CHAIN VARA

The Pope has strayed into socialism and Woke, embracing the evil they bring. Despite the dogma, all Popes, in reality, are human with all the human frailties and as such may be gullible and naive at times, straying from the Word of God. I hope the "Catholic voting bloc" are not such blind unthinking sheep as to vote for whomever the Pope dictates they should vote for. JFK settled this question blind following thing when he ran for office in the 50s.

Pretty much all of MAGA is revolting against the Catholic Church. Good luck winning another election without the Catholic voting bloc.

@allie__voss There is the factor of procreation. The kids tend to turn out better if there is a male/female home. The government needs to make children a priority. Tax breaks, Gov. paid pre-natal care, births, child care from womb to college or trade school. Tricky but doable.

Men and women used to marry because they needed each other for survival Then because they wanted each other for love, lust, etc Now they don’t need each other and many see no reason to want each other, either, so there’s not much gravity left to pull them together

Like roaches, if you see one, you probably have many. Trapping and sealing fast without hotel stays usually solves it. Buy many mouse traps (12-20 or so). Bait them with a small dab of a mixture of peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) and honey. The little critters love that combo. I like the traps that snap their neck and do the deed quick. The sticky traps seem like a cruel death to me. Ask Grok for pointers on how/where to set the traps. Check the traps at least once a day, better 2xday. If I happen to hear that trap snap, I, immediately, at that moment, put on some leather/plastic gloves, and a mask, empty the trap and reset it in the same place. Bag, seal and trash the carcass. The other mice are social and can smell their dead, avoiding the area in the future. It is usually not necessary to wash the trap before reset. Adult mice can squeeze through ~1/4 inch openings around pipes, hoses (AC connections, Electrical, dryer vents, etc), any dime sized irregular cracks or slits/openings to the outdoors. Younger ones, smaller openings. Flash lights and mirrors can help. I walk the perimeter of the house (slab foundation), Spring and Fall looking for cracks/holes. I plug anything that looks suspicious with expando foam. Pier and beam homes are more of a challenge but very doable. Store ALL food/pet food in airtight, stout containers, not just airtight baggies. Ask Grok for tips on safely cleaning mouse droppings. There is a right and wrong way to do it in hantavirus country. Squirrels in the roof/walls may require pro help to drive them away and seal the roof areas with hardware cloth. Make sure tree branches are trimmed to ~6-10 feet from roof/eves.

If you want to know how my life is going, we saw a mouse inside the house this morning. A singular, small mouse. My solution was to act like a normal human and buy a mousetrap. What are we doing? We're going to a hotel until an exterminator comes, lays traps and figure out any possible entry points. Why? Wife is worried about the Hanta virus and other diseases rodents can spread. Am I being unreasonable in thinking evacuating is ridiculous? It was a tiny field mouse. There's no visible droppings anywhere I can see. "I can't sleep knowing there is a filthy wild rodent in the house"

@DrEliDavid I hope you are correct.

40 days of naval blockade on Iran will be MORE EFFECTIVE than 40 days of nonstop bombing. When the regime is bankrupt and can't pay its Basij thugs, the whole system will crumble.

@AgingAnarchist It depends on the dish for Americans. Gumbos and some other dishes are white rice only (not cooked in broth), no soy sauce. The rice makes a perfect compliment to the other aspects of the dish.

アメリカ人て白米に醤油をかけて食べるよね。立派な日本料理です。

Strong additions. Official US State Department Level 4: Do Not Travel warnings (as of early 2026) already cover Iran, Russia, and North Korea alongside Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Ukraine, and Syria. Reasons include active risks of terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, and especially arbitrary/wrongful detention, governments there have a track record of snatching foreigners (esp. Americans/Westerners) as political leverage or pawns. Global Peace Index 2025 ranks Russia as the least peaceful country overall, with Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, etc., right behind; Iran and North Korea also score very low. It heavily depends on your situation: Americans & certain nationalities face higher detention risks in Iran/Russia/NK. Women traveling solo, LGBTQ+ folks, Christians/religious minorities, or anyone not aligning with strict local rules often face extra legal, social, or safety issues in fundamentalist areas. Always check travel.state.gov right before any plans—advisories can shift fast (e.g., recent worldwide cautions tied to regional tensions). Better safe than a long-term "guest" of the regime or worse.

What is the most dangerous country in the world to travel too?

Good question. Here's some solid advice pulled together (including from Grok's take on the thread): Common suggestions include starting startups over traditional job hunting, gaining broad hands-on experience in building/selling/creating, and focusing on human-centric abilities like empathy and distribution that AI still struggles to replicate. I'd add: leadership, sales, and public speaking. All are learnable skills that compound massively—practice them early through real projects, clubs, or side hustles, and they'll set you apart no matter what tools come next.

Serious question. For the last 10 years, society told everyone "just learn to code" to escape the middle class. Now Claude writes the code. What exactly is the career advice for an 18-year-old right now?

@kat_maryb Yes.

Gen X check: Does anyone else immediately lose respect for someone the second you see pronouns listed? Or is it just me? #GenX

@infantrydort In a way, you may have answered your own question. Credentials do not necessarily bestow wisdom, patience or emotional resilience. This is why there is still a need for philosophy (and fields that cultivate critical thinking and self mastery).

And my “educated” I mean of course, credentialed.

In 2026, why do the most “educated” among us seem to have the least emotional control?

@gonefishin1948 @SonofManwithus Your response is a breath of fresh air. Thanks.

@SonofManwithus Ah, you are correct. I am reading well on a ship that is moving. Sorry!

Do you believe baby baptisms are accepted by God? They haven't sinned yet. I ask because my understanding of baptism is it's a public declaration of following Christ. Acknowledging you need forgiveness of sins. Some churches say you don't even need to get baptized but even Peter encouraged it.

I come from an Episcopalian background, so infant baptism has always felt meaningful to me. We tend to see it as God’s grace at work; Incorporating the baby into the life of the Church through the faith and promises of parents and godparents (as in the Baptismal Covenant in our Book of Common Prayer). The child’s soul is entrusted to that grace from the start. At the same time, I trust deeply in God’s mercy. I don’t believe He’s cruel or legalistic enough to bar a baby (or anyone who dies young, or without full understanding) from heaven simply because baptism didn’t happen in time…whether at 6 months or later in life. Salvation is ultimately His gift, not a ritual we have to perfectly time. That’s why the full, public declaration of following Christ and seeking forgiveness often comes later, when someone is old enough to reason, repent, and affirm their own faith, like at confirmation. Earth is our school of learning the difference between sin and salvation, with God patiently forming us. It’s complicated, isn’t it? But I find comfort in a God whose love is bigger than our debates.

Yes, I take the entire Bible seriously...including the Old Testament. It's fully God's inspired word and foundational, revealing history, morality, and His plan of redemption. Jesus didn't abolish the Law or the Prophets; He fulfilled them (Matthew 5:17). The ceremonial parts (like dietary rules on shellfish/pork, mixed fabrics, or specific Sabbath observances tied to Israel) were shadows pointing forward to Him. They're no longer binding under the New Covenant (see Acts 15 and the book of Hebrews). The moral principles, however, endure because they reflect God's unchanging character. It's consistent, not selective. The Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah are authoritative precisely because Jesus fulfilled them.

@chain_vara @EliAfriatISR Btw… if you follow the Genesis, do you also believe in the Old Testament then??? I’m curious to know if you don’t eat shellfish, pork… keep the sabbath day holy, don’t use mix fabrics and so on… Or you just mention the Old Testament when it fits your argument???

If you are not from Israel or Jewish, please tell me what made you support Israel? How can there be so many haters of Israel? How can reality be so illogical?

God Himself sovereignly orchestrated the events to fulfill the prophecies He gave through the Hebrew prophets centuries earlier (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, etc.). The people involved...Jewish leaders, Roman authorities, even the crowd, acted according to their own wills and motives, but it all served God's greater plan of redemption for humanity. That's the consistent message of Scripture: human responsibility + divine sovereignty. No one 'made' the prophecy happen; the prophecy revealed what would happen as part of salvation history. It's the ultimate example of evil intentions being used for ultimate good (see also Genesis 50:20).

@chain_vara @EliAfriatISR Sure… and who was responsible for the prophecy to happen then???

@shiplela3 @kangminlee Naw. We tried keeping to ourselves in the 19-teens and 1930s and it brought us WWI and WWII. Our foreign aid needs to be adjusted. (a great deal). It had become CIA light with no wisdom. We can agree to disagree about Israel. The biggest issue is the death cult in Iran.

@chain_vara @kangminlee Bottom line is that Israel is the biggest issue in the region. And the US just needs to stay out. END ALL FOREIGN AID.

What is behind the increasing simping for Islam on the right? It's truly bewildering

@fillpackart Agreed.

Кто-то должен был это сказать. У водки НЕТ ВКУСА. Её никто не любит за вкус. У виски, коньяка, джина, текилы, рома — вкус есть. А водка это считай спирт с водой. Не бывает вкусной или хорошей водки. Бывает хуёвая, и обычная. Когда ты пьёшь водку, ты абсолютно честен с собой

Not totally off. Fellowship meals with believers are awesome (Acts 2:46). But the Last Supper was Passover. Jesus reframed the bread: “This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Cup: “New covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:19-20).Paul says proclaim His death when you do it, and warns against doing it casually (1 Cor 11:23-30). More than just dinner…sacred memorial of the Lamb who saves us. Some see pure symbol, others deeper presence. Heart matters most.

This has never made sense to me. At the Last Supper when Jesus broke the bread and shared the wine... He said "do this in memory of me". I know the catholic church and some other denominations have communion. But I always interpreted that as having a meal of fellowship in his name. Eating and having a drink, talking about our lord and loving each other. Am I way off base?

@nickimoraa I hope you remember her birthday every year.

When I was in fourth grade as a boy the school bully beat me up and broke my arm. My sister who was 1 year younger waited around a corner where the bully rode his bike through and put a shovel handle through the spokes as he went through, flipped his bike and then beat the shit out of him with her bare hands. He broke his arm in the bike wreck too 😂 … she beat him until adults pulled her off.

@nativeamnft @AgfAab @WarMonitor3 True. I wish they had never invaded Ukraine.

@chain_vara @AgfAab @WarMonitor3 I’m on Ukraines side, but people also need to realize some Russian exports are kind of important. It’s not as simple as the public thinks it is.

The UK prepares for food shortages due to Iran war in key meat Chicken and Pork-Times

Exactly. The term 'Judeo-Christian' first appeared in 1821 in reference to Jewish converts to Christianity—not any shared national foundation. It only gained political traction in the 1930s–40s to oppose fascism and later communism. The US was founded on Enlightenment-era Protestant Christian ethics, classical liberalism, natural rights, and influences from Locke, Polybius (on mixed constitutions & checks/balances), Montesquieu, etc. The Founders were mostly Christians (with some Deist leanings), but the Constitution is deliberately secular…no established church, religious tests banned. No 'Judeo' element in the founding documents or debates.

@chain_vara @EliAfriatISR There was no “judeo” foundation to this country. The US was built on an enlightenment era of Christianity. That silly term was invented in the 1820s.

Nan, Jesus' death and resurrection were prophesied centuries earlier in the Hebrew Scriptures (like Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22). Without his sacrificial death, there could be no resurrection, that brought victory over sin and death. It was all part of God's plan for redemption, foretold long before Christ's birth, and fulfilled through the events of that Passover. Redemption for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike.

@chain_vara @EliAfriatISR Wait until you find out who was also responsible for the death of Jesus… I won’t give you any spoilers, but it’s in the bible.