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Seriously Steve 3: Relaxing His Grip as He Prepares to Turn 70?


Coconut Flan

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6 minutes ago, fundiefan said:

 

Fundies are not the smartest people in existence and they interpret news through their fundie lens that shakes it up & spits it out as something entirely different from what it actually is. 

Truer words have never been said about Fundies. They definitely not the smartest people in existence even though I’m sure many feel they are the best & the brightest. 

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5 hours ago, fundiefan said:

Kristshuns already believe that "the Islamists" are taking over the world; that's why fundies need to outbreed & up their evangelism. They are terrified of the Muslim Barack Obama and what he brought to the US and all must be stopped. They're scared of "Shaira Law" and invoke it at every turn, as they work their asses off for Kristshun Law. 

Fundies are not the smartest people in existence and they interpret news through their fundie lens that shakes it up & spits it out as something entirely different from what it actually is. 

True. I realise they cannot separate extremists from one faith.

I also realise they don’t understand the concept of freedom (this is for the American fundies). I love hearing them talking about freedom and then wanting to squash the freedom of people not like them. No guys, it was freedom for everybody, not just you.

The horrible irony is a lot of beliefs from the Middle East (not just Islam but the culture) are completely inline with what they preach. Modesty for women - in one case just completely covered in fundie clothes and in one case Islamic dress. Authority of men, women staying at home to care for and have children. Arranged marriage. Religious leaders all men, stilted education access for women. What are fundies would love is a Christian dictator. Although even then they’ll still never agree. All their little independent churches believe they are the only ones doing everything right.

(I will just say I lived in the UAE for 18 months as a teen and have travelled to many parts of the ME so I’m not playing stereotypes or anything, I know the above isn’t true across the board and I’m also aware it’s not the choice of everyone in the region.)

 

 

 

 

 

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So if read last week's column or breakdown of "Savory Sewage", you'll remember Steve was against watching the news. 

This week's Seriously, Dad? is a continuation of last week with "Sewage Faucet" dated July 7, 2021. 

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Paul begins Colossians 3:1 with the phrase, “If ye then be risen with Christ” is another way of saying, if you are saved, because what was to follow wouldn’t apply to those who are hell-bound (John 3:36).

The arrogance of thinking you know who is hell-bound. I suppose this allows for only God knowing who is sincere in their beliefs. I do not think only people who think like Steve are going to heaven.

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Then he continues, “seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). The lost care nothing for heaven, because they are consumed with the world. The world is their life and what they love. 

Another KJV fan with the word "sitteth". 

I'm pretty sure the bible instructs us to care about the world. Here's what Billy Graham said:

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Why should we be concerned about the environment? It isn’t just because of the dangers we face from pollution, climate change, or other environmental problems—although these are serious. For Christians, the issue is much deeper: We know that God created the world, and it belongs to Him, not us. Because of this, we are only stewards or trustees of God’s creation, and we aren’t to abuse or neglect it. The Bible says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1).

When we fail to see the world as God’s creation, we will end up abusing it. Selfishness and greed take over, and we end up not caring about the environment or the problems we’re creating for future generations.

I found this by googling "should Christians care about the earth?"  and got this website.  I also remember Jesus telling us to care for other people on the planet. 

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That is not to be the case for someone who has been redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb. His eternal home is not earth, but heaven, where our Lord Jesus is. 

The Jehovah's Witnesses believe they are "citizens of heaven", and because of this they don't celebrate national holidays, say the pledge of allegiance, or vote in elections. I think you and your family do all of  these things. Doesn't that make you more wordly than the Jehovah's Witnesses?

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John admonishes similarly in 1 John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” We draw near to what we love because it has our thoughts and focus.

We also draw near to what we hate, dislike, despise and what annoys us. Isn't that the point of your column?

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The networks can’t tell you how to think, but they tell you what to think about, because whatever they stream, you fill your mind with.    

I admit there are drawbacks to this. People get tired of celebrities like Kim Kardashian. Not everyone like true crime. But there are advantages to having things drawn to attention. For example, I didn't know as much about racism as a white kid. I consider it good that the news has drawn my attention to differences in how the police handle white people and people of color. I consider the pursuit of justice and equality to honor God.

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A dad’s response following last weeks’ Seriously. 

“Yes!  Well said. I fully agree. If you recall, I work as a psychiatrist.  One of my most common non-pharmacologic prescriptions for people I treat is, “stop watching the news all day.”  It makes one depressed and anxious.  I usually tell them to set a limit of 10-20 minutes per day, then turn it off.  But really, never turning it on in the first place would be even better. Thank you for pointing out this truth from God’s Word!”

Argh! A psychiatrist reads Steve's column.

Where exactly in the bible does it "Thou Shall Not Watch Cable News All Day."?

Also there's nothing wrong in watching a half hour of local news and a half hour of national news. It is true that people who watch a lot of the 24/7 news often are depressed and anxious, and there are other ways to get your news. However being informed is part of being a citizen and a member of the community. I have heard other psychologists/psychiatrist advise against watching the news all time, but most of them recommend staying informed. 

 

Edited by Bluebirdbluebell
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So Steve sucks and this is not a defense of him, but actually for someone who is having anxiety but it may not be at a pathological level, reducing stressors can be helpful.  Psychiatrists don’t usually do talk therapy, usually focused more in med management with LCSW and psychologists doing most of the therapy part.  So I’m very side eye in the response anyhow.

it isn’t bad advice.  I had to timebox my news consumption last year and in Jan because it was augmenting my existing anxiety and panic disorders.  That said, rarely is that the only answer for someone who has anxiety high enough to seek out a psych.  Hopefully whomever else is treating them also works with them to develop good coping mechanisms. 

Edited by treemom
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Poor Steve. Can you imagine being so fucking scared of the life your god supposedly gave you that you hide from every aspect of it?

I wonder what his god thinks of the wasted lives? 

Yes, watching news 24/7 is unhealthy. But, most people have lives - jobs, school, family, friends, social lives, etc...they do other things; they do not wake up and sit in front of the tv all day. Hell, I am still working from home. For the past year, I've had access to my television and computer all day every day. Yet, guess what? The television is never on during the day and rarely even in the evening unless I am watching something specific. (Just finished This is Us and Handmaids Tale; I am slow with the TV). My personal laptop is usually on & on the corner of my desk while I'm working, but it's not blaring the news all day. I read CNN in the morning, then that's pretty much it for the day - unless something happens. (Like, I had it on all day during impeachment, vote certifying, inauguration, the insurrection).

The point being - I don't know where Steve gets his picture of what normal people do. Because your average person does not consume news all day, every day. 

He exaggerates because it's the only way he can sit in judgment upon others. If other people aren't completely obsessed with whatever Steve thinks is wrong, how can he condemn them to hell? 

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5 hours ago, fundiefan said:

Poor Steve. Can you imagine being so fucking scared of the life your god supposedly gave you that you hide from every aspect of it?

I wonder what his god thinks of the wasted lives? 

Yes, watching news 24/7 is unhealthy. But, most people have lives - jobs, school, family, friends, social lives, etc...they do other things; they do not wake up and sit in front of the tv all day. Hell, I am still working from home. For the past year, I've had access to my television and computer all day every day. Yet, guess what? The television is never on during the day and rarely even in the evening unless I am watching something specific. (Just finished This is Us and Handmaids Tale; I am slow with the TV). My personal laptop is usually on & on the corner of my desk while I'm working, but it's not blaring the news all day. I read CNN in the morning, then that's pretty much it for the day - unless something happens. (Like, I had it on all day during impeachment, vote certifying, inauguration, the insurrection).

The point being - I don't know where Steve gets his picture of what normal people do. Because your average person does not consume news all day, every day. 

He exaggerates because it's the only way he can sit in judgment upon others. If other people aren't completely obsessed with whatever Steve thinks is wrong, how can he condemn them to hell? 

Nobody watches the news 24/7, but I know and have heard of many people who watch the news all day or at least many hours of the day.

This seems to be particularly a probably among older people, who are retired. There are plenty of active retirees, but a lot of older people watch the news all day. People have complained that their families have bought into conspiracies after watching large amounts of tv "news". 

I have also known families who kept Fox News on during most of the afternoon and into the night. Most of those people that I know personally were Catholic, since I grew up Catholic.

Basically not everyone watches the news compulsively, but there are a quite few people who do.

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On 7/7/2021 at 2:58 AM, Bluebirdbluebell said:

Also there's nothing wrong in watching a half hour of local news and a half hour of national news. It is true that people who watch a lot of the 24/7 news often are depressed and anxious, and there are other ways to get your news.

In defense of the psychiatrist, he does say, “stop watching the news all day.”

One of my favorite people listened nonstop to radio and tc news and eventually ended her own life. There were many more causations than an overload of mostly bad news, but that dawn-to-dusk chatter didn’t help. 

Of blessed memory, my pal. ?

 

On 7/7/2021 at 5:31 AM, treemom said:

it isn’t bad advice.  I had to timebox my news consumption last year and in Jan because it was augmenting my existing anxiety and panic disorders.  That said, rarely is that the only answer for someone who has anxiety high enough to seek out a psych.  

I’ve done that since 9/11/2001. I mean, I was well aware that the news we hear in the morning is repeated every hour through to the evening and bedtime news wrap-ups.It was the horrific images replayed & replayed brought it home. 
 

News alerts from my apps advise me of something big, of of a turning point. That’s a blessing in combatting FOMO on missing a  news development.

 

Like today: 87 bodies remain in the condo wreckage.  That number will be repeated hourly.  It’s a reminder I don’t need. 

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Since Trump is no longer POTUS, I rarely listen to the news. Maybe I’m as bad as the fundies? I think when you do not trust your leader because s/he has been deemed a corrupt imbecile, you tend to listen a little more intently-  The real problem is how someone could find Biden politically and intellectually problematic, yet support and almost worship a politician Trump- it does not compute with me.

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4 hours ago, MamaJunebug said:

In defense of the psychiatrist, he does say, “stop watching the news all day.”

One of my favorite people listened nonstop to radio and tc news and eventually ended her own life. There were many more causations than an overload of mostly bad news, but that dawn-to-dusk chatter didn’t help. 

Of blessed memory, my pal. ?

 

The Psychiatrist also says

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I usually tell them to set a limit of 10-20 minutes per day, then turn it off. 

Most television programs are longer than that, so I think 30 minutes to an hour is fine. 

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8 minutes ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

The Psychiatrist also says

Most television programs are longer than that, so I think 30 minutes to an hour is fine. 

Yeah, at least let them finish watching the show before turning it off.

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7 hours ago, MamaJunebug said:

In defense of the psychiatrist, he does say, “stop watching the news all day.”

One of my favorite people listened nonstop to radio and tc news and eventually ended her own life. There were many more causations than an overload of mostly bad news, but that dawn-to-dusk chatter didn’t help. 

Of blessed memory, my pal. ?

 

I’ve done that since 9/11/2001. I mean, I was well aware that the news we hear in the morning is repeated every hour through to the evening and bedtime news wrap-ups.It was the horrific images replayed & replayed brought it home. 
 

News alerts from my apps advise me of something big, of of a turning point. That’s a blessing in combatting FOMO on missing a  news development.

 

Like today: 87 bodies remain in the condo wreckage.  That number will be repeated hourly.  It’s a reminder I don’t need. 

Can you please spoiler mentions of suicide?  Particularly when quoting someone who spoke of intense and life long anxiety and panic.  While I’m in a fairly stable place now, it is difficult to read my own words compared to someone whose live ended due to suicide.  It was jarring.  If you hadn’t quoted me, I likely would have just skipped it.  But you did and I got a notification and given not one mention of suicide had occurred it was, as I said, jarring.

Edited by treemom
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15 hours ago, treemom said:

Can you please spoiler mentions of suicide?  Particularly when quoting someone who spoke of intense and life long anxiety and panic.  While I’m in a fairly stable place now, it is difficult to read my own words compared to someone whose live ended due to suicide.  It was jarring.  If you hadn’t quoted me, I likely would have just skipped it.  But you did and I got a notification and given not one mention of suicide had occurred it was, as I said, jarring.

I’m sorry - I had no idea and will gladly spoiler in future. ❤️ 

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On 7/7/2021 at 1:39 PM, Bluebirdbluebell said:

Nobody watches the news 24/7, but I know and have heard of many people who watch the news all day or at least many hours of the day.

This seems to be particularly a probably among older people, who are retired. There are plenty of active retirees, but a lot of older people watch the news all day. People have complained that their families have bought into conspiracies after watching large amounts of tv "news". 

I have also known families who kept Fox News on during most of the afternoon and into the night. Most of those people that I know personally were Catholic, since I grew up Catholic.

Basically not everyone watches the news compulsively, but there are a quite few people who do.

Such as Donald Trump. And it certainly appeared to augment his anxiety!

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I don’t really watch the news as such, but I do check news websites every so often. It’s useful to know what’s going on in the world. And sometimes, in amongst all the awful stuff, there are some nice feel-good stories. 

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Free Breakdown of the new Seriously, Dad?. It's called "Here is a Warning" and it's from July 14th. It's a continuuation of the last two weeks.

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Warning labels began being applied to poison substances in the mid 1800’s and without doubt have saved many lives. Ingesting harmful substances can cause longterm health repercussions and even prove deadly. We knew a family whose son had his throat seriously burned by drinking out of a cup that appeared clean but once had lye in it. It was a rough road for him for a long time. 

Yes warning labels are a good idea.

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My Brothers, none will argue that ingesting sewage is harmful, and there’s been no argument to my warning regarding moral sewage in previous Seriously articles. What your eyes, the windows to your soul, dine on have great impact on your soul and resulting spiritual walk. 

So he's refering to his last two articles: Savory Sewage and Sewage Faucet. Here at FJ many people disagreed with Steve on those issues. You can read through the last few pages of this thread. He did get one letter agreeing with him, which he quoted in Sewage Faucet. 

But how much backlash do you normally get Steve? I would assume a mass email like the Seriously column doesn't allow for people to reply. You repost the articles on your website and don't allow for comments. You filter the comments on the blog. If no one is disagreeing with you, it may be that they are too busy to find a way to get feedback to you. It would be more impressive if you allowed people to disagree with you at all. 

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Don’t you wonder how many dads have a poor relationship with the Lord due to their optical “malnutrition.” 

First of all, that's a question, it needs a question mark. 

Second, I don't wonder that at all.

Thirdly, "optical malnutrition" is a weird phrase for so many reasons.  I have no idea what to say. The point is of course read God's word. What's wrong with listening to God's word? 

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They have never experienced a close “sweet” walk with the Savior. 

I don't generally describe reading as walking. 

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They haven’t hungered and feasted on His Word because their appetite is poisoned.

 

Saying you hungered and feasted on His Word sounds blasphemous.  Stop trying to substitute scripture for food.

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Sadly, they don’t even know what they are missing.

There are way too many examples of the Maxwells missing out on stuff that I won't even start.

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“The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness” (Luke 11:34-35).

“Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16)

I'm surprised he didn't go for Matthew 18:9

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9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into [a]hell fire.

 

Edited by Bluebirdbluebell
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So this one is super short. Steve is probably too worried about his newest granddaughter (Madeline Sue) to write a longer post, which is understandable. Given the circumstances, I wouldn't snark on it's length, but it's noticably short. It's called Which One Are You? and it's dated July 21, 2021. 

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When you have a discussion with a Brother at church, what generally do you talk about? Is it the weather, sports, activities, or the things of the Lord? Is your conversation empty or edifying? 

Generally you ask how they've been and they ask you how you've been. You find out if they have news they want to share and then you make small talk. Most people like having small conversations as it helps bond us together. Also these things aren't necessarily shallow. Activities could include volunteering, helping people, sharing recipes that are healthy, etc. You know the kind of stuff you post about on your blog! Like that messy towel drawer photo. I honestly thought that post was fine, but it certainly seemed more empty than edifying. 

The weather is only "empty conversation" if you don't have weather that causes complications and a lot of weather causes complications. For example it's summer. Folks can get overheated and have heat stroke. Making sure your friends have ways of dealing with the heat is good. There are fires out west caused by climate change. Then we're in hurricane season so that can cause lots of damage, destruction, problems. Not to mention tornados, which I always associate with Kansas.

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Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (Romans 14:19).

I like this verse. It says we should promote peace and learning, two things my parents taught to me to value. It does seem at odds with the Maxwells who are seem limited as to what they study or learn. Also many fundies have such animosity for people who aren't like them, so I don't think them as peaceful. It sounds like the kind of verse Biden or Obama might quote. 

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Since I don't go to church I can't answer in his context. 

But, when I have a conversation with people I encounter, I typically talk about whatever it is that brought us together - the music, the bar, the restaurant, the movie, the fair....wherever we are that led to us being in the same space & talking. 

If it's someone I know, there are a bajillion things that could be discussed and there are no rules about what it will be. 

Can you imagine Steve approaching you at church? How dry, boring, death filled & painful his attempts at conversation would be? No talking about your job, your kid's adventures, the family coming for a visit, your upcoming vacation, your new baby, your daughter's wedding, your recent stay in a hospital, your basement flooding after all those storms, the roof that blew off your house in that tornado - nope, weather is not edifying. Activities are not edifying. Sorry, dude, your existence is not edifying. How dare you try to talk to me about that restaurant that jute opened down the street or the new coffee shop in the village. Only god. Only talk about god. Just god. Nothing else but god. 

Steve is so shallow, he isn't capable of discussing anything but god. He lost all ability to associate with human beings as he forced isolation upon his family. Dude wouldn't even take questions that weren't pre-approved at his dog & pony show. Steve Maxwell is, in short, fucking terrified of the world and his god and that fear of stepping one toe out of god's line keep him so clenched he gave himself his own reversal-reversal vasectomy. 

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I'm glad that the only part of the blog that hasn''t died is Steve's weekly rants.

I like to read and try to figure out who crossed him that week.

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On 7/7/2021 at 8:41 AM, fundiefan said:

Poor Steve. Can you imagine being so fucking scared of the life your god supposedly gave you that you hide from every aspect of it?

 

The point being - I don't know where Steve gets his picture of what normal people do. Because your average person does not consume news all day, every day. 

He exaggerates because it's the only way he can sit in judgment upon others. If other people aren't completely obsessed with whatever Steve thinks is wrong, how can he condemn them to hell? 

The word “normal” never describes Steverino.

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Today's Seriously email:

There is something that every time I hear it, my heart groans. I believe when it is said, it is meant for good, but it still troubles me. What is it? 

When something happens for good and a person wants to give God the credit, he says it was a “God thing.” You might scratch your head and wonder how that could ever trouble me. Well, my God is holy and righteous. He is the Almighty God of the universe. If mankind were to see Him, we would die because of how holy God is. 

Yet, when people use the above expression, it brings God’s name down to something common. There is no reverence, awe, or respect. The Jews didn’t even say God’s name because it was so holy. “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance expands on the word “vain” to include these words: emptiness, nothingness, and vanity emptiness of speech.  

May we give God proper respect and glory. He is worthy of our praise. “Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you” (Leviticus 22:32).

Don't the Maxwells give credit to God all the time, from Jesse getting a new car to the weather.

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Didn’t Teri(?)praise God for a new phone case?

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It's probably calling it a God THING that irritates him, in the way of an old man shaking a stick at the young people. The Maxwells put a (random) bible verse at the end of every post, presumably that's a more holy way to show awe and wonder.

Going to a real church is killing him more quickly than his heart disease.  

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Honestly, giving God credit for giving you a new phone case,  a car  or for the weather to me is much more disrespectful than saying it's a God thing (Is this a common phrase where any of you live?  I can't say I've ever heard it).

Years ago, when they were traveling around for their dog and pony shows John prayed to see the Northern Lights.  And what do you know?  He saw them!!!!! :shocked:

I'm sorry, I find that sort of thing disgusting.  God can't be bothered curing kids with cancer, or John's own niece, Susannah, but he can take time out of his busy day so John Maxwell can see the Northern Lights?

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He's mad at a turn of phrase - how very Steve-like. I doubt it's a common phrase, he just overheard someone say it and didn't get the context and it just pissed him off. 

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In the latest photo catchup on the blog, there is a tree down on their property and Steve is holding on to what looks like a downed power line.  In a picture with the kids, you can see the same power line in a diagonal line from the upper right corner of the photo to the driveway.  Do they not know that you don't go anywhere near a downed power line, or walk around on it.  If the ground is wet and there is a live line laying on the ground, the electricity can travel through the water logged earth and electrocute you.    I would think Steve was smarter than that, and maybe had the okay of authorities to go in and pick up the downed branches, but I'd still wait for someone to remove the lines before letting myself or a gaggle of grandkids anywhere near it.  

 

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