week on the post about Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s part in the plot to kill Hitler, I’m not sure the end–fewer abortions–justifies killing the abortionists. I’ve recognized the grim irony in that for a long time. And no crisis pregnancy center I’ve ever been affiliated with (four in 21 years) has condoned murdering abortionists.

    But at the same time, Wicklund didn’t seem to see the irony of her carrying a gun to protect herself so that she could terminate more pregnancies. Her commitment to ending the lives of tiny fetuses seemed just as over-the-top as those whom she condemned.

    Someone commented many years ago that abortion has so distorted law and society that it’s impossible to even discuss it rationally anymore. CoyoteBlue said a similar thing yesterday on the “abortion as art” post.

    Wicklund gave me much to think about, including whether in our zeal to protect the fetus, we’re alienating a lot of other people who otherwise might agree with us. Calling each other names and extrapolating to extremes, doesn’t help. And neither does holding in contempt people who value life, “no matter how small.”

    Many people would be willing to help the patients Wicklund aborted. Unfortunately, the rhetoric they’ve heard about those willing to help–crisis pregnancy centers–has also been so distorted they/we never get a chance to give a woman a different choice. This book was hard for me to read.

  24. 24. Gravatar by Travis Birkenstock 04.18.08 at 1:45 pm

    TJ sez - “Louisville, KY isn’t really the Midwest, I guess”

    How come we have a Midwest, but not a Mideast??

    No one ever says that they are from the Mideast. It must be our lost continent.

  25. 25. Gravatar by TomBob 04.18.08 at 1:46 pm

    Earthquake:
    I’m convinced it’s a hoax.
    I live on the 8th floor of an old building and sleep over 6 feet in the air on top of a rickety bunk bed sitting on top of my roommate’s desk.
    If I didn’t feel it, it didn’t happen.
    *sage nod*

  26. TomBob,
    :)
    Do you live near enough to here to have felt it?

  27. 27. Gravatar by mtcon 04.18.08 at 2:06 pm

    “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine.”

    Post#1-I think what this is saying is that:

    Sunshine = good or bright side
    Shadows= bad or dark side

    We have a tendency to look at the bad or dark side of things when we could probably just turn around and see something much more positive. I don’t know whether we could say it is Biblically sound or not, but it kind of goes along with Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
    .”

  28. 28. Gravatar by TomBob 04.18.08 at 2:16 pm

    #26
    assuming “it” happened, i think so. I have friends on campus here who claim to have felt it. (including one who lives in campus housing who claims to have been woken up by it)

    they probably did not have on their aluminum hats.

  29. 29. Gravatar by JohnV 04.18.08 at 2:35 pm

    The quake woke me up at 5:40 in the morning here in Midwest Michigan. We all felt the aftershock (~11:15), too, here at work.

    Crazy stuff, I’ve never felt an earthquake before - kind of like a really slow massage chair.

  30. 30. Gravatar by mumsee 04.18.08 at 2:46 pm

    (the other day, Tombob rudely announced he did not have to run faster than Victoria, only faster than me. I enticed him out with a cup of tea and left the room. Victoria came by and found him. He evidently did not notice the earthquake as he is still suffering the effects of the bong she gave him)

  31. 31. Gravatar by TomBob 04.18.08 at 2:52 pm

    …
    i wonder what ELSE i’ve missed in my post-BONG state….

  32. 32. Gravatar by Chas 04.18.08 at 3:12 pm

    Travis (#10)
    I saw the last half of the talk. It was really nice of Justice Scalia to talk to those students.
    My wife worked at TJHS for Science & Technology when President Reagan came.

  33. Tombob,

    It woke me up, but only because I sleep lightly. When I was in college, if my roommate and a friend were studying quietly and one whispered to the other, “Is Cheryl asleep?” I’d hear my name and wake up. Last night I did not feel like a monster had grabbed up my bed and was shaking it to dump me out, but like my fairy godmother was gently rocking it to help me sleep. Unless you wake up very readily, you would have slept right through it, at the intensity I had.

    You need better proof.

    This was the second time I’ve felt a minor tremble, BTW–the other was decades ago in Phoenix. Neither was enough to be frightening, just interesting.

  34. 34. Gravatar by NJLawyer 04.18.08 at 3:46 pm

    Mumsee, odds are I would NOT get in, not unless there were a lot of people ahead of me to block me going over or I have a rope attached so someone could pull me out. I got vertigo just looking at the pictures!!

  35. 35. Gravatar by mumsee 04.18.08 at 6:36 pm

    Decision time. I have weed eated the rose garden and orchard and painted the carport and the supersize doghouse and I am tired. Now to decide whether or not to go to .. of all places .. the women’s retreat type thingey our church is putting on tonight and tomorrow. I have much mowing and gardening to do tomorrow and little time as we may be taking a little trip soon (not with Victoria’s bong), do I have time in attending this fine event? Hmmm..

  36. Mumsee, DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO and remember that sometimes God just wants us to rest. Remember the commandment about the Sabbath? With all you have done who could blame you for staying home. I treated myself to some “bloomers” to put in pots by my front door. Geraniums, Shasta Daisies, Petunia’s, Salvia, and a couple more I cannot name. Boy was I shocked at how much it cost!!!!

  37. 37. Gravatar by mumsee 04.18.08 at 6:56 pm

    Ah, Kim, there is the problem. With all of the women on here that I have come to appreciate the views of, and many here at home, encouraging me to attend a women’s retreat, I begin to wonder if it is my own selfishness that is keeping me away when I might be able to offer something by going. Don’t have to decide for thirty minutes, don’t have to leave for thirty five which should just give me time to find those heels…

  38. 38. Gravatar by Victoria 04.18.08 at 7:07 pm

    GO MUMSEE GO, you might have a wonderful time!

  39. 39. Gravatar by Victoria 04.18.08 at 7:08 pm

    Mumsee, you might also be richly blessed.

  40. 40. Gravatar by mumsee 04.18.08 at 7:25 pm

    For you, Victoria (and Vita and a few other precious saints), I go. But no heels. Full disclosure upon my return.

  41. 41. Gravatar by Victoria 04.18.08 at 7:40 pm

    OK, no heels. We want to hear every detail when you get back. I do hope you have a wonderful time, I’ll be praying for you. :)

    You deserve this time of fellowship with your friends.

    GOD bless you Mumsee

  42. Then Mumsee it was ultimately what you wanted to do and what God wanted you to do. You will be blessed. I gave you the freedom to be selfish and you weren’t. Maybe I was just being that little devil sitting on your other shoulder. You chose the right way.

  43. 43. Gravatar by Karen O 04.18.08 at 9:16 pm

    Kim - Did you know that salvia is also a drug? It is legal in many states, but that may change soon as it becomes more popular. Here in Connecticut there is talk of making it illegal.

  44. Mumsee, Peter L.,

    Have been busy with daughter returning, and I caught her cold (ghastly 10 day headache).

    We just saw Expelled. It was thought provoking.

  45. 45. Gravatar by kBells 04.18.08 at 10:13 pm

    Can I throw out unspoken prayer request. All I can say it that it involves my little boy.

  46. KBells,
    Noted and done.

  47. 47. Gravatar by kBells 04.18.08 at 11:07 pm

    Thank you Cameron.

  48. 48. Gravatar by Victoria 04.18.08 at 11:09 pm

    Kbells, I’m praying for your little boy.

    God bless you and your family

  49. 49. Gravatar by Justus331 04.18.08 at 11:49 pm

    KBells #11: I actually saw that locale in Zimbabwe on a recent episode of Globe Trekker. It featured a tour of Zimbabwe, and Zambia. The featured trekker jumped into the Devil’s Pool, and the camera angle was way impressive.
    Yeah……….I would try that.

    :)

  50. 50. Gravatar by kBells 04.19.08 at 12:10 am

    Justus331, I might slip in, but not jump in. Maybe with a rope like NJL suggested.

    Thank you, Victoria

  51. 51. Gravatar by mumsee 04.19.08 at 12:41 am

    Well! That was an interesting experience, not sure I have ever made a jaw dropping entrance into a room before so that was kind of fun. No heels in sight on any of the women present. They, like me, had changed from the dirty work clothes to the clean work clothes and wore tennies for the most part.

    The message was good, basic but important. The speaker used different words than I would use to say the same things. A couple of things I disagreed with but that is to be expected from such a disagreeable person as me.

    The music was lead by a “worship leader” who seemed to be saying if we sang worshipfully enough and wiggled when we sang, God would join us. I thought He was already there as we were already worshipping with our lives but that is a side issue. She has a tremendous voice but I found it so painful that I had to sit which was a good thing as an elderly lady with severe back pain from a broken back took my cue and sat with me. Those who are uncomfortable around noise chaos can understand what I say when I say her voice hit sounds that made me physically hurt and nearly sick to my stomach. But most of the music was good though painful.

    Overall, I enjoyed the evening and look forward to going back tomorrow to learn more about Judah and the things in his life that we also find in ours. She is a stronghold teacher, teaching about such things as generational strongholds. Things I agree with but perhaps with a different emphasis. (The speaker, by the way, a woman I have known for years, was one who glanced up and smiled when she saw me, turned away and did an abrupt double take, nearly dropping her dinner plate before breaking out into a big grin. That was amusing as well, guess I don’t get out often.)

  52. 52. Gravatar by Victoria 04.19.08 at 1:03 am

    Mumsee, you my friend are a ‘treat’- I wish I had been there to take notes, not to mention photos.

    I’m glad you didn’t wear heels, …. the sight you describe of your friend doing a double take, is a winner. I would love to see you in action, …. if you’re ever going to a retreat where I might attend, I will WEAR HEELS, ‘bright pink’ all strappy and cute with white capris, we can sit together. I know, I know, you will die of embarrassment, but think of all the fun we’ll have.

    Seriously, I’m glad you went, glad you’re going tomorrow. Have fun!

  53. Mumsee, I’m glad you went and mostly enjoyed it.

    Victoria, your #52 is sweet.

    I spent the evening with a friend, seeing “Expelled,” window shopping at the mall, and then eating supper together. She called earlier in the week inviting me, but she didn’t get me live and left a message. I called back and left a message saying yes, I wanted to go. But then I got thinking about it–the income has been short this year, the budget tight, and I simply can’t justify spending that sort of money, as much as I wanted to see the movie and, more, see my friend. So I called back and that time told her the budget is too tight, and how about if she comes to my house instead and we just hang out for the evening? She said maybe, but if she decided she wanted to see the movie badly enough that she’d pay my way and pay for my supper, would I let her? I hesitated, and then said yes.

    I was tempted to feel guilty, but decided that instead I should feel grateful. So we went and we both had a good time. She told me she wasn’t being generous; she was being impatient. She wanted to see the movie, and wasn’t going to let a little thing like money stand in her way. I thank God for a good friend, and a really nice evening.

  54. 54. Gravatar by Victoria 04.19.08 at 2:17 am

    Cheryl,

    That’s what good friends do. If one has money and cares about their friends they want to share. Just like you share your kindness and love for others, its all part of the body of Christ.

    I’m glad you went and had a good time, spending an evening with a good friend is always special.

    I read the thread which was just started regarding the film. What do you think, was their a good argument made for creation? We will see the film next week.

  55. Victoria, thanks.

    I don’t think it really got into the evidence for ID or creation at all, in any direct sense, though it did look at some of the absurdity of the atheist position. (Dawkins looked downright silly, without any commentary whatsoever, just showing his own words.) It showed a little about the complexity of the cell (more in fun graphics than in scientific language) and showed the implications of refusing to allow God, and moral thought, into science. At one point it let the atheistic scientists dig their own hole by basically showing in their own words that they’re replacing religion with evolution and (by implication) that evolution is their god who can’t abide a rival.

    The evolution/eugenics connection was the most powerful (to me personally). Nothing really graphic was shown, but a couple times I thought if this continued I might throw up. NOT because it was graphic, it wasn’t, but because it was so chillingly real that this has life-and-death implications. (I don’t want to say more, because I don’t want the powerful scenes to lose their power to move you. But I felt like I was “there” at some places of deadly historical importance.)

  56. 56. Gravatar by Victoria 04.19.08 at 1:45 pm

    Cheryl thanks, I’m looking forward to seeing the film.

    Were there many comments from those leaving the theatre, talking between themselves? Sometimes what people say as they walk out is very interesting.

  57. Victoria,

    There were very few other people there (three or four? not sure) and they left as the credits started, so I only discussed it with my friend.