Update XVII: I Ate The Strawberry (The REAL, AUTHENTIC Update)

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

This is the anti-papacy and I fully support it.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I speak as someone who cannot nap... but surely four hours is not a nap?

Plus, how the hell were you so tired from doing nothing that you could sleep for four hours on a Sunday?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Actually, last night for supper, I had a roast beef dinner with a baked potato, corn, ranch style beans, and a lettuce and cheese salad

A burger and fries is beef, cheese, lettuce, wheat, potatoes. Corn is a grain equiv to wheat.

So basically you had a burger and fries with beans on it. Congrats on eating less healthier than usually. I can't imagine how many servings you had, too.

Why are you attacking me for potatoes when you yourself recommended a steak with MASHED POTATOES from Texas Roadhouse over Labor Day weekend?  Plus, you said a complete meal is better than a burger and fries and now you're attacking me over a complete meal.  You have no credibility left with me.  I am no longer listening to anything you have to say.

...wait, he was listening?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

If your grandmother cared about you, she'd respect that you'd need to change your eating habits.

It goes both ways.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

If your grandmother cared about you, she'd respect that you'd need to change your eating habits.

It goes both ways.

No, that's not really fair either. I honestly don't believe people in Oklahoma know what garbage they consume in virtually all of their meals. I'm sure his grandma wanted to make him a tasty meal. I doubt she knows what's healthy and what isn't. It's a way of life that only education (and the will to be educated) can solve.

Now, you're calling my grandmother dumb.  Good job for insulting an 88-year-old lady who knows much more about healthy cooking than you do.  I hope you are proud of yourself.

You are all acting like uneducated, spoiled children by insulting and viciously attacking fellow human beings.  I am coming out of this looking like the adult here.

Does she though?

That's not attacking at all... trust me I'm capable of far worse.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

C'mon guys, the way to talk about things is not by constantly attacking each other or their family members.  If you have something to say, can you talk about it like an honest, caring, sincere adult?  That is, without verbal attacks?  You guys are better than this.  I am better than this.  Some of you do talk the way adults should, but some of you talk like spoiled rich kids.  I don't go around insulting any of you at every opportunity.  Just because I am very transparent doesn't mean I open myself up to verbal attacks and insults.  I expect people to act like adults.

Again, nothing I said was meant as an attack. I merely said that if she was aware you were being more careful about what you were eating that she should accommodate that, within reason.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

C'mon guys, the way to talk about things is not by constantly attacking each other or their family members.  If you have something to say, can you talk about it like an honest, caring, sincere adult?  That is, without verbal attacks?  You guys are better than this.  I am better than this.  Some of you do talk the way adults should, but some of you talk like spoiled rich kids.  I don't go around insulting any of you at every opportunity.  Just because I am very transparent doesn't mean I open myself up to verbal attacks and insults.  I expect people to act like adults.

Again, nothing I said was meant as an attack. I merely said that if she was aware you were being more careful about what you were eating that she should accommodate that, within reason.

I have not told her, yet, about my no-fries and no-ice cream challenges for the month.  I told Mom and Dad Friday night at dinner, but I still have yet to tell her.  So, I'm not going to place any of the blame for the lack of vegetables on her.  She did everything she could, short of going back to the store.

Oh, I wasn't keeping track of what was in your dinner.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I wanted to cook and was allowed to cook family meals from the time I was 10...

I just don't understand how anyone at his age is sooo helpless and doesn't actually try to do anything about it?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Mind you... your version of 'attack' is pretty mild.

Just do it... not everyone gets it right all the time. It takes experimenting and time. Just decide to cook for yourself one night... enjoy it. Don't see it as a chore.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Okay, I'll say it: Spaghetti, laden with quickly digested carbs, and in the quantity you no doubt eat as part of a meal, is a particularly unhealthy choice. Your body (especially your body)will readily convert it into body fat.

Source: Myself, as a morbidly obese youth who ate copious amounts of spaghetti

Yes, we all wanted to say it, but I just didn't have the heart to say it. I am a softy sometimes.

Look, his entire culture is unhealthy, his parents, his friends, his social circle, his church. He isn't going to change. Eating healthy is just elitist to these good people and they won't be bothered with eating green food or things that are not red meat, potatoes, beans, cheese, pasta, rice or anything else.

Indeed, note the response to our issues with his family meals - we were called 'spoiled rich-kids'... says it all really.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Oh my goodness, Mr Moderate.  Did you really have to condemn my food choice for tomorrow night?  At least it's not a large burger and large fries.  I see nothing wrong with spaghetti.

As long as the meat is lean and the sauce is based on actual real tomatoes....

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

My lord ... making fresh sauce with tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine and little stock is NOT hard.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Meh, I go for the Prego every now and then. They have a really good red wine sauce, actually. That's not the issue.

The real problem here is he's eating carbs and no veggies. He's never going to lose weight doing that and he just can't accept it. Burgers and fries, spaghetti, mac and cheese, ramen, Dinty Moore stew, ham and cheese sandwiches, pizza, none of it is weight loss food. None are particularly better than the other. They're all equally bad as long as no vegetables are being eaten. That's the bottom line.

When I cook spaghetti I always up the veggie content, with carrot, broccoli and sometimes capsicum.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Yeah, this is something socially bad... not something actually bad.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Guys, I asked that the discussion be dropped.  So, drop it, please.

You opened the door...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I love when literalists talk about Bible Study... there is no study. Interpretation is not allowed. If it is the infallible word of God... it can have no other meaning, surely?

I've been to a few bible studies in my life where there were discussions on historical context and considering what it was 'really saying'. I doubt this would be tolerated.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

As for #1, of course they're allowed to study the Bible together and they often do, but sometimes the ladies like to discuss lady things and guys like to discuss guy stuff.

What the hell are "lady things" and "guy stuff" in relation to content in the Bible?  I suppose guy stuff would be "Things To Do Besides Masturbate" and lady things could involve things like "At What Point Would Jesus Be Okay With Calling 911?".

Lady things and guy stuff are talking about life's issues and getting into the Bible to see what God says about those issues.  It is also to encourage each other, laugh with each other, cry with each other, and even lovingly correct one another if needed.  There are certain things that men talk about that need to kept among men and not shared in a coed group.  The same goes with the ladies.

What are you crying about?

Seriously?  Is this a real question?

Oh, I missed the bit about "life's issues". 

... yeah. This is probably the most offensive part.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Ah... well that's sad news.

Condolences.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I know he's sad, but he's staying strong for mom.  He is not a crier.

I never got that idea... what is not strong about crying?

And the work thing, when my cousin died I had 6 days off. Then when my grandmother died I had... 3 I think.

Most of the other times (yikes, just thinking about that) I tend to only have the day of the funeral off. Unless it's inter-state.

Mind you, I live in a country where workers are generally treated with more respect.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Bushie, outside of the Atlas, have you ever known a real life gay?

I'm pretty sure his Church is full of pamphlets that tell you ALL about the realities of being gay.

For example...
This is a real gay man...


This is a real Lesbian

(although... I've seen a lot of straight women in the South do that to themselves)

This is what happens when gay people have children


...and this is what happens when they want to marry...


...so don't challenge him on this.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I've never known you to be worried a day in your life, Bushie.

That's why I'm worried.

I'm just not a worrier.  I can't do anything but harm by worrying.  Worrying takes time off my life, I'm not going to fall into that trap.  I have too much faith in God's ability to take care of me regardless of the circumstance.

And we have Bushie's problem in one clear sentence.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Of course, there are many people in the world whose faith is as strong as Bushie's, yet who are poor, unemployed, starving, tortured, whatever.  Christian faith isn't a guarantee that your bills will be paid or that you won't go hungry.

By the grace of God, here come Ma and Pa Bushie.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Hi, guys, I made it home to Tulsa.  We had a family dinner after the service, so I didn't start home until 1345.  I got home about 1530.  It was a good and fitting service.

I'm hearing what you guys are saying.  It is odd for a new employee to get a week off for a non-immediate family member.  My aunt told me to thank my boss for letting me off for the funeral and to grieve properly.  It meant a lot to her for me to come down and help carry the casket.  Even though he gave me the week off, I did help my cause by going into work anyway for all of Monday, half of Tuesday and I will keep my promise to him to return the day after the funeral, which would be Thursday.  I had planned to take Friday off, but since I was off today, I will work the second half of the day on Friday.  I should get back to work by 1230 and will work until 1600.  It's only 3 1/2 hours, but that's more on my paycheck.  I will get back to a 40 hour week next week.  If he does let me go at the end of October, then my aunt's brother told me I could apply at his place where they have gobs of positions including CAD work.  I'm not too worried.  Plus, I will go out feeling good about myself.  It's not guaranteed that I will be let go, though, so I'm not going to even act like it. I'm not going to act defeated, because that will only doom me.  Instead, I'm going to get back to focusing one day at a time and doing the best job that I can.  If that's not enough, then so be it.

No, but it's also not guaranteed that you won't be let go, and recent events have left a lot of flashing arrows pointing in that general direction. I'm not suggesting keeping all of your stuff in a cardboard box next to your desk. I'm just suggesting you put some feelers out there so that if something does happen in a month, you have an exit strategy in place.

Things aren't going so well at my job right now. They're having cash flow problems and a recent major case was not decided in our clients' favor. Because I am the assistant to the managing partner, I am less expendable than some, but I'm still reviewing my resume. I have been wanting to leave for a while and the current situation has removed some of the inertia. My goal is to be out of that place on my own terms by the end of the year.

I've got my resume ready to give to this company that my aunt's brother works for in case I do get let go.

Then give it to them. It would look a lot better for you to quit this job and start a different one than it would for you to be laid off from this job and start a different one. The former allows you to spin it in your favor however you want - that you left because it "wasn't a good environment" for you, that you didn't "feel challenged enough."

You got a point there.  I'll talk it over with my parents tomorrow evening and get their advice.  Ultimately, it's my decision, but I want to get their advice.

Ugh... well, we know this is going to end well.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

So... we've gone from "I'm doing really well, the boss is giving me more projects... I'm feeling really confident"... to "there's this job at a family member's company..."

Firstly... something is up. Secondly, does he think working for family means they'll be easier on him? It'll be the opposite. 

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Inks, I totally agree with you (shocker!). I am not going to leave this job.  He gave me a week off, so I need to show him some loyalty.  I promised him that I wouldn't miss anytime for the duration of my 90 day probation.  There are warning signs, but they aren't loud and deafening, more like whispers right now.  Anyway, I need to get back to work.  I've still got 20 minutes left today.  Talk to you later this evening.

If anything... that's much worse.