Maxwell 8: Not Riveting Our Attention

[Elegant Mess]

On April 5, 2017 at 5:05 PM, lauraloralara said:

I don't think I had ever read the first post in that riveting series, so I went and looked at it. These two sentences killed me: "We are excited when we hear stories of young men [never women, duh] who have committed themselves to debt-free living and then are able to purchase their first home debt free. That is the theme of our book Buying a House Debt Free." 

You're kidding. The theme of a book called Buying a House Debt Free is all about... buying... a house... debt-free? 

Here are some other ideas for future Maxwell publications and their write-ups on the blog: 

"Long ago, we purposed to lay it on the hearts of our daughters to stay at home, captive to the Word of God. That's the theme of our book Raising Daughters in Captivity." 

"Many years ago, Teri struggled with many demons, including depression and a crippling substance abuse problem. This is the theme of our book Struggling with Depression and Pepsi Addiction." 

"We once came very close to having f-n on the blog when we teased our readers about a lettuce-and-pizza-cutter trick. Good news! It's the theme of our new book: The Lettuce and Pizza Cutter Trick." 

In keeping with this theme, I thought of a few more to add to your collection:

He Ordered the Pizza!  A Wife's Guide to Trusting Her Husband

Leave No Trace:  How to Scrub Your Website of All Failed Courtship Content  (from the minds at 1 Ton Ramp)

Trusting God's Timing on All Things, Except When Your Bus Breaks Down on Tour - Then You Scour the City Looking for the Parts You Ordered

And, since they have superb communication skills, as evidenced by the blog and other books, Making Great Conversationalists!  Oh, wait ....

[socalrules]

The whole everyone should buy a house debt free just drives me crazy. Unless you live in bumfuck fundyland, it is nearly impossible to be a house debt free unless you are selling another house with lots of equity, have been saving for decades or won the lottery. I live in Southern California and make pretty good money, more than the Maxwell sons are ever going to make. It's unlikely I will ever be able to buy house unless I live in the middle of nowhere California but then that could be a problem since I couldn't get a job there.

This idea that anyone can buy a house debt free by saving their pennies is ridiculous unless you have a million different stars that align perfectly. I also wonder how many fundy boys can actually make enough at their jobs learned at the SOTDRT that enables them to save enough to buy even a cheap house in a low cost of living state. Maybe in The Maxwell's area you can buy a nice home for 40k but I would need a minimum of 600k for a tiny house in semi-decent neighborhood not in the middle of nowhere that still needs renovation. This pisses me off because my rent is probably way more than the Maxwell homes would cost for a monthly mortgage. 

[Black Aliss]

48 minutes ago, socalrules said:

The whole everyone should buy a house debt free just drives me crazy. Unless you live in bumfuck fundyland, it is nearly impossible to be a house debt free unless you are selling another house with lots of equity, have been saving for decades or won the lottery.

I can see where it might make financial sense for some folks, especially those who live where housing prices are low, who have the skills and the time to renovate a fixer-upper, who don't have a great credit rating so they would have to pay more in interest than their money could earn in another type of investment, and who aren't in a higher tax bracket and/or don't make enough to itemize on their returns. It would be the height of financial folly for Mr. Aliss and me to do so, as none of those conditions apply to us.

[Fun-Dee]

9 hours ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

Oh my gosh you guys are cracking up!!!! I had to add my own. "Soda and Sadness: The Teri Maxwell Story"

The one about raising daughters in captivity sounded so believable. Don't give Steve book ideas. 

That's a Lifetime movie just waiting to happen!  Or maybe the Hallmark channel?

[Kelsey]

1 hour ago, socalrules said:

The whole everyone should buy a house debt free just drives me crazy. Unless you live in bumfuck fundyland, it is nearly impossible to be a house debt free unless you are selling another house with lots of equity, have been saving for decades or won the lottery. I live in Southern California and make pretty good money, more than the Maxwell sons are ever going to make. It's unlikely I will ever be able to buy house unless I live in the middle of nowhere California but then that could be a problem since I couldn't get a job there.

This idea that anyone can buy a house debt free by saving their pennies is ridiculous unless you have a million different stars that align perfectly. I also wonder how many fundy boys can actually make enough at their jobs learned at the SOTDRT that enables them to save enough to buy even a cheap house in a low cost of living state. Maybe in The Maxwell's area you can buy a nice home for 40k but I would need a minimum of 600k for a tiny house in semi-decent neighborhood not in the middle of nowhere that still needs renovation. This pisses me off because my rent is probably way more than the Maxwell homes would cost for a monthly mortgage. 

You are supposed to move. There's no reason for anyone to live in cities anyways- you might be corrupted. So you can save your soul and buy your house debt-free in Kansas or Oklahoma.

[church_of_dog]

7 hours ago, catlady said:

so i found this in about 4 seconds on the Google--

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/pizza-wheel-to-chop-salad-hack.html

my favorite part is this:

"There's really not much to say about the process."

so Stevie was right about that, but still felt compelled to do the never-ending cliffhanger.

In the article they make it seem like the reason to use the pizza cutter is so you don't have to dirty/wash the cutting board.

Except -- in my home, the cutting board is out and being used for other food anyway -- maybe I'm totally unhygienic, but I don't wash the cutting board after each use or even after each meal -- it's there for the day and used a million times in that day (not for meat, though).  All kinds of things that might go in a salad that a pizza cutter wouldn't do a good job on -- carrots, avocado, garlic, etc.  So I have to wash the cutting board anyway.  And even if that wasn't true, I also find it easier to wash the cutting board than to wash the pizza-cutter.  I was surprised to see that the article indicates using it to cut the lettuce after the cheese is in the bowl -- to me that would just gum up the pizza cutter and make it even harder to clean.

Methinks this is one of those 'hacks' that sounds slick but actually makes more work instead of saving any.

[freejugar]

The "debt free series" is full of non sensical ramblings and never bothered to properly explain why  debt is so bad,

[FloraKitty35]

My ideas for Teri Maxwell book titles:

Ennui & Pepsi, 

Postpartum & Pepsi

 

[anniebgood]

5 hours ago, fundiefan said:

My grandma always made a big deal that knives - any metal - should not be used to cut lettuce. Either tear or chop with non metal. She even gave me a plastic 'lettuce knife' for my wedding shower - 22 years ago. I still have it. 

My mom and grandma said that it made the lettuce leaves rust. Never got to prove the point because the salads were usually all gone. That being said, in addition to the multi bladed scissors my husband has, he also has a ceramic knife which he uses for his romaine (the only kind of lettuce he likes). 

[Suz8710]

3 hours ago, FloraKitty35 said:

My ideas for Teri Maxwell book titles:

Ennui & Pepsi, 

Postpartum & Pepsi

 

Hahaha I love Ennui & Pepsi, great title. 

[Thunder]

7 hours ago, Fun-Dee said:

That's a Lifetime movie just waiting to happen!  Or maybe the Hallmark channel?

Nope  "Soda and Sadness: The Teri Maxwell Story" is defiantly a Lifetime movie, they're more dramatic! Hallmarks more Lemon Poppy Seed: One woman's journey to marriage. 

[kpmom]

New post up. 

Sarah flew to Texas to visit friends.

Does anyone recognize the friends?

[SuchABlessing]

Sarah took a vacation! By herself! Go Sarah! 

[JermajestyDuggar]

Sarah was allowed to fly ALONE? 

35 is much too young for her to do that without a male chaperone. 

[SPHASH]

"Mark" is Smug Joseph.  https://blog.titus2.com/2012/06/09/the-answer-2/

Sarah went to the Alamo, a CATHOLIC place! Did she find PeeWee's bike?

[bertnee]

My theories for why "buy your house outright" is such a big deal to fundies is...

• It harkens back to the 1950s when the middle-class actually existed in a tangible way in the US and one man with merely a high school education could work a 40-hour per week job that paid enough to save for a house while supporting a wife and 2.5 children. And it is, after all, the golden decade to which many fundies want to return. (Never mind that most fundies  probably wouldn't have been part of the middle-class anyway (something they also forget when they wax poetic about any other time in history).)
   
• If you own your house, then you are beholden to no man! And then when the Lord calls you to go on a mission to save heathens in foreign countries/quit your job and "tour" the country while forcing your eleventy children to sing for their supper, you can do that without worrying about silly things like money and paychecks.
   
• It's a way to "connect" with non-fundie society. In general, we all know that debt is bad and only buying what you can afford is good. So we can all generally agree that it would be better to be able to buy a house rather than mortgage a house. It's just not even within the realm of possibility for the vast majority of Americans. (Oh, and after you've connected with non-fundie society, you convert them to fundies, natch. Didn't you read Steve's previous post in the "debt-free" series about how being debt-free doesn't matter if you do not follow his religious beliefs -- I mean, allow the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into your life?)
   
• It yet another way to keep Dad in charge of adult children. You can't marry until you buy a house, young man! I don't care if you're 42, go to your room!

[anjulibai]

Sarah looks genuinely happy to be out with her friends. Much, much, much happier than she was when she was out with Teri, Anna and Mary.

I'm glad Sarah got to go visit friends (though I doubt she was alone - probably a brother came with) but it just shows even more how miserable she is in Maxhell. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

2 hours ago, kpmom said:

New post up. 

Sarah flew to Texas to visit friends.

Does anyone recognize the friends?

They look related. They also look like fundie SAHDs. 

So what family lives in Texas and has 4 SAHDs?

[Black Aliss]

16 hours ago, freejugar said:

The "debt free series" is full of non sensical ramblings and never bothered to properly explain why  debt is so bad,

Perhaps it's paying interest that is bad, which would make Steve a secret Muslim fundamentalist.

[16strong]

This latest post threw me for a loop. I don't think I've ever seen a genuine smile from Sarah, much less one as radiant and carefree as that first picture. She looks twenty years younger and absolutely gorgeous. That quote, though... freedom sure ain't free? No, Sarah, it truly isn't.

[WonderingInWA]

5 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Sarah was allowed to fly ALONE? 

35 is much too young for her to do that without a male chaperone. 

Going through security alone must have been defrauding!  

[fundiefan]

No kids in sight so she may actually be with other single women - no child care, at least none visible. 

I'm betting some fundie SAHD even is happening in SA this weekend. Sarah is a Maxwell, they never, ever do something just to do it. There is always a purpose and it's always 'edifying'. 

Dollars to donuts, even if not stated outright, eventually it will be obvious she was at some fundie conference/retreat/seminar shindig. 

[socalrules]

Oh I am sure there was another Maxwell, likely male, with Sarah, he just wasn't shown. It doesn't make sense Sarah would be allowed to fly to another state alone to hang out with friends but can't do it in her how neighborhood. Plus, I thought their only friends were to be their siblings. 

[emesbe]

I"m so sad that Sarah cannot make the "basement at the Alamo" joke because she's never watched a movie in her life.

[tabitha2]

I can't either  

Whats the joke?