I know the feeling...
Previous William Thomas Sherman Info Page postings, quotes, observations, etc.
(1)*----* (2) *----* (3)
(1)["Handel - Concerto for Oboe in G minor, No.3 HWV 287, 3rd part" - Capella Istropolitana with Richard Edlinger]
(2)["Domenico Cimarosa (Oboe concerto C major)-1-Introduzione:Larghetto" - Kammerorchester Arcata Stuttgart w/ Patrick Strub; Lajos Lencses (oboe)]
(3)["Concerto Oboe op.9-2 Adagio" - by Albinoni, peformer?]
Envision, if you would, this person who was so jealous and overwhelmingly desirous of being the center of attention he was driven, as he felt, to do the wrong thing in an extreme, indeed heinous, way. At the same time, the use of excessive violence, mendacity, and deception brought him great material power such that he reasoned, "If doing the wrong thing to such an extreme degree brings me so much power, there must be something very good in it -- indeed, good that is divinely ordained."
The problem was that for all benefit he obtained by doing evil, he lost out on an even far greater amount of other kinds of worthwhile and valuable good; in fact, kinds of good that were as and more valuable that the good he could achieve by his compound of violence, fear, lying, and other crime. This result neither helped his already envious disposition; moreover, in order to make himself feel less bad and justify himself, he before long felt it was necessary to get others to be very guilty along with him; while still insisting there was good to be had in doing the wrong thing in an extreme way; again, even though reason and the cost-benefit analysis of the matter were against him.
Now since this person was of such a nature as to possess a kind of longevity that extended centuries, even millennia, he thought he would utilize the coercive power he did gain and have to interject his self-serving values and ethics into religion, and thereby encourage them to think it was God's purpose that people should learn to accommodate themselves to extreme evil; and that extreme evil was God's way of imparting greater meaning and wisdom to our lives. Though, as facts had already demonstrated, the economics of his pro-evil ideas had proven to be overtly and indubitably false, he, nonetheless, and in all his vanity and pride remained determined to cash in and make good on what was, after all, really his big mistake.
So that maneuvering and insinuating himself so as to play a high profile and influential role in religion, he led others to think that excessive evil could be transformed into a great good -- as a way of manifesting God's greater goodness; and that to question this was to question God's power of doing good and remedying the effects of extreme evil; and, further, those who opposed him this were to be seen as ungodly and self-righteous -- even though, as any intelligent and informed person could see, he was really doing all this out of self-pity and an obvious need to vindicate his own folly, error and conceit.
When to the dismay and surprise of not a few observers, people ended up believing and going along with him.
(This is, of course, far from being the whole story, yet it does at least, I think, give a preliminary and working picture of who and what it is we are dealing with.)
The only person a tattoo ever actually looked good on was Popeye the Sailor.
There is so very much of history we simply don't know and is a mystery. But just imagine if you did know it. I mean the true story. What would you know? Is or are there patterns to human events that would cause everything to, at last, make sense? Naturally, some assume or take for granted that there are. But then they themselves cannot possibly know most, let alone all, history. And yet what if they could? What would they know?
The following was posted earlier today at the "Lee's Legion" page on Face Book.
"Lafayette, We Are Here!"
Did you know that when Lafayette was sent south to assist Virginia against Arnold and Phillips in early 1781 it was for a time seriously in question whether he could have proceeded? The British naval victory at the First Battle of the Capes (16 March 1781) deprived him of transports and 1,200 French troops which were to have been brought by Admiral Destouches; to make things worse many of his New England and New Jersey men were on the verge of desertion for lack of pay combined with a pronounced dislike of being marched so far south. To remedy matters, Lafayette dug into his own pockets, and as Marshall states purchased "shoes, linen, spirits, and other articles of immediate necessity for the detachment. Having made these preparations for the campaign, he marched with the utmost celerity to the defence of Virginia." Life of Washington, vol. IV, p. 425. What might have been the result one wonders had he not done so. Would there have been no Yorktown?
With this in mind, I would respectfully ask any to consider donating to the frigate Hermione Project -- organized to celebrate and reconstruct the vessel that carried Lafayette to America. To do so (with adult memberships starting at 25 Euros) and find out more, follow the attached website link. What more meaningful way to celebrate this year's Fourth of July than to now show our appreciation for the generosity the Marquis evinced while in Baltimore?
From whence do these sick and depraved notions of ultimate torture and degradation have their origin? Holiness? Trust me, these ideas, when spoken of and or applied and administered literally, come and come only from criminal spirit people and no one else. For what person of virtue, and in all calm and sobriety, could wish them, again literally? That certain evil men would subject others to Hell, we can understand, but clearly we would not impute to God the character of an evil man. Therefore, the only ones who could fall victim to Hellish or related torments must be one who is taken captive or else one who willingly consorts with deliberately evil people, and thus places himself at risk. Ergo avoid and defend yourself against such, spiritually, morally, intellectually, and physically -- whether they be spirit persons or otherwise.
This comes from The Doctrine of Eternal Hell Torments Overthrown: In three parts (1833) by Samuel Richardson, and who, as you can see by the title, argues against the teaching of eternal damnation taken in a non-figurative sense.
"The Protestant writers confess that Mat. v. 22. xxv. 41, 46, Luke xii. 5, are to be understood of the fire of the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is Tophet; so Mr. Cartwright, Dr. Fulke, Mr. Trap, and the late Annotations on the Bible, and others, for in danger of hell-fire &c. read, in danger of being burned in the valley of Hinnom, or Tophet;— the damnation of hell, gehenna; they interpret these places of the valley of Hinnom, or Tophet, which place was near to Jerusalem, where they offered their children to Moloch, Josh. xv. 8. King Josiah defiled Tophet, the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or daughter pass through the fire to Moloch, 2 Kings xxiii. 10. Josiah commanded all the carrion of the city of Jerusalem to be carried into that valley, and burned there, that the carrion might not annoy the city; thither, saith David Chimchi, were carried all the filth and unburied carcasses, to be burned. The Sanhedrin of the Jews, for some offences, sentenced the bodies of the offenders to lie unburied in that valley, to burn with the carrion cast there, which, among the Jews, was considered a great disgrace; and for offences most criminal, they burned the offenders alive in that valley. They placed the malefactor in a dunghill up to the knees, and put a towel about his neck, and one pulled it one way and one another way, till being strangled he was forced to open his mouth; then they poured scalding lead into his mouth, which went down into his body, and so burned his bowels; Talmud in Sanhedr. Per. 7. Mr. Cartwright saith, the Jews sent thither their guilty to be burned in that valley, and those they burned there they dealt with as guilty." [pp. 14-15]
Preface to David Hartley's Observations on Man: His Frame, His Duty, and His Expectations (1748)
"The Work here offered to the Public consists of papers written at different times, but taking
their rise from the following occasion.
"About eighteen years ago I was informed, that the Rev. Mr. Gay, then living, asserted the
possibility of deducing all our intellectual pleasures and pains from association. This put me
upon considering the power of association. Mr. Gay published his sentiments on this matter,
about the same time, in a Dissertation on the fundamental Principle of Virtue, prefixed to Mr.
Archdeacon Law's Translation of Archbishop King's Origin of Evil.
"From inquiring into the power of association, I was led to examine both its consequences, in
respect of morality and religion, and its physical cause. By degrees many disquisitions foreign
to the doctrine of association, or at least not immediately connected with it, intermixed
themselves. I have here put together all my separate papers on these subjects, digesting them
in such order as they seemed naturally to suggest; and adding such things as were necessary to
make the whole appear more complete and systematical.
"I think, however, that I cannot be called a systemmaker, since I did not first form a system,
and then suit the facts to it, but was carried on by a train of thoughts from one thing to
another, frequently without any express design, or even any previous suspicion of the
consequences that might arise. And this was most remarkably the case, in respect of the
doctrine of necessity; for I was not at all aware, that it followed from that of
association, for several years after I had begun my inquiries; nor did I admit it at last,
without the greatest reluctance.
"There are two things in these papers, which require a particular apology. First, The imperfect
state in which they are presented to the reader. Secondly, The great freedom which I have used
in respect to all orders of men in the conclusion of the Second Part.
"As to the first; If the reader will be so favourable to me as to expect nothing more than
hints and conjectures in difficult and obscure matters, and a short detail of the principal
reasons and evidences in those that are clear, I hope he will not be much disappointed.
However, be this as it will, I have in one part or other of these papers alleged all that I
know material, in support of my system; and therefore am now desirous to recommend it to the
consideration of others.
"I have tried to reconcile such inconsistencies, real or apparent, and to cut off such
repetitions and redundancies, as have arisen from my writing the separate parts of this work at
different times, and in different situations of mind. But I have still need of great indulgence
from the reader on these and other accounts.
"As to the second thing; I can truly say, that my free and unreserved manner of speaking has
flowed from the sincerity and earnestness of my heart. But I will not undertake to justify all
that I have said. Some things may be too hasty and censorious; or, however, be unbecoming my
place and station. I heartily wish, that I could have observed the true medium. For, want of
candour is not less an offence against the Gospel of Christ, than false shame, and want of
courage in his cause.
"Some persons may perhaps think, that I ought not to have delivered my opinions so freely and
openly, concerning the necessity of human actions, and the ultimate happiness of all mankind;
but have left the reader to deduce these consequences, or not, as should appear most reasonable
to him. But this would, in my opinion, have been a disingenuous procedure. Besides, these
tenets appear to me not only innocent, but even highly conducive to the promotion of piety and
virtue amongst mankind. However, that no one may misapprehend me to his own hurt, I will here
make two remarks by way of anticipation.
"First, then, I no where deny practical free-will, or that voluntary power over our affections
and actions, by which we deliberate, suspend, and choose, and which makes an essential part of
our ideas of virtue and vice, reward and punishment; but, on the contrary, establish it (if so
plain a thing will admit of being farther established) by shewing in what manner it results
from the frame of our natures.
"Secondly, I do most firmly believe, upon the authority of the Scriptures, that the future
punishment of the wicked will be exceedingly great both in degree and duration, i. e. infinite
and eternal, in that real practical sense to which alone our conceptions extend. And were I
able to urge any thing upon a profane careless world, which might convince them of the infinite
hazard to which they expose themselves, I would not fail to do it, as the reader may judge even
from those passages for which I have above apologized."
I don't want to have anything to do with those people, and it goes without saying I certainly don't want to go to their Heaven either.
Nor am I so sure I will able to turn into a rock after I die in order to avoid both.
Now surely those animals are very good, patient, ordinarily kind, and humble. I wonder then if it isn't possible to get a job in their Heaven?
Necessary Reminders in Dangerous Times.
1. Unless you are their accomplice, you are not responsible for the harm a terrorist, pirate, ghost, gangster, devil, or other criminal does to someone else; irregardless of their, say, blackmailing you to prevent them from hurting another. They are accountable for what they do, not you; again, unless you are their willing partner or accomplice.
2. Evoking awe and fear out of others does not necessarily imply goodness, let alone divine goodness.
3. In a war you must keep fighting till it actually ends, whether or not you are losing or winning.
4. Salvation and what is Right to do are always consistent and comport with right reason and honest truth.
5. We are not alone. There are meddling spirit people in human affairs, and there (just about) always were.
6. The keys to all power are held by someone or other's judgment -- the only question is whose
judgment?
7. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
It was such a jolly time putting together those last two "Soul, Rockin' & Obscure" on YouTube pages that I've come up with two more, and which some will perhaps, like myself, find not a little educational.
A Blues Primer: I
A Blues Primer: II
I know the feeling...
I said to him, "If you get to be interesting too, then so does 'speelburg.'" And he said "No, it's not the same thing." And I said, "Oh, yes, it is the same thing."
"Don't listen to what I'm telling you -- just do what I say!"
Ideally, one's ego or emotional preoccupation with self should only require as much attention, care and maintenance as you put into your home's water heater; a little does and should go a long way.
