My voice is too hoarse from the phone banking to even attempt a whisper. On the other hand, I am writing articles on Medium as much as I am able to do so. And just so I could, I ordered a new rainbow windsock for my patio. Still playing the music loud, and a favorite is Wall of Death, given I have an incurable, but treatable disease, Thanks
Fran Shelley. I only mentioned Medium because I have been using that site to "try out" writing, and it has been extremely helpful in terms of coming to terms with my disease, Primary Immune Deficiency......in fact, I was having an infusion when I posted my comment.
Fran Shelley. I only mentioned Medium because I have been trying my hand at writing, and in doing so I have finally embraced my disease, Primary Immune Deficiency. I can bring awareness to the disease and help others. BTW. I really enjoy your work.
I don’t want to do podcasts or video. Neither interest me. I dislike them. I have a professional recording studio in my attic and all that technology and a recording engineer spouse are not enough to change the fact that I’m completely devoid of such talent. I’m sticking to writing and nothing but.
The podcast feature here on Substack is really fun. I've been reading my articles and I get a nice response. I'd be interested in listening to your voiceovers Michelle! But if it's not something you want to do, I can appreciate that too :)
I could be wrong but i don't think that's his ONLY plan. I recently discovered a friend I've known some time is a Trumpian Conspiracy Theorist (TCT for short). He and i have gotten into some interesting discussions since then which are starting to open his eyes. However, the reason for this comment is he is convinced "we're already at war" over the election and that its "going to be faked" to make Trump lose and there are plans to take the presidency "back" for Trump. This is the rhetoric spreading behind the scenes among the TCT's. Combine that with the writer of amendment 2025 saying "this will be a bloodless war if the democrats allow it." Are they planning for a Civil War over this man?! This is not something to panic over as it's far in the future, but it's definitely something to be aware of so we're not blindsided.
You're right, he's lazy af, but not all his voters are.
You make a very good point. There's always this "whisper society" around Trump. They huddle in groups and have secret meetings. I wish I could understand their mechanism of spreading and sharing misinformation because it's really effective. Perhaps churches are the epicenters of this nonsense? It's all just half-baked schemes like the Capitol riot, but their irresponsible actions probably will result in a loss of life.
Definitely some evangelical megachurches, have caught the political activism stance in preaching their opinions. For instance, my son and his family have attended a megachurch in CA for the past few months. They are going through some tough times within their lives and needed some solace. The first few Sunday services were fine, helping my daughter-in-law cope with her mental-health issues. Thus, my son decided to attend as a family since it seemed to help his wife. However, the past few Sunday services were concentrated on the evil policies of the Democratic Party, though never actually stating any particular candidate or Party. He and his wife were very upset with the political rhetoric being spread within a church service. Needless to say, they haven't returned.
So yes, there are organizations and groups, both religious and secular, which spread the propaganda. It's amazing to me, how anyone with any intelligence and moral compass can't see through the vitriol, false promises and delusions of Trump, Vance, Musk, and all the other radical far-right extremists.
Personally, my family has completely split apart since Trump entered the political arena. We've lost so much by the closed-minded and hateful rhetoric, which certain members of my family perpetrate these divisive concepts amongst themselves. It became an arena of rabid dog fights, where one side would literally bring others to tears. Luckily, I have a younger sister, a trauma therapist, who has given me strength to stand my ground in these past years, through thick and thin times. I can only hope for a future which opens opportunities for all people of different races, religious beliefs and economic classes.
I'm totally afraid for my two granddaughters who are biracial, as well as a niece with three biracial kids. Three of these kids are already in therapy, due to personal attacks on their ancestries. They don’t feel safe and accepted into this divisive culture.
And yet, we as a nation are comprised of multi-generational immigrants and Native Americans who have gone through similar biases, prejudices and other forms of hatred for the ultimate purpose of control. It appears to be a vicious cycle, which needs to be broken.
Harris/Walz gives me hope for the future of our great nation, in coming together as human beings to work for the good of all of us.
Hi there Walter Hope you are well. I have not been reading much since I went back to work its been a bit stressful but I am not unsuscribing at all. I absolutely love your content. I am getting back on my writing and reading schedule tomorrow. Also I recently published my first book of short stories on Amazon so I was a tad bit preoccupied with that. Finally I have my ballot and yes I will be sending it in this week. Hope you and your family are well. Blessings to you all friend. :) :)
Thank you for sharing this powerful story. I am so anxious about this election. I have donated more money to the Harris/Walz campaign than in any other previous election. I have no doubt that a Nazi/Fascist state is what a Trump administration will bring. Please keep speaking up and speaking out.
Fine post, Walter, per usual. Getting out the vote for Kamala is of the utmost importance in this election. And, giving her the team she needs, at every level of government, is vitally important, as well. So, I would join you in encouraging everyone to get out and vote. With one caveat. Get out and vote, but only for those candidates who have NOT been convicted of a felony. Please excuse my shameless self-promotion as I include a link here to an essay I wrote exploring this subject in more detail. https://open.substack.com/pub/thestormbynorm/p/make-the-correct-choice?r=1qaj9v&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Great idea. I got the dates mixed up again. Insomnia will do that, especially during an election cycle. I don't suppose I should download the HALO app on my iPhone, the one that this person keeps pushing on me. At the very least, I can say that at the Episcopal church, there is always a special prayer for the immigrants, and the rector admonishes "new christians" for their behavior, and also reminds us that "we" treat others with dignity, kindness and respect...Hmm. Seems like these "feelings" are lacking just now. I am not going to take any more bait from this "friend," and I am wondering if I should ask her for my apartment key back, even though the chances of her doing anything are next to slim...At the very least she did not shame me like my Black friend did because I make donations to Planned Parenthood. You know, to keep the "abortion business" afloat...her words, not mine. I will let you know when my article is on Medium if you are interested.
Just for the record, today I called the Episcopal Church that I attend and asked them, "what is wrong with these people who tell me that I am straying off the 'path' and that in comparison with the Roman Catholic church, I am doomed. A 'friend' left a St. Jude medal and rosary under my door mat yesterday. You know, the patron saint of "lost causes." I am far from lost, read gnostic tales, which apparently are the words of the "devil." I only realized today is Halloween, but given I am more inclined to witchcraft, I am going to hide out and celebrate Wicca, alone. The woman at my church said, "yes, indeed, there are some people out there 'right now' who are fanatics, and 'we' choose to welcome people from a very diverse population, and you do not need to use that rosary your friend gave you because you are not a 'lost cause.' Oh, I feel relieved. Thanks
The next time you get a chance, ask them if they know South America is Roman Catholic. Then ask why they aren’t standing up for the Christian immigrants who are pleading for help at our Southern borders. They won’t know how to respond :)
Thank you for this. I am glad I am not the only one who has a curious look on their face when they see the articles on Medium that are "selected for me." While I will never get rich off of writing, I do enjoy the content (most of the time); however, I have noticed a real shift recently, and I am not sure what that is about. Great writing. I will become a paid subscriber to Substack next month.....too many donations to Harris has almost put me in the red....almost.
Thank you for making those donations to Harris! I’ve been trying to do my part with my articles, but time will tell what good it has done. I have a couple coupon codes at the bottom of my articles to make the subscription easier to handle. Thanks so much for even considering it!
Right! So many forget that during office, Trump ran up the largest deficit in history, increasing the national debt by 7.8 Trillion dollars. This race is cutting edge close, but so far the calls I have been making on behalf of Ms. Harris have been very positive. Vote Blue all the way, gold watch, gold shoes or not
Hello, Walter. You’re right, there are a lot of strange things in the scriptures. I discuss some of them in my own blog (https://endlesschain.substack.com/p/the-christmas-story), like the Three Wise Men: they travelled 6 months on camelback from either Yerevan or Tehran on a speculative journey about a star, without guards or accompaniment (as far as we know) but laden with valuable oils, incense and gold. And what was gold doing there, if a rich man cannot enter the kingdom of God? And we talk about being born in a stable as if Joseph didn’t have to cough up money for the accommodations (in a town where every last bed was taken). And, by the way, “There will be poor always”. So splash the balm on my feet, Mary. Oh, dear, contradictions, contradictions, contradictions.
If you feel you’re having to make undue excuses for Jesus’s contradictions, then there is one of two ways out of the quandary: dismiss Him as contradictory; or start thinking about the whole thing again from scratch.
The challenge to those without sin is, to my mind, a catch 22: no one who really has a conscience knows they’re without sin. So it was a fair bet that they would all drop their stones. Of course, they wouldn’t have dropped their stones for you, nor for me. So what was it about this extraordinary man that made them (a) listen to his clever invitation and (b) actually drop the damn stones? It’s not permissive to invite the sinless to sin if (a) you know the sinless don’t exist and (b), as you rightly point out, those who are sinless wouldn't be in a crowd stoning a prostitute, anyway. If you really want to read it as “Roll up, roll up, all non-sinners can now pelt this woman with stones,” then I think that is actually a little bit contrary of you.
Jesus was not perfect, this we know. He was tempted in the wilderness and he lost his temper in the temple, and he said strange things about the poor. If you think he came out with untruths like a politician, then I can’t disabuse you of that except to say that we have no evidence (you asked for evidence) that he harboured any political ambition whatsoever, and yet he had a following of thousands. Don’t you think he should have pushed for office, with over 5,000 people behind him? Maybe he was popular but inept. Maybe he was popular but principled.
What does it mean to say it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God? Never mind whether camels can actually pass through eyes of needles, or whether there was a gate in Jerusalem known as The Eye of the Needle: just start with “what is a rich man”? That should get us thinking hard enough without measuring the height of a dromedary.
The Bible is a composite of stories written 200-300 years A.D. None of the authors lived when Jesus did. None of them saw him or spoke with him. So the really have no idea what Jesus said. The books that currently comprise the King James version were culled from hundreds of stories translated by anonymous people from many languages to many languages. The Bible was edited many many times over many many decades. It's no more than the final stories that were not edited out centuries ago. So yes it's a bunch of fairy tales that deserve no more recognition than any of the other 3000 gods that people made up.
My voice is too hoarse from the phone banking to even attempt a whisper. On the other hand, I am writing articles on Medium as much as I am able to do so. And just so I could, I ordered a new rainbow windsock for my patio. Still playing the music loud, and a favorite is Wall of Death, given I have an incurable, but treatable disease, Thanks
What is your Medium handle? I want to make sure I follow you there!
Fran Shelley. I only mentioned Medium because I have been using that site to "try out" writing, and it has been extremely helpful in terms of coming to terms with my disease, Primary Immune Deficiency......in fact, I was having an infusion when I posted my comment.
I love your writing and podcasts.
Thank you Frances!
https://medium.com/@frncsshelley/vulnerant-omnis-ultima-necat-f97e9e684889?sk=ba3558188da97bdef78cc345574cbbef
Fran Shelley. I only mentioned Medium because I have been trying my hand at writing, and in doing so I have finally embraced my disease, Primary Immune Deficiency. I can bring awareness to the disease and help others. BTW. I really enjoy your work.
I don’t want to do podcasts or video. Neither interest me. I dislike them. I have a professional recording studio in my attic and all that technology and a recording engineer spouse are not enough to change the fact that I’m completely devoid of such talent. I’m sticking to writing and nothing but.
The podcast feature here on Substack is really fun. I've been reading my articles and I get a nice response. I'd be interested in listening to your voiceovers Michelle! But if it's not something you want to do, I can appreciate that too :)
I could be wrong but i don't think that's his ONLY plan. I recently discovered a friend I've known some time is a Trumpian Conspiracy Theorist (TCT for short). He and i have gotten into some interesting discussions since then which are starting to open his eyes. However, the reason for this comment is he is convinced "we're already at war" over the election and that its "going to be faked" to make Trump lose and there are plans to take the presidency "back" for Trump. This is the rhetoric spreading behind the scenes among the TCT's. Combine that with the writer of amendment 2025 saying "this will be a bloodless war if the democrats allow it." Are they planning for a Civil War over this man?! This is not something to panic over as it's far in the future, but it's definitely something to be aware of so we're not blindsided.
You're right, he's lazy af, but not all his voters are.
You make a very good point. There's always this "whisper society" around Trump. They huddle in groups and have secret meetings. I wish I could understand their mechanism of spreading and sharing misinformation because it's really effective. Perhaps churches are the epicenters of this nonsense? It's all just half-baked schemes like the Capitol riot, but their irresponsible actions probably will result in a loss of life.
Definitely some evangelical megachurches, have caught the political activism stance in preaching their opinions. For instance, my son and his family have attended a megachurch in CA for the past few months. They are going through some tough times within their lives and needed some solace. The first few Sunday services were fine, helping my daughter-in-law cope with her mental-health issues. Thus, my son decided to attend as a family since it seemed to help his wife. However, the past few Sunday services were concentrated on the evil policies of the Democratic Party, though never actually stating any particular candidate or Party. He and his wife were very upset with the political rhetoric being spread within a church service. Needless to say, they haven't returned.
So yes, there are organizations and groups, both religious and secular, which spread the propaganda. It's amazing to me, how anyone with any intelligence and moral compass can't see through the vitriol, false promises and delusions of Trump, Vance, Musk, and all the other radical far-right extremists.
Personally, my family has completely split apart since Trump entered the political arena. We've lost so much by the closed-minded and hateful rhetoric, which certain members of my family perpetrate these divisive concepts amongst themselves. It became an arena of rabid dog fights, where one side would literally bring others to tears. Luckily, I have a younger sister, a trauma therapist, who has given me strength to stand my ground in these past years, through thick and thin times. I can only hope for a future which opens opportunities for all people of different races, religious beliefs and economic classes.
I'm totally afraid for my two granddaughters who are biracial, as well as a niece with three biracial kids. Three of these kids are already in therapy, due to personal attacks on their ancestries. They don’t feel safe and accepted into this divisive culture.
And yet, we as a nation are comprised of multi-generational immigrants and Native Americans who have gone through similar biases, prejudices and other forms of hatred for the ultimate purpose of control. It appears to be a vicious cycle, which needs to be broken.
Harris/Walz gives me hope for the future of our great nation, in coming together as human beings to work for the good of all of us.
Hi there Walter Hope you are well. I have not been reading much since I went back to work its been a bit stressful but I am not unsuscribing at all. I absolutely love your content. I am getting back on my writing and reading schedule tomorrow. Also I recently published my first book of short stories on Amazon so I was a tad bit preoccupied with that. Finally I have my ballot and yes I will be sending it in this week. Hope you and your family are well. Blessings to you all friend. :) :)
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this powerful story. I am so anxious about this election. I have donated more money to the Harris/Walz campaign than in any other previous election. I have no doubt that a Nazi/Fascist state is what a Trump administration will bring. Please keep speaking up and speaking out.
Fine post, Walter, per usual. Getting out the vote for Kamala is of the utmost importance in this election. And, giving her the team she needs, at every level of government, is vitally important, as well. So, I would join you in encouraging everyone to get out and vote. With one caveat. Get out and vote, but only for those candidates who have NOT been convicted of a felony. Please excuse my shameless self-promotion as I include a link here to an essay I wrote exploring this subject in more detail. https://open.substack.com/pub/thestormbynorm/p/make-the-correct-choice?r=1qaj9v&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Great idea. I got the dates mixed up again. Insomnia will do that, especially during an election cycle. I don't suppose I should download the HALO app on my iPhone, the one that this person keeps pushing on me. At the very least, I can say that at the Episcopal church, there is always a special prayer for the immigrants, and the rector admonishes "new christians" for their behavior, and also reminds us that "we" treat others with dignity, kindness and respect...Hmm. Seems like these "feelings" are lacking just now. I am not going to take any more bait from this "friend," and I am wondering if I should ask her for my apartment key back, even though the chances of her doing anything are next to slim...At the very least she did not shame me like my Black friend did because I make donations to Planned Parenthood. You know, to keep the "abortion business" afloat...her words, not mine. I will let you know when my article is on Medium if you are interested.
Just for the record, today I called the Episcopal Church that I attend and asked them, "what is wrong with these people who tell me that I am straying off the 'path' and that in comparison with the Roman Catholic church, I am doomed. A 'friend' left a St. Jude medal and rosary under my door mat yesterday. You know, the patron saint of "lost causes." I am far from lost, read gnostic tales, which apparently are the words of the "devil." I only realized today is Halloween, but given I am more inclined to witchcraft, I am going to hide out and celebrate Wicca, alone. The woman at my church said, "yes, indeed, there are some people out there 'right now' who are fanatics, and 'we' choose to welcome people from a very diverse population, and you do not need to use that rosary your friend gave you because you are not a 'lost cause.' Oh, I feel relieved. Thanks
The next time you get a chance, ask them if they know South America is Roman Catholic. Then ask why they aren’t standing up for the Christian immigrants who are pleading for help at our Southern borders. They won’t know how to respond :)
Great article, Walter. I will share it on Facebook
Thank you for this. I am glad I am not the only one who has a curious look on their face when they see the articles on Medium that are "selected for me." While I will never get rich off of writing, I do enjoy the content (most of the time); however, I have noticed a real shift recently, and I am not sure what that is about. Great writing. I will become a paid subscriber to Substack next month.....too many donations to Harris has almost put me in the red....almost.
Thank you for making those donations to Harris! I’ve been trying to do my part with my articles, but time will tell what good it has done. I have a couple coupon codes at the bottom of my articles to make the subscription easier to handle. Thanks so much for even considering it!
Right! So many forget that during office, Trump ran up the largest deficit in history, increasing the national debt by 7.8 Trillion dollars. This race is cutting edge close, but so far the calls I have been making on behalf of Ms. Harris have been very positive. Vote Blue all the way, gold watch, gold shoes or not
Hello, Walter. You’re right, there are a lot of strange things in the scriptures. I discuss some of them in my own blog (https://endlesschain.substack.com/p/the-christmas-story), like the Three Wise Men: they travelled 6 months on camelback from either Yerevan or Tehran on a speculative journey about a star, without guards or accompaniment (as far as we know) but laden with valuable oils, incense and gold. And what was gold doing there, if a rich man cannot enter the kingdom of God? And we talk about being born in a stable as if Joseph didn’t have to cough up money for the accommodations (in a town where every last bed was taken). And, by the way, “There will be poor always”. So splash the balm on my feet, Mary. Oh, dear, contradictions, contradictions, contradictions.
If you feel you’re having to make undue excuses for Jesus’s contradictions, then there is one of two ways out of the quandary: dismiss Him as contradictory; or start thinking about the whole thing again from scratch.
The challenge to those without sin is, to my mind, a catch 22: no one who really has a conscience knows they’re without sin. So it was a fair bet that they would all drop their stones. Of course, they wouldn’t have dropped their stones for you, nor for me. So what was it about this extraordinary man that made them (a) listen to his clever invitation and (b) actually drop the damn stones? It’s not permissive to invite the sinless to sin if (a) you know the sinless don’t exist and (b), as you rightly point out, those who are sinless wouldn't be in a crowd stoning a prostitute, anyway. If you really want to read it as “Roll up, roll up, all non-sinners can now pelt this woman with stones,” then I think that is actually a little bit contrary of you.
Jesus was not perfect, this we know. He was tempted in the wilderness and he lost his temper in the temple, and he said strange things about the poor. If you think he came out with untruths like a politician, then I can’t disabuse you of that except to say that we have no evidence (you asked for evidence) that he harboured any political ambition whatsoever, and yet he had a following of thousands. Don’t you think he should have pushed for office, with over 5,000 people behind him? Maybe he was popular but inept. Maybe he was popular but principled.
What does it mean to say it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God? Never mind whether camels can actually pass through eyes of needles, or whether there was a gate in Jerusalem known as The Eye of the Needle: just start with “what is a rich man”? That should get us thinking hard enough without measuring the height of a dromedary.
FELICES
The Bible is a composite of stories written 200-300 years A.D. None of the authors lived when Jesus did. None of them saw him or spoke with him. So the really have no idea what Jesus said. The books that currently comprise the King James version were culled from hundreds of stories translated by anonymous people from many languages to many languages. The Bible was edited many many times over many many decades. It's no more than the final stories that were not edited out centuries ago. So yes it's a bunch of fairy tales that deserve no more recognition than any of the other 3000 gods that people made up.
Yup, based on what you’ve said, Jesus is a deceiver.
FELICES Y GRACIAS COMO UN PASEO EN BICICLETA
Loved your remedial math story, again playing it for my neighbors who scorn me for "being better" than they are. Thank you