Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, March 13, 2018

  • Sometimes it’s just fun to go around the house and WD-40 things. You start with a door hinge or two and then rationalize since you have the WD-40, you might as well walk around and find stuff to un-squeak.
  • You know you are making progress with your back recovery when you unwittingly walk over 8,000 steps. I was shocked and had to look at the 28-day history of my Fitbit app. Yesterday’s total was more than double my usual, which is closer to 3,500 steps since the surgery. I mean, some days I’m around the 4,000-4,500 range, so yesterday was a shocker.
  • I visited my mother’s kidney doctor yesterday, it was the first time I saw him or been in his office in 11 years. I thought it would just be a typical trip to see the doctor for myself, but unexpectedly it was emotional as a lot of memories started to pour in. We spent a lot of time in that office, and it wasn’t all bad, there were some fun memories of inside jokes and such. It was one of those things which you forget a lot about but once you visit a place you start to remember the little things you haven’t thought about in eons, like the tile patterns, and that in itself will trigger other memories. The doctor still had not-so-great bedside manner, but still made up for it with how he explains things and goes into detail and you’re left comforted with his knowledge and expertise. He ordered a sonogram for my kidneys, blood and urinalysis, and a return visit in a month.
  • We brought down Challenger space shuttle in 1986, claims Turkish sect leader
  • Louisiana pastor who erected third-largest cross in US busted for possession of meth: report
  • The Stormy Daniels/Trump story is interesting. It’s juicy, so it draws attention. She can certainly play it to her advantage by increasing her wealth and visibility, more valuable than what the alleged $130,000 or million she would be penalized. But it’s a valid issue and will stay around because of all things, it may have violated campaign finance laws. On top of that, the loan came from Trump’s attorney who financed it with a home equity loan. If it wasn’t for that, the story would have died long ago, and I expect nothing to really come from it. I only mention the story because there’s a local tie and the silliness of CBS11’s reporting. The NDA is being investigated whether a Forney, TX notary properly signed off on it, where Daniels owned a home. CBS11 had to make this stupid distinction about her house, “This house, with four “x”s above the garage is listed as the triple-x actress’ home.”  I thought that tie-in and forced connection was stupid, really stupid.
  • A girl on last night’s ‘American Idol’ decided to cover an Adele song and I thought that was a horrible choice, there’s no measuring up to Adele. But to my surprise, she’s going to Hollywood.
  • I hope I’m not the only person in the country who first read this headline thinking it was ‘Friends’ actress Lisa Kudrow – Trump tells people he is selecting Larry Kudlow to replace economic advisor Gary Cohn
  • Hey, it’s Super Mario Hampster:

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12 Responses to Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, March 13, 2018

  1. NH says:

    How is the Stormy Daniels story not 1000x worse than the Monica Lewinsky story? Where is the Evangelical outrage?

    • RPM says:

      They said it was a mulligan.

      • NH says:

        To their peril. They’re one generation from extinction and don’t even know it. Good riddance. P.S. Long love the true Church.

        • Brent says:

          I’m sorry Nathan, but as an Evangelical myself, I am really troubled with your statement here. I am not a Trump supporter, but I’m not a Trump basher either. Do you realize that you are wishing good riddance to hundreds of thousands of well-meaning Christians? Or are you lumping all Evangelicals together with the misguided (in my opinion) and politically active minority that capture the airwaves for notoriety’s sake and not Christ’s. I use “minority” in the sense that I believe the majority of Evangelicals do not blindingly support everything our president says and does. I am equally upset by positions I see the liberal church taking but also know many genuine believers in those churches and would never dream to wish them good riddance, even though I disagree with them on several issues. I know you to be a pastor and a friend of Keith’s but this really bothers me. Perhaps I’m taking it too personally here, but as I said, I identify myself as an Evangelical and I love the church in all of its colors and iterations.

          And to be fair, it is not 1000x worse because Monica Lewinsky was a 22 year old intern in the White House when the affair with President Clinton took place. She herself has stated recently that she realizes now the abuse of power that took place given her age and maturity. This affair with President Trump was before he ran for office and it was with an adult sex worker. Of course it is reprehensible and embarrassing and outrageous (and it would not surprise me if something else came up while he is the current president) but I offer that just to say it is no better or worse than President Clinton’s behavior.

          • NH says:

            When I wrote “good riddance” you thought I was saying I hope that Evangelicals die? What a weird assumption. I do hope—genuinely hope—that the ideological fever that currently inflicts American Evangelicals subsides. And I hope the idolatry that lead to supposedly Christian people voting for such an obviously anti-Christian man gets exposed for what it is. Because every non-Evangelical watching this debacle is either derisively laughing or rightly concerned for our judgment. Non-Christians can actually claim the moral high ground here. What a time to be alive.

            • Brent says:

              I guess I don’t understand what you meant by “good riddance” then. No, I didn’t think you meant you wish they would die, but it sure sounds like a dismissal of fellowship and a general disregard for them as brothers and sisters. Perhaps you also meant it only to the outspoken leaders, but it sounds like you are lumping all Evangelicals in the same group and discounting them from the “true Church.” That is what bothers me. It is also demeaning and dismissive to suggest that all Christians who voted for Trump did so out of idolatry, and to call them “supposed” Christians. That also bothers me. I know good, humble, loving people who voted for Trump not because they idolized him but because they preferred him to the other candidates. I also know good, humble, loving people who voted for Clinton probably more because they hate Trump than that they love her. Politics is a nasty business. There is no perfect candidate. Everyone has the issues that they care about and which probably guide their vote, to the detriment of other areas of conscience.

              I would extend your hope that this ideological fever subsides to all areas of American politics and religion, for it is not just the American Evangelical who is guilty here. Do you not agree? Again, the nature of politics in this country disheartens me. On the left and the right.

              It may be that this is all more about semantics than anything else. We might just have different understandings of what we mean by “Evangelical.” There was a great article in The Atlantic by Michael Gerson which describes the angst I feel with being lumped in with the outspoken Evangelical leaders like Dr. Jeffress and others whom I disagree with in these matters but identify with in other matters of religious faith. Here’s a link:
              https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/04/the-last-temptation/554066/

              I may be naïve, but I still think that most Evangelicals do not resemble the characterization that is played up in the media and which I think you and others are reacting against so passionately. Like Keith said in today’s blog, Dr. Jeffress needs to realize that he doesn’t speak for all of us. However, it may just be that my little bubble of Evangelical friends and church community is outside of the norm. Maybe the majority really do believe Trump can do no wrong. I hope not, but I can state with conviction that my community does not feel the same way that these outspoken leaders do. We do not blindly defend what we know to be sin. Don’t give up on us just because we have different views and points of emphasis politically.

              • Geeding says:

                I love the dialog, especially the demeanor, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from you two.

                Since I know, love, and respect both of you, I just thought I’d add a little context, even if it’s unwarranted.

                Both of you are in the ministry and have advanced degrees in theology. Soon, both of you will have a terminal degree in theology (or whatever the proper term maybe). So neither ofyou speak from ignorance or fake biblical news. Both of you have counseled me. Both of you have changed my life for the better. Oh, and both of you are U2 fans.

                I also thing both of you may be observing things inside your own little bubble. Brent from the North Texas Evangelical bubble and Nathan from the NY/CT view. Looking at the same thing through different perspectives can be interesting.

                I think Brent would beat Nathan in a sprint but Nathan would win any long distance run.

                What hurts Evangelicals are “famous” leaders with a very large flog who are outspoken about Trump, like Jeffress and Jack Graham. It’s hard for me to identify “famous” Christian pastors with a large influential flock who are outspoken about Trump.

              • NH says:

                Eighty percent of Evangelicals voted for a man who, if they could see him clearly without the blinders of political idolatry, stands for things that are anitithetical to the gospel. So yes, they are “supposed” Christians to me. They literally put him into power with their votes. Not just the ones that appear on tv. Millions more than that. They did this knowing how morally corrupt he is. It feels …weird… that I have to even explain this.

              • NH says:

                Also in case you’ve assumed I’m coming from the left, I’m not. I think politically Liberal Christians are just as (nearly as?) idolatrous as Trump voters. The idols are different but the error is the same.

                • Brent says:

                  That we can agree on! And I apologize for an assumption that was incorrect. Although I would still counter that not all Trump voters are the same. I understand how the political system works so you are not having to “explain” this to me. I know that it was the votes of the people that put him into power. I also know that many did so holding their nose because they simply thought he was the lesser of two evils. It feels weird to me that I have to explain this. Not all Trump voters idolize the man. Not all Evangelicals are giving him a free pass. The political system is what it is. We basically had a choice between two people (I voted for neither) and people did what they thought was right. There is no purely righteous politician, nor are there any purely righteous citizens. It is unfair to place a person’s worth on who they voted for.

                  Look, I am embarrassed by the “famous” (as Keith said) Evangelical leaders that try to defend him at every turn. I think that is unseemly. I agree with the assertion that this creates a lot of distrust and disdain. I am appalled by a lot of what Mr. Trump has said and done. It just seems to me that you believe most Evangelicals believe the same as these leaders and I am stating that I disagree. Of course, as Keith wisely pointed out I am speaking from my bubble and experience and I may be wrong about Evangelicals in America. I just know too many to say that the blanket statements being made about Evangelicals are universally true and to dismiss all of us out of hand is also unfair.

                  This has been a good discussion and I’m sorry for hijacking the blog. I’m sure many readers disagree pretty strongly with me, but I hope we can always be civil. Keith, thanks for your kind remarks in your response although I’m pretty sure Nathan could also beat me in a sprint. I may not have small children but I’m rocking the dad bod all the same.

  2. Bryan says:

    As I’ve read more than once in recent weeks: The president is suing his porn star former mistress that he paid off to cover up the affair he had with her while his third wife was pregnant with his child. The evangelical candidate for president, ladies and gentleman. Hey, the pastor of a prominent local church said it was much ado about nothing because he’s planning to meet with Kim Jung Un.

  3. Bryan says:

    And I’m pretty sure this is the part in the script where the Christian base tells us that “Jesus hung out with adulterers and prostitutes and tax collectors!” I’m sure that Donald was leading Stormy down the Roman road and sharing his favorite passage from Two Corinthians while they were breaking commandments at Mira Largo.

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