Update Season VIII - "Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!"

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I wish Bushie would come back to the US, find this poor puppy a real home and then start dating some crazy Oklahoman woman again. Then we could all have some laughs.

Right now this thread is just darkness.

I realize I'm harsh on him a lot, but seriously... this is depressing right now.  He's on a path that's going to ruin his life and could seriously scar some innocent children.

Yeah, I feel the same way. I feel bad when I criticize him, but it's clear he is deep into darkness right now with all of these grandiose delusions he is currently trying to convince himself are possible. There's a point where this story moves from entertaining to really heartbreaking, and it has reached that point now.

He needs to go home, focus on his life, find a woman and find some sort of happiness. These kids are not the key to it in any way. It will only lead to disappointment.

And his charity fan club isn't helping.  I'm sure most of them know little about his personal life and just see his statuses on Facebook so they cheer him on.  But if he's truly being honest about stuff like the orphanage director telling him that he should call himself these kids' "daddy", then they're taking advantage of his emotional weaknesses, and that's pretty damn disgusting.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Of course, Bushie could be telling us what he wanted to hear, and he may have been told that he is "essentially their father because he is their only source of support" or something like that.

And considering his embellishments before, I'm not quite confident enough in his story to pass judgment on the orphanage workers.  I'm guessing he's telling us the orphanage director said this so that we don't knock him for calling himself "daddy".

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

This couldn't have been done via PM?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Inks crushes Bushie on FB then locks the Update?  Or did Bishie lock it?

I did not lock it.  There's been no discussion of it on the mod board, other than asking who locked it.  I'm assuming Jeff locked it.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Inks crushes Bushie on FB then locks the Update?  Or did Bishie lock it?

What happened on facebook?

Inks lashed out about one of Bushie's posts where he calls himself a "daddy"....Inks reminding him he's not a daddy.....all true, but Bushie is pissed.

I wouldn't say "lashed out".  I stayed civil.  I merely pointed out that he doesn't fit any usual definition of the word.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Inks, I am not going to delete you off Facebook, but I kindly ask you to keep any logistical questions here.  Besides, the Maisha director on the ground said the children need to call me father.  He wouldn't exaggerate a situation for crowd pleasing.  He says things as they are.  You all need to admit that I know more about the inner workings of Maisha than any of you.  I have been with this organization for almost 2 years on two mission trips.  I don't know everything, but I know a heck of a lot more than anyone here.  Can we all agree to that?

I'm sorry, but I have no clue what you mean by "logistical questions".  And to say that they "need to call" you father seems just freaking weird.  You're not even paying the money that you send to help these kids... how are you anything of a father?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I'm going to bed.  You don't understand anything.  Jeff 1, Forum 0.  Besides why are you purposely trying to ruin my vacation?

Yeah, that's the maturity that makes a good role model as a parent right there.

When my kids argue with me, I think that's how I'll end the argument.  "You don't understand anything.  Dad 1, kid 0."

Since when did this become a vacation?  I thought it was a service project.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

My $35 monthly gift goes entirely to the kids school fees and supplies as well as a lunch.  Maisha is non profit.  He doesn't make money off my donations.  Plus, several other sponsors call their sponsees their children.  I am far from alone.

1. What exactly costs $35 a month?  Break it down for us, since you know so much about Maisha.
2. Do they actually call them their "children" or their "sponsor children".  Do these people refer to themselves as "mommy" and "daddy"?  Because this is the first time that you've ever mentioned this (and usually when something comes up suddenly that sounds unbelievable, it's because you're twisting the truth in some way).

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

My $35 monthly gift goes entirely to the kids school fees and supplies as well as a lunch.  Maisha is non profit.  He doesn't make money off my donations.  Plus, several other sponsors call their sponsees their children.  I am far from alone.

1. What exactly costs $35 a month?  Break it down for us, since you know so much about Maisha.
2. Do they actually call them their "children" or their "sponsor children".  Do these people refer to themselves as "mommy" and "daddy"?  Because this is the first time that you've ever mentioned this (and usually when something comes up suddenly that sounds unbelievable, it's because you're twisting the truth in some way).

1. School fees, primarily.  In Kenya, a child has to pay to go to school/take tests/uniforms.  If a child doesn't have the money, he or she is held back and cannot proceed until they pay up. Plus, a bowl of beans and maize for lunch.

2. Some say child, some say sponsor child. In this context, they mean the same thing.   My situation is no different. Though I say father, it is the same as sponsor father.

1. And how much are the school fees and how much is the lunch?

2. The two are not the same thing.  By that same logic, a father and a step-father would be the same thing, and those two are much more closely related than a sponsor father is to a real father.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

My $35 monthly gift goes entirely to the kids school fees and supplies as well as a lunch.  Maisha is non profit.  He doesn't make money off my donations.  Plus, several other sponsors call their sponsees their children.  I am far from alone.

1. What exactly costs $35 a month?  Break it down for us, since you know so much about Maisha.
2. Do they actually call them their "children" or their "sponsor children".  Do these people refer to themselves as "mommy" and "daddy"?  Because this is the first time that you've ever mentioned this (and usually when something comes up suddenly that sounds unbelievable, it's because you're twisting the truth in some way).

1. School fees, primarily.  In Kenya, a child has to pay to go to school/take tests/uniforms.  If a child doesn't have the money, he or she is held back and cannot proceed until they pay up. Plus, a bowl of beans and maize for lunch.

2. Some say child, some say sponsor child. In this context, they mean the same thing.   My situation is no different. Though I say father, it is the same as sponsor father.

1. And how much are the school fees and how much is the lunch?

2. The two are not the same thing.  By that same logic, a father and a step-father would be the same thing, and those two are much more closely related than a sponsor father is to a real father.

I'm not sure the exact breakdown.

I said "in this context".

If you don't know the breakdown, how do you know that it "goes entirely to the kids school fees and supplies as well as a lunch"?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I know the percentages of the two add up to 100%, but I don't exactly know what the figures are.

And how do you know that?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I've seen it written down before and my Maisha director has also told me verbally.

So you're essentially basing this on an assumption that these are good people who, because they are good people, are being honest with you?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

So, purely as a hypothetical, if the Maisha director told you that it cost $35 to pay for the schooling and lunch for one kid, but in actuality, it only cost $25, and he was taking $10 for himself for some personal reasons (buying a new TV or a new computer... whatever it may be), would this make him a bad person?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

It would make him less trustworthy.  That's why they have a completely separate fund for the infrastructure and stipends that are not funded by the sponsorship money.

1. Would it make him a bad person?
2. Would you still donate to that orphanage?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I understand that.  These are purely hypothetical questions that I'm curious about.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

What on earth is Rose'?  Is that some sort of fruity liquor?  I can't see Bushie ever doing a shot...

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

What on earth is Rose'?  Is that some sort of fruity liquor?  I can't see Bushie ever doing a shot...

It looked like a fruity wine.

Oh... rosé.  The capitalization of the word and weird way of indicating the accent through me off.  Then when you said shot, I thought you were talking about some brand name of liquor.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I couldn't figure out how to make the tilde over the e.  I did the next best thing.

Copy and paste it from Wikipedia then.  You're not one of those people who spells "résumé" as just "resume", are you?  That drives me nuts.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I couldn't figure out how to make the tilde over the e.  I did the next best thing.

Copy and paste it from Wikipedia then.  You're not one of those people who spells "résumé" as just "resume", are you?  That drives me nuts.

Considering I was on my phone's wifi I haven't exactly figured out how to cut and paste, yet.  AFA resume, I generally put the accent mark over or right beside the last E.  the accent mark beside is supposed to represent being on top.

Didn't you work for a company who troubleshot for the Forest Service?  If I was hiring someone for a position that had even occasional need for word processing skills, I don't think I could take someone who can't figure out how to type an accent over a letter seriously.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Relax, Inks. Nobody cares.

Zubor cares.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

When I get home, I'm going to turn around and look for a part time evening job in July or August to pay for the kids and to start raising approximately $5,000 so I can spend 60 days here in the summer 2015.

Why not focus on raising $5,000 so you can pay your bills and pay off your debt first?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

It wasn't rigorous exercise, but it was moving around, rarely sedentary.

That's not exercise.  I'm almost always constantly walking at work, other than my 30 minute break, but I wouldn't say I exercise 7 hours a day.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Are you going to tell your dad you want to live full time in Kenya within the next year to year and a half?

Is the dog ok?

I'll tell him when I get home.  The old man needs time to get used to the idea, as well.

He just sent me a picture of JJ, so she's okay. We found out she squats instead of lifts a leg, so she's a girl.

Virtually all puppies squat to pee, and some female dogs lift their leg to pee.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Yes, Jeff. It was you who locked it. I gave you 'permission' to test if you could unlock it. Since you could, it means that it was you who locked it originally.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I know it was me, Inks.  Do you not understand what an "accidental touching" is on a small screen iPhone?  I locked it, but I certainly had no intention of locking it.  I don't see why such a fuss is being made over something that is purely an accident?  I will abide by the rule, though, that the next lock closes the Update book.  That part, I agree with.  I just don't see why a big fuss over an accident.

Because it's a bit absurd that you didn't even try to unlock it or ask someone for help.