March 2017 Thread

[Canadarangers]

It's hard to believe that is march already. It was only 4 weeks ago that we broke the snow fall record for our city. 99% of the snow is gone, with dirty snow piles hanging on in the parking lots. I Can't wait to get out on the trails more and plan a few longer trips this summer.

[Phillip Gross]

Was actually chilly today after the rain last night. Had to wear long sleeves this morning...

[joecool]

Fake news. Manufactured news. It's all the same. If you remember Patrick Stewart, he played Captain Picard on one of the Star Trek series. He now says he's working towards US citizenship so he can fight Trump.

I was never a regular watcher of the series, but I quit when his character delivered a line that basically said, "Religion? We quit such childish things centuries ago." No Christian actor would agree to say that line. No Christian writer or director would promote it, either.

An in-depth study recently released said that of all the "news" about Trump since he was elected, 88% was hostile. Only 88? In my opinion, it was 98.

[Phillip Gross]

My male lab got past the invisible fence last night and got himself killed on the road. My thoughts as I laid back down at 2am after everything was over: "I sure hope he actually fertilized the female while she was in heat. Our dog food usage just got cut in half. Saves me from having to shoot him soon (he had a tumor on the side of his head). Man, I'm gonna miss my old boy..."

Oh well. He was about 8 to 10 years old. I'll have to pull out his papers to see his exact age. I'm not one of those dog owners that keeps all that info at the forefront of my mind. Being a lab, he was great with the whole family, but he loved me most. I was his master. Hope Daisy actually took and I can get another good one out of the litter.

Had another thought about the situation as I lay there trying to get back so sleep last night. As the master, I had laid out the boundaries of the property with the invisible fence. I had given the dogs about 5 acres to roam freely. Beyond the boundary was danger for a dog. The obvious threat of being hit by a car. The potential of being stolen, etc.

Just like our lives. The Master has given us a great area to enjoy life. Outside of the boudaries is death, yet our base self desires to travel beyond the boundary just like an old Labrador. God loves us. His laws are for our protection.

[Claymore]

Really good. Really touching. Really true.

I think that you have your Bible Lesson for Ranger Class.

An easy excerpt from the Bible could be Genesis 2, 15-17 and Genesis 3, 1-19 (or as much thereof as you think to be appropriate).

[joecool]

If I dwell on it too long, I can tear up thinking about my 16-year old schnauzer buried out back. And it's been a decade since I had to do that. Dogs can create a special place in our hearts.

[joecool]

Montana's lone congressman (former SEAL commander) was recently confirmed as the new Secretary of the Interior. So there will be a special election in May to replace him.

The GOP candidate: the Christian high-tech billionaire and philanthropist who came within a couple of points of being our governor. The Dem candidate: a 70-something year old guy who used to front a local band. Huh?

[ccm2361]

brr it was really cold today

[Claymore]

You live next to Canadia and complain about the Cold?

That's like me living in Mississippi and complaining about the bugs.

[joecool]

Or me living by the state capitol, filled with unionized government "workers", and complaining about the city's liberal policies.

[RRCmdrBennett]

Or being here complaining about complainers. Don't we have a sub forum for that?

[RRCmdrBennett]

Fake news. Manufactured news. It's all the same. If you remember Patrick Stewart, he played Captain Picard on one of the Star Trek series. He now says he's working towards US citizenship so he can fight Trump.

I was never a regular watcher of the series, but I quit when his character delivered a line that basically said, "Religion? We quit such childish things centuries ago." No Christian actor would agree to say that line. No Christian writer or director would promote it, either.

An in-depth study recently released said that of all the "news" about Trump since he was elected, 88% was hostile. Only 88? In my opinion, it was 98.

I remember the quote too. Most humans in trek generally were agnostic or atheistic. That could change episode to episode too. Like this quote:

"DATA

I have a question, sir.

(sits)

What is death?

PICARD

You've picked probably the most

difficult of all questions, Data.

PICARD

(continuing)

Some explain it by inventing

gods wearing their own form...

and argue that the purpose of the

entire universe is to maintain

themselves in their present form

in an Earth-like garden which

will give them pleasure through

all eternity. And at the other

extreme, assuming that is an

"extreme," are those who prefer

the idea of our blinking into

nothingness with all our

experiences, hopes and dreams only

an illusion.

DATA

Which do you believe?

PICARD

Considering the marvelous

complexity of our universe, its

clockwork perfection, its balances

of this against that... matter,

energy, gravitation, time,

dimension, pattern, I believe

our existence must mean more than

a meaningless illusion. I prefer

to believe that my and your

existence goes beyond Euclidian

and other "practical" measuring

systems... and that, in ways

we cannot yet fathom, our

existence is part of a reality

beyond what we understand now

as reality."

Could a Christian play a murderer?

[Phillip Gross]

Although MLB doesn't kick off until this weekend, we're already two games into our season. We shellacked the opposing team on Saturday,... and then got shellacked tonight. We'll have to see how this season ends up...

Phillip Jr has settled into catcher position and has done fairly well. It's a tough position that non-baseball people take for granted. Imagine holding a squat position for an hour (half the game). Oh yes, they have the wedge pads so you can rest on those, but only when nobody is on base. Once a runner is on, a good catcher stays in a power squat position ready to spring up and cannon the ball out to second to get a stealing runner out. He also had a great hit out to deep center tonight that looked like it might go,... but then it was an out.

Seth has established himself as the undisputed first baseman. Being tall, lanky, and able to stretch it out has assured himself of a position all game long. He started moving into that potion over the past season or two, but would also find himself in right field, or on the bench. He's doing well with snagging anything realistic. Unfortunately the pitcher threw high on an attempted pick off tonight which resulted in a stolen second base... twice. Seth didn't have a great hit tonight, or any at all. Sometimes you go through little batting slumps. He'll of course pull through it. He's doing great considering that he's an "early-up" which makes him the youngest on the team. A year might not sound like a big deal, but when most all the other boys have embarked down the path of puberty and their muscles are starting to show it, and you're a big-for-your-age kid who hasn't, it shows. The fact that he's hanging in spite of this tells me that he'll be a beast in the next year or two.

And then there's little Judah. He turned 4 in December and started Tee Ball this spring. Now THAT'S something to watch!! All the kids get a turn at bat every inning, and they all get to hit the ball and advance a base. No winners or losers because at this age they're just learning the basics of game play, but if you ask Judah, he wins every game! No shortage of self-confidence with that kid!!

And so the wild life continues. No rest for the weary....

[joecool]

Montana's lone congressman (former SEAL commander) was recently confirmed as the new Secretary of the Interior. So there will be a special election in May to replace him.

The GOP candidate: the Christian high-tech billionaire and philanthropist who came within a couple of points of being our governor. The Dem candidate: a 70-something year old guy who used to front a local band. Huh?

Update: The banjo player has a 16-year record of financial problems: sued by his former bandmates, skipping a year's worth of mortgage payments, the state itself has filed 6 liens against him, and he collected full disability for a very long time...while still filling a heavy schedule of gigs.

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