Dravin

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Everything posted by Dravin

  1. I'm liking this use of the suffix -mas to indicate a recognized birthday. Who is up for celebrating Kingmas with me this upcoming January 19th? If that goes over well I propose we also celebrate Washingtonmas on February 16th.
  2. I suspect it stems from the the perception of God as being omnibenevolent in terms such as one sees in discussions of "the problem of evil." Note, I'm not arguing that said perception is correct, simply pointing to said perception as the basis of the assumption that he'd not create anything destructive or harmful.
  3. Yep. Honest Abe, George Washington and the Cherry Tree, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving, the Noble Savage, and so on and so on. I think the thing that makes the destruction of the mythical conception of Church history difficult for some people is that for things like the Book of Mormon or Bible all that has survived is the myth*. So it's a bit of a disconnect when one portion of religious history is treated to the lens of reality. All we can know is Nephi the Prophet whereas the records exist to learn about Joseph Smith the Human, and the contrast can be startling if you aren't prepared for it. *I use this in the more academic sense of a traditional story meant to teach/explain, not in the sense of myth = falsehood.
  4. There really isn't anything magical about tablets; exclusive focus (or complete rejection) on one area is going to tend to lead to an imbalance. While I suppose there may be aspects of socialization that are different if your kid isn't doing school work because he's spending too much time shooting marbles is that really better than spending too much time playing Angry Birds when it comes down to it? Both are cases of allowing leisure activities to dominate to the point it is hurting responsibilities.
  5. You could always scream at the top of your lungs, "Stop judging me!" and storm out of the room. The questions are sure to stop... of course other ones would probably start.
  6. Is the use of love in the title euphemistic? Or do you have a two-pronged issue? A lack of love and a lack of sex?
  7. How fitting, we're greeted with a straw man on the first of October.
  8. The Wikipedia article seems fairly decent if you want a brief overview of what the Talmud is (as opposed to a detailed examination of what it teaches, that's a somewhat different subject). ​The Talmud is the oral traditions of rabbinical Judaism. Simply knowing that Jesus was Jewish doesn't tell us to what extent he agreed with it, for instance the Sadducees were Jewish but rejected the Talmud. Speaking of the modern day, Reform and Reconstructionist Jews don't accept it as authoritative.
  9. I'd take you up on the offer but my Minecrafting days were back when I could play my Brother's copy, since we're on opposite sides of the country that's not an option these days. If you ever get into Space Engineers though, give me a shout out, as that I do have my very own copy of.
  10. I've tried Minecraft in the past but I lack the self-directed goal setting that creates longevity in the game. I'll get started, build a basic lair, get myself kitted out with decent gear and then lose interest. I run into the same issue with Space Engineers. I get a basic level of self sufficiency and have trouble making the jump to the "I should recreate the Enterprise!" stage where the true fans reside. Kerbal Space Program is similar (though I should probably take another crack at it since it has a campaign mode these days). Though if I'm working on something with a friend that can usually give me the direction required for enjoyment when combined with the socialization.
  11. I think the phrase you are looking for is "punctuated equilibrium". At least if I'm reading you right.
  12. Heh, there are a lot here, on the board, who would say what you conceptually paint as the advantage of philosophy is it's disadvantage and what you conceptually paint as the disadvantage of revelation is indeed it's advantage. That is, that philosophy's mutability by anyone who can put together a cogent argument is why it is unreliable, and that the lack of the same, the inability for revelation to be changed by anyone putting together a cogent argument is indeed it's strength. I'm not arguing either way, but it is interesting as it highlights that there is a big difference in premise at play.
  13. If you've given the context right, then his comment is in the context of people converting. Based on my mission experience things like the WOW and Tithing dissuade people who might have otherwise joined. One can of course play the, "If it dissuaded them, they weren't really converted/committed." game but given Romney is talking about people converting because it's now more 'acceptable' we're talking about people who aren't/wouldn't be converted/committed enough to join despite it being less 'acceptable' anyway. Even Christ himself would have preferred not to drink the bitter cup placed before him (D&C 19:18; Matthew 22:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). Who could have a better understanding of truth and commitment to the will of the Father than Christ? Yet it appears even he found at least one thing asked of him by the Father to be hard. He certainly didn't sit there and complain about how hard it was, or do it begrudgingly, but hard it does appear to have been. I understand the thought process, that upon full conversion and commitment one is cheerfully engaged in all that is asked but being cheerfully engaged, converted, and committed isn't at odds with something being hard.
  14. Comments about someone who commits suicide being "free" are in the same vein as comments about cancer victims no longer being in pain, or accident victims being in a better place. They're comments from survivors meant to ease the tragedy by giving it a silver lining. In my limited experience you see such comments from those further removed from the situation, family members and best friends are usually in too much pain to either be seeking a silver lining or to feel such comments constitute them. When we're talking about someone like a celebrity most people who 'knew' them fall outside of that immediate circle and thus you get a plethora of of such comments, so seeing it in the case of Robin Williams doesn't surprise me.
  15. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze Twas a trip back to my childhood.
  16. There is nothing incompatible with finding another's beliefs detestable and allowing them the privilege to worship how, where, or what they may.
  17. How would you want to be asked? I'm not sure one can really ask that question tactfully (certainly not cold), one could try to dance around the question by discussing the topic of pornography in general, but sometimes one needs to simply put on their big girl/boy pants and ask difficult questions.
  18. I've let Beefche know that I much prefer long to medium hair over short. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if their husbands haven't said anything because they either like it, or simply don't care. Also, if she decided she wanted short hair it's not like I'd treat her like she suddenly became the hunchback of Notre Dame, in the end it's only hair.
  19. Admittedly this is just me being contrary, show up wearing more cloth next time.
  20. Some of them are just badly done and seem to say more about the skill of the Photoshopper and less about 'national' standards of beauty.
  21. Alternatively she already understands such quite well but is intentionally being imprecise when sharing the encounter for rhetorical effect.
  22. To be honest, it sounds like what the OP is seeking is acquaintances. To be fair the two words, friend and acquaintances, get used interchangeably and have all sorts of connotations attached to them, but I'm with you in that friendships take time to develop, and often require shared experiences or interests beyond simply being in the same ward*. They also require a lot of effort, at least any sort of close friendship where confidences can exist. I rather recently realized there is a big difference between someone to hang out with, or seek some sympathy over your car breaking down, and the kind of close friendship where painful and vulnerability revealing confidences can be shared. *Such as both having served in Primary, or both liking James Bond movies, at least as an initial starting point. Once the friendship is actually established you start having an interest in each other as a shared point of interest and your experiences together as shared experiences.
  23. Negativity can be a real mood killer even if it is witty. There are plenty of funny people that I wouldn't necessarily want to hang out with, so don't mistake, "I'm funny." with "I'm a joy to be around." This armchair psychologist would recommend doing what you can to work on your negativity, or are the least learn to suppress it when around other people. Negativity can cause a vicious feedback cycle, where it makes people uncomfortable so they avoid you which makes you even more negative which makes them avoid you even more which makes you even more negative... you get the idea. I'm with you, it takes a big leap to say socializing isn't a part of the Church considering all the teachings and emphasis on fellowship. It's one thing to say that Church attendance isn't based on socializing, ultimately it should be based on testimony, but that isn't the same statement.
  24. In my limited experience they do tend to be the biggest offender, at least of the latter two.