July 03, 2015 - Msg 101859:
MDC, thank you for reminding me that I left out the link for The Pale Blue Dot in my Msg 101845. Rather than show you a static picture, I will post a video link.
Apparently that image inspired astronomer Carl Sagan to write how viewing that extraordinary photograph affected him. He recites what he wrote along with the video. Remember that up until that time, Earth has never been viewed from so far away. What is unusual about the image is that Earth looks more darkish yellow dot than a blue dot. As for the light colored band across that photo, that is some kind of light reflection caused by the lens of the camera. Watch and listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PN5JJDh78I

All these postings about church sports has got me jealous. Had we had something similar, I would have loved to participate. Instead, I grew up playing baseball with the neighborhood kids when I was a child. As an adult, my baseball participation was limited to infrequent training sessions with my nephews when they were younger.

As a youngster, I had a dream of someday becoming a Major League Baseball player. I had my career planned out. First Little League, then either high school or American Legion baseball, then college baseball, then professional Minor League Baseball, then finally the Major Leagues and the Hall of Fame. I even practiced signing autographs.
Unfortunately, my dream was about to be shattered. Our Little League had minor teams (for younger kids) and major teams (for older kids). I played one full season with a minor team. But the next season, my age required that I be assigned to a major Little League team. At the end of the pre-season practice sessions, the coach had a meeting with a few of us. My heart was broken when we were informed that we were being let go. OH NO! I'M BEING CANNED FROM LITTLE LEAGUE! I will never forget that sad day walking home from the park wondering how I was going to break the news to my parents what happened. Sad to say, I never played organized baseball again. And although I did continue playing with the neighborhood kids, I finally realized why I was always one of the last to be chosen when we were picking sides.

Friends, to read what our Romeena mentioned in her Msg 101858, visit letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com and scroll down until you see the letter to the editor titled "Rainbow White House offended me"

from Poor Horatio
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101860:
Well, I may not have talent for organized baseball, but I am good with a broom as you can see from my front porch sweep.

from Poor Horatio
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101861: Good on Ya PH, not to beat a dead ball, but that's kinda how fumbleball got its start PH. A lot of guys who did not have the youth to play anymore but still had the fire in the basement to keep on playing. It's a bit of a slower pace and more strategy is involved. We had a guy on out team was in his late sixties who could place a ball just about anywhere, then we could put in I pinch runner in his place. It worked out GREAT!
That guy was amazing! I think he started playing back when the "Babe" was still at it....

G-F....
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101862: Here ya go PH... Glory Days....
http://youtu.be/6vQpW9XRiyM
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101863: Not to make ya sad, but to make ya remember the good times...GF again...
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101864:
G-F, thanks for that link. Although I'm not a fan of Bruce Springstein, I remember that song. However, because I'm a musician and not a songwriter, I only paid attention to the music because I liked how it sounded. But this time, I decided to listen to the words. Yes, I do miss those glory days. But since I played centerfield, my favorite song is Centerfield by John Fogerty (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc). In the summertime, I open my windows, plug in my electric guitar, turn up my amplifier, and wail along to this video. I love doing that. Reminds me of the six years I played in a dance band. I sure do miss those days.
Just like John Fogerty sings in the video, "Put me in coach. I'm ready to play, today. Look at me, I could be centerfield!" That sums up my baseball career ... wanting to play but spending too much time on the bench.

from Poor Horatio
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101865:
I just noticed that the Romeena letter to the editor URL I posted in Msg 101859 was missing something to make it an active link. You can still copy and paste it to go there, but the active link below is much more convenient.
http://letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com

from Poor Horatio
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101866:
For those of you who are not aware of what caused our Romeena to compose that letter to the editor, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_qTIgL1ZTA
Notice the color of the lights used from left to right: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.
Now compare that with the colors of the flag adopted by gay rights advocates at https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=JN.yoQZZY%2bTeTgahWJX%2fumGGA&pid=15.1&P=0
Notice any resemblance?

from Poor Horatio
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101867: Thanks for the link to Romeena's letter to the editor, Poor Horatio. I was going to go to the paper's website to look for it, but you saved me the trouble.
I am well aware of the reason for the letter. The White House picture was all over Twitter after it happened, and I agree with Romeena 100%. The White House is supposed to be for ALL the people, not a select, protected class of people and shouldn't be used like that to promote one person above the other. It also shouldn't be used to celebrate something that more than half the people oppose(I don't believe the "polls" that say otherwise. If they were true, then all the States that were given the chance to vote on SSM wouldn't have voted it down, including my home State of Wisconsin).

As for church sports, we do have a softball league at mine but I don't play. I've never really been one for organized sports. I guess I would rather play disorganized ones. ;-)

-Sterling Holobyte
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101868:
Sterling Holobyte, after reading your posting, I decided to do some research. I am very surprised at what I found.
http://tinyurl.com/2at72ge
http://tinyurl.com/ocbdk95
http://tinyurl.com/nohqsqe
http://tinyurl.com/o4553ow
http://tinyurl.com/mpruo4z
http://tinyurl.com/legvrjx
The last link is interesting because it compares surveys done in many countries.

from Poor Horatio
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101869: I'm surprised he didn't say they were trying out this years Christmas lights... Wait, Christmas? Never mind!....

Good on you Romeena, sometimes things just need to be said!...

G-F
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101870: Since we are back on the subject, one has to realize that WH officials had to have had it planned days in advance. One just doesnt run out to Ace for some mercury vapor bulbs or even colored gels that afternoon! Also, the vote was 5 to 4, so it was very close, it was not a "runaway" vote; which, despite the posted poll numbers(which can be skewed one way or the other), shows that the country is still pretty divided on the issue. It is like the stars and bars on the General Lee. Stations taking reruns off the air, or photoshopping out the flag on the car. Give me a break.
OK, getting off my soapbox.
We still have great freedoms in this country, and I thank God for everyone from our founding fathers who gave up their fortunes and their lives in many cases to do something that had never been done: Government of the people, to today's defenders of freedom. It has worked pretty well, tho the last few years have been questionable, but if we can hang on for 2 more, he'll be out, and hopefully things will progress once again. I pray for America, and celebrate her birth tomorrow! Love ya, MDC
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101871: I'm genuinely surprised at the response that simple letter has generated. I've received numerous phone calls and emails, and now this mention on the porch. I hope it's clear to everyone that the letter was not intended to be critical of the LGBT folks. I have my opinion there, and I have a right to it, just as everyone else does. That wasn't the issue. The issue that sparked the letter was outrage at Dear Leader's abuse of power, in his response to the court's decision. He can think and believe whatever he wishes, just as I can, but he had no right to light up the White House in celebration of a decision that was, first of all, a skin-of-its-teeth win, regarding an issue that still has a very strong negative reaction among Americans. As I said in the letter, it was an "in your face, America" gesture, and it was ill-conceived for an American president. Again I say, how dare he!

Lest anyone think I'm homophobic, believe me when I say, that's not true. I have friends who are gay, fellow church-members who are gay (some who appear to very quietly live the lifestyle, and some who have apparently chosen to remain celibate). None are inclined to dress up in drag and prance along the streets in some garish, tacky parade. I have witnessed the birth, on three occasions, of infants who exhibited the external physical characteristics of both genders! That will make you think, believe me. The parents were forced to make a choice, and corrective surgery was done. What a brutal thing for those parents!

I am not the judge of anyone in this matter. God is my judge, my only judge, and the same goes for everyone else. I'm entitled to my opinion, as everyone is, but that's as far as it goes. What I think can be found in that letter. Had we as a nation complied with what the gay community as a whole was politely seeking a couple of generations ago, we would not be dealing with these flagrant, tasteless demonstrations we have now. It has been a step-by-step escalation, to bring us to the shameful demonstrations we see today. People would still be doing what they did then - they would be living their lives, part of the community, no spotlights on their private life. That is what my gay friends still do. I don't follow them home and peek through the keyhole. I just love them for who they are, and we work side by side in the church and in the community.

Once again, the letter was about Dear Leader's appalling abuse of power. He's drunk on it. --Romeena
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101872: Right on, MDC. --Romeena
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101873: We better watch out, they may pull TAGS next, ya know Otis is promoting drunkiness and the Sheriffs Department looks the other way. All of those acts of malfeasances... Oh My!....

Poor Horatio tomorrow is a Holiday, 🇺🇸 give yourself a day off, you have been working extra hard on research lately. Oh by the way you mentioned about being the last one chosen as a kid, I can relate, who wants a "squirt" on their basketball team...lol

G-F....
July 03, 2015 - Msg 101874: ....And Jaywalking is running rampant! Do you know what your Sheriff keeps in the trunk of his car?...
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101875: Romeena - and please take this in the spirit it is intended, as polite discourse and possible difference of opinion - but I don't know how the (active)homos#xuals in your church reconcile living that lifestyle with what the Good Book says quite clearly on the subject. That is theirs to study and do with as they choose with the knowledge to be sure, but the church should at least be guiding them through sin in its many forms and out of it, not pretending it doesn't exist. I know I am basing what I am saying on just a snippet of what you have said. You know your church and its workings better than I do, and I apologize as what I am saying could be just a knee-jerk reaction on my part.
I do know that I don't agree with you on the notion that the homos#xual community would have been a "live and let live" sort if we would have just given them ssm from the start, if that is what you are implying. We would just have had Christian business people(and regular Christian folks) fined and driven out of their trade earlier, is all.
I think part of the problem is that Christians and Conservative people HAVE had that "live and let live" ideal and lived it for so long that we've let the wolf sneak right past us into the sheeps pen just because he was baaing like one of them.
I DO agree with you that people should be allowed to live their lives as they see fit, and that in the end it is God who will judge how they lived it. I do know I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of someone who redefined the institution of marriage, which God ordained Himself.
And those are my thoughts on it. I better put away my soapbox before someone takes a hammer to it while I am still on it. ;-)

I don't have too much planned for the 4th. I have been increasingly not feeling much like celebrating it for a couple of years now. Sorry for delving into another depressing subject, but Independence Day is supposed to be a celebration of our independence from England, right? And our independence as a new nation, free to worship God as we see fit?
Well, with our government(politicians on both sides - Republican and Democrat) seeming to be trying to remake us into just another European country, with their ideals and all, and seemingly working us in to be part of the coming global government, I am not finding that very independent. And I think the founders would be weeping over our increasing loss of religious liberties and conscience through both the Executive and Judicial branch.
I wonder what, and why, we are celebrating anymore.

I know, what a downer, huh. Sorry.

I don't want to end on an unhappy note, so I can tell you that I just received a "favorite" on one of my replies on Twitter from Jerry Mathers. You know, the "Beaver." First time he has even acknowledged one of my posts. He had posted a picture of a cover of himself(as a young lad) on TVGuide, and also the accompanying interview they had with him.
I just told him that the interview was so refreshing in that he was a kid who ACTUALLY SOUNDED like a kid, just in the way he said things(it was a written interview, but you know what I mean). It seems that "kids" today are made to be little adults in so many ways, and I think it steals that innocence that is quite evident in the mannerisms and speech that he had. If you'd like to read it, here is the link: http://www.jerrymathers.com/1958-tv-guide-interview/

Well, that's all for now. Have a good night, and, despite my lamenting on the holiday, I hope you all have a very Blessed and fun day tomorrow, no matter what you do.

-Sterling Holobyte
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101876: Sterling, I have no problem taking your comments exactly as you intended them. We've been friends for a long time. Actually, I don't disagree at all. I, too, wonder how they reconcile their lifestyle with what the scripture says, and what they actually hear from our pastor from time to time. My church doesn't back away from issues. However, neither do we stand in individual judgment on anyone, because sin is sin, and none of us are sinless. I don't believe we are authorized to elevate one sin above another in terms of degree.

There are two women in our church, and it's known that they're a "couple", but there's nothing in-your-face about it. No PDAs, nothing. Just faithful, hard-working women who pitch in wherever there's a need. Therefore, I leave it to God to sort it out, and I maintain a friendship with each of them.

I'm not exactly sure I know what you mean by the church "guiding them through sin in its many forms", but if you mean that someone should be counseling them about their lifestyle and advising them to leave it, I don't think that would be appropriate. If we start that, then we'll have to have a watch committee to observe everyone, and someday I'll be called in for counseling for something I did or failed to do.

No, I think it's best just left in God's hands. Let me clarify something. I wasn't suggesting that we should have granted same-gender marriage back in the day. What I believe is that way back, at least two or three generations back, there was an attempt by gay people to be allowed to name their partner as a "domestic partner", and to be allowed to include them in group insur@nce policies (like a spouse would be), to have right of inheritance, to be acknowledged as next of kin, etc. This "naming" would have involved a legal document only, similar to conferring power of attorney, and actually part of it probably could have been done, but not the insur@nce part. Medical insur@nce companies flatly refused. I remember hearing a debate about it, and the insur@nce person said absolutely not, either married or no go.

The naming of a domestic partner would not have been a "marriage." That one just doesn't fly, emotionally. I cringe now when I hear a newscaster reporting some occurrence, and hear the phrase "her wife" uttered. It grates.

However, it seems to me that if two people are living together and sharing expenses, whatever their relationship may be, and one is working and paying the premiums on a group policy that would cover a spouse, those same premiums could cover a named person just as well. What does the insur@nce company care, as long as the premiums are being paid? It could be a brother and sister, or just friends, or "partners." Who cares?

What I'm saying is that if we had allowed them (and anyone else) the privilege of naming a "domestic partner" for legal and insur@nce purposes, this whole thing might not have boiled over the way it did. Actually, I wrote another letter to the editor, which was not printed. (No surprise there.) I'm going to email a copy of it to you, as I think it clarifies my position on this question pretty well.

As for the rest of your post, I'm right there with you, buddy. I would imagine we all are. Blessings! --Romeena
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101877: Happy 4th Porch ! here in the rain at work...whos cooking this morning !SPOT
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101878: 🇺🇸 Happy 4th of July 🇺🇸 Ya know it comes every year, the day right after the 3rd. With Freedom comes responsibility! Have we been good stewards of that privilege?...

Wow, we may have 2 days in a row with-out rain. I finally got to mow my yard. TOM are you drying out? You've had a lot too.

Possum, Any chance yet of you swinging by for the Meet-up on the 17-19? Fun time Hangin' with your peeps..lol

Asa & SPOT, how are your gardens doing? Is your corn all "tasseled" out? I had some of my green beans in a stir fry, they was Gooood! As Briscoe would say...

G-F.....
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101879: Good Saturday morning all. I hope your day is fine and dandy. We have some cloud coverage this morning and a chance of rain later tonight and tomorrow. It would be much welcomed for sure.

GF, My first planting of corn is doing pretty good. My second planting didn't take for some reason. I think it was just to cold and rainy. I only had a few stalks come up, so I just tilled it under and said to heck with it for this year. Two rows gives us way more than enough anyway. I am seriously thinking of cutting the garden in half come fall. I have done that several times over the years. I just don't have the need for such a large garden anymore, and my back reminds me of that fact every year. So I think come September I will till up half of it and throw some grass seed down and be done with it. That will still leave me with about 100'x80' of garden space. Plenty for me.

I enjoyed that letter Ro. Good on you. Your comment about not being "homophobic" interests me though. Our P.C. society has brought us to the point of having to defend our views before we even state them. In our world today, an individual who believes that a ssm is wrong, and heaven forbid says to publicly, is immediately labeled with a term or name that wasn't even in existence a few years ago. We had a good discussion last week in Church about this whole ruling. I know many folks are touched with this subject. Having either family or friends who are gay. I know my own views on the subject have really tempered over the years, I think mostly because my faith and my testimony has increased accordingly. Although I do not understand it, and I will speak up for my beliefs concerning it, I try to do so with respect and with love. We are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, all dealing with our sins and struggles in different ways. As Ro said so wonderfully, there is no need to single out any one person for their personal sin. But good study from the scriptures should be preached and taught from the pulpit, and hopefully that teaching will lead all of us, no matter what our struggles are, to come to a point where our desire to follow the Savior becomes greater than our desire to do anything else. For most of us it is a lifetime process that requires constant attention. Thus that is why I find my hiney sitting in Church every week, and my nose in the scriptures every day, and on bended knee in supplication to God several times a day. I need all the help I can get. I am just glad to have come to realize that I need the help, and I know where to turn to get it.

O.K. Enough sermonizing from me. Time to go mow before it gets to hot.

Prayers for my porch family.

Asa
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101880: Thank you for clarifying about you and your churches' position so eloquently, Romeena, and I thought it was something like that. And I agree, a bigger sin is no different than a small sin to God.

As for the "guiding them through sin" statement, I was thinking more along the lines of what Asa said about, "But good study from the scriptures should be preached and taught from the pulpit, and hopefully that teaching will lead all of us, no matter what our struggles are, to come to a point where our desire to follow the Savior becomes greater than our desire to do anything else."
You said it better than I did, Asa!

Well, that's enough about that subject. I'm sure most here are tired of it as well.

G-F and Asa, I will let you get back to mowing your lawns, and Spot, looks like you won't be mowing for a while, unless you have a waterproof mower.
Have a great day all and be sure and act like somebody!

-Sterling Holobyte
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101881: Happy 4th of July, y'all! Barney's gonna recite the Preamble for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx5d3haRG7M

*****************
possum under a rock

P.S. Wow- The Beaver! Very cool,Sterling!
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101882: We.....We, are you sure? Weeee theeee....lol
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101883:
The porch postings have been quite interesting in the last couple of days. I find it refreshing to read adults offering facts and expressing their opinions in a respectful manner without resorting to name calling or using other derogatory words.
Very unusual for a forum on the internet.

G-F, I have two holidays this week to rest.
On July 1, 1867, four British North American colonies became a self-governing Dominion of Canada.
And of course, on July 4, 1776, thirteen British colonies became a self-governing United States of America.

Sterling Holobyte, lucky you for receiving a Twitter acknowledgement from Jerry Mathers, the Beaver.
Way back in the 70's, we went on a tour of Universal Studios in California. There we got to see the actual house set where most interior scenes of Leave It To Beaver (LITB) were filmed.
You can view LITB episodes at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=leave+it+to+beaver
And for those of you who are familiar with LITB, are you aware that the pilot episode had different actors for Beaver's father and older brother? You can watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DACBstYKo-4

Finally, if you can't get enough of fireworks today, watch the following funny fireworks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_o_d2AF1sY

from Poor Horatio
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101884: Yeah possum, he just had to click on the "favorite" button, and he didn't reply or anything. But from an icon like him, I'll take it!

That clip is great! "In order to form a more perfect you." "Nion!" Lol! Andy and Don worked so great together.

-Sterling Holobyte
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101885: Sorry PH, you must have snuck in on me while I was typing my last post. So that should read, "Yeah possum AND Poor Horatio...."
That's interesting that they used different actors for his father and brother in the pilot. I never knew that. I am going to watch that clip a little later. But right now I have Noah wanting me to take him to the park, so I better get going, the little tyrant. ;-)

-Sterling Holobyte
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101886: Good afternoon, porch. Asa, you're right. We often have to preface a comment with a reassurance of some sort, or people will start shouting you down before you've even stated your case. It occurs to me that I might need to define what "homophobic" means to me. I may be wrong in my definition, but to me it means someone who hates homos#xual people, and that doesn't describe me at all. The Bible gives us permission, in fact, it mandates it - to hate the sin while loving the sinner. That is why I can work happily alongside my friends at church, whom I know are gay, but they have the grace to leave their behavior at home. I enjoy their company at church, and pray for them when I'm at home. I've never walked in their shoes, and I have my own sins to deal with, so as I've said often, I just leave it in God's hands. Now, if I felt they were trying to influence my grandchild, or started making public displays, then we'd have to talk, but they're not like that.

The lifestyle was the subject of a SS lesson a while back, and it was dealt with gently and with love. The pastor alludes to it now and then, and has preached an entire sermon on the subject, but it's always done with respect for the individual- the behavior is the target. Come to think of it, that's pretty much how all examples of sin are dealt with, and should be.

This I know - God is still in charge, and He will deal with it. I've heard no voice from the mountain, commanding me to solve the problem, so I'm not going to try. It's in God's hands, and God is love, so I'm content to leave it up to Him. OK, no more from me. Tick-a-lock! --Romeena
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101887:
Sterling Holobyte, in your Msg 101875, you stated in part "...I just received a "favorite" on one of my replies on Twitter from Jerry Mathers."
Since I am not familiar with Twitter, how do you know that favorite your posting received was from Jerry Mathers and not from one of his Twitter fans? I can see how retweets are identified, but how are favorites identified?

from Poor Horatio
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101888: Poor Horatio, it will pop up in your notifications of who favorited you(or replied to you; retweeted something you posted, etc). Also, if you look at the reply you wrote, below it you will see the profile picture of the person(or persons) who favorited you, and if you hover your cursor over their profile pic, their name will pop up. That's useful if you can't see the profile pictures under there, because they are so small.

Now, if you are asking how do you know if it is the real person... Well, sometimes they will have a blue "verified" check mark on their Twitter account. But some celebrities don't even have that. It depends on how popular they are, and who they know I guess. You just have to take your chances with some of them. To make sure I am following the real deal, I always look through their tweets to see what they are saying. Though I do that anyway just to see if it is someone I actually want to follow and read their tweets. Also, Jerry Mathers has put a number of personal photos up that I think only he would have. And I look at who follows them because sometimes the other celebrities I follow also follow them and also who THEY follow(my, that is a lot of "follows").
Like Dawn Wells, whom I also follow, follows Jerry, and she puts a ton of personal photos up. Also, Jerry's wife is on there; MeTV network, and others.

It also could be like some people have said on this porch... that you kind of "know" who is posting here even if they don't sign their name to it.

But other than those things, I think that if someone were impersonating the celebrity, the real celebrity would get wind of it and get it taken off of there.

Don't know if you needed, or wanted, to know all of that, but there it is. :-)

Just got back from the park with Noah, and it is kind of muggy today. Thankfully there is a breeze, but when you are standing in the sun, for some reason it acts like a force field around you and the breeze seems to be diverted around you. I couldn't wait to get back on the bike and get that "manual" breeze.

Sterling Holobyte

July 04, 2015 - Msg 101889: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!! (and that's all I'm gonna say about that!:)
mdc
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101890:
Sterling Holobyte, thanks for all that info. It now makes sense to me.

MDC, why such a short post? That's not like you. You always have something interesting to say.

TOM, I hope everything is OK at your end of the porch.

from Poor Horatio
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101891: I just finished watching Macy's fireworks show. Donald Trump paid for it..... He charged it to NBC....👍 lol
Just sayin'.....G-F
July 04, 2015 - Msg 101892: I know what you mean, Sterling- I'm Facebook friends with Jon Provost (Timmy from "Lassie") and the first time I got a "like" from him on one of my comments, I was so hyped up! LOL

possum again
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101893: Y'all want to hear something funny? I was sitting here in front of my big old window, very dark outside except for my ground lights, many of which are out at the moment, just mousing around on the computer. Suddenly there was a bright flash, and a popping "thump" as though a bright light had hit the window! Scared me momentarily, until I figured out it was fireworks, coming from a short distance away/ Since I wasn't looking directly at the window where it showed up, and the sound was almost exactly in sync with the flash, it fooled me for sure! Also, it wasn't just a sound, there was a slight concussion on the glass, so it all came together to look and feel like something lighted had hit the window.

We used to get a wonderful fireworks show when the old Texas Stadium was still there - they always had something special. Now that it's just a big old empty patch of ground, we don't get that anymore. That site is in walking distance from my house, if you're energetic. Friends used to park on our driveway and walk to the games, to save the high parking fees, and because they could walk out of there much quicker than they could get out of the parking lot. I'm really sorry the old stadium is gone. Seems a shame.

Well, guess I'll turn in. Got preachin' in the morning. I've got some new dangly earrings, I think I'll wear them! --Romeena
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101894: Good Morning Porch ! here at work...my last weekend work for a while...gona get things going here and find me some preaching on the tube...any suggestions? SPOT
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101895: Here's one for ya SPOT he's pint size but preaches full size!
http://youtu.be/DePbF0HO7w0

I had to get up early while it is cool and evict the occupants of a large hornets nest... And ya know, they was "Mad as Hornets"...so I guess that saying IS true!... Didn't even get stung either!....

G-Fighter of Hornets 🐝🐝🐝
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101896: Good Sabbath all.

You got smarts GF. Do battle with them varmints early in the morning when it is cool and they are less lively. And you come out as victor.

Ro, I have been involved in doing fireworks shows for a few years now. They really are a blast (pun intended) to do. But the clean up afterwards is a pain.

Well somehow I got me a summer cold. Not sure how that happened. I don't feel to bad, but hacking and coughing like a smoker. So I am taking the day off from preachin. No need to spread this stuff.

Guess I'll go eat some breakfast, do my back stretches and see what I can find on the tube. I have dvr'd a bunch of "The Fugitives". So maybe that's what I'll do. Yep, that's the plan. Eat, exercise, watch the fugitive. Yesserie, eat, breakfast, fugitive.....

Asa
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101897: Good afternoon, porch. Asa, as I've mentioned before, my son in Florida lives on a private lake, with a walkway from his back yard down to a covered dock. He keeps a small sailboat, a canoe, and two Seadoos there. There's a 12'x12' detached deck snugly tied to the main dock, and he can release it and tow it around the lake with the Seadoos. He and a neighbor who is his good friend do a fireworks thing every Fourth. They tow the smaller deck out into the lake and launch the fireworks from there. Much safer over water, or so they tell me. It probably is, assuming that the explosive device actually leaves the deck. One year one of the things backfired somehow, and chased Dale and Wayne both off the deck! Well, this year, they hit on the idea of attaching twelve firework things to a length of steel pipe. How, or why, I'm not sure. The idea was that they would fire sequentially, being attached to a length of slow-burning fuse. Well, that part worked. However, they weren't counting on the ear-splitting "Bang-Ping!" as each one detonated. That pipe was like a bell as each one fired, and my son said he thought his ears were going to bleed. After about the third one, both he and Wayne jumped in the lake and would submerge before each detonation, trying to get away from the noise. Fifty-six years old, and still playing with matches!

Sorry you've got a cold. Summer colds are the worst! Drink lots of juices, take some echinacea, and some zinc. If you'll do what I said, the cold will be gone in a week. If you don't do those things, the thing will hang on for seven days. (heehee)

Well, off I go. I think I'll make some apple squares to take over to Eloise's this afternoon. Blessings, everyone. --Romeena
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101898:
I am currently watching the Decades channel on my cable TV. This weekend, they are airing a marathon of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. The episode they just aired was titled "Take Me To Your Leader" and had a very young Ron Howard (our Opie from TAGS) appearing in one scene.

All this talk about playing with fireworks reminds me of a couple of bad experiences.
As a kid, I, along with some neighborhood kids, got into the habit of detonating supposedly dead fireworks that did not blow the first time they were lit. We were sitting in a tight circle as we experimented with theses duds. Suddenly one blew up within inches from us. Although none of us were burned, I basically became partially deaf with a very annoying constant ringing in my ears for two days. Luckily, my hearing did return and the ringing stopped.
The next year, one of the neighborhood kids experimented with making his own pipe bombs in secret. We all found out about his secret when an accidental detonation resulted in him loosing a couple of fingers.
I have never lit any fireworks since.

from Poor Horatio
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101899: Good day at work so far...get off at 6 then home to grill Mrs SPOT and I a nice steak and watch the Daytona Night Race ..yep thats what im gona do home,grill,race...yep SPOT
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101900: I love that when I notice an actor from a beloved show in another tv program, Poor Horatio. Did "Opie" have many lines, ...or any?

Just last night - I have been re-watching some of my Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. dvds of the 4th season - I noticed Mayberry's own Mr. Schwump in an episode named "Gomer The Beautiful Dreamer", which is where Gomer's dreams have been coming true. Mr. Schwump can be seen for an instant at the beginning of a scene in a grocery store where Sgt. Carter and his girlfriend are shopping. I thought it was him but wasn't sure because the shot was so quick, but then in another shot in the store after Gomer shows up, you can see him quite clearly as the three are near the checkout line. That Mr. Schwump sure gets around.

Glad that neighborhood kid only lost his fingers, PH. And glad that you didn't lose any, and got your hearing back. I think we have probably all had instances where those fireworks go off sooner than expected. That's why I never really got into shooting off the really big(big, meaning loud and explosive) ones like M-80's and such.

Just do it, Spot! :-)

-Sterling Holobyte
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101901:
Sterling Holobyte, Ron Howard did have multiple lines. Rather than describe the scene he was in, you can watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s7TOlg4F2c . If you don't want to watch the entire episode, cue it up to about 11:00 in. The entire episode was about how Dobie and Maynard mistake the people they know as being controlled by space aliens.

While channel surfing, I found something interesting on HBO. It was the Little Miss You Can Do It film which is an ongoing pageant for young females who all have special needs. Each girl had a male escort who would either hold their arm or push their wheelchair on stage. They were judged based on interviews, modeling casual wear, modeling formal wear and a final question on stage. As I listened to the answers they gave to the judges questions, tears rolled down my cheeks. At the end of the program, although they did present various individual trophies to a few, every participant received a smaller trophy. This pageant was created by Abbey Curran, a young lady who was born with cerebral palsy. In 2008, Abbey won the Miss Iowa state pageant where she was the first contestant ever, with a disability, to enter and win. That made her eligible for the national Miss USA pageant where she also became the very first contestant, with a disability, to enter. To learn more about her special needs pageant, visit http://www.missyoucandoit.com/

from Poor Horatio
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101902: Speaking of fireworks guys, any of you tried blowing off carbide? Like they would put in mining lamps. If you get a good pipe tobacco can that had a tight metal top, then punch a small hole in the side of it. Then take a small piece of carbide and a little water and put the top on tight, put the match over the hole... Blewie!!! it blows the top off with a loud Bang💥💥..

G-Five fingers..Fife...
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101903:
G-F, I think I can top that carbide explosion you mentioned. After having to dispose of a lot of classified material when I was in the military, I developed the habit of burning anything I discard that has personal information on it.
Well many years ago, we have metal 55 gallon garbage cans that I used to burn personal papers in. One time, I crumpled a lot of papers and placed them in that garbage can in the alley behind my garage. I then compressed the pile, then covered the opening with some thick chicken wire and placed a cement block on top. Wanting to make sure they would all burn thoroughly, I poured in a little too much gasoline through the wire openings. I lit a match, tossed it into the garbage can, and ran in the opposite direction. WHOOOOOOOSH ... BOOOOOOOM! As I turned my head towards the sound, I noticed the cement block and wire were flying in the air about the height of my garage roof peak. And all the unburnt paper shot out the can, flew through the air, and landed up to two houses away in both directions.
The explosion was so loud that neighbors came out of their homes to see what exploded. Not only was I lucky enough not to get hurt, but also lucky because no one called the police or fire department. It took a long time to pick up all the crumpled paper. Now when I burn personal papers, I never use gasoline.

from Poor Horatio
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101904: Lol PH, Yep, that "Boy Scout Fluid" can get ya in trouble. You can forget about the vapors, that's what gets ya in trouble.
You know the man upstairs was definitely watching over us.
But then again that's what makes us wo we are... Someone had to test theory''s out! ... Like 2 carbide stones are TOOO
much for a Prince Albert can to handle.

Ohhh, the stories I could tell... And I didn't even have a computer or iPad to tell me how...lol. Amen?

G-F
July 05, 2015 - Msg 101905: Here's a good one PH?.. Remember someone had to SHOW this guy how to do this..haha....G-F
http://youtu.be/IhQ4dE_RGnQ
July 06, 2015 - Msg 101906: Good evening, porch. Back from Eloise's, had a good steak, baked tater, and some homemade ice cream. Can't beat a deal like that.

You men and your fireworks! Always blowing something up. Oh, did I mention that my Florida son also has a potato gun? Made it himself out of PVC pipe, the ammo is a tater, and the propellent is hairspray, I believe. Of course, a match is needed. With it, he once shot a blimp balloon out of the sky! The thing belonged to Wayne's kids. His buddy Wayne lives about four houses down the lake shore from my son (my son built his house) and they were flying the remote-controlled blimp thing from their dock. My son, just fooling around, shot a potato at the blimp, and to his surprise and horror, he hit it! It sank when it landed in the lake, of course. As I recall, he replaced it for the kids.

Well, it has been a long day, and my eyelids are slamming shut. See y'all tomorrow. --Romeena