Monthly Archives: February 2018

Beans and rice

Trump’s Budget Would Partly Replace Food Stamp Benefits With Canned Goods

I respond to the first paragraph only. Nothing else. The first paragraph.

Beans and rice are nothing to despise.

I first applied for food stamps in 2004. I had had a professional career for 25 years, and for three generations not one member of my family had ever been subject to any form of “welfare.” Now I sat in a 40-by-40 lobby full of people, filling out the forms. Assets: –0–. Bank balance: –0–. Income: –0–. And I wept. I cried like a baby.

A sister-in-law, an #immigrant, responded to this news by waging a campaign for the family to disown me. She would later tell her husband she did not want to be married to a man whose brother receives food stamps. To my family’s credit, her campaign failed. I’ve been through tons of difficulty, and to their credit, my blood kin have never left me.

Beans and rice are nothing to despise.

In my current world as a homeless man, I deal with many, many people who persevere in need BECAUSE they despise every single blessing God provides. My only hope, currently an active hope, to improve my own lot, rests in being GRATEFUL for every blessing God provides.

Beans and rice, for example.

So, here we go: Poor people, listen up! Just in case you DON’T despise every single blessing God provides, it’s OK.

#Liberals like @Arthur Delaney stand ever-ready to despise it FOR you.

Contempt for prayer

“God is not a cosmic vending machine”: 9 faith leaders on “thoughts and prayers”

After every national tragedy, like the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a familiar rhythm of grief emerges. Politicians, religious leaders, and other public figures emerge to offer “thoughts and prayers” to those afflicted. President Donald Trump offered “prayers and condolences,” and First Lady Melania Trump tweeted that the Florida victims were in her “thoughts and prayers.”

Continue reading Contempt for prayer

Are you a good listener?

(Reblogged from Brain Sweets.)

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Posted by ⋅ February 3, 2014 ⋅ Leave a Comment
Filed Under  , , , ,

Are you listening? Really listening? When you are in a conversation with a friend or anyone, are you hearing what the other says? Or are you thinking about what you will say next? Are you waiting for your opportunity to tell some story? Do you get so excited or impatient that you interrupt? When the other person stops speaking do you begin immediately or do you wait 3 seconds?

Listening is an integral part of communication. Sometimes real listening means you don’t get to tell the story you had in your mind or say the comment you had 3 sentences ago. Real listening means when the other speaker is done and it is your turn that you are continuing the thought, commenting on what they actually said. Waiting 3 seconds after the other person is done speaking is a way to allow your thoughts to form and shows you were listening.

So are you a good listener?

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Another good post from Tracy:

Opportunity or Argument

(Originally posted 2014-03-01.)

Lesson 9: Words containing “old”

Word list:

olhold told solmold cold bold fold gold
folder goldeholdeholds molds colds older
folds molder colder solder bolder folded
molded 

<–more–>

Previous lesson:  Lesson 8: Words containing “ain”
Next lesson: Lesson 10: Words containing “row” and “uch”

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