Update for Everyone VII: Insert Something Philosophical Sounding Here

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I had a good experience with mixing Enterprise and Amtrak on my honeymoon trip last year.  In my case, it was dropping off the car before they closed and them shuttling us to the station in Flagstaff. The only real problem was that the train was delayed so we had to spend a couple extra hours at the station. Fortunately, I had planned for the possibility of a delay, so while it was a discomfort, we still managed to get to LAX, take a shuttle bus from LAX the train station to LAX the airport, and arrive in time for our flight home except that too was delayed in leaving.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Sadly, I think I just attended the last service of my church where I'll consider myself a member. UU congregations vary, and the one I have attended for the last six years or so has gone into politics in a major way and I'm not wanting to mix religion and politics. Moreover, I'm worried if they have the capacity to do what they want to do, and that they haven't adequately considered if they can. Last and least, I don't think the tack they propose to take is the best use of time and resources to address the issue they want to address. Their hearts are in the right place, but I think their heads are in the clouds here.

However, I'd been drifting from them for a while anyway as the current pastor's sermons rarely speak to me.  They're social studies and/or lessons /civic holiday of the week/month more than spirituality insights. Today's sermon was a case in point.  It focused on National Disability Employment Awareness Month and how we shouldn't put disabled people in a box labeled "courageous" when they do the same things everyone else does.  All well and good, but even with that cheesy topic there was much more that could have been done that would have spoken to my spiritual side. (Or even someone else's!) There was no attempt to plug this topic into any religion or philosophy whatsoever. Even if it had been kept 100% secular, rather than simply being about how we shouldn't treat the disabled as "inspiration porn" for accomplishing ordinary tasks in a manner different than we do, I think a more effective approach would be to point out that we're all courageous and inspirational when we do the difficult task of living, not just the disabled. An effective sermon needs to about not just the other, but also the self if it is to speak to the soul.

She means well, but it's time to bite the bullet.  It looks like ELCA is where I'll be headed now. I've been attending an ELCA church occasionally, and regularly participating in bible study there. Moreover, the pastor there, she's the one who did our prenuptial counseling. My main concern is that I take creeds seriously, so I have yet to decide if I'll become a full member or just show up more often.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Following the recent attempted attacks against demonized symbols of leftist globalism and liberalism, as well as Jewish figures demonized by the far-right, as well as the entire Kavanaugh affair, I have decided that I can no longer continue with an I-IL avatar, at least for the time being. While I'm still willing to compromise on the actually important issues, economics, as long as a few core values (like universal coverage) are kept, I've come to realize that it is no longer possible to ignore the aggressiveness of the GOP, running over traumatized women, and more importantly, the fact that my form of ideology has just come under attack, and reactions by populist GOP figures who incited against them, like Trump and Gingrich, only made it worse. This doesn't mean, of course, that my ideology changed in any way. I'm still the same guy, but I just can't see how a green avatar makes sense for me at this point, despite my previous reluctance to participate in American partisan divides.

Hopefully, I can one day return to the green avatar.

I sympathize with you. Republican craziness is precisely why I changed my avatar from green to red in mid-2016.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Off to Singapore tomorrow. Majulah!

Bring lots of chewing gum. You'll be surprised by the response you get.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I’m so bored right now if someone wants to talk to me, now is your chance.

I'm not so bored that I'd want to.   

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

My girlfriend and I are going to the Twenty One Pilots concert here in KC on the 21st. I like the band, but she absolutely loves them and they mean so much to her since they helped her as she struggled with depression, suicide, and self-harm. But, I have a big surprise planned for her during her favorite song, which they play at the end of every concert; I'm going to propose to her. I'm so excited and nervous!

If I don’t pop off the champagne for Governor-elect DeSantis than I’ll do it in honor of you guys instead. Either way I’m drinking champagne that I bought at a gas station.

For your sake, I hope there's a tie so you won't drink that swill.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

For some reason my Google Ads for this site were clogged this evening with ads for a nearby school board race in a county I haven't been in for weeks. Since the candidate is a software developer in his day job that probably explains his ad buy while candidates in my local school board haven't.

Only thing I can think of is that I do carry my tablet to work and I do on occasion have reason to Google that school district's schools on my work computer for reasons that have nothing to do with the board or politics.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

For some reason my Google Ads for this site were clogged this evening with ads for a nearby school board race in a county I haven't been in for weeks. Since the candidate is a software developer in his day job that probably explains his ad buy while candidates in my local school board haven't.

Only thing I can think of is that I do carry my tablet to work and I do on occasion have reason to Google that school district's schools on my work computer for reasons that have nothing to do with the board or politics.

This is literally funny. Ever since I used the option to ask Google to not show me that ad, I haven't seen a single ad on the Forum.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

For the midterms, I am really glad that Michigan and Missouri legalized weed tho. Libertarianism is winning. Next stop will be legalizing every drug, and forcing those old ass people in the government the hell out of any legislating "moral" issues and preventing the government from making us taxpayers pay to keep useless drug addicts alive in prison, or using our tax dollars to help other irresponsible and weak people who don't deserve saving, as well as finally ending the Ponzi scheme that is Social Security.

Eventually, some big picture businessman will come to the conclusion that having a workforce saturated by drug abuse and addiction is--wait for it--bad for business and push for a "reform" movement to rid society of what he deems a menace. The drug issue will become especially acute when it even takes over bourgeois professions including engineers and analysts where some level of mental competence is required.

So in other words, you foresee a return of Rockefeller Republicanism?  Nelson Rockefeller was a major factor in there being a War on Drugs in the first place.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I decided to walk to the grocery store today.  I was gone over an hour, and I was only able to carry half my normal weekly haul.  How do people without cars manage on a day-to-day basis?

First off, they probably shop at someplace closer.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

So, had a pretty decent first date last Sunday with a girl who’s getting her degree in bass performance. Overall pretty positive experience. Supposed to meet up this coming weekend. Trying not to spend this entire week freaking out. 

When you say bass performance I presume you don't mean fisheries management, but which of the musical basses do you mean?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I met this girl who might very well be my Eva Braun

So, someone you'd only marry right before committing suicide? I thought better of you than that and you don't strike me as the type to commit suicide. I sincerely hope I'm right about that.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

dude owes me nearly $1,000 and isn't paying me bcuz he's "in debt" well figure it out dude, go take out a loan or something because u were supposed to pay me over a month ago.

this is what i get for being nice and loaning money to people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXId5jOTxdg

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Sadly, I think I just attended the last service of my church where I'll consider myself a member. UU congregations vary, and the one I have attended for the last six years or so has gone into politics in a major way and I'm not wanting to mix religion and politics. Moreover, I'm worried if they have the capacity to do what they want to do, and that they haven't adequately considered if they can. Last and least, I don't think the tack they propose to take is the best use of time and resources to address the issue they want to address. Their hearts are in the right place, but I think their heads are in the clouds here.

However, I'd been drifting from them for a while anyway as the current pastor's sermons rarely speak to me.  They're social studies and/or lessons /civic holiday of the week/month more than spirituality insights. Today's sermon was a case in point.  It focused on National Disability Employment Awareness Month and how we shouldn't put disabled people in a box labeled "courageous" when they do the same things everyone else does.  All well and good, but even with that cheesy topic there was much more that could have been done that would have spoken to my spiritual side. (Or even someone else's!) There was no attempt to plug this topic into any religion or philosophy whatsoever. Even if it had been kept 100% secular, rather than simply being about how we shouldn't treat the disabled as "inspiration porn" for accomplishing ordinary tasks in a manner different than we do, I think a more effective approach would be to point out that we're all courageous and inspirational when we do the difficult task of living, not just the disabled. An effective sermon needs to about not just the other, but also the self if it is to speak to the soul.

She means well, but it's time to bite the bullet.  It looks like ELCA is where I'll be headed now. I've been attending an ELCA church occasionally, and regularly participating in bible study there. Moreover, the pastor there, she's the one who did our prenuptial counseling. My main concern is that I take creeds seriously, so I have yet to decide if I'll become a full member or just show up more often.

So far, my old UU church has validated my concerns they weren't as ready as they thought they were for what they're wanting to do.

I ended up deciding that while strictly speaking I'm not 100% onboard with The Book of Concord, my beliefs line up well enuf with several of the churches that the ELCA is in full communion with that joining doesn't violate my conscience. Hence, I'll be joining despite The Book of Concord indicating a belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary. (I'm agnostic on the issue of the virgin birth, but a belief that the means that God provided for humanity to be fruitful and multiply is sinful and therefore perpetual virginity is a prerequisite for the mother of Jesus is crazy, IMO.)

The official becoming a member of the ELCA is scheduled for January 27. (The Revised Common Lectionary readings for that Sunday other than the gospel reading speak to my reasons for making the switch. I'm not presumptuous enuf to think Luke 4:14-21 speaks to my situation.) I'll probably be going out with a bang from my old church on January 6. I think I've laid out my reasons respectfully and with a minimum of drama, but one never knows how rejection will be received.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Got a 2 hour delay today!

That's nothing! The voters in Steve King's district got a two-year delay yesterday.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

also another reason I am leaving Atlas is because recent STD results show that I have syphilis and am not sure when I even got it. Might have had it for a while now I dunno

I think I can safely say Atlas had nothing to do with that.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

So I walked into a classroom today, and I saw "rebublican>democrat" written on the board. And I chuckled and told the kid who wrote it up on there, if that is what you choose to say, at least spell it right lmao. And I kid you not, he tried arguing with me for like over a minute about how it was not misspelled.

The Rebublicans are the party of Bubba, aren't they?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I've been thinking a lot about becoming a devout Christian lately. I don't yet plan on converting, and even if I did I most certainly would not be doing it now, but if I wouldn't be surprised at all if I was a Church going Methodist in 5-10 years time.

Any particular reason for Methodist instead of some other denomination?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Who the hell eats this sh**t?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Personally, I'd avoid a Jeep as they are one of the least reliable makes these days. I just got a new used car myself. Got an excellent rate of 2.69% on the 72 month loan I took out so I could keep my money invested.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I took a good old-fashioned car-trip vacation with the family this past summer and we stopped at South of the Border, which is a delightfully cheesy place.  I wouldn't recommend you go out of your way to go there, but if you're passing through anyway, I'd recommend it.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

reality's a beach and i'm just glad we're in the sand

So you see reality as being gritty?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I was diagnosed with BPD today.

Aren't you a little old to be suffering from bronchopulmonary dysplasia?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I was diagnosed with BPD today.

Aren't you a little old to be suffering from bronchopulmonary dysplasia?

hilarious

Thank you. I deliberately used the most unlikely of the many medical conditions that use that TLA to point out the ambiguous nature of your post.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

So as I stated in the PAPOY thread, I finally registered to vote yesterday (thursday is the last day if you want to vote in the primary)

Registered!

But I'm gonna go on a mini rant while my pizza is cooking, and later i'll give y'all an update on some other stuff that I feel like I need to talk about.

So, here's a map of Anderson County:



And here's a map of Anderson County with areas you can get registered to vote highlighted in Green:


So if you don't have a car, you're f**ked, basically. Why? Well the answer to that one's pretty obvious, but seriously. If you live in Pendleton (South of Clemson, near the tri-point with Oconee and Pickens), StarrIva (Southern area of the county), Honea Path (far eastern edge), or Powdersville (Far north), then you have to drive around 30 minutes (or more!) to get to voter registration. It's pretty crazy to me.

Now obviously this is meant to hurt voter turnout, especially among those who are poorer (and may not be able to afford a car, or if they can, they work past the BoVR&E closing time) and further away from Anderson. Honea Path is somewhat swingy, Pendleton is too (especially B/C of Clemson), StarrIva is... well, to be honest I'm not sure. I never head down that way. Powdersville is an increasingly diverse and affluent suburb of Greenville.

Or you could register online or by mail, email, or fax.

https://www.scvotes.org/south-carolina-voter-registration-information

There's also motor voter that lets one register when getting a driver's license or ID card at the DMV.

I don't find it problematic that there's only one place to register in-person per county.