The Off-Topic and Random Thoughts Thread(Anything Goes!)



Maybe someone can cross post these in the Car Maintenance thread. We are overhauling the family vehicle, 7.3L Excursion. Hubby is doing most of the work himself while I hold the flashlight :sneaky: Anyway, I’ve learned a lot from these videos and figured someone here might find them useful as well.

Transmission Bench is awesome. Their tutorials are basically training videos. They sell kits with plate and bushing replacements so you can follow along; they make it so easy.

Put in a Lees power steering pump about a year ago, but now PSC has a combo kit that includes a better placed steering pump, new lines/screw fittings, RAM assist. Even custom brackets. The Lees pump is too far back on top of the alternator for the new lines to reach. The almost 25 year old gearbox is done, so might as well redo the entire steering system. I hate the wander and play in the steering cause with the tow mirrors out, the footprint is the entire width of the lane.

PSC system below:



All in all, a great family truck. 8 seats with 3 *full* rows & cargo area, plus towing capacity, getting 20-21 mpg, easy to repair with tons of resources. If you’re at all mechanically experienced or willing to learn, great truck. To over haul this thing, all in, is still less than a new or used comparable SUV and I have more faith in it lasting.
 

There's really nothing good to listen to on the radio, I've been often tuning in to the local Christian stations while driving in the car for a long while now. On Friday we celebrated the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the Gospel readings was Revelation 12. Sometime in June I think, I heard pastor David Jeremiah talk about that chapter, interpreting the Dragon to be Satan, and the woman to be Israel, and that the Devil's always been out to get Israel, just like we can currently see in the Middle East. I was always taught the woman is Mary, and that it was quite obvious, so I was surprised someone could stretch it that far. His youtube comments often come from people declaring their love for Israel therein, I'm not a Palestinian Muslim supporter, but of course I don't cheer murder on.

When Isaiah wrote this, he was picturing this woman in labor failing to give birth to a child, which described the failure of the Jewish people to bring about hope and salvation for humanity. And yet, believe it or not, after hundreds of years of disappointed hopes, the Jewish people had the privilege of bringing this deliverer into the world. Look at Revelation 12:5. "She", who's the woman? Come on, now. Who's the woman? Israel. "Israel bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne".


In verse 4, we learn of his purpose, "And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born".

Did everybody get that? Who is the woman? Israel. Who is the child? Jesus. And what does the dragon want to do with Jesus? Destroy him. When God told Satan in the Garden of Eden that, "The seed of the woman will crush your head", Satan heard it. And he began his campaign to eradicate that promised seed. Knowing from prophecy that the promised one would spring from Israel, Satan did everything he could do to keep that nation from ever coming into existence at all. He incited Esau to try to kill Jacob, who was the father of Israel. And when that failed, he incited Pharaoh to murder all the Jewish boys in Egypt. Had either Jacob or Moses not survived, the nation of Israel would never have existed.



 
Carbonara pasta in Italy really sucks. We thought it was the pecorino cheese which ruined it. But no. We asked to change pecorino for parmigiano and it still sucked. Even though less. Both in Rome and florence. Its originally from Rome. But its shit. A great suprise was the bisteca florentina. What a wonderful meat. Italy is not only pizzas and pastas. They bring the meat in a hot platter so that it never goes cold.

Passed through the gladiator shooting spot in tuscany and it was really nice. Worth seeing.
 
Sounds like you ate at a tourist trap. Maybe try a well known local restaurant in a smaller city and see how it is.
Everywhere its the same. The problem is the ingredients. It seems normally we eat a watered down version. Lasagna is really good though. And all pizzas some better or worse they are all good to eat. Yesterday we ate in a mum and daughter restaurant. We were next to kitchen and was nice seeing the old women working like a pro. The daughter would take order and sometimes help her.

the bisteca florentina was incridble.

I was in the rent a car and asked the employee why did carbonara tasted like shit. The guy next to me in line started to laugh and agreed. The taste is really really strong.

On holidays I wake up my kids with the club football hymn of the city we are staying. The Rome FC is nice. Even though it feels more like a church song.



We are now in the coast staying in a santuary and tonight I had the best sleep.

Its really nice to hear bells church.

Off to the beach
 
There's really nothing good to listen to on the radio, I've been often tuning in to the local Christian stations while driving in the car for a long while now. On Friday we celebrated the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the Gospel readings was Revelation 12. Sometime in June I think, I heard pastor David Jeremiah talk about that chapter, interpreting the Dragon to be Satan, and the woman to be Israel, and that the Devil's always been out to get Israel, just like we can currently see in the Middle East. I was always taught the woman is Mary, and that it was quite obvious, so I was surprised someone could stretch it that far. His youtube comments often come from people declaring their love for Israel therein, I'm not a Palestinian Muslim supporter, but of course I don't cheer murder on.
I like David Jeremiah, though I wouldn't endorse everything he says. His interpretation of this passage is accurate. What's wrong here is his application.

The woman in Revelation 12 is indeed Israel. Israel as in God's People. Not Israel as in the Zionist State of secular Jews. The dragon is obviously Satan.

The woman can't be Mary according to Catholic tradition. The woman is said to suffer labor pains when she gives birth to the child, which Catholic tradition says Mary did not do when she gave birth to Christ.
 
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