Brief bullets on men's groups

Photo: Dr. Nicola Fox, Heliophysics Division Director, NASA, Feb. 3, 2022

• An older, long married, friend in Christian ministry, recently met with me and asked me to join his theoretical men's group as unofficial guest theologian. 

• I told him that my default answer to join any men's group would be 'no'.

• Too much of my life has been a 'men's group'. 

(Mysteriously, this has been changing more with my permanently changed appearance)

(And of course, being like a much younger version of Chuck Norris, but with weapons, does not hurt)

• I have double digit numbers of Christian men, that I can discuss men's issues with...

• This even before any discussions with my open-minded, helpful, pastors or anyone @church. 

• I am spiritually accountable.

• But being the swell friend I am, I agreed to assist with this theoretical men's group, and submit to his lead.

• But he will have to realize I have learned, educated, views on certain men's topics.

• Another good friend might start a Christian men's group in another city.

• I pray for his success.

• If married men do not have reasonable and deep fellowship with other men, perhaps they need a men's group.

• If single men do not have reasonable and deep fellowship with other men, perhaps they need a men's group.

•  I do not.

• With God's help, I need to keep improving financially, physically, intellectually and spiritually, by grace through faith alone in the gospel (Ephesians 1-2).

• Post PhD, I am more social.

• Post homecaring for my now deceased Mother, I am more social.

• I am not suggesting whatsoever, that I need to be in a women's group.

(However, I am wondering which would bring more laughs, me joining a men's group, or me joining a women's group?)

Brief on NATO & Ukraine

NATO official website

North Atlantic Treaty Organization: Members

Canada

United States of America

Albania

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia 

Czech Republic 

Denmark 

Estonia 

France 

Germany 

Greece 

Hungary 

Iceland 

Italy 

Latvia

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Montenegro 

Netherlands 

North Macedonia 

Norway 

Poland

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovakia 

Slovenia 

Spain 

Turkey 

United Kingdom

NATO Official:The North Atlantic Treaty Washington D.C. - 4 April 1949 

Cited 

'Article 4

The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.'

'Article 5

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security . '

'Article 6

1 For the purpose of Article 5, an armed attack on one or more of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack: on the territory of any of the Parties in Europe or North America, on the Algerian Departments of France 2, on the territory of Turkey or on the Islands under the jurisdiction of any of the Parties in the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer; on the forces, vessels, or aircraft of any of the Parties, when in or over these territories or any other area in Europe in which occupation forces of any of the Parties were stationed on the date when the Treaty entered into force or the Mediterranean Sea or the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer. 1. The definition of the territories to which Article 5 applies was revised by Article 2 of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of Greece and Turkey signed on 22 October 1951.'

---

Opinion

'The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all' 

If indeed some of the Canadian media speculation is correct and President Putin will attempt to reinstate the former Soviet Union and the Soviet Bloc; World War III is an actual, reasonable, possibility. Therefore a nuclear war would be an actual, reasonable, possibility.

I am not predicting either World War III or a nuclear war. Based on my limited reading and listening, a cold war seems more likely to occur.

I would fully support people leaving Ukraine at this point as historically invading forces, especially with totalitarian regimes, often rape and pillage, besides occupying with military force. 

My short reply to a posted laundry question on Facebook today

laundry question on Facebook

Rejected response, I thought of later...

I wash my clothes, but do not launder anything. My morals and ethics would not allow it.

Short Bullets: Talking progress with John the Rage

Photo: New Westminster, trekearth.com, circa 2006 (I have always liked the plane in the background)

• I am not a political scientist, but there is something disingenuous with the Ukraine situation.

• If Ukraine, really, eventually, politically and culturally, belongs in NATO, as a potential western nation; it follows that if Russia invades, NATO would be ethically and morally obligated to intervene.

• We then would have World War III.

• If Ukraine does not belong in NATO, and Ukraine agrees with NATO and Russia on the issue, then Russia would probably back off, and this situation would be largely solved.

• What we have instead is political posturing...

---

• Again, I do not formally hold to Red Pill philosophy, see for example: 

Friday, January 28, 2022: PhD: Twitter quote 115/This is necessary/Bonus-Catching some Red Pill problematic philosophy

• Several Red Pill content creators on You Tube, and others on You Tube, review TikTok videos.

• One Red Pill content creator, Taylor the Fiend, calls many of the TikTok videos 'clownery'...

• On TikTok, once I can get past the many questionable 'promotional' accounts, there is actually, some good psychological teaching and even some reasonable, Christian, biblical content.

• There is also quite a bit of Canadian 'trucker' protest content, at present.

• But, yes a lot of TikTok is 'clownery'..

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• My friend and I, John the Rage, now in Calgary, agree, we always want to progress financially.

• But, not in the love of money. 

• 1 Timothy 6:10  New American Standard Bible (NASB) For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

• John and I agree, that true progress in every area of life is by prayerfully being within God's perfect will.

Satire meets category error in philosophy

Category mistake

Cited

'A category mistake, or category error, or categorical mistake, or mistake of category, is a semantic or ontological error in which things belonging to a particular category are presented as if they belong to a different category,[1] or, alternatively, a property is ascribed to a thing that could not possibly have that property.' 

(1) Blackburn, Simon (1994). The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Oxford University Press. p. 58 

---

Characterizing Category Mistakes: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 

Cited 

'One might have expected this entry to start with a definition of ‘category mistake’. However, giving an explicit informative definition of category mistakes is no easy task. A typical dictionary definition looks like this: “The error of assigning to something a quality or action which can only properly be assigned to things of another category, for example treating abstract concepts as though they had a physical location” (Stevenson 2010). But such definitions are at best too vague to be useful, and at worst simply incorrect.'  Stevenson, A. (ed.), 2010, Oxford Dictionary of English, third edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

---

Suffice for this satire meets category error posting...

Whales are mammals.

Human beings are mammals.

Whales are cetaceans.

Human beings are homo sapiens.

(Or, as some would prefer, human beings)

Whales are physically much larger than human beings.

Whales are in a different ontological (nature and existence) category than human beings.

Whales are in a different class (Langer) than that of human beings.

Therefore, the figure of whales should not be measured by human standards.

UK Whales.org 

Cited 

'There are currently around 90 recognised (recognized, my add) species of whales, dolphins and porpoises; they are collectively known as ‘cetaceans’ or simply ‘whales’.' 

Note for some (not all) of my US readers, my PhD is from Wales, not Whales...

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

LANGER, SUSANNE K (1953)(1967) An Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Dover Publications, New York. (Philosophy). 

PIRIE, MADSEN (2006)(2015) How To Win Every Argument, Bloomsbury, London.

Career options?

On a serious note, I will add this man to my prayer list... 

Saturday, February 05, 2022 Brief philosophical bullets: tats & weight loss 

Stated:

• Philosophically, the difference between a tattoo or tattoos being a non-moral, non-ethical issue, and a tattoo or tattoos, marring, is a tricky one, admittedly. 

• The issue of aesthetics is often more subjective than objective reality.

• Perhaps, when a tattoo complements (tattoos complement) the natural work of the creator, it is morally and ethically acceptable. 

• Perhaps, when a tattoo, or tattoos takes away from the natural work of the creator, it can be considered a marring of the body.

---

I consider this marring...and not just 'tats' in this case.

I support individual, rights, freedoms and liberties, within law and order, in western democracy.

Better to pray than flee

 

My take on the video: 

Human nature is universally corrupt and fallen (Romans, especially), as is the resulting human consciousness, thoughts, desires, will, acts/actions (my theoretical, non-exhaustive chain). As one struggling with sin as a believer, or even embracing sin as a non-believer, it is better to pray to the Lord for guidance, forgiveness and change, than flee from God.

BRUCE, F.F. (1987) Romans, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville. 

CRANFIELD, C.E.B. (1992) Romans: A Shorter Commentary, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

DUNN, JAMES D.G. (1988) Romans, Dallas, Word Books.

MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1995) The New American Commentary: Romans, Nashville, Broadman & Holman Publishers.

19 month saga winding down

Image: Facebook

When my Mom, whom I had homecared for almost twenty years, passed away, 19 months ago; I did not think it would take this long to finally be winding down this legal process. This complicated by the sad, unfortunate, surprise passing of my brother in November.

I signed emailed documents from my probate lawyer today and thankfully, with income, savings and inheritances, I am in good fiscal shape to pay a final tax, having already paid government and legal fees. This even with the rising condominium values.  I will not create new debt, and only have a very manageable mortgage with my property.

I am not going into debt like one good friend had to in regards to the estate of his parents.

Taken to the cleaners...

As my Grandma is Calgary told me (Mom's, Mom) shortly before her passing: 'Don't get old!' By God's grace I am youthful, but death is unavoidable as is judgment from a New Testament perspective:

Hebrews 9:27 

King James Version (KJV) 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

'Wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Devil is not too far behind.' (v II)

Photo: puraten10, Japan, N621 FB

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Devil is not too far behind

Life brings this fantastic quote to mind, once again.

'Wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Devil is not too far behind.'

1995/1997: United Kingdom Military Officer and Anglican Reverend, England 

Related from Scripture:

Ephesians 6: 11

King James Version (KJV)

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Brief philosophical bullets: tats & weight loss

• This 'Memories' appeared today on Facebook, therefore the posting idea.

• In general, I do not view tattoos as a moral (internal), ethical (external) issue. 

• In agreement with general Red Pill philosophy on this point, and some other commenters, the first image example from 8 years ago, features a marring of the body.

• I am a Christian theologian and philosopher of religion within the Reformed tradition and do not formally hold to Red Pill philosophy, please see link.

•  Friday, January 28, 2022 PhD: Twitter quote 115/This is necessary/Bonus-Catching some Red Pill problematic philosophy

• Philosophically, the difference between a tattoo or tattoos being a non-moral, non-ethical issue, and a tattoo or tattoos, marring, is a tricky one, admittedly.

• The issue of aesthetics is often more subjective than objective reality.

• Perhaps, when a tattoo  complements (tattoos complement) the natural work of the creator, it is morally and ethically acceptable.

• Perhaps, when a tattoo, or tattoos takes away from the natural work of the creator, it can be considered a marring of the body.

• In the example of the woman featured, I am thinking she is virtually a different race of humanity that could be called the Tattooians.

• But, I am not dogmatic on this issue...

• My deduction is that the majority Western men, do not like tattoos on women.

• However, my deduction is that the majority of Western men, would view minor, small tattoos, in a similar way to a women having no tattoos. (I would anyway)

• In other words, not a potential relationship objection.

• But having tons of 'tats', in my humble opinion, often limits romantic options for women, especially in Western, conservative and Christian circles.

• But, if it works for you, again, I am not dogmatic on the issue...

• I have always been fit, my entire life.

• But just being fit, according to medical science, has held me back, because esthetically, my weight made me 'look' unfit to many. 

• My other Blogger website, used to contain the title The Kingpin, because my good friend, Mr. Bobby Buff stated I looked like that muscular villain, but with hair.

• The weight is still coming down...

• By the grace of God, through UPPP, rhinoplasty surgeries and finally realizing, my body cannot handle carbohydrates well, in particular, starch from potatoes, I am looking more fit, to many.

• A permanent solution to a problem, I, as an adult, have had, even with only digesting about 1000 calories a day and working out regularly (weights, martial arts, weapons, walking) throughout my adulthood.

• Sleep apnea being the main problem, but I no longer wake up in the middle of the night, not breathing.

• In general, a fit, youthful, man that looks very stocky, limits potential romantic relationships, as does in general, significant tattoos on a woman.

• So, some women in particular, should consider laser tattoo removal.

• But again, I am not dogmatic on the issue...

Suds on the kitchen floor at 1: 30 am

Out of Finish or like tablets for the fairly new dishwasher? What I read online was true, a little Palmolive liquid works just as well as the tablets as a temporary replacement. 

However, I would not recommend (a little) Sunlight liquid, because although it works well in the sink, it went crazy it the dishwasher with suds on the kitchen floor at 1: 30 am. 

No damage, I fixed and there is pretty new flooring on top of the original for protection. The Finish is now back in stock...