Things I Think…

CM says:

Hello Michael,

My reply in no particular order:

#Bonus: What about minor league games? Those can be just as exciting and fun as the MLB ones. And the ticket and concession prices cheaper.

#1: What happened may I ask? Also I was tempted to go into the Apple stores and look at the Fanboys and the employees to point out that CPU in the iPhones are made by TMSC (and before that Samsung), the OLED screen on the iPhones is made by Samsung, the facial recognition VCSEL is made by either Lumentum or FInisar, the Wireless/RF chip is likely made by Cree/Wolfspeed or Broadcom, and so on. And I will complement them on borrowing other ideas and making it seamlessly integrated for the masses for a while. But they have gotten to clever by a half since the iPhone 7 or so.

Xenia says:

I don’t know much about baseball but I can tell you a thing or two about the knitting “community.”

In recent years, knitting has been discovered by hipsters, both male and female. Some of these knitters have extreme views and have taken over the numerous knitting communities of Facebook, Instagram, etc. The biggest online knitting social group is Ravelry, and I was an early member. (I am no longer a member as they forbade any conservative opinions.) What has happened is if an ordinary knitter says something even remotely politically incorrect, they get mobbed. Hundreds of “woke” strangers will rip your grandma to shreds and will post her photo on Twitter and will run her out of business if she has a yarn shop. This happened recently to a young man who said he was worried because his yarn shop was near the Minneapolis riots. He just said he was a little scared. Hundreds of SJW people descended upon this poor man like sharks after bait. He tried to apologize; they wouldn’t accept it. He tried harder to apologize; they still wouldn’t accept. The shop owner himself was very liberal, but it wasn’t good enough. I don’t know what they wanted him to do as nothing would satisfy the mob. This is happening all over the western world now in every “community.” You wouldn’t believe the nonsense what’s currently happening in the strange little world of Tolkien studies. Moreover, the phrase “Anglo-Saxon” must never be used to describe the Old English language. If you study Old Norse you must be a Nazi. (Well, some are, actually…)

If you decide to keep quiet, they hate you more for being silent. I have pretty much curated my Twitter and FB feeds to weed out the extremists but the people I previously thought were reasonable are falling all over themselves to grovel to their new masters. “Oh, kick me again, please. ”

Listen, if you see a video or photo of an ordinary person on Twitter or FB, caught on camera being politically correct, do not participate in the mob! Chances are excellent the photo/video has been doctored or there’s more to the story than meets the eye. I do not want to live in a world where some jerk with an iPhone can take a video of me in the grocery store to post on Twitter for the world of SJW to mock. It’s hard enough that God is watching me all the time…

CM says:

Michael and others,

What about college baseball? Is that something worth checking out?

In regards to the statues, they should placed in museum in their complete historical context. If that cannot be removed, then additional displays, signage (and QR codes for smartphones) should be placed to explain the backstory of the person depicted as well as the real backstory on their construction and emplacement. By historical context one needs to fully explain The Myth of the Lost Cause narrative, how it came about, why it is a myth and not history, and so on.

On a unrelated note, the Myth of the Lost Cause is why CSA Army General James Longstreet (whom Lee said was his strong right arm) is only honored in 2 places in all of the South (his figure on Stone Mtn GA and a small museum in Gainesville, GA – the home of his youth).

If you want to get a pro-statue neo-Confederate’s head to explode ask him this question:

“If the statues are only about honoring the skill and gallantry of the Confederate generals and their soldiers, why are there no statues or other honors for James Longstreet (other than the 2 places mentioned?”

CM says:

MM,

I am stunned. Can that person be criminally charged for callous indifference or something like that?

Dan from Georgia says:

My take on Apple is that it SEEMED to me a while back that only hipsters and oddballs used Apple computers (back when it was just computers that they sold). Today just about every person I see has those hair-dryer shaped wireless earbuds dangling from their ears, all the while staring into their iPhone screens.

I do like my iPad I have to admit, but I HATE that Apple takes pride in telling us what we want. Ironic.

I thought I would miss MLB baseball, but for some reason I just don’t care right now about it.

Item #6: one of the problems is that Christians are deluded into thinking that talk about injustice and racism are “liberal” and “Democrat” issues. I was appalled at the comments on ChristianPost.com under the racism articles. Apparently many Christians still are on the wrong side.

CM says:

Xenia,

Your welcome. So are there any biker types (or other contrary stereotypes) in your knitting community?

CM says:

Sarahmorgan,

Most soldiers probably don’t care what is their base name (unless it used as a joke). Their unit is what commands the loyalty and respect. To the Airborne soldier, it is the 82nd Airborne Division that commands the respect.

Second, things get new names all the time. Units get reassigned all the time. The 4th Infantry Division was based at Fort Hood but it relocated back to Fort Carson, Colorado in 2009. We have numerous heroes and leaders from the 20th century that can be used. Omar Bradley, Matthew Ridgeway, and James Gavin were the COs of the 82nd Airborne Division.

During WWII, Gavin was often referred to as “The Jumping General” because of his practice of taking part in combat jumps with the paratroopers under his command. He was the only American general officer to make four combat jumps in the war. Gavin was the youngest major general to command an American division in World War II, being only 37 upon promotion, and the youngest lieutenant general after the war, in March 1955.

Braxton Bragg is known as being one of the most incompetent generals in the Civil War. So I find it ironic that our elite, most highly trained US Army units are on base named after him. What is worse is the an even more incompetent general, Leonidas Polk is honored as the namesake to Fort Polk in Louisana. Many of these bases were built during WWI under Friend of the Confederacy POTUS Woodrow Wilson and I am sure if the US Army asked for local input on the names no doubt CSA Army Generals would be recommended.

CM says:

MM,

I am not faulting Apple for its busines practices and such. My take is that for many longtime Apple users (like Mchael) and observers their halo has been tarnished in recent years. And Michael is far from the only one.

Eric says:

#5 is on the money.

#6 reminds me of what Forsyth wrote in WW1 (sorry, he’s not easy to read):

That the greatest and cruellest war in the world should take place between the two nations for which evangelical Christianity has done most, and to which its history owes most, would be serious for that form of faith if the Roman form had been capable of rising to the moral opportunity and taken the occasion to protest. It is a staggering blow to a faith that grew up in a long peace, a high culture, a shallow notion of history, society, or morality, and a view of religion as but a divine blessing upon life instead of a fundamental judgment and regeneration of it. It is fatal to the piety of pony carriage…

Babylon's Dread says:

Speaking is how we relate… speech is the beginning and foundation of relationship. When speaking fails only violence is left. No one is listening. We are entering the violence stage. Lies did it. People of the lie can only kill after the lies do their work.

Em says:

“No one is listening.” …… we are, indeed, treading some very dangerous ground right now…
“It’s not weakness to serve.” amen to that, but, sadly, most of the unredeemed (& some redeemed) interpret it as weakness…
I won’t be here that much longer, but i wish that i didn’t feel that the good years for this nation are behind us… with 8 grandchildren and, as of now, 3 greats this is a very sorrowful prospect… does any good come out of chaos? Doesn’t globalism set the stage for The Anti-Christ to rule?
God keep all and by Your mercy and grace, give us clear minds….

The New Victor says:

China has a lot of clout. That market is bigger than North America. Apple and other companies can’t sell there without comitting to invest some in the mainland, either directly or in the supply chain. TSMC is a huge player for fabless companies or almost fabless like Apple. If there were reunification, on-shoring would be huge. Western companies don’t want their significant IP going to the CCP.

CM says:

Michael,

Another thing is even if wages in China and other countries increase to levels that are not slave labor, for most of the disposable manufactured stuff, it will still be cheaper to make them overseas. People tend to forget the economic law known as “The Law of Comparative Advantage.” This is why everyday clothes are made in Vietnam and Bangledesh and commercial aircraft are made in the US. Outrage machine populists Trump AND Sanders have the same tariff and trade policies, and they completely ignore that pesky Law of Economics.

And as I pointed out in an earlier post, many of the iPhone components (especially the more sophisticated ones like the CPU, the VCSEL, and the RF/Wireless chips are NOT made in China).

CM says:

Michael,

Unfortunately yes.

In regards to the beast and whorehouse, P.J. O’Rourke wrote a book many years ago about Washington DC (especially Congress) titled, “Parliament of Whores”.

I remember reading somewhere about how there is nothing new under the sun.

In regards to surgery, all I can say is get multiple opinions from the doctors, surgeons, specialists. Do your homework on their background, experience, patient reviews, etc. Also look at where the surgery will take place, how it is on pre- and post- op care, etc. I am sure you have already done much of this, so this is mainly a sanity check. Of course this ties into Proverbs 11:14 (among other Scriptures), so it looks like you are following Scripture in this regard (and in other ways I am sure). Therefore, one can be confident that God will honor your faithfulness.

Pineapple Head says:

The first article on loyalty is gold.

filbertz says:

the way to get the old white guys (and in the case of Dems) and gals out of the way and get the talented, forward thinking fresh faces into leadership is to stop voting the old guard into positions of power. But those same geezers have $tructured things to keep them there. This requires a greater turnout of voters in the younger sectors of our society–and insistence on their right to vote and their need to vote. Old farts show up and vote for the status quo.

filbertz says:

you mean besides 70 & 80 year old white guys? this election may turn on who is VP choice of Biden.

MM says:

While the subject is old whites guys on boards, considering the current and on going debates on “white privilege” and “systemic racism” I thought I’d post a couple of links.

The first is the Doctoral Thesis of Robin DiAngelo, who is probably today’s foremost lecturer and instructor to white people about their bias and privileges due to race.

White Fragility
by
Robin DiAngelo

https://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/viewFile/249/116

The second is a very thoughtful rebuttal to many of Dr. DiAngelo’s ideas and concepts.

The Epistemological Problem of White Fragility Theory
Jonathan Church

https://areomagazine.com/2018/12/21/the-epistemological-problem-of-white-fragility-theory/

Good reads and they will enlighten and maybe take away some of the guilt being laid down on many these days.

Because of the two links I know this post will probably be filtered. Thank you.

Dan from Georgia says:

Hi CM!

I did not see your earlier comment about James Longstreet. I am going to do some reading up on him.

The Apple fans…I agree how some are insufferable. I remember when the iPad first came out, and some media outlet showed a guy holding up his new toy like Charlton Heston’s Moses held up the ten commandments tablets in said movie.

CM says:

fil,

Old Cubans in Miami drinking espresso and playing dominos. Old Jewish guys in NYC playing chess in the park. Old SBC members having their senior mens’ fellowship (correction breakfast) at the nearby Waffle House. Those are examples of oldguyarchy. YMMV.

CM says:

Jim,

That coffee is good, but they load it up with sugar to be able to drink it. Otherwise it is quite abrasive and clings to your digestive system like tar for a roof. That being said, a Cuban sandwich properly pressed is truly awesome. Just imagine what it will like when the taint of sin is removed in the New Heaven and New Earth.

Which brings me to an interesting theological observation: Since the presence of sin which has afflicted the entire universe since the fall will be gone, then it stands to reason that _everything_ in the New Heavens and Earth will have all their characteristics, properties, etc as God intended before the Fall. So how will that change things? Think about it. Our sense of smell and flavor is tainted by the fall, the all the characteristics and the components of that Cuban Sandwich is tainted. Which means we don’t have even a reference point to compare.

Food for thought.

MM says:

Duane

I stand corrected, the link is not to her actual dissertation but rather a reference which brings what can be (or I understand to be) considered a summary of that dissertation. No, I have not read her actual dissertation, however I believe reading it, the paper referenced in the link, brings a good understanding of her position(s) and what she has taught for almost two decades.

My post has nothing to do with your references to age or diversity. Considering all the pain our nation is currently going through, it is purely a thought which may help us understand the current rage and mania.

I posted the links purely for consideration and a historical perspective with the current BLM and white privileges rhetoric spreading through our world these days like a wildfire through dry grass.

I think it also demonstrates there is “nothing new under the sun.”

CM says:

MM,

I stand corrected. I was thinking of Christopher Robin or Robin Williams I guess. 😀