Thursday, February 09, 2023

❄️ It's Snowflake Bentley's birthday! ☃️


 

14 comments:

  1. The photo seems odd to me; snow on the mountaintop and on the valley floor, but none visible on the foothills. Maybe there is snow there, but it is obscured by trees.
    ---Alan

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    1. Exactly. The mountain top is mostly rock and some scrub trees.

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  2. Missouri votes against banning children from carrying guns in public [Click] The headline seems to slightly exaggerate the story.
    —Alan

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    1. That headline is rather remarkable.

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    2. That is a stunner of an article! I couldn't get past the paywall, but found it at NBC here:
      Missouri votes against banning children from carrying guns in public

      Root*Center*Son spent two years in Americorps in St, Louis. It's horrific to think of 14 year olds walking down the middle of the street carrying AR 15s and that's legal...! The Missouri GOP is derelict.

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  3. I know a clergy woman whose job it is to visit congregations that want to split from the main church group. All too often the people act toward her the way that the more rightwing members of Congress acted toward President Biden during the State of the Union (even though she is not there to lecture). It can be grueling. She leaves the meeting, and she sits in her car and cries in sorrow for the brokenness. Then, as she drives home, she sings a song of Love for them. Because the only thing that can cast out hate is love.

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    1. Here in Fresno a few years back there was a large mainstream church that developed a doctrinal split, something like 60:40 as I recall, with the schismatics in the majority. Since they were in the majority, they figured the church, land and associated buildings were rightfully theirs, but (in accordance with the denomination's rules) the real property belonged to the parent church, and that was how the property was recorded. The schismatics went to the ecclesiastic court and were told no, they didn't own and couldn't have the real property, despite the local congregation having had the use of it at no charge since construction. Then they went to the civil court, got the same answer, and had to turn it over to the remainers. The dispute dragged on for several years. Very distressing just to read about.
      ---Alan

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    2. That is the exact reason that a mainline denomination has clear legal rules about such things. All it would take is some people wanting to co-opt the church's view to pull it all down. I know that the Episcopal Church operates that way. It needs to take more than half a congregation to make change in a denomination's doctrine or legislation. But a truly good denomination also has Annual Meetings and Conferences where people can openly debate and request change. And change definitely does happen. Most of the mainline churches have become open and affirming of LGBTQIA folks and more. But there are conservatives that will have none of it. They demand to have the church buildings and resources saying that they hold the true religious view and those who have allowed change have not been faithful. Of course, the problem there is that they're cherry picking from the Bible what's right and what's not okay. It's pretty easy to gauge, really. Is what you are proposing destructive or is it creative? Does it stem from hate or from love?

      So it is all the more AMAZING to me that at this juncture the denomination the clergy woman I spoke of represents has decided to give to the conservatives who want to leave some of the buildings and resources. They are not entitled to it, and they don't deserve it. But the ones who have embraced change also want to send them off in love and not in pain.

      I am deeply humbled by their holy generosity.

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  4. The Atlantic: Turkey’s Trust in Government Has Turned to Dust [Click] Is this the beginning of the end of the AKP Party and a turn toward the concept of a secular republic associated with Ataturk?
    ----Alan

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    1. ‘What happens, happens’: how Erdoğan’s earthquake response tarnished his brand [Click] “President has done little to quell public anger over relief efforts that some say came too little, too late to save loved ones.”
      ----Alan

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  5. Seth Meyers on Republican heckling: ‘These guys make Biden look like a Harlem Globetrotter’ [Click] “Late-night hosts discuss Republicans’ disruptions and Biden’s power plays during State of the Union address.” Some first-rate quips!
    ——Alan

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