More Room For Doubt?
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Room for doubt? About as much room as there is on a crowded microdot
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Bart Ehrman on How Jesus Became God … we get a mixed bag of results
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This is another monday morning. There is a reason why people don’t like mondays · “that’s so powerful. We don’t have this amount of watt power on Earth. 40 billion literally 40 billion watts of energy. But it happens. It’s pick power. It’s not like the power when you flip on. It took me a while to learn this. It’s almost like a cold energy because it happens so quickly in a twinkling of an eye. It doesn’t evaporate. That’s what the labs the labs could heat up and and and essentially tattoo the shroud, but it would it would burn up instantly. It would scorch. This didn’t scorch. It was it was the pulse rate which was so and I know we’re getting deep but it’s important to be nuanced in this conversation and precise the pulse rate power 40,000 billion watts traveling at 140th of a billionth of a sec second we believe is that moment that Jesus body is resurrected and that’s what leaves this image but whatever it was it was a process that chemically change the fibbrals the at a 0 2 depth which is surface level to leave this image” · “two weeks ago, an argument would have been that you can’t tell a just a Gazan civilian from a Hamasan because Hamas don’t wear uniforms except in ceremony. And so the idea was that the IDF were accidentally shooting Gazans coming close because you can’t be sure whether … the IDF was shooting at them because you can’t know whether it’s Hamas or them. I think we got past that last week.” · “Well, how are they allowed to say anything that’s unfactual? They’re liars and they hate truth and they hate God.” · John Vachon took the social media picture in February 1942. “ Newton County, Missouri. Camp Crowder area. Mr. Casement, farmer in the area bought by the Army for construction. He has bought a farm nearby” · Russell Lee took the social media picture in April 1942. “Los Angeles, California. The evacuation of Japanese-Americans from West coast areas under United States Army war emergency order. Leaving for Owens Valley”. · The social media picture: “Paramount Pictures War Bond Appeal” · For a long time, Ted Kennedy was public enemy number one for certain conservatives. It is interesting to see how little of that rhetoric you hear 16 years after his death · I was interested in hearing Jeremiah Johnston talk about the Shroud of Turin. I quickly found out that he is an insufferable jerk, and that the show was impossible to listen to. · The social media picture was taken November 9, 1949. “Ford Motor Company display of 1950 models, Atlanta City Auditorium” · Bell South email worked very well. Then BS was sold to ATT. The email became “Powered by Yahoo”. It was not an improvement · A few days ago, I posted a few words about the bombing of Hiroshima. Today, “Anonymous” made a comment. “It is true that Japan was considering surrendering to the Soviet Union. I believe the terms of surrender were being discussed, and upon finding this out, Truman decided to force their hand towards surrender to the United States instead” · During a controversy over a Confederate monument, a speech from the dedication was widely quoted. At the end of the speech, Julian Carr said we were better off that the Union won the war. · The social media picture was taken in 1927. “J. Saul and Company Wholesale Clothing Dry Goods sign painted on wall in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.” This item is part of a collection of images of downtown Atlanta streets that were taken before the viaduct construction of 1927 – 1929. Later, some of the covered streets became part of Underground Atlanta. · This guy walked into a bar one day. He should have looked in front of him – Two peanuts were walking down the street. One was a salted. – What did the policeman say to his stomach ….. you’re under a vest · Arthur Rothstein took the social media picture in October 1939. Unloading shelled corn for ever-normal granary storage. Grundy County, Iowa” · In August of 2009, the Supreme Court issued a ruling on the Troy Davis case. Justice Scalia wrote a dissent, which non-legal minds found bizarre. The second half of this post is about the Obamacare debate · Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Marion Post Wolcott took the social media picture in January 1939. “Migrant packinghouse workers. Belle Glade, Florida” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Troy Davis
This content was published August 18, 2009. … The one thing I am sure of in the Troy Davis case is the abundance of material on the internet. This is true of all death penalty cases. When you have celebrities calling for clemency, the data crush gets heavier. Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a district court needs to have a hearing on the Troy Davis case. The Supremes were convinced that there is enough evidence to doubt the conviction of Troy Davis for the murder of Mark MacPhail. Justices Scalia and Thomas dissented. …
… The dissenting opinion, written by Justice Scalia, is a doozy. “This court has never held that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is ‘actually’ innocent.” It should be noted that I am not a lawyer, and some of the arguments I am reading make my head swim. Some say that Justice Scalia was correct in his opinion. Others think he is crazy. …
The one thing I have not been able to find is a picture of Sylvester “Red” Coles. Mr. Coles is known to have been present at the murder site. Mr. Coles owns a .38 pistol with a chrome finish, similar to the pistol that shot Mr. MacPhail. On the morning after the murder, Mr. Coles and an attorney showed up at the Police Headquarters. Soon, a decision was made that Troy Davis was the killer. The reason I want to see a picture of Sylvester Coles is to know, for sure, if he is black or white. Mr. Coles is described as a “a fearsome neighborhood thug” and a drug dealer. …
… If Troy Davis (black) takes the blame for killing Mark MacPhail (white) and allows Sylvester Coles (?) to go free, is this racism? Perhaps it is sloppy policework, or a bribe from the Coles attorney. While we are talking race, please note that Clarence Thomas concurred with Antonin Scalia in his dissent. … There are some who don’t think the ruling yesterday will change much. The MacPhail family and the Chatham County police are convinced of the guilt of Mr. Davis. This case has been bouncing around the courts for twenty years. Several courts have upheld the original guilty verdict. …
This content was published August 22, 2009. … There is a lot of hot air about health care. It is an intensely personal subject. Almost everyone has a story to tell. Hidden agendas, payoffs, straw men, and misleading rhetoric are the order of the day. I decided to try and make a bit of sense out of the mess, and share what I found. There was a google search, under the phrase “what is the health care proposal?” I found a pdf on the BHO website. It is not known when this pdf was written, or if other plan summaries are available. …
… It is not known how closely this summary corresponds to the bill before congress. I tried to break down the BHO plan summary, with key parts set off in bold type (the ob health plan-c54). … There are three parts to the plan. The summary this is based on did not mention “death panels”, abortion, or illegal aliens. I feel these are red herrings, designed to divert attention away from the plan. The current debate is a huckster’s paradise. … The first part of the plan involves lowering costs. There are three major parts to this. The first part is to modernize and digitize our health records. …
… The second part is better maintenance of chronic disease. This part of the plan calls for health insurance for all Americans. The two big steps here are the elimination of the pre existing conditions issue, and the establishment of the “National Health Insurance Exchange”. This part is in trouble, and may be compromised away. … The third part is an overall reform of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. This part of the plan is a call for prevention and public health. There are a few big brother like calls for “interventions”. …
… I suspect there is a great deal more to the debate than this pdf, but that it is a place to start. 12 pages can only scratch the surface. The phrase “God is in the details” comes to mind. … Clearly, the system we have is not working for large numbers of people. Employer based insurance requirements are a leading factor in the outplacement of jobs overseas. While I have doubts about what I read today, I do not see the talk radio crowd offering a better solution. … Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Arthur Rothstein took the social media picture in October 1939. “Unloading shelled corn for ever-normal granary storage. Grundy County, Iowa” · selah ©Luther Mckinnon 2025
Julian Carr And Silent Sam
This is a repost from 2018. … A Confederate monument was torn down last night in Chapel Hill NC. The statue, known as “Silent Sam,” was intended as a monument to students who left school to fight in the War Between the States. “In 1913, the Daughters of Confederacy, after four years of fundraising, paid sculptor John Wilson, a Canadian, $7500 for the statue. Wilson used a Boston-man, Harold Langlois, as the model. It’s unclear, however, if those attending Silent Sam’s dedication knew they were celebrating a Yankee’s profile. Silent Sam was among many “Silent Sentinels,” – statues of soldiers without cartridge box, soldiers who could no longer fire a shot – that were manufactured and bronzed in the North and then sent down south for public display. Many of these statues look remarkably similar. Like Silent Sam, they also face north, toward the Union.”
Many of the comments today quote a speech made at the 1913 unveiling. The speech was by Julian Carr, a prominent businessman and philanthropist. Mr. Carr is considered, with some justification, to have been a white supremacist. A Confederate veteran, Mr. Carr appears to have been a complex man, who did both good and harm.
This tweet is typical of today’s discourse. @jjones9 “From white supremacist Julian Carr’s speech at the dedication of Silent Sam in 1913.” The tweet features a screen shot, of a quote from the 1913 speech. “I trust I may be pardoned for one allusion, howbeit it is rather personal. One hundred yards from where we stand, less than ninety days perhaps after my return from Appomattox, I horse-whipped a negro wench until her skirts hung in shreds, because upon the streets of this quiet village she had publicly insulted and maligned a Southern lady, and then rushed for protection to these University buildings where was stationed a garrison of 100 Federal soldiers. I performed the pleasing duty in the immediate presence of the entire garrison, and for thirty nights afterwards slept with a double-barrel shot gun under my head.”
What was the rest of the speech? A bit of research turned up a transcript, “Julian S. Carr, “Unveiling of Confederate Monument at University. June 2, 1913.” The rest of the speech has little in common with the “one allusion.” The speech sounded like the memorials to fallen soldiers in many other wars. “They served, they suffered, they endured, they fought, [and died – crossed out] for their childhood homes, their firesides, the honor of their ancestors, their loved ones, their own native land.”
Mr. Carr’s theme is defense of a the homeland. When the War broke out, the concept of a United States, ruled by a strong federal government, was less accepted than it is today. Many people in the South saw it as a failed experiment. Slavery was an important issue in the decision to secede, along with economic matters that do not get twenty first century people worked up. Slavery is not mentioned in the 1913 speech.
The speech went on and on, and sounded much like any other memorial. The speech ended with these words: “In the knowledge of subsequent developments, the progress, peace and prosperity of our united, common country, victor and vanquished now alike believe that in the Providence of God it was right and well that the issue was determined as it was. And the people of all sections of our great Republic, moved by the impulse of sincere and zealous loyalty, of fervent and exalted patriotism may say: “All is well that ends well.”
“Again, dear Daughters of the Confederacy, I thank you in the name of the eighteen hundred brave, loyal, patriotic, home-loving young student soldiers who went out from this grand old University to battle for our Southern rights and Southern liberties, five hundred of whom never came back. God bless every one of you, and every Daughter of the Confederacy in our dear Southland.”
Pictures today are from The Library of Congress.
Talk About The Shroud Of Turin
“Jeremiah Johnston: Shroud of Turin, Dead Sea Scrolls, & Attempts to Hide Historical Proof of Jesus” was featured on the The Tucker Carlson Show recently. I have long been interested in SOT. It is a mystery with no obvious solution. Is SOT the literal burial garment of Jesus, or is it a medieval creation? SOT is fascinating either way.
Unfortunately, this show turned out to be heavy on the polemics. Much of the problem is the guest. Google says this: Google says this: “Dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston (PhD, MA, MDiv, BA) is a New Testament scholar, pastor, author, nationally syndicated radio host, Bible teacher, and apologist, and he ministers internationally as president of Christian Thinkers Society.” JJJ is a television preacher with blow dry hair. His agenda driven presentation made the show impossible to listen to.
I read an article in Rolling Stone once about SOT, which made many of the same points as JJJ. “The Shroud of Turin: Who is this man and why does he have no navel?” by Michael Thomas in the December 28, 1978, issue of Rolling Stone may be the best piece … ever published in the mainstream media.” I seem to remember seeing an online version of this article years ago, but cannot find it today. One way to see the actual article is to subscribe to RS, and go through their archive.
The RS article goes through the documented facts about SOT. It was displayed in France in 1354. SOT was in a fire, which would have destroyed any pigments that could have been used to create the image. RS came to the conclusion that SOT was likely the literal burial garment of Jesus.
The next question: how did the image on SOT get there? The image is a holographic, negative image of an anotomically correct man, who had recently been executed in a gruesome manner. We cannot create an image like this today. The RS article hypothesized that there was a burst of energy, coming out of the body. The supernatural implications of this were mentioned.
JJJ subscribes to this hypothesis. Here is another view: “The Vertically Collimated Radiation Burst (VCRB) hypothesis exemplifies retroductive reasoning—working backward from effects to posit causes. Researchers identified 27 distinct pieces of evidence related to the Shroud’s image formation and followed this evidence to a hypothesis: that radiation emanating from a body created high-frequency alternating current in the linen fibers, causing the distinctive discoloration pattern.”
The RS article was published in 1978, and mentioned the need for C-14 carbon dating. On April 21, 1988, samples were removed from SOT. The conclusion: “The results of radiocarbon measurements at Arizona, Oxford and Zurich yield a calibrated calendar age range with at least 95% confidence for the linen of the Shroud of Turin of AD 1260-1390 … These results therefore provide conclusive evidence that the linen of the Shroud of Turin is mediaeval.” JJJ loudly disputes this finding.
The RS article was skeptical, and came to the conclusion that SOT might be real, with amazing supernatural implications. JJJ performatively BELIEVES that SOT is real. As for those who disagree: “They’re liars and they hate truth and they hate God.”
I listened to as much of the Tucker Carlson interview as I could. Finally, JJJ said … “the liberal scientists want us to believe and the liberal Bible scholars” … Anyone who uses “liberal” as an insult loses my confidence. JJJ is an insufferable jerk. … Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Russell Lee took the social media picture in April 1942. “Los Angeles, California. The evacuation of Japanese-Americans from West coast areas under United States Army war emergency order. Leaving for Owens Valley”.· ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Quote Origin
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Marion Post Wolcott took the social media picture in April 1939. “At a meeting of the Clark Hill Club, conducted by Miss Velma Patterson, vocational field worker from Elba, at the home of FSA (Farm Security Administration) project family, J.A. Veasy. The women discuss materials for clothing and curtains. Coffee County, Alabama” · Here is your monday morning reader for today. It is the first day of school here. An SUV was parked four feet off the curb, and a school bus could not get through. Good times. · Vipassana · Photographs today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library and Digital Library of Georgia. The social media picture was taken between 1910 and 1929. African American woman is baptized. · I became a Baptist sixteen years before I was born. I remained one for seventeen more years. I am currently in recovery · Eighty years ago we dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. The world has not been the same since · John Vachon took the social media picture in July 1942. “Hoffman Island, merchant marine training center off Staten Island, New York. Instructor with group of trainees in the engine room of the training ship New York” · The text today is boring. The pictures somewhat make up for it. The picture below: “Hoffman Island, merchant marine training center off Staten Island, New York. Instructor with group of trainees in the engine room of the training ship New York” · Today’s feature presentation is a comparison between religion and perfume · Marion Post Wolcott took the social media picture in October 1941. “Radford, Virginia. Sunset Village, FSA housing project. Fred B. Williams from Savannah, Georgia, and his son “Buddy” cleaning the car distributer on the porch of his home. 803 9th Street” · “But again, it’s worth lingering over the asymmetry of war crimes even here. When an IDF soldier goes berserk, he commits a war crime. But every time a Hamas fighter shoots a bullet without wearing a uniform, it’s a war crime. Hamas’s entire MO is one big war crime.” · “Israel can do just about anything it wants. If the IDF chose to destroy Gazans as a people, they could kill almost everyone in Gaza in a matter of weeks. So ask yourself, why haven’t they? And if your answer is international pressure, meaning they really would like to commit a genocide, except they don’t want to become a pariah state like North Korea, well then you’ve already conceded that they’re not in fact committing a genocide.” · The Library of Congress Harris & Ewing took the social media picture in 1922. “Woman in bathing suit with first prize cup”. · selah ©Luther Mckinnon 2025
#NationalTellAJokeDay
What bird doesn’t build a nest? A cuckoo cause it lives in a clock.
A penguin walks in to a bar and says to the barman, have you seen my brother?
Batman says I don’t know, what’s he look like?
I saw this wino; he was eating grapes. It’s like ‘Dude! You have to wait!’
What do u call a girl who lives on top of a house? RUTH
Helium walks into a bar Bartender asks, “What will you have?” Helium did not react.
A Hasidic Jew with a frog on his shoulder walks into a bar.
Bartender: “where’d you get that?” Frog: “Brooklyn. There’s hundreds of them.”
We were up all night wondering where the Sun had gone, then it dawned on us
Do you know what a pink birds favorite game is?? FlaBINGO
An upset cannibal threw up his arms….
Knock! Knock! Who’s there? Control Freak. Con—Okay, now you say, “Control Freak who?”
Why do cows wear bells? Because their horns dont work
Knock, knock, Who’s there? Spitamish Spitamish who?
*Proceeds to spit on other persons shoe*
Q: Why couldn’t the leopard play hide and seek? A: Because he was always spotted.
How many abstract artists does it take to change a lightbulb? Fish
What’s the difference between a hooker and a drug dealer?
A hooker can wash her crack and resell it
What did the baby corn say to its mom? Where’s my pop corn?
What does a panda use to fry eggs? A pan. Duh.
What did Charles Dickens keep in his spice rack? The best of thymes, the worst of thymes…
Teacher: “Kids, what does the chicken give you?” Student: “Meat!”
“What does the pig give you?” “Bacon!” “What does the fat cow give you?” “Homework!”
My ex-wife still misses me…but her aim is gettin’ better!
What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple?… 1/2 a worm!
The kitten was having trouble watching her Blu-Ray. Turns out she just had the movie on paws.
There were 2 cats looking into a bird cage.
First cat: “That’s not a canary. It’s green!” Second cat: “I don’t know, maybe it’s not ripe yet”
I never wanted to believe my Dad was stealing from his job as a road worker …
But when I got home, all the signs were there
A man went into an auto parts store. “Can I get a new gas cap for a Yugo?”
The clerk thought for a second and said, “That seems like a fair trade.
Did you hear about the guy who got fired from his job at the door factory?
Yep, he just couldn’t get a handle on it.
Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Marion Post Wolcott took the social media picture in October 1941. “Radford, Virginia. Sunset Village, FSA housing project. Fred B. Williams from Savannah, Georgia, and his son “Buddy” cleaning the car distributer on the porch of his home. 803 9th Street” This is a repost. Somebody else wrote these jokes.
The Glory Of O
This content was published August 28, 2009. … Wendy Whitaker is back in the news. At least some of the news … the fishwrapper has not reported the latest chapter in her story. Thank you Creative Loafing, which is physically printed by the fishwrapper. (Ever notice how skinny the paper is on Tuesday? That is when they take in outside jobs.) A HT goes to the unlikely team of Griftdrift and Peach Pundit. There is a recent post at chamblee54 on this subject. …
… Mrs. Whitaker is the lady who gave a high school classmate a blow job, and became a registered sex offender (RSO). She is now in jail. It seems like her husbands name was on a lease, and they moved into a residence that was previously out of bounds. The authorities locked her up because she did not inform them that she had moved. … The laws on RSO have a lot of provisions. They are not allowed to live within a certain distance of schools, parks, and churches. (Across the street from an IRS office is permitted.) An RSO is not allowed to volunteer at a church. And, as Mrs. Whitaker learned, they must register every time they move. …
… There are stories of people getting locked up because of confusion over how often they should register, or big brother not getting the note. Many Florida communities have tough laws, establishing boundaries for places that RSO are forbidden to live. A bridge under a causeway is one place where RSO are permitted. Many feel that driving RSO out of established communities makes it difficult to monitor their activities. Politicians always want to be seen as being tougher on crime than anyone else. Some of the laws they create cause more problems than they solve. It will take genuine courage to undo the damage. … A recent search at Sex Offender Registry for Wendy Whitaker showed “No offenders found for the search criteria selected.”
This content was published August 27, 2009. … “Wild Ducks Flying Backwards” is due today at the Chamblee Library. As much as I enjoy Tom Robbins, his output is not worth an overdue fine. Towards the end of the book, there are a series of questions. As a loyal reader, I have a sense of entitlement , and license to borrow. … Why do you live where you do? The house is paid for. Besides, Atlanta, with all her flaws, is a good place to use as a return address. The weather is reasonable. The Falcons had a winning season last year, so there is no need to worry about them going over .500 this year. …
… I feel the same about Atlanta as I do about The United States. Both are very fine places, with very serious problems. The wolf criers have been making noise as long as I could hear, and the bottom has not fallen out. The one difference is that no one is expected to “Love it or leave it” with regard to your zip code. And, if someone asked whether you would die for Atlanta, he would be rightfully laughed out of the house. … What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? O. This has nothing to do with the POTUS. O is a well shaped letter. It is a vowel, which means consonants are begging for its company. It is a circle, a wheel, a pie and a hockey puck. Three out of four isn’t bad. …
… O is the first letter of om, which is the combination of all sounds, and a good mantra. O is the twin brother of zero, the one great innovation of arabic numbers. When you spell the word Dog, O is the glue holding the quarreling consonants into canine cooperation. When you spell Dog backwards, you get the name of Mary’s babydaddy. THAT name gets said way too often, and I try not to hold that against O. … I cannot remember any other questions. … Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. John Vachon took the social media picture in July 1942. “Hoffman Island, merchant marine training center off Staten Island, New York. Instructor with group of trainees in the engine room of the training ship New York”©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Hiroshima 80 Years Later
This content was published August 9, 2024. … At 8:15 am, August 6, 1945, Hiroshima got nuked. It was the start of a new era. Since Japan is 13 hours ahead of Georgia, and standard time was used, the literal anniversary is 8:15 pm, August 5.
Tsutomu Yamaguchi was working in Hiroshima when the bomb hit. He survived, and found a train to take hime to his home town, Nagasaki.
The device dropped on Hiroshima, the Little Boy, had an estimated force of 13 kilotons of Trinitrotoluene, or TNT. A kiloton of TNT is roughly a cube whose sides are ten meters. This device is fairly tiny compared to many of the warheads developed since. Many of the modern appliances are measured in megatons, or millions of tons of TNT. The Soviet Union had a bomb with a capacity of 50 megatons, or 4,000 times the size of the Little Boy.
The largest weapon tested by The United States is the Castle Bravo. This device destroyed Bikini Atollin the Pacific. The two piece swimsuit was named for this island. The Castle Bravo device had a yield of 15 megatons of TNT. This is roughly 1,000 times the power of the Little Boy.
The decision to drop the bomb has long been controversial. There are a lot of factors and gray areas, and the issue does not lend itself to sound bite solutions. The conventional wisdom is that Japan surrendered because of the nuclear attack. This meant the war was shortened by at least a year, there was no invasion of Japan, and many lives were saved. I am scared by the moral calculus involved in a decision like this … do 100,000 civilian deaths prevent the deaths of 500,000 soldiers? I suspect that even God herself would lose sleep over that one.
There is also evidence that the bomb was not needed. Japan was whipped in August 1945. The air raids were conducted in daylight with little resistance. A debate was going on in the Japanese government on whether to continue the fight.
An event happened the day between Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, which influenced the Japanese decision to surrender. The Soviet Union had agreed to help the United States with the war against Japan. On August 8, The Soviet Union invaded Japanese occupied Manchuria. There are indications that Japan knew the fight was hopeless at this point, and would rather surrender to The United States than The Soviet Union. This is one of the gray areas that never seems to be mentioned.
The United States wanted the war to end quickly for obvious reasons, and a few subtle ones. America did not want to share the spoils of Japanese war with The Soviet Union. There were already tensions between the two allies, and the cold war was not far off. Many felt The United States used the Little Boy as a warning to The Soviet Union.
When you get your moral software out, you might want to figure in the effect of opening the nuclear Pandora’s box. Would the nuclear bomb have been developed by other countries if America had not led the way? The science is not that complicated…after all, America hit paydirt with the Manhattan Project fairly quickly. Nonetheless, there is karma involved in using a terrible new device on a civilian population. The United States started the wind of the arms race, and has yet to feel the whirlwind.
This is a repost. The pictures are from The Library of Congress. Ansel Adams took the social media picture in 1943. “Manzanar street scene, spring, Manzanar Relocation Center.” The ladies in the bridge game are Aiko Hamaguchi, Chiye Yamanaki, Catherine Yamaguchi, and Kazoko Nagahama.
Letter To Young Radicals
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Marjory Collins took the social media picture in March 1942. “Washington DC Printing the school paper at the Armstrong Technical High School” · This is the last monday morning reader for July. Sometimes, it is better to skip over the text, and look at the pictures · Marion Post Wolcott took the social media picture in August 1941. Crow Agency, Montana Dudes from the Quarter Circle U Brewster-Arnold Ranch, near Birney, at the Crow Indian fair. · I Write Like is an online gimmick. You paste some text into the window, and it tells you who you write like. As for this post, “I write like Cory Doctorow“. · Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken October 31, 1956. “Wrecked police automobile” · ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah · A Mark Twain quote in this feature is sourced to a biography, rather than Mr. Twain directly. I found the quote in the biography, along with a great story · There is a quote attributed to Mark Twain A Biography, rather than Mr. Twain’s work. This is the story in MTAB: “He usually had a number of clippings or slips among the many books on the bed beside him from which he proposed to dictate each day, but he seldom could find the one most needed. Once, after a feverishly impatient search for a few moments, he invited Miss Hobby to leave the room temporarily, so, as he said, that he might swear. He got up and we began to explore the bed, his profanity increasing amazingly with each moment. It was an enormously large bed, and he began to disparage the size of it. “One could lose a dog in this bed,” he declared. Finally I suggested that he turn over the clipping which he had in his hand. He did so, and it proved to be the one he wanted. Its discovery was followed by a period of explosions, only half suppressed as to volume. Then he said: “There ought to be a room in this house to swear in. It’s dangerous to have to repress an emotion like that.” · Paul Carter took the social media picture in September 1936. “Lunch hour Newport News Homesteads, Virginia” · ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah · Chuck Palahniuk (Paula Nick) tells stories that you probably should not listen to. Joe Rogan listens to them · Paul Carter took the social media picture in September 1936. “Untitled photo, possibly related to: Negroes on a picnic, Newport News, Virginia” · I was watching “As The World Turns” with my Grandmother one afternoon. Walter Cronkite broke in with a news bulletin. North Vietnam had fired on an American boat in the Gulf of Tonkin · Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken in 1940. “Labor Day Parade“. · In 2008, “The Perfect Church” was struck by lightning. A few years later, someone wrote a collection of rules about life. They did not mention that you should not name your facility “The Perfect Church” · Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Marion Post Wolcott took the social media picture in April 1939. “At a meeting of the Clark Hill Club, conducted by Miss Velma Patterson, vocational field worker from Elba, at the home of FSA (Farm Security Administration) project family, J.A. Veasy. The women discuss materials for clothing and curtains. Coffee County, Alabama” · ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
As The World Turns
This content was originally published August 25, 2008. … I saw an earth changing event at my grandmother’s house one day. Gran lived in a little apartment on Virginia Avenue. This was a few years before Virginia Highlands was trendy. I was staying with her one summer day, when I was ten years old. We walked down to the granite house, next to the golf course in Piedmont Park. Gran’s friend worked there. This was the summer of Beatlemania, and Gran’s friend made a point of telling me that she DID NOT LIKE THE BEATLES. ”If the Beatles were playing for free across the street, I would not waste the energy to walk across the street to see them”. …
… Gran and I walked back to her apartment to see “As the World Turns”. The show was interrupted for a news bulletin. Walter Cronkite came on the say that a North Vietnamese boat had fired on an American boat in the Gulf of Tonkin.We did not know, at the time, that this was a world changing event. I doubt Gran ever thought much about it. But our Congress used that incident … which turned out to be fabricated … to justify sending many more troops to fight in Vietnam. That war was a world changing event. We are still dealing with the effects of that conflict.
This content was originally published August 20, 2008. … I have heard about the Rasmussen Report. Recently, the reports show JSM pulling ahead of BHO. While it is a bit early, the candidates are fighting for momentum to carry them into November. America loves a winner. If a candidate is perceived to be winning, then more people will jump on the bandwagon. This applies to the war in babylon as well. Happy talk in the press is part of the surge strategy. …
… In my unpaid role as resident non Jesus Worshiper, I left the following comment at 22 Words yesterday. “I sometimes feel that I am the only non believer that comments here. You might consider that not everyone is impressed by your religion. Many shortcomings…selfishness, meanness, lack of respect for others…can be found in thoughtless, inappropriate preaching. Just because you are doing it for Jesus does not make it any less offensive. It also reflects poorly on Jesus” … To which another reader replied: “@Chamblee: You’re right, preachers can taint their own message. Can you expand on what you mean by thoughtless, inappropriate preaching?” …
… There are many, many examples of inappropriate preaching. There are two quotes that help. One is from a motivational speaker: “You need to sell yourself first, your company second, and your product third.” The second is the third commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in Vain”. … Anyone can read to you from the Bible. Not everyone that does this has worthy motives. Some are crooks and thieves. For a person to preach to another, there needs to be TRUST. If you do not trust the person who is preaching to you, then that person is speaking in vain. …
… Trust has a brother named RESPECT. When you preach to a person who does not care for your message, you are showing disrespect to that person. When you preach without mutual respect you are speaking in vain. … This is not just the person you are talking to. It is everyone who comes in contact with your message. This is not just the words you speak, but your actions, the chrome fish on your car, the catchy phrase on your t shirt, and the Bible you make a show of carrying around. When you preach without trust and respect, you are speaking in vain. … Pictures today are from The Library of Congress Paul Carter took the social media picture in September 1936. “Untitled photo, possibly related to: Negroes on a picnic, Newport News, Virginia” … selah ©Luther Mckinnon 2025
Chuck Palahniuk And Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan Experience #1158 – Chuck Palahniuk hit the internet recently. Mr. Palahniuk (Paula Nick) writes trendy books, most famously Fight Club. Mr. Palahniuk is pleased to hear people say “the first rule of…” It makes him think he has had an impact on the culture. This is a repost.
Inevitably, authors talk about their writing habits. Mr. Palahniuk fills up notebooks in longhand. When he gets bored, or is killing time in an airport, he begins to type these notes. To quote Truman Capote, this is not writing, this is typing.
One of the themes of this conversation is what offends people. The author of Guts knows about giving offense. Often, people are not especially offended themselves, but are offended on behalf of other people. Mr. Palahniuk uses the phrase “white knighting,” to describe this protective umbrage taking. Per urban dictionary: “White knighting Defending someone who does not wish to be defended.” White knighting is woke whitesplaining.
Two especially tasteful stories were told. If you are inclined to get offended, for any reason at all, you probably should skip over these two stories. The pictures, by The Library of Congress, are safe. Both of these stories are by well known authors, who are named in the interview. If you want to know who they are, you will have to listen to the interview. Once again, these stories are hard core, and you should take great caution in reading them. If you like these stories, there are more in the podcast.
Upon further consideration, it has been determined that one of the stories is too much. If you want to hear it, you can listen to the podcast. … The break room at a hospital was next to the room where autopsies were performed, with a glass window looking in. A twelve year old boy was on the slab, having died in a bicycle accident. The Pathologist cut away the boy’s face, and peeled it back, so that it hung over his jaw. This exposed a dark red layer of muscle, covering the face. The man looked at this, and said “that’s the color I want to paint my den.”
Mr. Palahniuk has had a lively career. A crooked business manager stole a great deal of money from him. Since he is no longer filthy rich, but merely filthy minded, he continues to produce books. Fight Club 3 is in the pipeline. It will probably be accompanied by a promotional tour, with more grossout stories for the clamoring public.
Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Paul Carter took the social media picture in September 1936. “Lunch hour Newport News Homesteads, Virginia” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025
Door To Door Jesus
This content was originally published July 12, 2010. … Uzi called just as I was coming back to the computer with a sandwich. Even though it was Georgia July hot, Uzi wanted to get out and walk. Before long the old people’s favorite place to walk was suggested … the mall. I put clean pants on, and went over to Perimeter Mall. Walking into the capitalism cathedral, I began to think that I was the only white man without a tattoo. The lady at the tea shop did not mind, and offered a sample of some product. The two teas had a lovely taste, and many benefits for good health. …
… On the upstairs part of the mall (where fans blow the aroma of the food court) was the apple store. The merchandise was beautiful, and since I can’t afford it, I didn’t ask what it costs. One computer had a screen the size of a living room TV, and the cutest keyboard. The sales staff was attentive, even the one with the tattoos. As I left, the young lady at the door said “have an excellent day”. Before long, it was time to hit the food court. First, you go for a slow walk around the facility, taking samples from anyone foolish enough to offer one. …
… Then a decision is made. In the best food court tradition, I went to one vendor and Uzi to another. I got a fine meal of chicken, rice, greens, water, and styrofoam, and paid $5.87. While the food court lacked the ambiance of Piccadilly, it was a nice change of pace. After being satisfied that nothing had been missed, Uzi walked out to his car. A discussion was had about the struggle of old fogeyness, and how there has to be something else to do. I walked back inside, took a few more pictures of mannequins, and went home.
This content was originally published July 16, 2010. … I saw the two ladies walking across the street. One was white, one was black, both were carrying a book. The sensible dresses suggested door to door Jesus. … I was working on a picture when he heard a soft tapping on the door. Sure enough, it was the two ladies. The white one stepped forward and said ”Hi we are Jehovah’s witnesses. We are going around the neighborhood sharing a few words from the scriptures. I am sure you agree there is a lot of stress in life today”. I replied “I am looking at it”, and closed the door.
This content was originally published July 18, 2010. … I saw a link on facebook for a site called I Write Like. The idea is to paste a few paragraphs of your work in the box, have their computer hamsters run a few laps, and find out what author your style is similar to. “For reliable results paste at least a few paragraphs (not tweets).” Since the twitter revolution has passed me by (except for Conway Twitty jokes), this is not a problem. There is the matter of comparing apples to oranges. I write blog posts, which is a different animal from murder mysteries. …
My last post was about Mark Twain. After weeding out the quotes, I fed the text into the window. (The ease of copy/paste quotes is another game changer from the days of Dickens.) The droid said ”I write like Kurt Vonnegut.“ The bottom of the page had an amazon link to the books of Mr. Vonnegut. Perhaps this is the true motive. So it goes. … There was a doorstep encounter with a Jehovah’s Witness recently. The blog version was fed into iwritelike . The result: ”I write like Dan Brown”. …
A recent post about profanity is pasted in. “I write like Cory Doctorow”. It is time to go for a walk, before the alabama storms roll in. … On Tuesday the 13th, I wrote about the opium trade in Afghanistan as a possible motive for the war there. When I fed the text to the robots, the answer I got was “I write like David Foster Wallace“. It is better to write like DFW, than to imitate his lifestyle choices. … I Write Like is still in the game. As for the text in this post: “I write like Cory Doctorow“. … Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Marion Post Wolcott took the social media picture in August 1941. Crow Agency, Montana Dudes from the Quarter Circle U Brewster-Arnold Ranch, near Birney, at the Crow Indian fair. · selah ©Luther Mckinnon 2025
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