Friday, May 18, 2018

On Twitter, Website Formatting, and A New Subtag:

Twitter first launched to the public if my sources are right in the summer of 2006. I became aware of the phenomenon in 2007 but only launched my own twitter account in December of 2009 roughly around the time that this website was suspended in perpetuity.{1} Upon my return to publishing last year{2}, I on occasion made use of material from Twitter{3} or referenced the latter in postings but have never specified any tags for such occasions be they primary{4} or secondary{5} in nature.

For better or worse, Twitter has become a pervasive force for communication and with a president who makes particular use of it{6}, it seems appropriate to me to subtag Twitter themed threads. So with my prior posting, I created just such a subtag for that posting as well as for use on any material posted subsequent{7} to it where applicable.

All things to the contrary notwithstanding.

Notes:

{1} Notification of Suspension (circa December 19, 2009)

{2} Notification of An Intended Return to Website Publishing (circa April 4, 2017)

{3} The only examples I am offhand aware of besides the present thread are the ones located HERE, HERE, and most recently HERE. Thus far, I have not posted any Twitter material from my own account.

{4} Basically, every posting has some kind of primary post tag on it and the purpose of this is to insure that posts can be categorized without overlapping when it comes to primary descriptive tags. The secondary tags are simply a further notation of particular features to the post itself and in this area, overlap is basically a given. This format makes it so I do not have to do the sorts of arduous weblog updates anymore that were standard on this weblog from its founding through the last day of 2006: both lack of time as well as a desire to not do that anymore contributed to the post tagging approach we undertook last year even if it has been tweaked in minor ways since then. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa April 4, 2008)]

{5} I remember when the tagging feature was first made available on this platform roughly ten years ago and I set out in piecemeal fashion creating various tags for this website to better categorize posts for easier access and perusal by pertinent subject matter. As is my wont with rough drafts be they in writing or otherwise, the tags initially were longer and I ran into space limits. I noted this not long after posting the first thread on these matters with an expository musing detailing an even further expansion on the tagging method including the distinction between major[...] and minor tags. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa September 21, 2017)]

{6} This factor as well as the thought that I may use more Twitter material here over time are two notable factors that drove the present formatting decision. Even though I used the Facebook medium far more between the suspension of this website to the present day than I have Twitter, I have no intentions of making a similar subtag for Facebook material. This is in part because material here has often been duplicated there or material there near-duplicated here. I also simply have no interest in doing so at this time.

{7} I then did a few searches and retroactively sub-tagged the applicable postings I could find going back to April of 2017.


Thursday, May 17, 2018

Area Man‏ 
@lheal

Q: What do you think of MS-13 [gang with the motto "Kill, Rape, Control]?
Trump: They aren't people. They are animals!
Journolisters: Trump says immigrants aren't people!
So Journolisters think all immigrants are here to kill, rape, and control. Got it.

3:52 AM - 17 May 2018

Trump says enough batcrap on his own, go there if you want something rather than this kind of flat out lie.

Mark my words: this sort of msm blatant misrepresentation will get Trump re-elected if they keep it up.
Hillary Clinton takes bitterness on world tour

I was going to comment on this article myself but this paragraph from the article says it all really...

Like a boxer who doesn’t know when to leave the ring, Hillary Clinton is a two-time political loser who hasn’t gotten the message she is unlikeable and unelectable. She would do herself and the country (not to mention the Democratic Party) a favor by retiring and leaving the scene of her political accident.

Monday, May 14, 2018

On Good Apologists:
(Aka "Rare As Hen's Teeth" Dept.)

[Prefatory Note: I was cleaning out the draft folder a bit and ran across this material which was prepared as a post back in December of 2007 but from what I can discern was never actually blogged. I am not sure why that is offhand but as the person I was corresponding with at the time was both my favourite Catholic apologist and has since passed on from this earth, posting it at this time gives me the opportunity to remember an old friend. The material here is posted substantially as prepared more than a decade ago except for the final words in purple font below. -SM 5/14/18]

The following was taken from a discussion list thread.

Someone asked me if Bob Klaus left Catholic Legate and I said I didn't know. Bob? Bueller?

I hope not. Much as apologists in general have ticked me off as of late, Bueller...I mean Bob is one of those I believe does it right and the Legate would be dimished if he left it.

That is kind of you to say, Shawn. I appreciate it.

No problemo amigo.

Unfortunately, unless I won the Powerball tonight I still need to earn a living -- which means I have a limited amount of time to work "my hobby" -- and hence I cannot work the Legate and Christian Forums at the same time.

Frankly Bob, that is probably a good thing that it is not your job the way it is with not a few whom I shall not mention. But for those who do make $$$ off of it, there is the at least implicit need to stir the pot and create controversy because that is what people react to. Well, that and the "if you do not send what you can, my kids and wife will starve" kind of letters. When there is no financial concern, the problem of being compromised is a lot less as is the temptation to put oneself in that position.

At Christian Forums I can directly and indirectly impact thousands of people at any given moment...and I enjoy the personal give and take with the people I deal with daily.

Give and take is fine. The problem I have with a lot of the apologists is that they are illogical. They base the veracity of a particular argument or position not on its intrinsic merits or lack thereof but instead on who says it as if that is the determining factor.

I see real-live conversions on a regular basis...this ministry is totally unlike any other I have experienced. We actually have a large area set aside for Catholics and seekers...no Prots allowed. And they have their set-aside areas too...safe havens for all people of good will. It is "message boards" done right...and it's about time. As of today the board has had over 30 million posts since its inception a few years ago.

Sounds like the kind of message board I could actually participate in perhaps -at least on occasion. What is the address of the place out of curiosity?

#############################################


Frankly Bob, that is probably a good thing that it is not your job the way it is with not a few whom I shall not mention. But for those who do make $$$ off of it, there is the at least implicit need to stir the pot and create controversy because that is what people react to. Well, that and the "if you do not send what you can, my kids and wife will starve" kind of letters. When there is no financial concern, the problem of being compromised is a lot less as is the temptation to put oneself in that position.

That is why I said "win the powerball" - if I was independently wealthy and didn't depend on speaking fees and selling books (and gaining donations) for a living...then I could devote myself to my hobby full time instead of only part-time.

I have ZERO interest in becoming a "professional" apologist...for all the reasons you and I have discussed many times.

Give and take is fine. The problem I have with a lot of the apologists is that they are illogical. They base the veracity of a particular argument or position not on its intrinsic merits or lack thereof but instead on who says it as if that is the determining factor.

That's very true...and it is no different on our board in the apologetical forums. The thing about our board is that there are a few hundred individual forums (like rooms) each with its own purposes. And some of them are apologetical in nature -- most of them are not. Some are for Christians only - others are for anyone to post in.

There are plenty of bad apologists in the apologetical forums. However, there are many rooms within the website that allows for Christian and/or Catholic fellowship and catechesis, etc...

What I like is the large number of seekers who come into our area (called OBOB - which means One Bread One Body). There are several RCIA candidates and catechumens who participate and ask questions...which can be scary once you learn some of the poor catechesis many of them are receiving in their parishes.

Sounds like the kind of message board I could actually participate in perhaps. What is the address of the place out of curiosity?

www.christianforums.com

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace. Amen.