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The Watercooler ~ RedState’s Daily Open Thread

By: westcoastpatriette (Diary)  |  February 2nd, 2013 at 09:42 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

“Open threads are kind of the “watercooler” on a blog and I agree with WCP. I miss ‘em.” Quote from kowalski on yesterday’s trial open thread.

So there you have it, folks. I loved the analogy and decided to name this Daily Open Thread the Watercooler. I heard from Bill S. yesterday, too, and he said he doesn’t have a problem with me doing this each day, so we’re off and running.

I was surprised how many others expressed how much they miss not having an open thread. I think having one plays a crucial role in keeping spirits up and creating a more cohesive community. So, you know what they say about starting a new enterprise. If you see a need, fill it. I got tired of craving an open thread and waiting for “someone” to do something about it. As much as I have had a hard time adjusting to the redesign, I just can’t seem to get away from RedState so, God willing, I think I can throw something together each day.

I don’t want to over-commit myself or back myself into a corner in terms of what I write, but since so many RedState members are faithful Christians (and yes, that includes Catholics) who try to honor God in their lives, I thought I would try to find a scripture that we could meditate on or be reminded of as we go about our conservative political activism each day. As many of you know, I wrote several diaries when I first came to RedState confessing to feeling really convicted and bad about some of my conduct as a newbie to the political scene. And I still struggle with it. Our nation is in deep, deep trouble and we need God’s help and direction (not to mention mercy) to find our way out of the wilderness.

I also weep and cry out to God a lot because in the current political environment, conservatives and God-fearing people are so despised, mocked and generally hated for trying to do good. And I wonder…how did America get here?

Anyway, the scripture I thought of for today is one from the Sermon on the Mount. In Jesus’ words:

“Blessed are those who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

No matter how much we are hated by the world or how much it looks like we are losing, I believe it is righteousness that most conservatives are seeking after. Indeed, we hunger and thirst after it. We want a righteous government and righteous public servants. And according to Jesus, that makes us blessed. With a promise that we shall be filled. So, be encouraged and know that your work will not go unrewarded.

Well, I think that’s enough for today. Have a great Saturday and feel free to stop by the Watercooler any time you get thirsty and need to hang out.

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  • rbdwiggins

    Check, use this easy tutorial to create a hyperlink.

    • Jim_Riggs

      Let me try it.

      I’d rather be fishing.

      • Jim_Riggs

        Cool. Thanks!

        How do you do images?

        • PowerToThePeople

          I assume you are asking how to do images on a reply posts such as right here where I am typing. Two ways that I know of to do that.

          Easiest way is to have the picture stored on your computer, click on the little box you see when you hit reply that has mountains in it, chose the pic you want displayed, then double click it. You can add as many pics that way as you want.

          The other way is to utilize HTML which is a bit tricky until you get used to it. Using the above site, here is the tutorial to help you figure it out. Make sure you are careful when sizing it as if you make it too big, you will end up with part of the pic missing or it taking so much room in the thread you have to delete it.

          http://www.quackit.com/html/tutorial/html_images.cfm

          • Jim_Riggs

            Thanks.

    • checkmate2012

      Thank you rbdwiggins- great website and easy to understand!

  • conservativecurmudgeon

    “How did we get here?”

    Most preceding generations of Americans have asked that question.

    For example, after the disasters at Shiloh and Cold Harbor and the Bull Runs and Vicksburg, and on and on, both sides of the Civil War must have asked the same question: “How did we get here?”

    There is a sobering difference between those generations past, and today, however. Abraham Lincoln even makes allusion to it in his Second Inaugural Address: In addressing the “present war”, Lincoln made a startling clear observation about the combatants: “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other.” In other words, in the darkest of days in America’s past, all sides eventually rested in the bosom of a Loving God, knowing that his judgements, His will, would win through. These judgements might be extremely mysterious, but they were God’s alone.

    Such is not the case today. One side of the political matrix manifestly rejects God and His Word. And, as a catastrophic result, our Day in the Sun has passed. Our culture will now slide inexorably toward tyranny, and misery, and death. That’s just how it is on this side of Heaven. Moses went up the Mountain to be schooled again by God, and, although his people had seen the wonders of a Miraculous Lord time and again, by the time he came down again, there they were: Partying like is was 1999, worshiping some stupid Golden Calf.

    Manna has verily rained on the United States, and we’ve been blessed with an ancient and righteous heritage. But, we bargained it all away for a free condom. We deserve our divine retribution.

    • kipling

      When it seems darkest, I am often reminded of the Word of God to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:18: “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” We are not alone. Godspeed.

    • westcoastpatriette

      Hi, ‘curmudgeon. I get like that sometimes, too, thinking America’s done for good and there is no more hope. But, I don’t think so really. I think God has a covenant with us as a nation and even though he may have to chasten us and allow us to go through a lot of suffering, His love and faithfulness will bring us through. And we will be better for it. Stronger, more grateful and wiser. At least that’s my prayer.

      • conservativecurmudgeon

        God’s love is eternal, yes. Cultures and societies are not.

        Our indebtedness outstrips the ability of the world’s economy to pay for it, even if the entire world was inclined to pay our debts– which, of course, it isn’t. Yes, if God comes to our rescue, a rescue it will be– and one that only He can deliver.

        If there’s a way out now, I certainly don’t see one– beyond, of course, total societal collapse. Our media cheerleads for it; The Government cements it; Society champions it. And God does some of his most awesome work in such times.

        Your (and my, to an extent) belief that God has a covenant with our nation does not make it so. That we acknowledged his endowments at our founding doesn’t mean we do so in perpetuity, much as I wish it did. I have two beautiful sons, now entering their teens, and I wish it were otherwise– but, the reelection of Barack Obama –a man of middling intellect, a petulant scold, an inherently lazy man that traffics in the death of unborn innocents, a political strip-tease artist, a con-man– must be seen for what he is: Not a bit of divine justice meted out for the course correction of an errant God-loving nation, but rather as the foul symptom of a much larger, metastatic disease of a people falling down.

        Our nation is now under divine judgement, and we must all ride the wave– and continue to help carry out His Will, as best we can. Do we curl up in a fetal position, and hope the clouds blow over? Certainly not: But, we do put on a raincoat, and at times yearn for the sunny days of long ago..

  • kipling

    wcp, If you need someone to fill in for you at some point, just let us know. I am sure a few of the regulars would be willing to lend a hand.

    • westcoastpatriette

      Wow, thanks for the offer, kipling. We’ll see how it goes. For now, I am sort of placing myself on a self-imposed time frame to have this ready by 6:00 a.m. Pacific. (Although, I was a little late with it this morning. That’s the good part about volunteering. I can miss my deadline when I want. :) ) It works in my schedule right now. But, I’ll definitely keep you in mind when I get a rhythm down and see how the Watercooler unfolds. Could be lots of fun.

  • Viet71

    Groundhog Day = Candlemas = midpoint of winter.

    • westcoastpatriette

      We’re having a nice winter here in So. Cal. this year. Lots of rain.

  • kowalski

    Looks like the “watercooler” is going pretty well ;) . Nice to see it.

    In the spirit of water and all that other stuff, I thought I’d expand a little on reference to Old Faithful Holsters from yesterday.

    Old Faithful Holsters is a relatively new company that doesn’t just make complete gun holsters – they also sell them as a kit, in various levels of finish, that people can choose to complete on their own. There are a *lot* of good holsters in the world and I don’t want to disparage anyone’s, but recently I was looking for a holster for one of my pistols that’s a difficult fit because it was manufactured in relatively small numbers. I wanted a comfortable inside-the-waistband holster that I could wear beneath my clothes that would be comfortable and most importantly, relatively inexpensive.

    Old Faithful’s Level 1 IWB tuckable holster kit fit the, er, bill. I was impressed with their customer service and the quality of the materials in the kit is very good considering the price. The leather is nice and supple, all the parts and instructions are there, and the price was right. I’m working on it this weekend and I’ll have some pictures available.

    What really sealed the deal for me was their customer service. I cold called them with a question about a relatively obscure pistol and they took the time to check it all out for me and make a recommendation while I was still on the line – with no guarantee of a sale. In fact, they risked losing the sale because they confirmed that none of their fully assembled kits would be a sure fit for my pistol. I really appreciated that kind of honesty and customer service, so I decided to spring for one of their kits and form the kydex myself.

    Anyone in the market for an IWB holster who has some time and a few basic leather working and kydex forming skills should take a look:

    http://www.oldfaithfulholsters.com

    I’ve spoken to some other people on various gun fora who already own them and say they’re very comfortable. From the quality of the leather in my kit I can believe that completely. For around $40 you can put together a pretty nice rig and customize it to your liking, particularly if you have a good workshop. As the sticker they ship with the kit says, it looks like their holsters and their customer service are: “There when you need them.”

  • kowalski

    What happened to my post about Old Faithful Holsters? Was that disallowed for some reason? Please let me know.

    • westcoastpatriette

      Don’t know if that was a glitch or if someone flagged it. Not sure how that process works. When I came back here a few minutes ago, it was collapsed and said it was awaiting moderation. Now it’s gone. I think if a mod did it they would let us know why. Don’t know why someone would flag it at all.

      • kowalski

        No problem one way or the other, I’d just like to know if it was inappropriate. I don’t do that many product plugs – I’m very selective – and Old Faithful’s product and customer service really impressed me. For around $40 you get a nice kit and just as importantly their people were pleasant and knowledgable and truly helpful. It’s not often that someone is willing to spend 15 minutes on the phone with a cold caller who has an obscure question, then look at photographs on the web and actually go back to the production area and ask one of the production gurus in order to give an honest answer, but that’s what Old Faithful’s people did.

    • PowerToThePeople

      It is right here Kowalski, do not know why, but sometimes posts seem to disappear but are really just hidden from view. http://www.redstate.com/westcoastpatriette/2013/02/01/daily-open-thread-where-theres-no-rules-against-threadjacking/#comment-786246198

      • westcoastpatriette

        Where pttp? I can’t see it.

        • PowerToThePeople

          Click on the link I provided and if it does not take you right to the comment, which for some reason it loves to do that, scroll down about 10 to 15 comments and you will see it. He made it in reply to this comment from you so it may be easier for you to just go into your own posting and click on your post …..

          “Not at all as far as I’m concerned. Enjoyed every word. You must have taken that time off from here to recharge your batteries and it shows. A happier kowalski emerged from the dungeon of gun-control anger overload. :) )”

          • westcoastpatriette

            No, that’s not the same one. That’s from yesterday.

          • kowalski

            No, that’s not the one I just posted. The one I just wrote was in this thread and it was about 400 words long!

          • westcoastpatriette

            I’ve had some of mine completely disappear every now and then.

          • kowalski

            I was in the process of editing it and I clicked Save Edit, refreshed the page and it vanished! Oh well, I’ll rewrite it tomorrow if it’s not back in time for today’s open thread.

          • westcoastpatriette

            That was it, then. Can’t refresh the page in the middle of posting or editing comments. I learned that the hard way. But I did read it and it was interesting. If I ever get my gun, I’ll remember it.

          • kowalski

            And there it is! Stopped back tonight and the full post is there. I spent part of today setting up the tools for molding the kydex so I get a really nice mold. I think that’s really the most important part of making a good kydex-over-leather holster – getting the kydex right. I also told OFH that I’d send them back my tracings so they could use them if anyone else wants a holster made for my particular model in the future. They’re rare, but they’re really nice CCW pistols and I expect them to be around for a while.

          • westcoastpatriette

            What is kydex exactly?

          • http://www.TerriersOfTheRight.blogspot.com Flagstaff

            Maybe too late now, but sometimes you can use the ‘back’ button and back up to a page that’s disappeared. That’s saved me a few times.

    • Bill S

      For some reason, Disqus flagged it as spam. I approved it, so it should be back.

  • http://www.TerriersOfTheRight.blogspot.com Flagstaff

    So open thread let’s go. Does anybody know how to find your own comments from previous days, and also to find the responses of others to your comments? Clicking on My Disqus suks, and doesn’t always work.

    • westcoastpatriette

      Not like we used to. If you hover your mouse over that insignia next to your screen name (the blue background with the sideways G) then click on Full Profile it will take you to your most recent comments. You can do the same with others to see their most recent comments. Not nearly as good as the system we had before.

      • http://www.TerriersOfTheRight.blogspot.com Flagstaff

        Thanks. What a pain. I hate this platform, and I think it’s driven plenty of regulars away.

      • Bill S

        You can also just click on your name, next to the little icon, and it should give you a list of your comments.

        • checkmate2012

          Is there a way to find out who your “followers” are? Curious to know who follows me as I have no clue.

          • PowerToThePeople

            I am one of your followers.

          • checkmate2012

            Wow, I’m humbled now PttP! I know it was a weird comment and I really don’t know what happens if someone “follows”. Do you get an email when I post a comment? My comment was in reference to the fact that I’m not on Twitter or FB by choice…just TMI if you ask me and I prefer my privacy, so didn’t know what it means on RS but of course I do on Twitter. But Thank You!!!

          • PowerToThePeople

            No, you do not get an email, but when you click on My Disqus above, everyone you follow will be there with their comments.It makes it much easier to keep up with those you enjoy reading or are like minded instead of having to track down comments.

            I only follow those I respect and enjoy, and since I am not very patient, it keep me sane when I come in to see all the new posts. But it does not give me or anyone else who follows you any extra info on you or your disqus account, only your site moniker and posts.

          • checkmate2012

            So, when you click on your MyDisqus, do my comments come up randomly or in reference to a diary? How do you separate your comments from mine say or is it just when I post a diary? And can you “unfollow” someone? Too many questions I know!!
            .
            Btw, I like your cheery disposition as I told you before…you keep it sane around here :)

          • PowerToThePeople

            They come up in a cluster with every person I follow who commented on all the diaries or front page articles. So wherever this diary is in the list, all the people who have commented in it that I follow will be visible.

            And I do my best..:)

          • checkmate2012

            Thank you for the 20 ?s! and I’ll make you my first to follow and check it out. And appreciate you posting the funny bumper sticker…priceless. Over and out.

        • westcoastpatriette

          Thanks, Bill S. That’s an even better way. One less click. Always tryin’ to outdo me, huh? :) ) There’s almost too many options here to find info. Still miss the old platform.

  • http://www.TerriersOfTheRight.blogspot.com Flagstaff

    Breaking news for our lefty friends who say, “Nobody’s trying to take away your guns.”

    http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/02/dhs-raids-homeowner-confiscates-nearly-1500-guns-no-charges-filed/

    Somebody is.

    Needs to be followed up on.