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MeerkatBong

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Posts posted by MeerkatBong

  1. 15 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

    I just want to reiterate that people support Tesla’s valuation by claiming that Tesla is going to be the leader in (a) solving the energy crisis, and/or (b) making all transportation fully automated.  Because, you know, they’re so way ahead of the curve.

    The one thing Tesla seems to be good at is making a car people want: "Tesla delivered 343,830 cars globally in Q3, a company record but lower than forecast."

  2. On 10/1/2022 at 9:51 AM, Brisketexan said:



    All I really “know” is this: if your faith gives you the excuse/reason to hurt other people, you’re shit, and your faith is shit. And that’s what American Christianity is.

     

    I want to say we are conflating some issues but because this topic is so layered and complex, I don't think that is fair. There are a lot of factors to consider, chief among them that we, as a people, cannot definitively or authoritatively prove anything, in any aspect.

    There is the pure spiritual basis of the conversation, which I think is the this thread was created and participated in initially, and then there are the social/psychological/political bents on Christianity (to say nothing of the purely historical) which I think is the direction these threads go when you get a certain subset of people who have "American Christianity" in their crosshairs and want get some shots in.

    But I agree there shouldn't be an "American Christianity", for all the warts and ugliness you described. There is either you are a brother/sister in Christ or you are not. After all, it is my belief that on a long enough timeline, all knees will bow and all tongues will give praise anyhow.

  3. Your daddy ever tell you how Uncle Mac come to his reward? Gunned down on his own porch over in Hudspeth County. Seven or eight of 'em come up there, all wantin' this, wantin' that. Uncle Mac went back in the house to get the shotgun. Well, they was ahead of him. Shot him in his doorway. Aunt Ella come out, tried to stop the bleeding. Uncle Mac all the while trying to get that shotgun. They just sat there on their horses, watchin' him die. After a while, one of 'em said somethin' in Indian and they turned. Left out. Uncle Mac knew the score, even if Aunt Ella didn't. Shot through the left lung. And that was that - as they say.

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  4. 1 minute ago, 'stache said:

    Yet another area that the political right has perverted. They've turned "freedom of religion" into "my freedom to exercise my religion by forcing it upon others through the law." It's truly disgusting how this freedom has been perverted. "My religion doesn't like gays, so all books featuring gay characters must be removed from school libraries, or else my freedom of religion is violated." The fallacy is so blatant, the people saying it even know it, they just don't fucking care so long as they get their point across that they hate the gays. 

    Yep. No arguments there; I agree 100% with you. And whether it's origins were in a good place (righteous concern, true belief driven, etc.) or wicked place (power hungry, ambitious, nakedly hypocritical), it doesn't matter. The end state is bad for all.

  5. 20 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

    Non?   Yeah...no.  A metric shitton of Christians, typically the most vocal and assertive "Christians," believe and act EXACTLY that way.  They are flaming assholes to everyone, they celebrate cruelty, but then they wave around the "but I accepted Jesus as my lord and savior!" card around like this guy used his diplomatic credentials:

    tumblr_nmp95uilvK1tsuuvno1_250.gif

    It's not just that they're mean assholes -- the world is full of mean assholes.  It's that they do so while simultaneously waving around a membership card in a club that has, as one of its two foundational tenets, "don't be a mean asshole."

    In case you can't tell, as someone who has really grown into his faith in the past 20 years, I am utterly disgusted by American "Christians," and I am just fine if "the Church" dies.

    I agree and know there are a metric ton of Christians who do not "get it" and believe and act in wicked and sinful ways--either purposefully or ignorantly. There are also a ton of Christians who do act in wicked and sinful ways and are truly repentant and want and try to change, etc . The difference it seems is that I am okay with not trying to be the judge of the character of another persons heart and will let God sort that out. 

    Ultimately, I completely get that you have your position and that's that, but I don't think it's nearly so black-and-white as you do. But that's the beauty of religious freedom-- you are free to lead your family and impart on them your spiritual "wisdom" as you see fit.

    I love that you get to do that within your sphere of influence and I hope it's helpful and life-giving to those who would see and hear you and think you are someone worth listening and following advice from.

    For my tastes from reading about your spiritual takes on this site, you ring too much like one of those really smart teenagers, authoritative in what you think you know and really pleased with where you've landed on the position, but to more judicious and wisened people, it's a foolish sort of definitiveness.

    But to each their own, compadre.

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  6. I was thinking, and I'm not as bearish on this series as this thread sans-the girls, but I thought the costume/make-up and casting people did a wonderful job with the time jump except one: Ser Cristan. I feel like he should have been played by someone else for the 10 year jump. 

    I love that his character is a jaded, corrupt one now-- the fall from the common boy with naive hopes of honor yada yada yada who falls from grace, saved by the queen and ostensibly the 10 years that has passed he has become a world-weary, red-keep politick, player in the game. He shows some "cruelty", as Harwin called it, and some manipulation, but he looks like the 21 year old fresh-faced summer child of the first tournament when he bested Daemon. You need an older actor there to flush out that character development with hints of a jowl or some wrinkles or weathering, maybe some flirtations of gray in the hair, something.

    The aging/visual of Viserys was fantastic. Reminds me of the aged hippies or deadheads who can't let go of their pony tails even when its a pathetic, wispy reminder of the robust and glorious years. 

  7. 13 minutes ago, F250 said:

    Yeah, pretty much this. I would say that most groups are in agreement with the primary tenets of Christianity. There aren't many that reject the content of the early creeds but might do so from a "creeds are not in the Bible" and "it's Papist!!" perspective.

    Regarding the Orthodox, personally I consider the Orthodox to have deviated the least from the early Christian Church. I once had an Orthodox priest explain that Protestants were fine with their heterodox Christianity, they are wrong but they should be fine. It was funny because he basically said "Y'all are not good but it should get the job done" as if Protestants were the Hill County Fare of Christianity.

     

    I think this is because if you are meeting the salvagefic bar (or whatever the theological word that is used for salvation) of faith in heart and mind, then the differences between denominations are not disqualifying. And I don't say that in a "once saved; always saved" sort of way that a lot of non-Christians think is a great argument and loophole to just knowingly sin over and over, unrepentant and cavalier. 

    From what I understand, though you are marked in the book of life, you can still live a very hard and miserable life until you die if you aren't living in the way prescribed in the NT.

  8. Definitely because I just finished binging Succession did I draw a parallel to Roman Roy jerking it in the window of his high rise and Aegon in the window. Either Aegon is a deviant pervert weirdo (a la Roman) who will be shown to be cruel/sociopathic whatever down the line, or that is just the Targ blood and it is what it is. His mom didn't seem to be alarmed and acted as if it was quite normal, so I don't know. 

     

  9. 1 hour ago, Augustus said:

    Even in weekly doses, for me, Roman's non-stop crap is beyond exhausting. It got boring in a hurry.  

    Interesting. You'd think having a character with 95% of his dialogue that sounds like it was written in a room by a team of funny writers would be too on the nose, but maybe its meta or something. I like the character okay but would love the character if it was dosed properly.

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  10. Wheeeewwww. Started watching this a few days ago and binged all 3 seasons. My head hurts. This thread is on page 6 btw.

    A few thoughts that mostly agree with you all:

    Tom is the break-out star. Hilarious and just fantastic all around. I think the showrunners probably fell in love with him like we all did and based on the algos and feedback decided this guy needs a bigger role. His rise could probably be charted with Shiv's descent where they intersect at the end of Season 2. Tom's response to Greg talking about California Pizza Kitchen and then eating Ortolan was the best of the 3 seasons. 

    If it weren't for Greg's chemistry with Tom, which Tom has to drag out of him most of the time ("You are so hard to riff with! big obstacle to your career!"), Greg would suck. I guess the show is trying to not be ableist or anti-neurodivergent, but I've never met anyone, autistic or otherwise, who was as constantly stilted and weak in every single speaking situation ever. It's weird because he's the anti-Grandpa Ewan who uses 10-dollar Thesauruses words in equally jarring and unrealistic ways to illuminate some sort of disorder.

    Roman is a weird character because he's always on. All acidic bite and clever snark, all the time, 24/7. It's exhausting as a viewer. It's like death by chocolate and it just wears you out when you binge the 3 seasons. I'm guessing when you wait week over week it's fine-if-still-unrealistic. I guess you could say the same thing about Tom, but I just think he gives his hilarious dialogue in doses and in patterns and situations that make sense (e.g. not in the board meetings, etc.) that it works better. That said, he has issues and someone mentioned he was probably molested by Lester which makes sense, and that's sad and informs his character study, but what I find interesting is that he isn't a heavy drug user. You'd think he would be based on his careless and impulsive nature (and obvious emotional and psychological issues).

    Ken is the worst of the kids for me because it's hard to watch him be emasculated and castrated. Good acting to turn it off most of season 2, but the amount of "right right, yea no, I get it, sure. okay, right. yea. yea. for sure." became annoying. I thought the show abandoned his visible drug use / habit / problem pretty abruptly too. There were times he was needing his "straightener" just to get through the 8 hour work day and then nothing really shown (I guess the implication is he's still a daily abuser?).

     

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  11. 10 minutes ago, Js1 said:

    Same.  if next week doesn't keep my eyeballs on the screen, I'll end up binging the rest when it's done

    Binging is the way to go. I just binged Barry S3 and had way more appreciation and enjoyment than it seems the week-to-week folks on the S3 experienced.

  12. 3 hours ago, Reese Bennett said:

    Ser Cristen should be dead but the Alicent will use him. He'll become a mercenary known as "The Queen Fucker."

    Also disappointed to find out the actress who plays Alicent is on the other team as it makes my quest a bit more difficult.

     

    A bit more difficult? How does one go from impossible to more impossible?

  13. Just binged this; it's awesome. Bill Hader is a beast. The ability for this show to go from dramatic and tense to comedic and absurd, from scene to scene, and have it work, is amazing and why this show is special to me.

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