Sing it Loud

Stupid unmarked borders...had to click 3 or 4 times before I could conclude that my keystrokes were resulting in text being entered into this blogpost.   rrrrrr

ANYWay....I was just going through my thoughts and just really got thinking.  An old Facebook friend said his atheism stems from a discomfort in wondering if he was pleasing to God.  I have to say, I sometimes wonder the same thing.  The simple fact, I've concluded, is that most of the time, what I do is not pleasing to God, but it's not necessarily unpleasing to God.  True, there's times I feel like I've overspent my free time on stuff that is by no means productive, but that doesn't mean I'm doomed or anything.  If you truly want to know if you're pleasing to God, A) realize that you ARE inherently evil and everything you do right is going to be tainted in some way B) Read Jesus' commands.  A good chunk of The Old Testament is not meant to be a morality study.  It's essentially THE LAW.  The Jews had an opportunity to adhere to it by the last detail, but they'd chosen not to from the very beginning.  That's why Jesus' plea for mercy was summarized in the famous statement he made: "May he who is without sin cast the first stone".
You also have to pray that God changes your heart and mind to conform with His.  He probably won't do it instantaneously all at once.  You have to be obedient to what you've already been plainly given as commands, so, depending on how obedient you are, or how disobedient you are, you may never see your life utterly and completely transformed by The Holy Spirit.  That's bad news for everybody because this world could sorely benefit from as many manifestations of Jesus as possible.  However, Jesus is not out to punish anyone.  Believers will face a difficult time entering Heaven if they don't trust God.  I get the impression by a couple bits of The Bible that entering Heaven may almost be like LITERALLY being born again, or, perhaps better stated, akin to being pureed, bones and all, and then sifted.  I really have to wonder how that works.  Is that like being half in Heaven and half in Hell?  Does the chaff feel any pain?

"I know the date it happens, IT HAPPENS!"

 "The United States, especially since President Donald Trump entered the political fray, has become fertile soil for conspiracies. Aguirre didn't kill anyone that day, but that hardly means conspiracy theories are victimless crimes."

 https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/17/opinions/conspiracy-theory-houston-ex-police-officer-ghitis/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29&ncck=9774

 

 The heck?  The definition of conspiracy is not "a crazy idea".  Conspiracies have happened and could very well be happening and continue to happen.  There's no law of physics or human nature that says a conspiracy is impossible or even unlikely.  The problem with many conspiracy theories is you can't prove them.  If a group of people were plotting to do evil to someone and had conspired with other people to make sure they could carry it out without being impeded upon, HOW WOULD YOU KNOW???  If someone did come upon some very convincing evidence of a conspiracy, it would be rare and would be easily dismissed simply because the likelyhood of whatever evidence having been found being strong enough to even indict someone is VERY slim.  At worst, it would be a precedent that might get looked into if someone ELSE ALSO finds equally convincing evidence.  And if one conspiracy were to be partially unmasked twice, I'd say the people involved in the conspiracy could've done better at covering their tracks and will probably get caught as time goes on.
Anyway...   I mean, what are these conspiracies really?  Where does the concept of due process get thrown out the window?  I know very wealthy people and people high up in the political ladder are fully capable of getting away with all kinds of stuff simply because of their ability to bribe and/or intimidate others.  But that's where voters need to be on alert and try to look beyond the surface and scrutinize any gaps in the candidates' claims.  Voters, unfortunately, don't do that most of the time, and after getting duped time and time again, they finally decided to choose a loudmouth superegotist over a coldblooded suit.  It's hard for me to say the political climate couldn't be worse.  I don't think Biden will accomplish much in his Presidency and as long as he doesn't screw everything up, that's fine by me.  It boggles my mind that people keep labeling even the most mundane things "sexist" or "racist".  Soon it's going to be "racist" to have laws outlawing cannibalism; either that OR it'll be racist to say that most cannibals have dark looking pigmentation.  Either cannibalism is socially acceptable or it's a crime committed by white people.  That seems to be the only two options in this "discussion" people are having.
I agree that white people, a good number of them(us) have not given equal treatment toward black people, and there's probably a good number of non racists who just don't understand the problem and have inadvertently contributed to the problem just by being ignorant of the problem.  Part of it probably has to do with the "white vs. black" equation that many people often draw.  It's not a simple matter of being racist vs. not, it's a matter of white people being vilified and that makes a lot of non racist white people lose interest in the matter.  There's also a lot of white people who are racist and simply refuse to acknowledge it.  My grandmother is one of those people.  Most racism is basically a matter of faulty math, i.e.: demographics, which is essentially noticing characteristics that differ from one group of people over another.  The fault in that is not noticing the similarities.  My brother in law says black women are bossy or something like that.  How many black women has he seen that match that description and how many black women has he seen that have an average ratio of demanding?  My mom says I don't let her say anything because I'm constantly interrupting her.  When she says that, I am so struggling to figure out how to get her mind rewound to 5 minutes ago and look back on the following five minutes; how many interruptions in that span of time?  maybe half an interruption where I was about to say something but realized I shouldn't.  Maybe not "five" minutes, always, but multiple minutes, 2 maybe 3 or 4...I usually assume we're having a conversation, i.e.: two people, talking...sometimes that may be an inaccurate assessment.  But if the numbers were more realistic, like it is with most modern racists, i.e." most black women are mouthy" instead of "ALL black women are mouthy", you'd have the same problem.  Maybe 50% of black women are mouthy.  Ok, so if that's true...is that a higher percentage than of white women?  And if it is, so what?  I don't doubt that at least 25% of white women are bossy or in some way demanding.  Sure, they do it differently.  Black people of both("all") genders ("if" they even "have" a gender) tend to have more power behind their voice, even if they're just whispering.  For whatever reason --- I'm not judging, I'm just stating an observation --- black people have more muscle.  Obviously there's exceptions, let's not get nitpicky ey?  There might be 2 out of every 8 black people that doesn't match that description.  If so, I'm sorry for my exaggeration of the facts.  Again, that's something that I probably could stand to work on.  I honestly don't know what the muscle tone of most black people is because I don't survey each person's muscle mass and cross reference it with their ethnicity.  It just seems like something I've noticed, but like I said.........
Anyway.   Kind of got off track.

Ug.

Idk why I'm still typing....I didn't really have much to talk about to begin with except that stupid OPED from CNN.  It's got a good point, overall, but conspiracies are real.  They may not be JFK or X-Files, but then again, the issue is not the conspiracies themselves or weather or not a particular conspiracy is indeed at work.  The issue is making decisions based on the assumption that a conspiracy is in play.  With no evidence, and certainly no proof.  THAT's what's insane about all this QAN etc. garbage.....People basically clinging to their worst nightmares while they're awake (and outside a movie theater).

Childish Gambini

 https://slate.com/technology/2020/12/why-are-the-best-chess-players-men.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab

 

 "The idea that innate chess ability is critical for success—rather than a commitment to studying the game to get better and better at it—might itself keep the participation gap wide in the first place."

Does chess really require that much study?  I, personally, would have to study the game profusely if I were to play it and actually be any good at it, and that's pretty much why I've never played it.  I don't like games anyway, but in social settings like school, where I was encouraged to play games, chess was never the object.
I would think if I were inclined to give a rat's ass about gaming, and was blindly curious enough about such random b.s., that I could study the game and learn how to play it.  But -- and maybe the answer is different than I'm thinking -- does it really require ongoing study once you've figured out how to play it?
I know there are exceptions in all archtypes.  There are going to be women who have more body strength than the average man.  There are going to be men who have less body strength than the average woman.  There are going to be 2 year olds that can read.  There are going to be 20 year olds that can't read.  There are going to be homeless people who choose to be homeless.  There are going to be welfare recipients that can & sometimes even do have OK paying jobs.  There's going to be sunny days where rain doesn't dim the sky at all.  People will surprise you at every turn if you meet enough of them and get to know them well enough.  

  And I don't condone insults, slurs etc., nor do I wish to minimize their odiousness but this article seems to be suggesting that there's something innately wrong with the explanation of biology for win advantages predominant in the chess world.  And I'm sure an amateur chess player does get better at the game as they keep playing it.  But there surely comes a point where one is simply no longer in amateur and you're as good as you're going to get unless the game itself changes...  I mean, people use that logic when evaluating a bands' debut album and it happens to be kind of sub par, not really hitting all the right spots etc., all the while ignoring the countless LEGENDARY albums that were made by a band who had no prior output.  AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER by Counting Crows, CRACKED REAR VIEW by Hootie & The Blowfish, APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION by Guns N' Roses, just 3 that immediately come to mind.  Sure, there are bands/artists who get better with age.  Especially bands who get signed and start recording and distributing at a young age and whose members haven't been playing the guitar since they were 8.  I was reading part of this book titled OUR BAND COULD BE YOUR LIFE, and the first section of the book was writing about The Misfits or some similar band.  The guy in The Misfits was essentially am amatuer.  But on the other hand, his amateur-ness was both the bands' claim to fame and the cause for their obscurity.  Nobody likes shit music, but those that do prefer it being dispensed by the likes of The Misfits.

 
I could be way off in my estimations.  I'm sure there is some injustice going on that makes female chess pros less likely to beat a male opponent, thus putting them at a lower rank.  But is every female chess pro the kind of person that shrivels up when faced with animosity?  The odds of a female chess player coming in at No. 1, or even No. 3, based on the data I've read within this very article, seems highly unlikely.  You can't blame all of that on hateful speech and venomous auras.  And what is this about social and economic factors?  Child care is a possible factor in some cases, but really?

" The best female player has always been ranked substantially lower than the best male player and would probably lose to him in a match."

If you tweaked all the data to eliminate the burden of finding or providing child care, took all the hostility out of the equation, by what margin would fact change, ultimately?  There could, in theory, be a championship chess player who might be a female but doesn't exist because she's not a pro and wouldn't want to be, given the hateful attitude directed at female chess players.  I'd say the same is true with men.  I'm sure amazing chess players of all archtypes have refused to go pro for various reasons.  For one thing, there's probably a fee for entering and it's probably not some measily $10 or something.  Then there's things like mental illness and, you know, there are men out there who just aren't interested in competing on a national level regardless of how talented they are.  Stage fright is kind of a mental illness, although it's such a common phobia, it's generally not met with the kind of stigma that schizophrenia or autism is.

Yowza

 Oh, what claws you have, to dig with.
Found this.
4/9 wootwoot!

Thank you, God, for the day

I declare, pleadingly, that I am not as thankful as I ought to be nor as joyful.  Please God, mold my heart, prune me so that I may be what is good in your sight.
Thanks for the fellowship I partook in, undeservedly so, this morning with a handful of men from Providence Duluth (GA) church.  Thank you for the magnificent weather.  I and my neighbors have been abundantly blessed to have this extraordinarily mild weather.  This weather is like a miracle in itself; being not too hot and not too cold.  May my heart grow bolder, as to praise you in all things, even those that seem to be working against me, so that I may be closer to you and be empowered by that closeness.
_

JWC

The Quiver of Death

 https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-end-of-owning-music-how-cds-and-downloads-died

 

"how CDs and downloads died"

I've heard this schpiel so many times, it always pisses me off.  People say this every time something new comes along.  People were saying almost a decade ago that DVD is "Dead" because Blu-ray has arrived.  !  Blu-rays have not replaced DVD, nor has 4K replaced Blu ray.  And they all have virtually the same picture quality, with minor aesthetic differences.  Yes, I know 1000 pixels is more than double what a DVD offers.  What is anyone going to do with those extra 500 pixels?  It's not a night and day difference.  4K is definitely an improvement over DVD, but I wouldn't call it a night and day difference.  And, again, think about it! -- to what end?; What does one actually gain from watching any of the truly great movies in "true" or "Ultra" HD?  I'm not saying anything against bluray or 4k blu.  I don't have anything against people that have the money and don't have anything else better to do with it.  I know there's a buttton of people who are in that financial situation and I also know there's people who have a good amount of money but have different priorities.

As for the compact audio disc, I'm sure it will die someday.  But this article by Rolling Stone was published 2 years ago and it's just as bullschit today as it was then.  This past year, the one that ended when 2020 began, CD sales actually INCREASED from the year before (2018).  People assume that the number is going to CONTINUE decreasing.  Whose to say how many people really do prefer to have cover art and an actual package to show for their musical taste?  It's not like all of the people who still buy CDs are simply unaware of Spotify or don't know how to use it.  Granted, there will be a day when that segment of the population is dead and by that time, who knows? Spotify probably gets bought out by some car company and then sues Pandora for making music too easily accessible, and then before you know it, it's back to hearing used car salesmen and electronically generated boom-voices blasting out of your car speaker every 10 minutes.  NOBODY knows WHAT'S Going to happen.  The trend is less than optimal for CDs.  Let's just enjoy them while they're still here and if you don't want to partake in that enjoyment, quit threatening people over it.  CDs are not dead.  Dying?  Well, duh.  Everything that isn't in the midst of blossoming is in the process of dying.  Streaming media is blossoming right now.  The internet doesn't seem to be going anywhere.  Nobody can force that to last.  Whose to say a "digital detox" revolution doesn't begin that causes the internet companies to raise their prices to the extent that many people can no longer afford internet?  It wouldn't be the first time people cut expenses and in turn made things more expensive than they need to be.  Rich people do that with their stocks all the time.  Obviously that stock becomes less expensive, but the products of the company that distributes the stock increases in price.  Employers do that with the overall economy by cutting staff.  It's not something "rich white men" are the only ones capable of doing.  Of course, that's unlikely because most internet users are under contract with a provider.  There are a lot of people who do pay as you go, just using their phone.  I'm not entirely sure how likely that demographic would be to commit to a digital detox.
There's also the possibility of some intolerant tyrant regime taking over the U.S. and making the internet illegal.  Those are the more obvious examples of how streaming media might become defunct.  I don't have the greatest imagination, so there's probably potential scenarios that I either can't imagine or just aren't coming to mind right now.
aanyway.  I think I'm done typing.  Getting a little sleepy and I supposedly have an email I need to look at.  I think I've covered everything.

hohoho

 https://au-finance-yahoo-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/au.finance.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/boss-refuses-waitress-her-26-k-tip-but-the-tables-turn-002520952.html?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fau.finance.yahoo.com%2Fnews%2Fboss-refuses-waitress-her-26-k-tip-but-the-tables-turn-002520952.html

Yaaaay!!!!!  I'd read at least one follow-up to this story.  The bit about them attempting to process the check and getting stonewalled by the customers' bank is either a more recent development or was being overlooked.  But I'm glad the owner stepped in.  That was a smart move given how much press this has rcv'd.  There's probably already at least a couple hundred dollars worth of business they've lost from folks who might've chosen to dine there had they not been disgusted by this situation as it was before the owner stepped in.

You want good news, you got it!

 Damn.  Clicked blindly 5 or 6 times before finding the form with which to enter text.  What's up with everyone deactivating their borders?  If this entire mass of white space was the form, it'd make a little sense, but seriously IT'S NOT!!!!

Ok, well.....as I was getting ready to say;

Got a 19 song playlist up & ready on TIDAL.  It was made up of something like 17 songs.  I added like 9 and deleted at least 3.  or something.  You do the math.  Most likely all of the last 3 figures there are off.  Anyway.  It was a really good playlist to begin with, but then I made it like 3x better.  Wootwoot!
Getting my credit cards paid down and learning to live on much less money and also learning not to window shop as much.  I have a little more money than me & my sister agreed upon after she & I worked up a plan of recourse to get away from credit card debt that I've been racking up over the last 2 or 3 months.  Because I have almost double what the standard budget encompasses, I've been letting myself window shop a little more than I should otherwise be doing.  I'm still not just wasting time doing that, like making a hobby out of it like I'd been.  Or at least not nearly as much.
Seems like there was something else too, but my mind is going all over the place, mostly in negative directions, 'cuz....that's just the way tings is.  The destination of my eternity aside, and the indescribable goodness of God, who we as humans are to varying degrees separated from (I probably more so than I should be because of sexually immoral time expenditures), there's not a whole lot I can think of to talk about.  That third thing- which I **might've** already encompassed in what I've already typed - is not coming to mind right now............uhm.mmmmmm..........

Sry,,

more, mooooore!

Georgia Department of Food stamps or whatever the hell they call themselves

 decided to send me a NOTICE OF MISSED APPOINTMENT, saying "recently,... asked for an interview".  Funny thing is, there's no record of when they asked.  Under "my notices" at the FS account website, there's nothing except for the notice of missed appointment and the benefit renewal prompt.  Not entirely sure this isn't some sly method of weeding out dependents.  They do give me at least 2 weeks to get this resolved.  Assuming they cooperate and don't bail out on me and then decide it's my bad.

"No, I'm your father"?

 https://getpocket.com/explore/item/10-examples-of-the-mandela-effect?utm_source=pocket-newtab

 

You'd have to be pretty arrogant to "remember" any of these.  There was a time when I'd get the name of Jif peanut butter misspelled as JIFF, and there was probably a time before that when I'd just kind of assumed it was called Jiffy, because that's an actual word whereas JIF is just kinda like what the jiff?

What really gets me is the "Frowning mona lisa"  Mona lisa does have a forboding background, but the facial expression is not a frown.  If I hadn't seen it fairly recently ish, and someone were to ask me what the expression on her face is and I were guessing, I'd maybe say a frown.  That's not a memory.  It's called deductive reasoning.  It's not always accurate, especially when you're trying to deduce art.  Art is not meant to "make sense".  And likewise, if someone asked me if FOTL logo consists of a basket with the fruit, I'd probably say yes, kinda half guessing.  It's not like the FOTL logo is usually big enough to carefully examine anyway.  And so what if H.Lector never said "Hello, Clarice"?  He said "Good morning, Clarice"  Same damn thing!  You look up the definition of "Hello", it just says "a greeting".  At least that's what the dictionary I looked it up under said way back when before I had access to the internet.  And what does "Good morning" mean?  Well, it probably could mean all sorts of things, but it's basically -- "a greeting" --- same as "hello".  So, blow it, you stuphabs.