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Looking at that wintry landscape pic, I can't help but think...

Last night was the last time freezing temps are in the immediate forecast. 70° for a high on Friday, with a low of 51°. Ahh, Oklahoma!

Gonna get some outside work done this week!

Morning, Glories!

Permission to climb aboard the good ship morning thread before it sinks, Captain?

Almost 200 comments awreddy? Not gonna plow through them. Gonna check the post & retire. Because.

So...

Good night, Gracies. Unless I find something I just can't stand not to comment about.

I remember, when daughter was on a road trip, looking out the window and seeing her cat - who had been missing a couple of days. My delight turned to horror when I saw her back leg dangling backward.

I wondered, will we now have a three-legged cat?

But, a vet-surgeon in The City stuck her leg back together and added some exoskeleton bracing, and she actually healed. Cost more than the cat was worth, of course, but Robocat was around when daughter got back.

Some years later, the cat vanished for good. Ungrateful critter.

She was domesticated, though. If she had been feral, whole 'nother story.

Thanks for watching it for me, folks.

Driving home from a fine family dinner tonight, I turned on the radio, to hear something about "my beautiful daughters who mean the world to me" before I could hit the off button.

Have talked to our excellent mechanic about fixing the radio - it's broken loose from its moorings on the off-button side, for some reason.

Gonna scan the thread and get the Moron summary.

Did see a video clip listing (didn't watch yet)
Obama: We're At War With ISIS
by GOP War Room
https://youtu.be/FFhyMoM_G5c
Thirteen seconds. I might be able to make it through that.

2 of 2, because wall-of-text

In the Urantia Book universe (what, that again?) the time-space universe is created by the eternal God to be filled with mortal children. They even say there is a world of mortal beings "near" us, although without specifying whether within the solar system or around some "nearby" star, nor what level of evolution they've reached, e.g. radio chatter we could pick up.

In their telling, the cosmos is all overseen by the children of God, and mortal world civilizations are usually guided from the earliest days, and so we should know that we are part of universal civilization.

On our world, indeed our whole section of space, "all the foundations of the earth are out of course" (Psalm 82:5). A similar idea was given in L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time - the universe is light, but with dark patches. Looks all dark when you're inside the bad parts.

In the Urantia story, ever since the "Lucifer rebellion" hundreds of thousands of years ago, we are isolated from the spiritual circuits and won't be reinstated until his trial is completed, no projection on that date given. Whether the "spiritual circuits" being reinstated would be noticed by mortals is not specified. (Lucifer's disciple, the "prince of this world" was "cast down" is no longer in power, but is still free to cause trouble, for those who ask him in.)

I was interested to read last week about CS Lewis (wasn't it?) writing about something similar, worlds under leadership of divine authority - want to look that up.

So, here on Urantia (name of our world, it sez), thanks to that old rebel, we lost our intended planetary guides twice over, and so are largely on our own, revelations from occasional teachers and the Son of God incarnate notwithstanding. Makes us a hot tourist spot for unseen cosmic visitors, though, seeing how we are a planet with so many "who have not seen but have believed."

Interesting note that one of Lucifer's big arguments was that too much time and energy was spent on administering mortal worlds and resurrecting us. A$$hole. [spit]

However, we do have the Urantia revelation to assure us that we are not alone, not abandoned, and are indeed loved and assured of eternal life, if we do not reject this gift of God. In case you didn't already get that memo from the Gospels.

Re: Fermi's paradox

Been decades since I read Asimov, but IIRC, in his fictional universe, humanity never found any other intelligent life anywhere Out There. Proto-life, nothing as advanced as animals. I suppose something like that could be because, once an ecological niche is filled (e.g. self-aware humans arise), they, or nature, suppress anyone else rising to that level, or something like that.

Some say that other material beings might be so "alien" that we might not even recognize them as such, nor they us. Like the sand intelligence on that Trek:NextGen episode.

I prefer to think that, just as evolution followed patterns of development on our world for physical reasons, life on other worlds would have similar forms, minds, morals, and faith. Because that's how the universe is constructed, by God.

I usually joke, the main clue that there's intelligent life in abundance Out There is that we haven't heard from them yet. We're still in the cradle, the anthropological let-them-develop-some-more stage. And, would you want to associate with primitives like us? Eww.

1 of 2, divided for Moron attention span

Since the EMT is dead, this is the Current Thread, and we're over 100, o/t time?

I mentioned last night (full story at
http://acecomments.mu.nu/?blog=86&post=360415#c24509979 )
that, today, out-of-town son is driving in with his new girlfriend. Lunch at our daughter's house. Other son is working so won't make it, but for the rest of us it's Meet the Girlfriend. True test of a relationship!

They've known each other a while from past workplace, started dating and got serious fast.

Well, even if everything goes South and new girl runs off screaming, daughter's quiche, and Milady's cake and cookies for dessert ought to be good.

Two weeks ago, I iggerently re-posted Milady's review of a book instead of the one I meant to. So, before today gets away from me, here's her review. Starts off saying she "just read" this, but the text file date is three months ago. She needs to not depend on my to pass these along, eh?

======

I just read "Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II" by Darlene Deibler Rose.

Darlene Deibler was a very young missionary woman recently married to another missionary when she left the United States in early 1938. They went first to Holland to study the Dutch language. Their ultimate destination was New Guinea in what was then the Dutch East Indies.

At one of their postings she was the first white woman that any of the natives had seen. She had to convince them that she was actually human. They built their own shelter and learned from the locals the tricks of growing food in their new environment.

They were almost entirely isolated from the outside world. But, of course, the world intruded. When the Dutch government moved their troops out of the frontier areas as the Japanese approached, the missionaries were forced to retreat, too.

The missionaries ended up living on the island of Celebes where they were under house arrest for a while. The men were taken away except for one older man. Eventually they were all forced to move to the POW camps. Men and women went to separate camps.

Though these were fairly brutal work camps, physical hardships were not as bad as the psychological ones. Darlene learns that her husband, the Rev. C. Russell Deibler, had died in Pare Pare, the men's camp, three months before. She is held and repeatedly interrogated by the secret police and told she will be executed for spying. Through it all Darlene manages to maintain her faith in God and see it grow and deepen as she is repeatedly saved from diseases, bombs, and the horrors of captivity.

This is a riveting story written in a simple style which nonetheless is poetic and brilliant in the way it explains the inner life that was so important to the people who survived with their souls intact.

[begin quote]

"I have seen photos of the wild victory celebrations that took place in New York, San Francisco, and similar places when the announcement of VJ Day was broadcast to the nation -- crowds singing, dancing, drinking, and kissing (whomever!) in the broad, confetti-filled, brightly lit streets!

It wasn't like that in Kampili. We were not safe on home soil, nor outside the barbed wire, nor half a world away from the battlefields, some still wet with the blood of fathers or sons or brothers. We were still within our prison confines, still separated from our families. We had nearly four years behind us of total isolation from the rest of the world, wondering how that world had changed, and who of our loved ones would be left. There was not even a conquering soldier in sight who had come to set us free, whom we could thank, whose hands we could kiss and wet with our tears of gladness. The full import of what we had just heard would come later.

It was a silent celebration of tears rolling down gaunt faces burned deeply while laboring in the sun on roads, in rice fields, in pig pens, on coolie lines loading and unloading trucks, emptying septic tanks; faces on which sorrow and suffering had etched their deep lines. For ours had been a silent war of waiting, and we had measured courage in simple endurance!

There was no riotous drinking. These were a people who had drunk deeply at the bitter waters of Marah, from the cup of isolation, separation, and the loss of loved ones -- a people whose thirsty souls has just savored the first few cool, refreshing drops of freedom!

There were no happy songs filling the air, interspersed with shouts of victory. But I think the hosts of heaven must have hushed to hear the anthem of praise to our God and King, ascending from a thousand hearts or more, as our lips whispered "Thank you, Father. From the depths of our being, we thank you!"

[end quote]

VIA: I am not aware of any individual who is truly educated on the Christian scriptures who believes that the God of Christianity and Allah are the same entity.

Presume you're not speaking literally about separate entities, but FTR, here's something I've said before. For a Sunday morning.

There are some of primitive beliefs which may think of there being separate deities, Jehovah vs Allah in the sky. Like a Jack Kirby comic with Zeus & clan over here on Olympus-heaven and Odin & associates over there in Asgard-heaven. For the monotheist, there is just God, one and only. Beyond that, there's what we believe about God's nature and character, which is where theological divergence happens.

But, yeah, not much any similarity I've found between cutthroat king "Allah" and the Judeo-Christian Father, past that monotheistic fundamental!

That said... Last time I said this was in relation to when the Palis shot a bunch of rockets toward Israel, only to see them blown out to sea. They exclaimed, the Israeli's God appeared to be mightier. If they want to believe in Dueling Deities, and come to that conclusion, that's fine with me.

Yay! Sun's up. Another bright beautiful sunshiney Oklahoma day in store.

Only up through ep2 of High Castle. I had heard the premise, as FRJ stated above. But, when I saw it, I had to object to that map. "Neutral zone" was, basically, east side of the Rockies. Nazi states included the middle strip, including Oklahoma and Texas. Um, I don't think that would have happened easily....

Morning, Glories!

Had the strangest experience yesterday afternoon. Went to Lowe's for a few items. From the Return desk to check-out, we encountered nothing but helpful, friendly, informed employees. There was always someone there to ask a question when we had one, and folks knew where to find items that weren't in their department. Of course, the only youngish person was the checkout clerk, but he was friendly and funny, too. In and out in half an hour with everything we came for. I could get used to that.

Before I pass out on the keyboard...

Good night, Gracies!

Me: How's the cake coming along? Smells great!
Milady: It'll be done in about 15 minutes.
Me: Does it have to cool before we can sample it... or were you not planning on sampling it tonight?
Milady: Well, I wasn't planning on sampling it tonight...
Me: But, what about Tammy?!?!
Milady: Well, there's that...

* Webworker borrows Ace's time machine which he totally doesn't have, fast forwards to tomorrow's lunch, grabs a slice of cake, brings it back, and shoves it through USB port to Tammy. *

ChrisP: What seems to be your Major Malfunction, you half-breed Islamic sympathizing, anti-American, Communist Son Of A Bitch?

Pure poetry.

Tammy al-Thor: I'd love a slice, thank you so much for asking.

Cake's just about to go in the oven, I heard her just say on the phone to daughter. So, you want to wait a bit, right?

So what do you see in the above image?

Well, I really like the reds and yellows the artist used to depict the sunset. The autumnal-toned trees in the foreground gave it a nice perspective. But the blue-green of the water is what ties it all together.

Didn't RD Brewer use this on an art thread a few weeks ago?

Say, folks...

About fifteen seconds after the "we're in looovvve" chemistry wore off, my son and his wife realized what 'most other folks knew from the start, that they really weren't meant for each other, and decided on amicable divorce. Sad, anyway, but better than after they'd had kids.

Son decided he'd date around a while, not get serious again too soon. So, naturally, he and a girl he knew from a previous job dated and hit it off really well, and ended up going steady. Unexpectedly.

Tomorrow, son is driving into town and, at my daughter's house, we will be having lunch with son and Meet the Girlfriend - and her us. (Other son will be working and miss the event, alas.) So, a true relationship test.

I've only seen pix (I approve) and heard a little about her, but my astute and nearly infallible judgment of people and couple-compatibility has not set off any alarms yet. So far so good.

Milady is in the kitchen, singing and preparing to bake cookies and cranberry-apple coffee cake. So, if nothing else, that'll be good.

After twenty years with dozens of cats... learned nothing much from that article.

Gregarious yellows also are the most vocal. Especially enjoyable at about 3am.