Maxwell 44: Must We Permit Mephistopheles and Beelzebub to Perform Financial and Performance Audits

[CyborgKin]

This is the Maxhell version of Halloween, except taking care to have more concentrated cultural insensitivity.

[fundiefan]

I saw a video recently - and I don't remember where - that was Native Americans discussing "what they'd prefer to be called". The most striking thing about it was that there was no general consensus. Some prefer their tribe, some prefer indigenous, some prefer native. Most didn't mind Indian as long as it's stated as American Indian, even though all made it clear how completely wrong that is since they are not from India, thus not Indians, and it is not their first choice. One said that he doesn't push back on being referred to as American Indian, because he has not encountered the phrase as a derogatory term directly and he gives people slack for not knowing better. 

Personally, I still think the bags & headbands at Maxhell were in very poor taste and showed a lack of education and awareness. Since it's Maxhell, that's not surprising. 

[IReallyAmHopewell]

20 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

Native American. The people who lived in the US prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers are called Native Americans. 

Probably not for the Maxwell's. Indians. When the cameras are off.

[Black Aliss]

23 hours ago, Bethy said:

Actually, I would think it would be the opposite if they're truly trying to keep from working on Sunday, because by going to a restaurant, they've necessitated that a whole bunch of other people go to work (host/hostess, server, cook, dishwasher, bussers, manager, maintenance, etc.) Many really strict, legalistic Christians won't even go to the grocery store for a jug of milk after church because they don't believe they should be shopping - so it would follow that these people would NOT go to a restaurant on Sunday even if it did keep THEM personally from working.

Ahem. You're not thinking like a fundie. No, they won't go shopping on Sunday (WIWAK my county had blue laws so you couldn't go to a store even if you wanted to but those laws didn't apply to restaurants). I'm sure I've posted here before about working as a waitress when I was in high school. My employer didn't give me a choice to not work on Sunday and my mother was okay with it because she'd figured out that it was a good deal for her if I paid for my own clothes and activities, plus I'd already been kicked out of choir for my "worldly demeanor" so as long as I attended on Sunday evening she was okay with my working the day shift. 

I was usually alone on the Sunday mid-day shift, the more experienced servers having figured out that the after church crowd tipped poorly, if at all. Still, I busted my butt giving that crowd the best, most attentive service possible. But I will never forget the good Christian lady who summoned me to her table, took my hand in hers to pat it as she thanked me for the excellent service and apologized that they couldn't leave me a tip because I should have been in church and to tip me would just be condoning the  fact that I was working instead. 

Granted, I was already pretty fed up with the hypocrisy of the fundie crowd, not to mention the cheap cologne they drenched themselves in, but that may have been what pushed me over the edge and out of the evangelical church.

Edited December 8, 2020 by Black Aliss

[ElizaB]

I remember there was a many post years ago about how the Maxwell's try not to work on Sundays and they also try to not to "do business" as they put it. 

[HereticHick]

23 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

Native American. The people who lived in the US prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers are called Native Americans. 

 

I can only really speak for me and my family, but we tribal folks, at least in the U.S., don't really have a  firm consensus about what we like to be called. Some of us prefer Native American, some of us prefer American Indian, some prefer Indigenous, some prefer First Nations or Native peoples or Original Peoples. Many of us are members of organizations that have stuck with older names (such as "American Indian Library Association" or "American Indian College Fund."  Many of us are cool with a variety of terms as long as they are respectful.

 If you know our specific tribe,  its always best to go with that. And when in doubt, of course, ask.  

Maggie Mae, I don't know your tribal background, so I can't speak for your preferences.

And just as important--please refer to us in the present tense.  We aren't instinct.

I also answer to "possum," "biscuit" and "ma'am" : )

 

[Lady Grass Lake]

I like the Canadian naming of "First Nation"    It incorporates all of the different tribes, and acknowledges they were in place long before the foreigners from across the sea arrived.  

[daisyjane1234]

9 minutes ago, Lady Grass Lake said:

I like the Canadian naming of "First Nation"    It incorporates all of the different tribes, and acknowledges they were in place long before the foreigners from across the sea arrived.  

In the Canadian context, the preferred term is "Indigenous" these days.

[fundiewatch]

19 hours ago, Lgirlrocks said:

Their bean burritos are the problem. They lack flavor, based on their description not by actually tasting them. 

I don’t mean to make an idol out of their burritos but the Maxwell fam has a much stronger game than I do! They make the beans from scratch, with onions and jalapeños. Homemade tortillas. I do remember them saying they put out cheese, lettuce, sour cream etc. Could they go bigger? Yes. But they sound amazing compared to my store bought tortillas, my can of refried beans. Add chips and salsa and the salad and I think it’s a good, if repetitive, meal.

I loved Anna Marie’s burrito post— girl is a radical. Buys tortillas at Costco, and includes meat in them— take that Steve. 

[Melissa1977]

22 minutes ago, fundiewatch said:

I don’t mean to make an idol out of their burritos but the Maxwell fam has a much stronger game than I do! They make the beans from scratch, with onions and jalapeños. Homemade tortillas. I do remember them saying they put out cheese, lettuce, sour cream etc. Could they go bigger? Yes. But they sound amazing compared to my store bought tortillas, my can of refried beans. Add chips and salsa and the salad and I think it’s a good, if repetitive, meal.

I loved Anna Marie’s burrito post— girl is a radical. Buys tortillas at Costco, and includes meat in them— take that Steve. 

Are you sure they cooked the beans and tortillas themselves from scratch? Maxwells usually eat processed food. 

[fundiefan]

58 minutes ago, Melissa1977 said:

Are you sure they cooked the beans and tortillas themselves from scratch? Maxwells usually eat processed food. 

Yes, they do and they are as proud of it as most people are of their children.

https://titus2.com/recipes-maxwell-burritos/

And, their search currently sucks eggs & is useless, but there are numerous posts about making tortillas and how Abby & Bethany are old pros since they've been doing it all their lives. 

And - again - this is one of my absolute favorites! Sarah even shadowed Melanie while she made it. There are pictures and everything; it's actually one of the most detailed "recipes" they've ever posted. What's ironic is...it's meat, seasoning & water! 

https://blog.titus2.com/2018/04/20/how-to-make-taco-meat-in-your-instant-pot/

Edited December 8, 2020 by fundiefan

[kpmom]

On 12/7/2020 at 1:17 PM, Bethy said:

They're not married. In their circles, you achieve adulthood when you get a wedding ring.

Although, not even then really, since a fundie wife still needs to obey another adult in her own home.  Not much different than the kids.

[fundiewatch]

@fundiefan thank you for those links! One of my favorite quotes EVER:

“We used to add hamburger, but Dad found that you couldn’t taste any difference and this makes it much less expensive.” 

sooooo Maxwell!!

[Maggie Mae]

4 hours ago, HereticHick said:

Maggie Mae, I don't know your tribal background, so I can't speak for your preferences.

I do not have a tribal background. I do, however, live in Alaska, and worked and stayed in the bush. We don't use "Indian" here, as Alaska Native is the preferred term, for most people. It's complicated. And during my stint in tourism, I was well trained on how to gently correct guests when they started asking about "the eskimos" which is a term that is very complicated.  I was under the impression that Native American worked in a similar way, thank you for correcting me. 

Basically, we use Native Alaskan most of the time. Some people prefer the term "eskimo" which, for the people who use it, is a term that includes most Northern groups with a similar language and culture, but excludes some southeast Alaska groups, but also works for shared heritage with people who were arbitrarily determined to be Canadian or Russian. (That sentence is really confusing.) We have 200+ tribes in state. 

4 hours ago, HereticHick said:

And just as important--please refer to us in the present tense.  We aren't instinct.

I'm a bit confused by this. 

2 hours ago, fundiefan said:

Yes, they do and they are as proud of it as most people are of their children.

https://titus2.com/recipes-maxwell-burritos/

Thanks for this! I wonder why I thought they premake them and roll them and freeze them as an entire burrito! That actually doesn't sound too bad, but I'd want to change it up once in a while, with some rice and black beans, instead of just pinto beans. I'd also probably use more/different spices. (cumin, paprika, garlic powder, probably cayenne.)

And if anyone else cares (someone asked about it on titus2) , we use a LOT of jalapenos. We also keep a box of disposable food safety gloves (we get them through a restaurant supply company, but you can buy them at the supermarket or on amazon)  and use them to handle hot peppers. It's a game changer, for real. No more trying to pour milk on my lady bits or in my eyes when I'd inevitably forget to wash my hands before running to the bathroom or touching my face to adjust my eyelashes. I wash my hands a lot, but capsaicin lingers. 

[Hane]

Years ago, one of us FJers made the Maxhell bean burrito filling. She reported back that the super-lengthy cooking process rendered it bland. She said that the same concoction could have been made in a much shorter time.

[Maggie Mae]

20 minutes ago, Hane said:

Years ago, one of us FJers made the Maxhell bean burrito filling. She reported back that the super-lengthy cooking process rendered it bland. She said that the same concoction could have been made in a much shorter time.

For me, just reading the recipe makes me think there will be a texture issue. However, I pretty much never make beans from scratch. I make plenty of things from scratch, but beans aren't something that offers a huge difference from just opening a can. (Name brand, anyway.) The ratio of work/wait time to cooking just isn't worth it. 

And 2 cups of chili powder, 30 cups of beans, but only 22 jalapenos doesn't work for me. Not only is it way more burrito filling that I would need, the ratio seems off. Off the top of my head, I'd probably do one-two can of beans, one large onion (yellow), 4-5 jalapenos, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, cayenne, and probably some chipotles. Then serve with rice, cheese, more jalapenos,  maybe some leftover chicken, lettuce, tomato, guac, and sour cream. I'd cook the onion first, with garlic and probably some bell pepper, then add the beans until it seems like the right amount. I taste as I go, so I'm really guessing about the ratio and what I'd add or not add. 

I guess I just think it wouldn't add that much benefit to slow cook the beans at that quantity with just some chili powder, onions, and jalapenos. 

[Lady Grass Lake]

7 hours ago, daisyjane1234 said:

In the Canadian context, the preferred term is "Indigenous" these days.

My son did his Master's at McGill and played in the Thunder Bay, ON symphony for a year in 2017.  I heard that term often so I thought it was the norm, it's always good to know the preferred wording.  Thank you.

I make chicken enchiladas.  I found these amazing dried pepper blends from the Flatiron Pepper Company (Google them online).  The blend I like is their smoky Hatch green pepper blend, and blend the dried peppers into sour cream and let sit for a few hours to release the flavors.   I don't cook by exact recipe, small batches, less ingredients, large batch, way more ingredients.     I  add chopped cooked chicken pieces and black and or pinto beans.  Throw a big spoon full of filling on a tortilla, roll and put seam side down in a greased cake pan, then before baking pour your favorite salsa or sauce over them.  You can put shredded cheese inside before rolling, or sprinkle over the top after you put the sauce on.  I bake covered wth foil at 375 degrees for a while until I know the inside of the enchiladas in the middle of the pan are hot, then pull off the foil and bake for 10 or more minutes until the top is slightly browned.  My version is on the mild side but Flatiron makes other blends that will burn your socks off.  

Edited December 9, 2020 by Lady Grass Lake
recipe needed work

[daisyjane1234]

There's a new post up.  Sarah continues to market  her book, as does Terri via her Mom's corner.

Terri says, "We don’t, however, want to give these children appetites for reading that will cause them to spend hours upon hours of profitable teen, young adult, and adult years entertaining themselves reading books. "  I cringed when reading that sentence.  And as we have all noted, it is the number one reason why Sarah will never write compelling books.  It is also the main reason that none of those kids will ever be able to think critically.  But I suppose that was the intent.

According to Terri, "Sarah’s goal in her books is to provide positive role models for children and limit or eliminate negative influences. I remember reading books to my children when they were elementary age, or them reading the books on their own, only to have them learn bad attitudes, critical or destructive words, and even negative actions from what they read."   I realize their goal is extreme-sheltering.  But if they never have to think about how they might respond to a challenging situation, or discuss why specific attitudes are "bad", how will they ever know how to cope.  Ah, yes, that is the point.  Build a bubble.  Live it in forever.  

Edited December 9, 2020 by daisyjane1234

[Bethy]

13 minutes ago, daisyjane1234 said:

There's a new post up.  Sarah continues to market  her book, as does Terri via her Mom's corner.

Terri says, "We don’t, however, want to give these children appetites for reading that will cause them to spend hours upon hours of profitable teen, young adult, and adult years entertaining themselves reading books. "  I cringed when reading that sentence.  And as we have all noted, it is the number one reason why Sarah will never write compelling books.  It is also the main reason that none of those kids will ever be able to think critically.  But I suppose that was the intent.

According to Terri, "Sarah’s goal in her books is to provide positive role models for children and limit or eliminate negative influences. I remember reading books to my children when they were elementary age, or them reading the books on their own, only to have them learn bad attitudes, critical or destructive words, and even negative actions from what they read."   I realize their goal is extreme-sheltering.  But if they never have to think about how they might respond to a challenging situation, or discuss why specific attitudes are "bad", how will they ever know how to cope.  Ah, yes, that is the point.  Build a bubble.  Live it in forever.  

I read the post and was trying to figure out how to even respond. The fact that she thinks toys are "worldly" and that books are across the board better than toys says volumes. Announcement: PLAY IS CHILDREN'S WORK. That is how they learn about the world around them. And I'm looking around my 5-year-old's toys trying to figure out where the worldly influences are. Is it the play kitchen? The baby dolls? The Little People? Noah's Ark? Yeah, they take up space and create clutter but she's expanding her creativity and thinking skills while she builds their worlds and anyway, when she's grown and gone my house can be immaculate then. Because unlike the Maxwells, I do anticipate my daughter will grow up and leave the home.

[Austrian Atheist]

Fundis are a mystery to me: they are against birth control and against abortion and they want as many children as possible. But they don't really know what to do with all those children. Worldly toys? Reading books as an entertainment? Which kind of "destructive words" could a book for an elementary aged child contain? 

How are they able to cope in the "real" world? What if they randomly hear a four letter word on the street? Do they even understand? Do they put the fingers in their ears or break down crying if the language in a children's book is too harsh for them?

 

 

 

[Lgirlrocks]

1 hour ago, daisyjane1234 said:

There's a new post up.  Sarah continues to market  her book, as does Terri via her Mom's corner.

Terri says, "We don’t, however, want to give these children appetites for reading that will cause them to spend hours upon hours of profitable teen, young adult, and adult years entertaining themselves reading books. "  I cringed when reading that sentence.  And as we have all noted, it is the number one reason why Sarah will never write compelling books.  It is also the main reason that none of those kids will ever be able to think critically.  But I suppose that was the intent.

According to Terri, "Sarah’s goal in her books is to provide positive role models for children and limit or eliminate negative influences. I remember reading books to my children when they were elementary age, or them reading the books on their own, only to have them learn bad attitudes, critical or destructive words, and even negative actions from what they read."   I realize their goal is extreme-sheltering.  But if they never have to think about how they might respond to a challenging situation, or discuss why specific attitudes are "bad", how will they ever know how to cope.  Ah, yes, that is the point.  Build a bubble.  Live it in forever.  

This is so sad. There are so many good books out there! I loved reading, once I learned how. I use to pride myself on reading more this week than the week before. My parents would take us to the library weekly to get books. So many wonderful memories of my dad reading to us. As an adult I probably own over 300 books. I do wonder if it’s okay for teens/adults to read the Bible for hours and hours a day. And if so, I assume it is okay, how is that better than reading other books? Isn’t that making an idol out of the Bible? Also there are tons of books out there that aren’t fiction. Lots of books written by biblical scholars. God gave us a brain for a reason. 

[Maggie Mae]

14 minutes ago, Austrian Atheist said:

Fundis are a mystery to me:

Me too. Especially the ones with evangelical tendencies. They want their kids to be extremely sheltered, but they also talk about spreading the news of God or whatever. How are they supposed to spread the word if they don't have any shared experiences? 

[Jana814]

Steve Maxwell never wants to see his kids or grandkids having fun. He thinks the only answers that they need are from the Bible. If a grandchild is at their house for their birthday’s & they are doing something fun, they must complete it quickly because they MUST have Bible time because in his mind it’s more important then making memories. 
 

 

[sparkles]

16 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

I wonder why I thought they premake them and roll them and freeze them as an entire burrito!

IIRC, they've done that when preparing for an upcoming birth so they have meals at the ready.

14 hours ago, Hane said:

Years ago, one of us FJers made the Maxhell bean burrito filling. She reported back that the super-lengthy cooking process rendered it bland. She said that the same concoction could have been made in a much shorter time.

Probably not only bland but complete mush as well. Judging from some of the pictures they've posted of the filling I don't think you could identify an actual bean if you tried.

[Alisamer]

3 minutes ago, sparkles said:

IIRC, they've done that when preparing for an upcoming birth so they have meals at the ready.

Probably not only bland but complete mush as well. Judging from some of the pictures they've posted of the filling I don't think you could identify an actual bean if you tried.

It is apparently cooked down enough that Steve couldn't tell the difference between hamburger and bean mush and just bean mush!

All I know is it sounds and looks disgusting to me. Then again, they'd probably side-eye me eating grits, so whatever. 

It just seems like yet another symptom of the stagnation they show in their lives. No fun, no variety, no spontaneous anything... just the Bible and the schedule and Steve's rules. I'm glad (and surprised) they have a cat and dog, at least. You know at least they don't follow the schedule exactly every day.