Peterkin

We've had intermittent snow since early November (which in is pretty late according to our accustomed seasons), sometimes heavy and deep enough to require ploughing, and sometimes it's lasted several days. Yet I still have some green grass in the front yard.

Very likely. How long it takes to kill the grass depends on how dense the snow is. If it's light and fluffy, some air will get through and the grass will stay alive, and green up very quickly spring, when it all melts. If it's packed down, and especially if intermittent melting or rain have turned it to solid ice, it still won't kill the grass, but the grass will go dormant. That is, the blades will turn brown and die, while the roots slow their metabolic function to near zero until conditions improve. It doesn't happen in a day, though. If it doesn't get any light for six or seven days, the grass will go limp and lose its colour, fading to straw-yellow, then brown. If the snow melts in a couple of days, the grass will be unchanged.

At the time Jesus is chronicled operating in the mortal world, Islam had not yet been invented. Where he is supposed to have lived, there was only Judaism and the imported pagan belief of the Roman occupying army. Next door was Egypt, where the Romans had well established their rule and the Greeks before them - so the native religion was all muddled up with their beliefs. There was no "Christian world" - and wouldn't be for about 300 years, when Emperor Constantine decreed Christianity the official religion of Rome - and as a consequence, eventually all of the vassal states. It took another few centuries for Christianity to spread through the empire. Later, the heirs of the Roman Empire - chiefly Spain, Portugal, France and England - imposed it on all of their conquests. You could say there was a 'Christianized World' by about 1600 AD. Islam only dates back to the early 600's and Muslim nations didn't establish empires until the latter part of the first millennium AD and the middle of the second. The Christians and Muslims were not so much 'doubtful' about each as constantly at war with each other. Not over religion - over territory and dominion. It cannot be considered holy by Christians, as it doesn't have Jesus and his redemptive power at the center of it, and that's what their whole belief is based on. Muhammad Accepted the Christian and Hebrew holy books, since they held some power in the region before he made his own religion: I understand he hoped to be at peace with "people of the book". But that could never happen, while they all wanted the same land and resources.

Exactly! That's what I've been saying: he's busy saving all the other dominant species on planets capable of growing fruit. But there are specific rules to how that's to be done. Fixing a misunderstanding or misrepresentation that took place after his ascension is not part of the assignment, and he's neither stupid nor petty enough to return and do the whole execution thing over again, when there's no redemption in it. Maybe he'll come back for the rats, when it's their turn to have gone astray.

I don't think so. It's not a question of powers or abilities; it's the nature of the mission. He's given some inconsequential little miracles to impress the rubes*, but he can't get out of the obligation to redeem them precisely by becoming one of them: mortal, temporal flesh. * Walk on water one time, sure; flood the Sahara - no way! Cure a leper, okay; cure leprosy - not a chance! Feed a crowd fish sandwiches one afternoon - no solving homelessness and hunger for the underclass. Bring one guy back to life for show; but no handing hall passes for original sin.

God can. Jesus can't. The whole point of the messianic menifestation is to actually take up flesh-and-blood residence in the body of the mortal species you're assigned to redeem - no leaves of absence, no coffee breaks, not even astral travel while being tortured. You have to go through diaper changes, teething, measles, sibling rivalry, getting your knuckles rapped by the village teacher, disputes with the clergy, puberty and zits, fights with his father-of-record about career options - the whole mortal process, in real time. Get crucified again, just on the off chance of setting the record straight? For whom? I'd rather assume he's not an idiot.

Sure, but why should he want to? And remember, in order to spend the requisite maturation period for each species to become their messiah, he would have to put in millions or billions of years in recordable mortal time, while humans are back here, busily cutting the planet out from under themselves. It wouldn't have been an issue: Joseph is the father of record, and they have no DNA kits. The problem arises as to how either Joseph or Mary, given their humble backgrounds, can be linked to the house of King Solomon, or how David, the shepherd boy, could have descended from kings.

I tried to treat the OP as a valid questions, but it's too difficult to get a handle on. I made some guesses as to the meaning. How do I think Jesus will return? (But I don't think he was ever here, so why should I think he'll return at all, never mind how.) What's my expectation compared to other people's? (Other people seem to have so many and varied expectations, there is no comparison between any of them and my own lack of expectation.) Are modern Christians locked in the same exclusive mind-set as were the 1st c BC Israelites: unable to accept a messiah not of their own design? (I have no idea what's in the heads of modern Christians: most of it doesn't seem remotely connected with the teachings of the Jesus I'v read about.) So, being unable to fit the question to any version of reality with which I'm familiar, I decided to treat it, instead, as an exercise in speculative theology. I don't know what a valid answer would look like.

JOOC, What mediocre arrangement of which song was interrupted by "Your call is utterly irrelevant to us, but we enjoy keeping you in limbo, so please stay on the line." ?

So.... we have to do the whole gruesome execution bit over again?

A second, perhaps more relevant question might be: If he does come again, what will his attitude be and how will the 'faithful' react? I'm pretty sure he'd roll up a wet robe and flail vigorously about the Christian theme parks - all of which seem to feature ancient Jews - and he might not thrilled with all the treasure stored up in the Vatican. And they, in turn, probably wouldn't heed his admonishments any more than then last time.

Christmas morning, when the greedy children rip all that gaudy paper off their toys. "Hurray for baby Jesus!" they prey.

Only, the imperialists never expect their empire to die. They have the example of all the empires before them, that had overreached its ambition, overpopulated its territory, was overcome by another empire or rotted from within through corruption, and collapse. Yet each new emergent empire believes itself invulnerable: "That can't happen here." "We won't make that mistake." "We're smarter and stronger and better than they were." "We have technology." That's a misplaced faith which seems to be common to all civilizations. Another is their faith in their gods, their kings, their ideology, their economic wealth, their military might - or whatever they worship in each particular funhouse mirror. Maybe he's come and gone several times, in the night.

Why? I'm not being facetious now; I'm sincerely curious about this rationale. If you believe this, you should be able to explain it. But I'd appreciate an explanation from anyone who understands the theology. Why would a god choose to conceal himself from the people whose fealty he desires? More particularly, why would Jesus, whose mission was to walk among mortals in the guise of a mortal; who stood in town squares, exhorting the people and went about the marketplace, healing them, and preached to them from the mount - whose whole purpose on Earth was to be seen and heard - sneak around in the night like thief?

Another word is gullibility. A kinder and more accurate description, perhaps, is willing suspension of disbelief.

The two I've known - a black & tan and a red (more chestnut, really) were alert, lively, smart (enough) and good-natured. But they didn't get on well with other dogs animals - perhaps just because they were raised as onlies. In our house, there was usually a mix of pets. When my SO's Great Pyrenees was ill, the only way we could get her to take medication was hidden in a cat-food sandwich, shared out among all three dogs. She never twigged that she always got the last bite, the one I'd had my thumb on.

Can't hardly tell them apart! Perfect coat and points.

Franz Schubert, Piano Sonata # 664, played by Alfred Brendel. It's a gentle, pensive piece and he has a light touch. It's a welcome respite. Is that an acceptable farewell offering?

I don't know. You must have an underwhelming imagination. I saw the OP question and thought I'd throw in something a little less predictable. Sorry if it upset you!

The washing machine. It's been acting funny, or failing to act altogether; it's only 5 years old and we don't have a spare $600 atm. As long as I can hear it grumbling and moaning, I'm content.

The North Korean dictators must die. That could be brought about revolution or civil war, but neither is any more likely than it being re-taken by South Korea - and it's also unlikely that SK will break up with the US; though NK may be getting ready to detach from China, that trend would instantly end under military threat from the West. What usually does work : Takeover by a bigger nation. That can happen through invasion and conquest, with millions of casualties, or annexation, with only a few hundred thousand. The top 3 administrative tiers of both governments and the top level of civil service, as well as all the generals and police chiefs, have to be removed - how far removed the lower ranks are depends on their willingness to co-operate with the new rulership. Of course, the top government officials and the entire secret service has to be eliminated - not allowed to escape. If the new rulership is smart, they'll know what incentives to offer, and they will go very easy on the civilian populations, disrupting their daily life as little as possible - even if it includes decorating gold statues of the Giant Baby - for a while; let that custom fade away on its own, rather than banning it. Banning and forbidding things people are used to engenders resistance: peaceable cultural habits, religious practice, etc., even if they are contrary to the new rulers' world-view, should be left alone. Appoint the financial and industrial executives of South Korea to reorganize the economy, with guidance from the overlords, but with minimal direct interference. This would mean gradual increments in the standard of living of North Koreans, with no harm to the South Koreans. It's crucial to give neither population any cause to envy or resent the other: the sooner the civilian populations, then the rank and file of armies are reconciled, the less trouble they'll make. Sponsor scientific and professional conferences, school outings, tree-planting weekends, concerts, outdoor fairs and markets, sporting events and summer camps where the people from both sides can mingle while pursuing a pleasant activity. At least, that's how I would do it. But then, I'm not an imperial power.

From the pile in the back yard. When I'm stacking, I rescue any pieces that catch my fancy, for something to do in winter - arthritis permitting. We buy firewood as slab from a small lumberyard that deals exclusively in local maple (Lots of syrup around here, as well!) Some of the trees were old, hollow or variously injured, so there are interesting crannies and knots. That big knot in 'Bones' was original, just needed a little reshaping; I carved the smaller one. Tried a couple of times, but it tends to fall off seasoned wood. OTH, I hardly ever get cracks. It is! You see workmanship like that sometimes in antiques; otherwise, only by artisans. A couple of local guys are very good. We have a talented young blacksmith on the studio tour, as well. They did hold one this year, but we didn't go.

That's beautiful! I always like to see emphasis on some natural characteristic of the wood. It has such interesting and varied character, like no other medium. I usually work around the most attractive original feature of the particular piece. Sand until my arm falls off, which is never quite enough, stain and water-based varnish. I got a lucky break on gel stains - including a blue and a green, a few years ago at Restore. (The old, warren-like, good store, not the new, streamlined, boring one.)

Oh, this is too good not to get a piece of. Love all these projects! I don't do any precision work myself - lack the skill and patience - but I mess around with bits of maple sometimes. Carve them into bookends, mostly.

That's the single most important reason I think mainstream news has to re-establish its reliability, re-earn the trust of the public. Commercial broadcasting networks have been so preoccupied with sponsorship and ratings that they let hard news, solid, competent journalism slide, in favour of spectacle and sensation and partisan agendas, and cringed from saying anything unpopular or that some powerful lobby would find objectionable. People lost confidence in the 6 o'clock news and turned to the internet. We all did - but some of us are more intelligently selective of our sources than others are prejudicially selective of theirs. But when the worst bilge is spewing out of the highest office in the land, there isn't much news media can do. And when the internet sources are manipulated by agencies from the dark side, you can't trust anybody.