I'm not cheating. I'm using my resources.

[First half of June 2016. The magic number today is 57 quips and quotes and other minutiae spanning several millennia so go to it! The X-Men billboard is to put quotes 9 and 10 in context, while the joke about the gulls I just liked it! -- David]

1. A life well-lived will hold two opposing ideas in continual tension:

First. Living with the urgency, desire, and expectation that the Messiah come very soon, possibly even today, as the Jews pray “May he come speedily and in our days.”

Second. Living with the long-term view to improved the world in our time, and prepare our great grand-children to welcome the Messiah long after we ourselves are gone, as the Jews are taught from their youth the importance of “Tikkun Olam” or repairing the world.

from Bob O'Dell and Gidon Ariel, "The Mystery of The Lost Jubilee, Part XX -- 6000 Years Old?", 060116, 0700 am, on Breaking Israel News

2. The troll king loves dragon egg omelets!

ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks, "Dragon's Egg"

3. The king [the poster used chess analogies here] is the face and the head. He is bound by custom tradition. He also is expected to provide rulership in a just and fair way.

Therefore his ability to act is limited.

His wife however......has more freedom to scheme....for or against her husband.




4. omg I'm finally done with this day! My thoughts as I've meandered my way through it...
1) It's not rocket science. Stop trying to make it rocket science. It will NEVER be rocket science. Trust me on that one.
2) As much as I may want to, I literally don't have time to hear about your brothers ex-wife's sister's cousin's nephew's best friend's daughter's goldfish that died. Seriously. You're killin' me Smalls!
3) Grace. Gratitude. Compassion. And repeat. Again.
4). Vodka. Just. Vodka.






Some people insist me inviting me to their groups, to their drama buffet.... No thanks!
My soul hungers for nourishment and growth;
It doesn't lust for poison and depletion.






5. Uranus has an orbital period of 84.01 Earth years.



(off a packet of oatmeal I ate 060216)





6. While playing the Wii:
[Poster's daughter]: You're cheating!
[Poster's daughter's sister]: I'm not cheating. I'm using my resources.








7. As one of the few endurance predators, I imagine that humans would be *terrifying* to the rest of the galaxy. "Humanity: We kill you with time and pick up the pieces."




8. How long are you going to punish me?
How long will I have to wait and see,
if you are coming back for me?
The silence is deafening.
The stillness is paralyzing. ...
I am just now realizing,
how your absence effects me.
My pride stands in the way.
I would wait many a day,
before I ever contact you.
If you could look inside of me,
I think you would see,
I think you would find,
You are always on my mind.
©-Vikki Lee 2016




9. I'm a feminist, and I've watched a lot of the X-men movies. In these films, it's pretty typical for the male characters to get beat up, sometimes by women. Do these films promote violence against men? I think not. It's an action film featuring intense battle sequences. I'm glad that the film has so many female characters who are willing to stand up and fight for what they believe in, and sometimes that means they will end up in dangerous situations where they have to struggle to survive. The poster depicts a female lead in just such a situation. I'm no more offended by it than I would be if the poster showed Wolverine or Cyclops being choked by an enemy.


10. As every one stated, apocalypse is a homicidal maniac. He's not exactly a nice guy. He's the antagonist of the movie. Since when has it been taboo to allow antagonists to be mean to women? Besides, mystique isn't exactly a helpless damsel in distress. That's how you can tell who actually knows their X-Men.
Apocalypse is such an antagonist that it took the X-Men and the avengers working together to stop him at one point.
I'm also at the conclusion that rose must believe all women are inherently weaker than men. It's misogynist to think that mystique can't take care of herself. It's misogynist to think that mystique is about to be hurt in that picture.




[Two threads from the same post, but I couldn't decide which one I liked better, so I'm posting both!]






11. Each clue Steven saw energized him and fed his fanatical zealotries.



Agenda 21: Into The Shadows




12. Strange getting older. Easier to remember things the way you wish they were.




Daddy Day Camp


13. That kid knows the only way to stop people from prying into your life is to act like your life is over.



The Private Eye, Epilogue



14. God longs for us to face the truth of our past. As we offer our past, present, and future to God's keeping, we can trust the One Who loves us indiscriminately.



Jennifer M. Ginn, 060416, Christ In Our Home




15. My Goal is not to be better than anyone else. But to be better than I used to be...





16. I dedicate this to everyone I love.
Even though it might not be appreciated.




Battle Royale, dedication page




17. The breeze is blowing in the wind.




Jeffrey Alvin, 060516, 2155 hrs




18. There is no such thing as a Good Pun, only a pun so bad that it loops around to being funny.


19. When you see Jeff Goldblum in a Movie , you don't need a sign of a warning , he is it lol Jurassic Park , ID4 , The Fly , the list goes on .
Powerful Jeff Goldblum

20. Just thinking...
In a World much different than ours...
72years ago today my grandfather & many other's lovedones;
were about the thankless task of doing the next right thing......
placing their families lives & the lives of us who would follow after before their own,
under intensive machine gun fire & mortar round explosions, waging &swimming through once gorgeous Ocean water now Crimson from blood. Having no choice but to press forward, stepping & crawling over the deceased, mutilated & still clinging to life after being struck, over & through the bodies of their fallen dear friends & comrads...
to Liberate & Defend a people's they did not know, to fight for families they never met...

On two beaches in a far away place of France.
I would like to thank those dear brave souls ,those yet seviving persons,
Even though none of them may ever see this...
Thank you for teaching me what a Brave man is & yes the extent to which his Courage may require to reach for another's Freedom's & Life.
Thank you Lord for watching over my grandfather...
An Honored 72nd D-Day landing to all who have surviving family members , May we all pause if only momentarily to show gratitude for the Great Price paid.
Just thinking...

21. There was always a deficit between our expenditure and our earnings, but it was a period of peace.



My Life, Isadora Duncan, chapter eight







22. I'm frustrated, disgruntled, jealous and more... just really? I mean seriously.

23. Taco Belle - the tragic tale of a woman banned from the library, in case she got refried beans and guacamole all over the books.

24. Lord please help me to be lead by your Spirit instead of my emotions. The enemy knows just how to trick us sometimes with our emotions. I am tired and exhausted and sometimes I let my guard down. Please help me to be Lead by Your Precious Holy Spirit.






25. "I think the Babe will have a quip or two," Goodman said in an interview.



(from a dream of mine 060716 from an article I had seen
had read or heard in a PEOPLE magazine dated July 7, 2024)

26. I'd rather be smart, self sufficient and look average, than to be gorgeous, dependent on others and have no substance and nothing to offer besides my body!!!! The world has changed from the days when women were mothers and men were providers ... I'm convinced that my soul just wasn't built for THIS generation!!!

[Boy, do I empathize.]






27. Today I am a quarter of a century old. I have been through so much throughout my life and have experienced the best and hardest times. I wouldn't give a moment up for anything. I wouldn't take back a second. I am so thankful for the family that has stuck beside me since day one. So thankful for the friends I've made and the people I've lost. Thankful for my brothers who motivate me to be the best sister possible. Last but not least my Fiancé for pushing me every second to love myself. I have so much happiness in my heart. I thought I would feel pretty terrible about turning 25, but in all honesty, I feel pretty damn accomplished. Here's to it


28. Quark and Odo always had a soft spot for each other. They were the ultimate frenemies. They both made each other better at what they did. In that sense they needed each other, and yes, it created a bond.

29. "He teaches us from the animals of the land, and from the birds of the heavens He makes us wise" (Job 35:11).
"He teaches us from the animals of the land" – For the Creator implanted within them wisdom in order to teach us (Rashi on the Talmud).
The Talmud cites the above verse from Job in order to convey the message that each creature within the creation has something to teach us. As human beings created in the Divine image, we have the spiritual ability to recognize the tra...it within each creature that can serve as a good example for us; thus, the Talmud cites the following examples in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

"If the Torah had not been given, we would have learned modesty from the cat, the avoidance of theft from the ant, marital fidelity from the dove, and good manners in marital relations from the rooster, who appeases his mate before having relations with her." (Ibid)
"Modesty from the cat" - When the cat eliminates wastes from its body, it buries it; moreover, it does not eliminate in front of people.

30. For all my fellow Star Wars Geeks....a question to ponder, I give you.
In ROTJ, when Luke talks with Ben Kenobi's Force Ghost, Ben tells Luke, that, "I thought I could train Anakin, just as well as Yoda could! I was wrong!"
In.Revenge of the Sith, just before Ben leaves Anakin to die on the Lava shores of Mustafar, he says, "I HAVE failed you, Anakin! I have failed you!"
So, my question is this:
Q: DID Ben Kenobi TRULY fail Anakin in training him properly? Or did Anakin's ego, and hunger for power cause him to make his choice, regardless of HOW he was trained, or WHO trained him?




31. No and yes.

The latter -- Anakin's ego and his desire/power/need for control did him in because it was his choice to not accept the possible death of Padme as part of life, and thereby gave Sidious the inroad to manipulate him.

It almost feels like Anakin resigned himself to becoming Sith when he sliced Windu's hands off and let Sidious blast him out of his office ... in any event, Obi-Wan's too hard on himself and gives Yoda too much credit; the best teacher in creation couldn't have forced Anakin to choose or not choose the path he did or didn't.

If anybody failed here, it was Anakin.

[My response to the previous post.]




32. But let's be honest, occasionally the Enquirer gets it right. Clinton Intern? Correct(no matter how HIlary tried to deny it), Jesse Jackson's out of wedlock child, John Edwards mistress/child scandal, Gary Hart scancal, Jim Bakker, come on, sometimes they get it right but I say let Richard tell his story.




33. To find the human of the past is to find the historian of the present; they are inseparable.



Peasant Fires: The Drummer of Niklashausen




34. Some time ago there was a post why all prophecies with a chosen one were about some teenager. Well the reason is quite simple (leaving out the one about appeal to the readership): teenagers are unstable and so easier manipulated to do your bidding. They are less prone to question your motives as somebody with more experience. Also they have a tendency to one track mind and are willing to spend inordinate amounts of energy on something they believe in.
All things one looks for in your chosen one.
The ability to think for oneself, even question the wisdom of your elders, not so much.
Am I to cynical or is it a plausible explanation?








35. Overheard at a local coffee shop:
"I had a boss once, disappeared into the Everglades, never to be seen again. They found his car, but that's it. I think the company might've had mob connections, I don't know, I was just a secretary. No, I didn't have anything to do with it," *laughs*
O_O
Story fodder, right there...




36. You know what grinds my gears?
People who, when after hearing how I write, go off and explain how they write as if what I do is wrong. If you don't like it, don't ask. I'm a fantastically chaotic writer and I'm happy with that.
P.s. Sorry for my early morning grumbles. Haven't had my caffeine yet.



37. I'm a historian because 'h' is a consonant.

[Context: a person asked whether to write "a historian" or "an historian" due to the word's sound.]


38. What if, just what if, John's vision is right?



(Bishop Mark Narum, Western North Dakota Synod annual gathering, 061016, 0852 hrs)




[NOTE: He referred to John the Baptist, but this also got me thinking of John of Jesus' twelve apostles who's also by the simplest reasoning John who received the visions of Revelation.]




39. Yes; this is the way I should like him to rejoice, preferring to find you in his uncertainty rather than in his certainty to find you.




[The Confessions of Saint Augustine, I, 6]




40. It is not enough to be busy, so are ants. The question is what are we busy about?




(Henry David Thoreau)




41. How might the [Holy] Spirit be calling you to pave the way for relationships to grow in your congregation? Whom could you encourage and recommend to others?








42. I Paul have written with mine own hand, I will repay: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.




[Philemon 19 (there's only one chapter, so 1:19 if you must!), New Testament]




43. Most of the time, I'm not in the box... But even my untameness wears thin. I want to really explore my desires. Maybe stop limiting them.
‪Open the world for new things








44. My hair long I install flower bags
My mouth to laugh at you, I mean.... You Dew.
Source: Cand of Vietnam
Ad: the secret safe.






45. I just totally blew up at work...OOps. but i have now taken a week of being talked to like a child and then last friday being called a kidlet! And then by the same person, always pulling me from my work to ask me questions or to show me this or that, then asks me why i didn't get my job stuff done at the end of the day when on top of all i have already had added to the routine they wanna add even more and ask why i didn't get that done! It's like seriously are you for freakin... real!? I bust my ass and to get my job done and then feel like crap when i don't get it done because I can't! Granted, I didn't get in trouble for blowing up, and the amount of work is going to get worse before it gets better which okay I can handle that but leave me alone to do my job for goodness sake cause I don't want to get in trouble for not getting my duties done, which can and will happen. --- end rant.




46. Well as normal par for course, Obama came out wanting more gun control. Anybody surprised? After the last thing we should consider it was a radical Islamic terrorist.
For what it's worth I don't think all or even most Muslims agree with this sort of thing, but like it or not there are those who believe they are the true believers and doing the will of Allah, and are willing to kill anybody who stands in their way including other Muslims
Now of course we are supposed to ignore... the 800 pound ape i the room and draw up some moral equivalence, bring up things like the Spanish Inquisition.
Which happened how long ago?
While it is true that some evil things were done by some so called Christians, they weren't doing anything that Jesus told his followers to do were they?
I don't recall Jesus telling his followers to kill anyone, or to enslave or force anyone to convert or else to his faith did he?
Of course not so can it be said they were really following his teachings????????????
Most did what they did for their own personal power and or glory, and profit. Nothing that Jesus would have done or encouraged his followers to do!
But over time Christians began to realize and even condemn such actions, and for a end to the terror done in the name of Islam it won't be done by outside forces, but will have to come within.
Muslims will have to confront those forces of evil in their mist and destroy them, before they are themselves destroyed by such evil!




47. Thanks David Alvin she's following her father's footsteps success is the only to do it right!


[A friend of mine from high school posted this in response to my congratulating his child on graduating high school.]




48. I am so proud of all of my friends and family who do not sit in silence and express themselves about matters they are passionate about, matters that matter. We have been conditioned to live in fear. Conditioned to suppress our opinions. It is important to educate the uneducated. We can all learn something from each other and together we can overcome these dark times.






49. Are there achievements of mankind to celebrate? Can we not accept the many conveniences and health improvements that the world increasingly enjoys as a blessing? Yes, definitely. It is not honest to only publish negative news … as if to imply that Christians are somehow gleeful about bad news, taking delight in the failures and sufferings of mankind. Such an unwarranted bias brings discredit.

(from Wilfred Hahn, "Christian Negativity: Where Positive Witness?", read 061416, 1215 hrs)




50. I kveld skal jeg IKKE lese til eksamen. Deilig følelse 😀

Tonight I'll read for an exam. Lovely feeling

[translated from my friend's Norwegian]




51. How about a funny story? Yes. Okay then.
We are in rehearsal for a community production of Wizard of OZ. And we are having a lot of fun drudging through the waiting game of being in the chorus. For instance, when the lead singers get to go through their songs 5 or 6 times in a row and the rest of us tune out and check our phones....
The lion was working on his entrance song with the orchestra for the first time, and he was changing how he voiced each phrase. But when he sang "Said a lion, poor neurotic lion." We all heard, "porn erotic lion." And suddenly the show was transformed. But we'll leave that story for another time.




52. Even the thought of resetting strings that fade into another dimension tires me.




The Time of the Transference

53. X-men movie verse question. Is Xavier right in his approach towards mutants' rights and increasing tolerance?
Days of Future Past showed that the old timeline started by X-men 1 eventually ended in sentinels, Wolverine's adventure in Japan, and pretty much the whole planet being dead due to the war, with mutants so hated that the world ended. In the new timeline, Mystique as a public example of 'good mutants' compared to Magneto's idiotic 'We can kill you all' strategy seems... to have made mixed public opinion on mutants.

Nightcrawler and company seemed to get no harassment at the mall in Westchester(or wherever they went to see Return of the Jedi) in the 1980s. Though that's not universal, of course, as East Germany has mutant cage fights and Caliban is making a killing smuggling mutants out into friendlier pastures. Thus is remarkably improved compared to the original timeline, wherein at the 2000s, mutants were still being harassed in the US.
So, is Xavier's approach working? Or is it only due to how publicly esteemed Mystique is? Or is there some other x factor (heh heh) that we're not taking into account?






54. My genius daughter came up with the perfect treat to follow the Subway sandwich. Decadent chocolate souffle cake in a cup.
YEs, I'm indulging.






55. I forgot the name of the phenomenon, but there was I paper I read in a 200-level psych class that described how people decide how impressive something is. You think about things in terms of how easy you can imagine yourself doing them. Since writing is easy to imagine yourself doing, most people won't be impressed by your writing-related accomplishments if they are within the scope of what they think they could do if they "just put their mind to it."


56. That was a long ... bike ride.




(Martha on watching a scene in Golden Winter with us, 061516, 2034 hrs -- one of those day suddenly becoming night scenes)




57. 'Tis a custom more honoured in the breach than in the observance.




my copy of Ulysses, p. 311