Sunday, June 29, 2008
God don't make no junque
First, Dr. ER and I went to a few junque shops yesterday afternoon recommended by DrLobojo. Once again, when we got home, I was as pleased with what I did not buy as what I did buy!
A great wide photo of the Agnew and Exchange area, near the Oklahoma City Stockyards, circa 1954, almost prised $65 out of my hands -- but I realized I know where I can probably buy a similar photo for a lot less.
A fascinating but ICKY-YUCK-POO-GAH make-it-go-away framed dead body of a complete bat specimen, priced at $69, did not come close to prising money out of my billfold. But it made me think of DrLobojo, who might -- shudder -- actually enjoy owning such.
What I *did* make it home with:
1. Highball glass embossed with "The Black Angus Room ... T. Pittari's ... Since 1895 ... New Orleans, La." Danged if I haven't accidentally started collecting these things. That makes three I have now. The others from Stillwater, Okla., andBossier City, La.
2. A classic: "The Cattlemen: From the Rio Grande Across the Far Marias," by Mari Sandoz. I previously have read her "Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas" and other of her writings.
3. A keen little young people's book called "And Then Mom Joined the Army," a Vietnam-era piece by Jeannie Hagy that I simply had to buy.
What Dr. ER brought home: A genuine Boston baked bean bean pot.
So much for the junque.
Now, for the junque that God don't make none of: That's people. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. ...
Prayer of Confession today at church:
Lord of Life, we spend so much time and energy searching for meaning in our lives, and trying to please others. Instead of striving, we should try accepting the extravagant welcome that we have been shown in Jesus, and extend that same extravagant welcome to others. To "welcome" sounds easy, but it requires an open heart and soft, wide eyes. When we meet the stranger, please help us to keep our defenses down. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, our Teacher and Lord, we pray, Amen.
We Christians are quite literally called to be xenophiles -- not xenophobes! Whether cultural, national, whateveral!
Here, some examples of how not to:
The Bible says it the way I say it says it, therefore God says it the way I say God says it, because the Bible IS *THE* Word of God, as I understand it, and if you don't like it you can go straight to hell.
Lamenting the beachhead of "the enemy"!
Here's a line: do not cross it!
Yes, I've been in mor than one kind the junque shop the past couple of days.
--ER
A great wide photo of the Agnew and Exchange area, near the Oklahoma City Stockyards, circa 1954, almost prised $65 out of my hands -- but I realized I know where I can probably buy a similar photo for a lot less.
A fascinating but ICKY-YUCK-POO-GAH make-it-go-away framed dead body of a complete bat specimen, priced at $69, did not come close to prising money out of my billfold. But it made me think of DrLobojo, who might -- shudder -- actually enjoy owning such.
What I *did* make it home with:
1. Highball glass embossed with "The Black Angus Room ... T. Pittari's ... Since 1895 ... New Orleans, La." Danged if I haven't accidentally started collecting these things. That makes three I have now. The others from Stillwater, Okla., andBossier City, La.
2. A classic: "The Cattlemen: From the Rio Grande Across the Far Marias," by Mari Sandoz. I previously have read her "Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas" and other of her writings.
3. A keen little young people's book called "And Then Mom Joined the Army," a Vietnam-era piece by Jeannie Hagy that I simply had to buy.
What Dr. ER brought home: A genuine Boston baked bean bean pot.
So much for the junque.
Now, for the junque that God don't make none of: That's people. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. ...
Prayer of Confession today at church:
Lord of Life, we spend so much time and energy searching for meaning in our lives, and trying to please others. Instead of striving, we should try accepting the extravagant welcome that we have been shown in Jesus, and extend that same extravagant welcome to others. To "welcome" sounds easy, but it requires an open heart and soft, wide eyes. When we meet the stranger, please help us to keep our defenses down. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, our Teacher and Lord, we pray, Amen.
We Christians are quite literally called to be xenophiles -- not xenophobes! Whether cultural, national, whateveral!
Here, some examples of how not to:
The Bible says it the way I say it says it, therefore God says it the way I say God says it, because the Bible IS *THE* Word of God, as I understand it, and if you don't like it you can go straight to hell.
Lamenting the beachhead of "the enemy"!
Here's a line: do not cross it!
Yes, I've been in mor than one kind the junque shop the past couple of days.
--ER
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Stuffed bat! Where's that?
Just because I have three coyote skulls (a bitch and two pups) defleshing out in my "bone yard", you think I collect obtuse stuff?
Yeah, I know where you picked up the Sandoz book, "The Cattlemen". I thought about buying that one myself.
"God don't make no Junque"? Now that's something I'll have to ponder on. I'll get back to you.
Just because I have three coyote skulls (a bitch and two pups) defleshing out in my "bone yard", you think I collect obtuse stuff?
Yeah, I know where you picked up the Sandoz book, "The Cattlemen". I thought about buying that one myself.
"God don't make no Junque"? Now that's something I'll have to ponder on. I'll get back to you.
Bat specimen: May Avenue Theater -- and it closes down at the end of July, so you better hurry.
So, bats can't "see," right? So those little red balls in its eye sockets are what, exactly? YEESH. Yuck and shudder.
So, bats can't "see," right? So those little red balls in its eye sockets are what, exactly? YEESH. Yuck and shudder.
Oh, another thing I did not buy was "50 Years on the Owl Hoot Trail," because it cost $45 and I'm tight.
And a book on livestock equipment and buildings -- a techinical manual, basically -- for only $10, published in 1971. That one haunts me. 1., it made me think of Daddy ER, because he was still actively farmer-stockmaning, between sickness, then; and 2., the way things seem to be going, it wouldn't hurt one to have some technical expertise in how to raise livestock. To eat.
And a book on livestock equipment and buildings -- a techinical manual, basically -- for only $10, published in 1971. That one haunts me. 1., it made me think of Daddy ER, because he was still actively farmer-stockmaning, between sickness, then; and 2., the way things seem to be going, it wouldn't hurt one to have some technical expertise in how to raise livestock. To eat.
Which reminds me: These people who are so slow to offer a cup of cool water to people that don't look right, act right, think right, believe right, are gonna be shit-out-of-luck if things get bad enough in general that we all have to rely onb one another just to get by.
First, I would love the picture of the bat! Give me the phone number of this place and I'll order it for myself! Actually, if I did such a thing, my wife would probably find room in the garage for me to curl up and sleep . . .
As to the links, well, I know you have to have your fix, man, but after checking them out, all I can say is I hope you had your shots afterward. I just showered and I feel the need to cleanse, and all I did was read them. I do so love Christians who refer to our gay brothers as "fags"; is it any wonder they fear anti-discrimination laws, or wonder why we insist they hate sexual minorities?
Of course, it is we liberals who really hate. I've never understood the "logic", but I suppose it is understandable to them.
Coyote skulls, drlobojo? Very cool.
As to the links, well, I know you have to have your fix, man, but after checking them out, all I can say is I hope you had your shots afterward. I just showered and I feel the need to cleanse, and all I did was read them. I do so love Christians who refer to our gay brothers as "fags"; is it any wonder they fear anti-discrimination laws, or wonder why we insist they hate sexual minorities?
Of course, it is we liberals who really hate. I've never understood the "logic", but I suppose it is understandable to them.
Coyote skulls, drlobojo? Very cool.
Still visiting the cess pools of the internet, ER? ;)
In good news, the PCUSA did some pretty cool things at our General Assembly this week (re: LGBT ordination, efforts at making peace, ecumenical relationships, etc..) Not the ground breaking sort of letting the Word of God break forth that I'd hoped for, but still, not bad for a bunch of sinners. There's a little review of it over at my blog.
Of course, those that eat fear like some sort of Star Trek alien are losing their minds over all that, but they'll wear themselves out eventually and, being exhausted, realize that the only real rest is in Christ.
In good news, the PCUSA did some pretty cool things at our General Assembly this week (re: LGBT ordination, efforts at making peace, ecumenical relationships, etc..) Not the ground breaking sort of letting the Word of God break forth that I'd hoped for, but still, not bad for a bunch of sinners. There's a little review of it over at my blog.
Of course, those that eat fear like some sort of Star Trek alien are losing their minds over all that, but they'll wear themselves out eventually and, being exhausted, realize that the only real rest is in Christ.
# posted by 
: 8:51 PM
: 8:51 PM
Geoffrey, re: "First, I would love the picture of the bat!"
Not a picture! A whole dead bat, in a 2-inch-thick frame. Ugh.
Alan: That was eloquent.
Not a picture! A whole dead bat, in a 2-inch-thick frame. Ugh.
Alan: That was eloquent.
DrLobojo: Correction. The dead bat is not at the May Theater. It's at another one of the places on May -- a huge place ... on the hard northwest corner of either 10th or 12th ... I think.
A bat framed in a shadow box. I will check that out. That's the place I bought my bighorn sheep skull, and my Remington 1876 Rolling block 20 gage.
Speaking of God's Junque, in that the homosexual animal is found in both sex in almost every species,should it not be about time we tried to understand God's design for such. I mean, there must be some evolutionary advantage or it wouldn't be so common. Oh,I forgot, if you don't believe in evolution, then you don't believe in evolutionary advantage. OK, let's just ask why God makes gay dolphins, wolves, lions, Chimps, and horses among other types of critters? It is a conundrum, either these animals have the sentient concept of "life" style which raise the spectrum of "right" or it is a natural biological event.
Speaking of God's Junque, in that the homosexual animal is found in both sex in almost every species,should it not be about time we tried to understand God's design for such. I mean, there must be some evolutionary advantage or it wouldn't be so common. Oh,I forgot, if you don't believe in evolution, then you don't believe in evolutionary advantage. OK, let's just ask why God makes gay dolphins, wolves, lions, Chimps, and horses among other types of critters? It is a conundrum, either these animals have the sentient concept of "life" style which raise the spectrum of "right" or it is a natural biological event.
"God's design for such"
Could it be ...
Homosexuality as "teaching tool" for heteros to learn to shut the hell up and let go and let God?
Extremist heteros -- homophobes -- find homosexuals unlovely despite BS claims to "hate the sin but love the sinner." That's one of the biggest challenges, isn't it? To strive to love those we find unlovely?
I don't think a lot of folks even know what "love" is.
"I love you therefore I will judge you and keep you out of fellowship and work to 'fix' you and continue to keep you marginalized and hated by society at large, in hopes that God will convict you of your sin before he fries your ass" -- that's. not. love.
A cup of cool water. That's love.
These people, judgmental, Bible-worshiping, grace-denying homophobes, are MY spiritual Achille's heel! Their most unlovely to me -- yet I must strive to love them despite their sin.
It's a bitch.
Could it be ...
Homosexuality as "teaching tool" for heteros to learn to shut the hell up and let go and let God?
Extremist heteros -- homophobes -- find homosexuals unlovely despite BS claims to "hate the sin but love the sinner." That's one of the biggest challenges, isn't it? To strive to love those we find unlovely?
I don't think a lot of folks even know what "love" is.
"I love you therefore I will judge you and keep you out of fellowship and work to 'fix' you and continue to keep you marginalized and hated by society at large, in hopes that God will convict you of your sin before he fries your ass" -- that's. not. love.
A cup of cool water. That's love.
These people, judgmental, Bible-worshiping, grace-denying homophobes, are MY spiritual Achille's heel! Their most unlovely to me -- yet I must strive to love them despite their sin.
It's a bitch.
"should it not be about time we tried to understand God's design for such. I mean, there must be some evolutionary advantage or it wouldn't be so common."
There are some theories on that. One of the most common is that there is an advantage to having some adults w/o children in a community of hunter-gatherers who can "spell" parents from time to time as needed.
However, very recent research has found a gene that shows up in gay men and ultra-fertile women. Basically this gene is make women much more interested in men, which has an obvious evolutionary advantage. Women who have this gene can then pass it on to their children. If they pass it on to their sons, then there's a chance those sons may also be much more interested in men. So, this gene has an obvious evolutionary advantage for women, but having a few gay males in the tribe is essentially a wash from an evolutionary standpoint because his straight brethren can more than make up for his lack of desire to impregnate the women in the tribe.
Frankly, if homosexuality didn't exist, that would indeed be very, very shocking. There is no other natural attribute for which there is not a spectrum of phenotypes. Right hand, left hand, ambidextrous. Height. etc. Most people fall within the center of the distribution of those traits, some do not. To have a particular trait that never displayed any variation would be odd indeed. (The argument still works even if one believes, as I do, that the nature vs. nurture question is a false dichotomy.)
So the question of understanding God's design for homosexuality is literally no more or less important than understanding why some folks are lefties. Once God decided to invent and use DNA, chromosomes, dominant and recessive genes, mitosis and meiosis for to make new beings, then some sort of distribution of traits is guaranteed. So, a better (or perhaps more encompassing) question is, "Why didn't God make everyone exactly the same?" Because once he decided to make people different, variations in sexuality (and everything else) were guaranteed.
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There are some theories on that. One of the most common is that there is an advantage to having some adults w/o children in a community of hunter-gatherers who can "spell" parents from time to time as needed.
However, very recent research has found a gene that shows up in gay men and ultra-fertile women. Basically this gene is make women much more interested in men, which has an obvious evolutionary advantage. Women who have this gene can then pass it on to their children. If they pass it on to their sons, then there's a chance those sons may also be much more interested in men. So, this gene has an obvious evolutionary advantage for women, but having a few gay males in the tribe is essentially a wash from an evolutionary standpoint because his straight brethren can more than make up for his lack of desire to impregnate the women in the tribe.
Frankly, if homosexuality didn't exist, that would indeed be very, very shocking. There is no other natural attribute for which there is not a spectrum of phenotypes. Right hand, left hand, ambidextrous. Height. etc. Most people fall within the center of the distribution of those traits, some do not. To have a particular trait that never displayed any variation would be odd indeed. (The argument still works even if one believes, as I do, that the nature vs. nurture question is a false dichotomy.)
So the question of understanding God's design for homosexuality is literally no more or less important than understanding why some folks are lefties. Once God decided to invent and use DNA, chromosomes, dominant and recessive genes, mitosis and meiosis for to make new beings, then some sort of distribution of traits is guaranteed. So, a better (or perhaps more encompassing) question is, "Why didn't God make everyone exactly the same?" Because once he decided to make people different, variations in sexuality (and everything else) were guaranteed.
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