Welcome Patrick! What’s on your mind that you decided to decloak?
For me, I’m conflicted on a job opportunity, because we are all beaten down at work with the new boss, a young guy. Our company seems like Game of Thrones management style. They mercilessly kicked out our long time manager this summer.
I have a good opportunity at another company, but it would require up to 50% travel. I don’t think I could do it with school aged kids (7 and 9) and joint custody. I mentioned it to their mom last weekend and her response was, “would it be more money?” Wrong answer. It would likely be lateral salary wise, but my current company is very generous with profit sharing (20% the last three years), so I’d lose that. Money isn’t everything, and I live below my means. I was trying to start a conversation about how my travel might impact the kids and her.
It’s an opportunity I’ve had for years, and I’d be on an expense account while traveling (so saving money on food and commuting). I’m not sure I could do it, being gone for days, maybe a week at a time. I haven’t prayed about it. I’m almost 50. I look younger than I am but age discrimination is real in Tech. This might be “my time” as a former co-worker from the 90s when I lived in Oregon said (and he said he’d reference me… he works for this company). With my kids, I’m not sure…
I’ve had faith everything works out in the end twice before making big moves ( in 95 moving to Oregon, and 2000 moving back to California), but then I didn’t have my lambs for whom i am responsible.
This is Billy Graham in 1998 giving a TED Talk. Notice – he’s not angry, he’s not divisive, he’s not political, he admires science and technology, he’s well read, he’s not afraid to say what he doesn’t know…
How things have changed. https://www.ted.com/talks/billy_graham_on_technology_faith_and_suffering?
New Victor, just a thought as i have no idea of what the dynamic is in your family… would the children’s mother see your travel as an excuse to file for sole custody, leave the area?
Praying with you for insight and wisdom. … God keep
On another tac…
Why are we sacrificing our military in the middle east, when the present government of Mexico could use our military help to eliminate the cartels? Too hard to identify our enemies there?
“Why are we sacrificing our military in the middle east, when the present government of Mexico could use our military help to eliminate the cartels? ”
Because the biggest cartel in Mexico is the government.
The Mexican army fights the cartels for a bigger cut of the trade, not the rule of law.
Corporations on both sides of the border profit immensely from the drug trade…eliminate the drugs and powerful people here lose money and the entire Mexican economy goes under.
“Corporations on both sides of the border profit immensely from the drug trade…eliminate the drugs and powerful people here lose money and the entire Mexican economy goes under.”
1)
Can you say a little more how corporations in the US profit from the drug trade?
2)
You’ve said before that eliminating the war on drugs (presumably through legalization?) would help. Do you still think so?
3).
What’s the solution? As unrealistic as it may be….
I think of the church. And wonder how effective the church is at seeing conversions, changed minds and hearts, that then affects the country.
But I have little info on the churches in Meheeecoh.
There segments of the economy that are dependent on illegal drugs.
The private prison industry
The counseling industry
Prison guard unions
The Border Patrol union
Tech companies that make surveillance tech for the border
There are many more…but the most notable example is the fact that the only thing that kept the major banks solvent in the last recession was drug money cash.
Cartels don’t deal in checks or take Visa…
As for the legalization question…if you cut off the cash flow you kill the cartel…but (as we’re finding out here) you create other problems domestically.
There isn’t a solution as the powers that be don’t want one.
The simple fact is that if you solve those three issues there is nothing else that excites the masses and can bring in campaign and activist cash.
Thus, the profit is in keeping them unresolved.
All Evangelical political efforts to stop drugs, abortion and immigration, are futile.
The US economy needs immigration, including illegal immigration. The World has always had, and will have imigration, legal or otherwise.
The modern global economy would collapse without remittances of immigrants to their home countries. Loss of immigration would set off a slow downward spiral of developing economies contracting and unable to access hard currencies needed to debt and import payments.
A secure border would however act as a constriction on cross-border movement and open up vast opportunities for visa processors, capable of navigating regulatory channels. This would directly cut into the currently un-regulated illegal labor/cash remittance stream. I envision the losers as small labor consumers (example: family agriculture) and poor immigrants. The shakedown would work on both sides of the border with immigrants potentially needing to finance a visa application process.
Good news is that the US abortion rate has been dropping for decades, and that the decline was steepest in the Obama era. I haven’t seen what it is since then.
Em, thanks for responding. No, the custody order is clear, neither of us can move out of the county without agreement of the other parent. It’s how I sold filing to her in the first place, that an order protected all of us. She didn’t want to go to court, doing out “Eastside” a verbal agreement. No way! I wouldn’t give up time which is my concern about the job. My kids would prefer to stay with me more anyway, a more stable household. D7 told me last week, “you don’t yell at us as much.” S9 told me before, “I don’t get in trouble as much with you,” not to mention that his mom called him a mother-effing B___ when she got frustrated with him. I asked her, she admitted it. Saod she apologized to him, but for months, his little sister repeated this… just out of my earshot, but my son told me.
When her green card was about to expire when S9 was a baby, she said she’d go back to Mexico and take him with her because “a son belongs with his mother.” I was horrified. I’d shelter and pay 100% if she lost her job, it’s my family. Thus, I don’t trust her. Given the custody order, I’ve told her that she can take the kids to Mexico when they are teenagers. My reasoning is that by then then they could advocate for themselves.
The green card debacle (due to her lawyer) worked out and she gained citizenship, but I never forgot her assumption. Neither of us can take the kids out of state or country without the permission of the other parent. I’ve written permission for two trips to other states (TX and FL), no problem. But not out of the USA until they are teenagers.
“All Evangelical political efforts to stop drugs, abortion and immigration, are futile.”
The issues are religious or denomination oriented. These issues are what a community determines is either beneficial or harmful to them. To categorize these as solely “Evangelical” is disingenuous.
We as a nation determine the effects of drugs, abortion and immigration control on our community as a whole. While some may seem religious or “moral” based they are in no way limited to these ideas.
The question should never be, “how do these things effect ME?” It should be how do they effect our community as a whole. Does relaxing the legal control of these bring positive results to our community or negative.
In the end any changes will have consequences that were unintended by the designers of the policies and we have to live with those consequences for a very long time.
The fact somethings seem futile does not mean they are unworthy to be pursued.
“There segments of the economy that are dependent on illegal drugs.
The private prison industry
The counseling industry
Prison guard unions
The Border Patrol union”.
I’d add all law enforcement and public prisons. Our entire criminal “justice” system really.
Simply put, the truth of drugs as a product of “witchcraft” seems more and more plausible… I really wonder if we are in a non recoverable tailspin… sigh… until something like the French Revolution comes along (not a good revolt IMO) the average Joe does seem to try to ape the rich and famous who have the connections and the money to cover their sins…. for now. The average Joe then ends up sprawled out on the sidewalk in total disgrace… can we pull out of this? i don’t know, but i do know that if we don’t, God is still in control of history….
p.s. new victor sounds like a great dad – God bless his efforts with successes, i pray
Most drugs come out of the ground. Surely evidence of a fallen world, but not much conjuring involved. I do understand the connection between altered states and the occult, but I think most drug users, including alcohol, just want to escape reality. As a former druggy/drunk, I guess I should have compassion towards them, but I don’t have a lot, and I don’t want to be around them. I still don’t support locking them in a cage.
It’s all yours…
Hello from North Africa. Like the PP. Been lurking for a while.
Hello, Patrick!
Welcome!
Hi Patrick! That’s my middle name btw.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/12/opinion/sunday/evangelical-preachers-pastors.html?smid=tw-nytopinion&smtyp=cur
I love Kate Bowler…
Came across an article on the total monies the mega churches haul in – didn’t stop to read.. anybody here read it?
North Africa? Welcome indeed!
Welcome Patrick! What’s on your mind that you decided to decloak?
For me, I’m conflicted on a job opportunity, because we are all beaten down at work with the new boss, a young guy. Our company seems like Game of Thrones management style. They mercilessly kicked out our long time manager this summer.
I have a good opportunity at another company, but it would require up to 50% travel. I don’t think I could do it with school aged kids (7 and 9) and joint custody. I mentioned it to their mom last weekend and her response was, “would it be more money?” Wrong answer. It would likely be lateral salary wise, but my current company is very generous with profit sharing (20% the last three years), so I’d lose that. Money isn’t everything, and I live below my means. I was trying to start a conversation about how my travel might impact the kids and her.
It’s an opportunity I’ve had for years, and I’d be on an expense account while traveling (so saving money on food and commuting). I’m not sure I could do it, being gone for days, maybe a week at a time. I haven’t prayed about it. I’m almost 50. I look younger than I am but age discrimination is real in Tech. This might be “my time” as a former co-worker from the 90s when I lived in Oregon said (and he said he’d reference me… he works for this company). With my kids, I’m not sure…
I’ve had faith everything works out in the end twice before making big moves ( in 95 moving to Oregon, and 2000 moving back to California), but then I didn’t have my lambs for whom i am responsible.
All- Thanks for the welcome:) … it’s hard to engage frequently for different reasons. I’ll check back every now and then.
This is Billy Graham in 1998 giving a TED Talk. Notice – he’s not angry, he’s not divisive, he’s not political, he admires science and technology, he’s well read, he’s not afraid to say what he doesn’t know…
How things have changed.
https://www.ted.com/talks/billy_graham_on_technology_faith_and_suffering?
New Victor, just a thought as i have no idea of what the dynamic is in your family… would the children’s mother see your travel as an excuse to file for sole custody, leave the area?
Praying with you for insight and wisdom. … God keep
On another tac…
Why are we sacrificing our military in the middle east, when the present government of Mexico could use our military help to eliminate the cartels? Too hard to identify our enemies there?
“Why are we sacrificing our military in the middle east, when the present government of Mexico could use our military help to eliminate the cartels? ”
Because the biggest cartel in Mexico is the government.
The Mexican army fights the cartels for a bigger cut of the trade, not the rule of law.
Corporations on both sides of the border profit immensely from the drug trade…eliminate the drugs and powerful people here lose money and the entire Mexican economy goes under.
“Corporations on both sides of the border profit immensely from the drug trade…eliminate the drugs and powerful people here lose money and the entire Mexican economy goes under.”
1)
Can you say a little more how corporations in the US profit from the drug trade?
2)
You’ve said before that eliminating the war on drugs (presumably through legalization?) would help. Do you still think so?
3).
What’s the solution? As unrealistic as it may be….
I think of the church. And wonder how effective the church is at seeing conversions, changed minds and hearts, that then affects the country.
But I have little info on the churches in Meheeecoh.
There segments of the economy that are dependent on illegal drugs.
The private prison industry
The counseling industry
Prison guard unions
The Border Patrol union
Tech companies that make surveillance tech for the border
There are many more…but the most notable example is the fact that the only thing that kept the major banks solvent in the last recession was drug money cash.
Cartels don’t deal in checks or take Visa…
As for the legalization question…if you cut off the cash flow you kill the cartel…but (as we’re finding out here) you create other problems domestically.
There isn’t a solution as the powers that be don’t want one.
There are three issues that will never be solved.
Drugs
Abortion
Immigration
The simple fact is that if you solve those three issues there is nothing else that excites the masses and can bring in campaign and activist cash.
Thus, the profit is in keeping them unresolved.
https://julieroys.com/leading-evangelicals-endorse-prosperity-preacher-paula-whites-new-book/
They’re all political whores…
All Evangelical political efforts to stop drugs, abortion and immigration, are futile.
The US economy needs immigration, including illegal immigration. The World has always had, and will have imigration, legal or otherwise.
The modern global economy would collapse without remittances of immigrants to their home countries. Loss of immigration would set off a slow downward spiral of developing economies contracting and unable to access hard currencies needed to debt and import payments.
A secure border would however act as a constriction on cross-border movement and open up vast opportunities for visa processors, capable of navigating regulatory channels. This would directly cut into the currently un-regulated illegal labor/cash remittance stream. I envision the losers as small labor consumers (example: family agriculture) and poor immigrants. The shakedown would work on both sides of the border with immigrants potentially needing to finance a visa application process.
Good news is that the US abortion rate has been dropping for decades, and that the decline was steepest in the Obama era. I haven’t seen what it is since then.
Em, thanks for responding. No, the custody order is clear, neither of us can move out of the county without agreement of the other parent. It’s how I sold filing to her in the first place, that an order protected all of us. She didn’t want to go to court, doing out “Eastside” a verbal agreement. No way! I wouldn’t give up time which is my concern about the job. My kids would prefer to stay with me more anyway, a more stable household. D7 told me last week, “you don’t yell at us as much.” S9 told me before, “I don’t get in trouble as much with you,” not to mention that his mom called him a mother-effing B___ when she got frustrated with him. I asked her, she admitted it. Saod she apologized to him, but for months, his little sister repeated this… just out of my earshot, but my son told me.
When her green card was about to expire when S9 was a baby, she said she’d go back to Mexico and take him with her because “a son belongs with his mother.” I was horrified. I’d shelter and pay 100% if she lost her job, it’s my family. Thus, I don’t trust her. Given the custody order, I’ve told her that she can take the kids to Mexico when they are teenagers. My reasoning is that by then then they could advocate for themselves.
The green card debacle (due to her lawyer) worked out and she gained citizenship, but I never forgot her assumption. Neither of us can take the kids out of state or country without the permission of the other parent. I’ve written permission for two trips to other states (TX and FL), no problem. But not out of the USA until they are teenagers.
“All Evangelical political efforts to stop drugs, abortion and immigration, are futile.”
The issues are religious or denomination oriented. These issues are what a community determines is either beneficial or harmful to them. To categorize these as solely “Evangelical” is disingenuous.
We as a nation determine the effects of drugs, abortion and immigration control on our community as a whole. While some may seem religious or “moral” based they are in no way limited to these ideas.
The question should never be, “how do these things effect ME?” It should be how do they effect our community as a whole. Does relaxing the legal control of these bring positive results to our community or negative.
In the end any changes will have consequences that were unintended by the designers of the policies and we have to live with those consequences for a very long time.
The fact somethings seem futile does not mean they are unworthy to be pursued.
OOPS!
“The issues are religious or denomination oriented.”
These issues are not limited to religious or denominations….
Sorry I want to be clear.
Michael said,
“There segments of the economy that are dependent on illegal drugs.
The private prison industry
The counseling industry
Prison guard unions
The Border Patrol union”.
I’d add all law enforcement and public prisons. Our entire criminal “justice” system really.
Then there’s this-
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/13/one-striking-chart-shows-why-pharma-companies-are-fighting-legal-marijuana/
Jim,
I concur…
Simply put, the truth of drugs as a product of “witchcraft” seems more and more plausible… I really wonder if we are in a non recoverable tailspin… sigh… until something like the French Revolution comes along (not a good revolt IMO) the average Joe does seem to try to ape the rich and famous who have the connections and the money to cover their sins…. for now. The average Joe then ends up sprawled out on the sidewalk in total disgrace… can we pull out of this? i don’t know, but i do know that if we don’t, God is still in control of history….
p.s. new victor sounds like a great dad – God bless his efforts with successes, i pray
Em,
Most drugs come out of the ground. Surely evidence of a fallen world, but not much conjuring involved. I do understand the connection between altered states and the occult, but I think most drug users, including alcohol, just want to escape reality. As a former druggy/drunk, I guess I should have compassion towards them, but I don’t have a lot, and I don’t want to be around them. I still don’t support locking them in a cage.