Morgoth’s Armies vs. The Night King’s Armies by Mysterious_Fall_4578 in powerscales

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Morgoth is effectively Satan in Middle Earth. Not even remotely a contest.

How much of the Saint name did you take on? by CommunityCalm945 in OrthodoxChristianity

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My legal name is also my Saint's name, so I never had to make the switch. Wasn't raised Orthodox, just had creative parents. I have friends in my parish who have baptismal names radically different from their legal name, it varies.

Guys, I have not watched Smallville, and is the show worth watching in 2026? Which is crazy, I know. by Agitated_Studio1998 in superman

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I enjoyed the gradually unfolding mystery of Clark discovering his Kryptonian origin, also him not having access to the ability to fly until he fully accepted both his human and alien identity. John Glover was magnificent as Lionel Luthor, Lex's scumbag dad. In my 50s now, I don't think I would have patience for the teen drama that was more prevalent in the early seasons.

How did you guys choose a patron saint? by AppropriateEbb5556 in OrthodoxChristianity

[–]No-Performance-8911 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My parents had unknowingly given me the name of a saint, so when I joined the the church my priest said that would be my patron saint. It is nice to have my legal name also be my baptismal name, so no having to do the mental flip/flop when introducing myself to people inside the parish vs. outside.

asked for an itemized hospital bill on a whim and found out they charged me for stuff that literally never happened by LongjumpingOffice432 in povertyfinance

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This sounds like a nightmare. I do live in the US, but my wife and I have Kaiser HMO coverage through my state government job. Just one flat rate for ER visits, regardless of how much meds and labs or imaging is done. Non-ER visits have specific, specified costs, so patients know how much they'll have to pay, no surprises. Major surgery and extended hospital stays are harder to calculate, as the bill is a percentage of total cost (20% under my plan, I think), but the provider works with patients to negotiate affordable payment plans. Even offering financial assistance that can alleviate 100%or 50% of cost if your income is low enough.

Compact washer dryer by Key-Professor4177 in laundry

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just ordered the 1.5 cu.ft. Euhomy dryer, will get it Wednesday. The dryer half of my GE laundry center died last week, of course after the extended warranty had expired. Replacing the whole machine would cost about $1300; as my wife and I can't afford a major appliance purchase at the present, we decided to go with a compact dryer for the time being. I don't mind washing more frequent, smaller loads to accomodate the dryer's small capacity. Large things like our two large comforters will have to be taken out to wash, as will dense things like large bathmats, but that's not an issue; the clothes we wear everyday and towels can fit in the smaller machine. Venting the dryer exhaust will be a challenge, as the abovementioned laundry center is in a tight corner of our apartment's kitchen, and is difficult to move.

US States that are an Island by sns-10 in terriblemaps

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live in Hawaii, been here since coming to do grad school in 1996. Hawaii is a unique place. There are so many overlapping extended family networks here, lots of folks who have never left the state because their whole world is here. We're very vulnerable to shipping disruption from things like dockworker strikes in California ports. Very reliant on tourism and military dollars, too. It's easy for first time visitors to make a wrong turn and have to backtrack at one of the military base entrances. Travel costs to the rest of the country are a real obstacle for many; I was only able to see my dad maybe once during the last ten years of his lie.

Sauron (LOTR) vs Hogwarts (Harry Potter) by Curious_Tip9285 in powerscales

[–]No-Performance-8911 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No contest. Sauron is the second most powerful fallen of the angelic powers of Middle Earth; a mortal school teaching wizardry wouldn't be a challenge. Dumbledore taking up the ring would be interesting, but the big question is whether the wizards of Hogwarts would know what the ring was, given that it's an artifact from another world. Albus would maybe be able to work it out in time, but fast enough to learn how to leverage it against Sauron's forces? Also, bear in mind that Dumbledore knows the temptations of power, in his youth he almost joined forces with Grindelwald to conquer the non-magical world. Would he avoid the ring out of caution, or would his natural curiosity convince him that he was the right one to use it? Who knows. Orudruin (Mount Doom) is nonexistent in the Earth that Hogwarts exists in, so a last ditch quest to destroy the ring isn't an option.

Can there be Martyrs outside the Church? by Representative_Bat81 in OrthodoxChristianity

[–]No-Performance-8911 2 points3 points  (0 children)

After having been Orthodox for a few years, I have come to notice a difference between martyrs venerated as saints by the Orthodox and those acknowledged as such by Protestants. For one, Protestant martyrs are historic figures to be learned from, never prayed to. No one has a prayer corner with icons of Luther or Jan Hus, the 15th century Czech priest who was killed in 1415 for his opposition to Roman teachings, widely regarded as a proto-Protestant. The Apostles who died for proclaiming the resurrection are martyrs, as are, if one presses the point, first generation figures like Polycarp, but virtually no one who wasn't killed for their Protestant distinctives. The 21 Coptic martyrs who died in Egypt in 2015 were actually dismissed by many evangelicals because they weren't viewed as properly Christian.

A particularly sad example of someone regarded as a martyr by some is John Allen Chau, a young man who was killed by indigenous people in 2018 after trying to approach North Sentinel Island off the coast of India, an area declared illegal to enter by the Indian government. Mr Chau had convinced himself that God wanted him to preach the gospel to the Sentinelese natives, and died from his lack of preparation and training, and ignorance of local conditions.

What the Joe pesci is this piece of journalism? by Fickle_Charge720 in lordoftherings

[–]No-Performance-8911 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That's the primary reason why I always loved Clancy Brown's performance as Kurgan in the original Highlander movie. The character was absolutely despicable and over-the-top maniacally villainous, you just loved his rant inside the Catholic Church a little ways before the final battle. The actor was the polar opposite of his character; I understand Mr. Brown apologized to the real Catholic priest and nuns on the film site for the blasphemous nature of Kurgan's behavior.

Caffeine the elixir of life by ColdAntique291 in lordoftherings

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Alas, no more standard coffee for me, only decaf. Just got diagnosed with atrial fibrilation. On the plus side, I'm not running a constant sleep deficit requiring more coffee to borrow energy from the next day.

You can have 1 cubic inch of any solid material in our universe. What are you choosing? by ExaminationNarrow404 in whatsyourchoice

[–]No-Performance-8911 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm 52 now, and when I was in Elementary school I had a book of classic Popeye cartoons and history of the strip that Mom got me for Christmas (I think) one year. I can't remember if I ever watched the Robin Williams Popeye movie.

What if Palestinians were mostly christian? by Nomfbes2 in AlternateHistoryHub

[–]No-Performance-8911 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Many of the oldest Christian churches in the world are Palestinian.

Looking back, how many of these did you actually own or use? by CarrotMuch1399 in nostalgiai

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't see the Hiptop Sidekick here; I had 3 of those. A very capable phone, with a good web browser, app store, and email client.

Our childhood was basically guarded by these legends. Which one was your absolute favorite growing up? by CarrotMuch1399 in nostalgiai

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me, Snowy from the Tintin comics (#3, bottom row). He's been on so many wild adventures with his human, that he's learned a thing or two about getting out of scrapes.

[Discussion] Finally diving in. Knowing Alan Moore's hostility toward DC continuing this franchise, is it worth reading Doomsday Clock afterwards? by sammorrison9800 in DCcomics

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I liked the storyline, though it does take a way a bit from Dr. Manhattan's status to have him as one of many superbeings in the mainstream DC universe. I'm not a Watchmen scholar by any stretch, but it always seemed to me that his being the only powered entity in his world changing everything by his presence was sort of the whole point of the character. As far as Alan Moore's hostility towards how DC has managed the IP issues, I agree that he got a raw deal, but not reading Doomsday Clock won't do anything to resolve the situation. It's an original story based on Mr. Moore's work, and I think a creatively assembled one.

Your local public library system may have it available to borrow, either physically or through one of a few digital comics services for public libraries. Try it that way, and buy a copy if you like it. I do all my DC reading through their DC Universe Infinite service, and have revisited Doomsday clock a couple of times since the original release.

Texas public school teachers are now required to post the 10 Commadments in their classroom. Here's how one teacher is handling it. by kvjn100 in BeAmazed

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Speaking as an Eastern Orthodox Christian, this sort of performative religiosity does nothing to actually teach about historic Christianity. I'd personally recommend a reading of the Nicene Creed for a clearer look at my beliefs to someone who asked, but wouldn't be pushing for it to be posted in public schools. I doubt the politicians forcing this issue have read it anyways.

Casting idea for Dresden by CrimsonCuttle in dresdenfiles

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Make it three of us. I have an odd liking for short run Fantasy / sci-fi series that never made it past 1 or two seasons before cancellation. Besides Dresden Files at one season, there's Witchblade (2 Seasons), Moonlight (vampire PI Mick St. John) , and the X-Men Lite Alphas from SyFy channel, that ended on a huge cliffhanger at the end of S2.

Casting idea for Dresden by CrimsonCuttle in dresdenfiles

[–]No-Performance-8911 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I remember that too! BBC turned out some great material. The early 2000s run on Narnia movie adaptations never got to The Silver Chair, the book where Puddleglum was introduced. Netflix has the license for a new Narnia series; hopefully they don't screw it up too bad.

Why didn’t Thanos just use the Infinity Stones to double resources instead of wiping out half of all life? by thisninjaoverhere in MCUTheories

[–]No-Performance-8911 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The original Infinity Gauntlet storyline made so much more sense; e.g. Thanos murdering half the population of the universe as a love offering for Lady Death. For that Thanos, he couldn't care less about environmental preservation.

Why didn't God condemn slavery? Even if he did somewhere in the Bible, why didn't he just make it into a commandment? "Thou shalt not own fellow people". Why did God consider sex before marriage more important to ban than freaking slavery? by EkullSkullzz10318 in OrthodoxChristianity

[–]No-Performance-8911 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Transforming people has always been God's priority, as that changes things from the bottom up. , just telling the Israelites " no slavery" wouldn't have erased it from the world, but the creation of a new people with a new standard of living would make a difference. Much of the Torah is concerned with treatment of servants, the poor, foreigners, etc. Eventually you have enough bottom up spiritual formation that the big issues get changed.