Althouse: The December swim.

December 1, 2017

The December swim.

Labrador style:

88 comments:

rehajm said...: The Labrador motto: No water too cold. No hole too deep.; 12/1/17, 5:08 PM
Michael K said...: That's why they call them "Labradors"; 12/1/17, 5:16 PM
Tommy Duncan said...: The pictures show what water dogs live for (along with an occasional duck to retrieve or pheasant to flush).

We had another spectacular "sky on fire" sunset in the La Crosse area this evening. This year we've had a nice departure from the normally gloomy late fall days.; 12/1/17, 5:17 PM
Big Mike said...: In Mother Russia the humans do December swims. In bikinis. Tough folks, those Russians.; 12/1/17, 5:19 PM
Inga...Allie Oop said...: Is this thread supposed to be about dogs? Well here’s one.

Hahahaha, I called it several days ago when I said it was probably Farenthold on the Republican side! Where is Drago?

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/01/blake-farenthold-taxpayer-funds-sexual-harassment-274458

“Rep. Blake Farenthold used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim brought by his former spokesman — the only known sitting member of Congress to have used a little-known congressional account to pay an accuser, people familiar with the matter told POLITICO.

Lauren Greene, the Texas Republican’s former communications director, sued her boss in December 2014 over allegations of gender discrimination, sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.

Greene said another Farenthold aide told her the lawmaker said he had “sexual fantasies” and “wet dreams” about Greene. She also claimed that Farenthold “regularly drank to excess” and told her in February 2014 that he was “estranged from his wife and had not had sex with her in years.”

When she complained about comments Farenthold and a male staffer made to her, Greene said the congressman improperly fired her. She filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, but the case was later dropped after both parties reached a private settlement.”; 12/1/17, 5:32 PM
Jaq said...: He should resign. Same as Franken, same as Conyers. If he used his position to sexually harass an employee. He definitely should not run again. Same as Barton. I don't think that if you send an unsolicited dick pic, it's revenge porn if she shares it. If she asked him to send it, that's another matter, but I supposed we would have seen that text from Barton. I think that you should expect her to share it if you are going to send it, and the kind of guys who usually send these pics unsolicited, are generally hoping that she shares it, I am guessing.; 12/1/17, 5:45 PM
Jaq said...: Speaking of new stories today about Congressmen:

The Congressional Office of Compliance paid out just under $100,000 in taxpayer funds to two male staffers to settle sexual harassment claims against disgraced former Democratic New York Rep. Eric Massa, according to a new report.

If your are keeping score. And if you plan to keep score, you better get your abacus ready!

The House Ethics Committee signaled Friday it has begun a sweeping probe into misconduct of lawmakers and staff that resulted in taxpayer-funded settlements. The 10-member bipartisan panel ordered the Office of Compliance to turn over "all records... related to any claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation or any other [prohibited] employment practice," by House lawmakers or congressional staff. The probe is a response to allegations of sexual misconduct by lawmakers, both public and anonymous, and a pledge by House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to conduct a "comprehensive" review of taxpayer-funded payouts for workplace misdeeds.

I see the leaks have already begun. But it better all be public in the end.; 12/1/17, 5:51 PM
Jaq said...: Newsweek is of course on the important stories!

Sweet Jesus, Donald Trump doesn´t even understand the Bible´s most important story! At Thursday night´s annual Christmas tree lighting at the White House, the president recounted the birth of Jesus by saying it "begins 2,000 years ago with a mother, a father, their baby son." Their baby? Um, care to take a paternity test?

Wow! Fucking bastard Trump! This tears it! Never going to vote for him! Rather have an abortion loving Democrat!

I always figured that the song "What Child is This" was told from the point of view of Joseph.; 12/1/17, 5:58 PM
Phil 314 said...: Well Tim, following Christian theology if Jesus is there, so is his Dad.; 12/1/17, 6:03 PM
Unknown said...: A week or so ago I arrived at the bar to find a few of the regulars talking about the movie 'Pulp Fiction.' And it is a fun movie to talk about in a bar, although I haven't seen it in fifteen years or so. Maybe twenty. But I remember parts. You don't forget the gimp.

The older black man says he just watched it again: he has a VHS copy. People tell him he should get a DVD or BluRay of it, but he says he has already bought it once, that's enough.

Everyone agrees that Samuel L. Jackson is a bad-ass. Indeed: in the movie he does have a wallet that says 'Bad Mother Fucker', so that is added as proof, amongst other things. In the movie the hitman played by Jackson quotes the Bible, which everyone agrees is bad-ass. Which is funny, because most of them could care less about the Bible. Context, I guess.

Because I can be an asshole, I agree that Jackson is bad-ass, but he is not the biggest bad-ass in the movie. What the hell am I talking about? is pretty much the general response.

I point out that, when Travolta and Jackson run into trouble, they need to go see Harvey Keitel to save them: thus Harvey is the bigger bad-ass.

That's different, they say. Keitel is a boss, they agree, but Jackson is the bigger bad-ass. To which I reply that, when they need to clean the bloody car, Keitel makes Travolta and Jackson do it. Keitel is in charge: he is the bigger bad-ass.

There are more murmurs of discontent. So I push it a bit further. When it is time for Travolta and Jackson to be cleaned up after their bloody work it is Keitel who makes them undress, and then hoses them off. I repeat for effect: he makes them take off their clothes in the backyard, and he sprays his hose all over them. The innuendo of hose is not lost on the bar patrons: they get innuendo.

You can't be the biggest bad-ass if another man forces you to strip and then sprays his hose on you. Keitel sprayed his hose all over Samuel L. Jackson. There is grumbling, but I am not refuted. A few people agree that Harvey is a pretty good bad-ass: 'The Bad Lieutenant' is brought up as further evidence. The guy played 'Judas', for fuck's sake: of course he is bad-ass.

I then play "Jesus Christ Superstar" on the jukebox. The song is sung from the perspective of Judas. I consider it a kind of Victory Lap.

- james james; 12/1/17, 6:08 PM
Narayanan said...: Congress with slush fund for negotiated settlement
Special counsel indicts for process deviation.

This is a country of rule of law?

Does Ryan have the guts to put all documents on house website instead of ethics probe by committee.

Surely the tribunal is the electorate.

Something ain't right.; 12/1/17, 6:10 PM
Phil 314 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/1/17, 6:11 PM
Phil 314 said...: OK Inga, if you're keeping score, here's one closer to my home:

Grijalva paid a staffer $48,000 to keep quiet about his drunkenness
As to his politics:
"On the ideological map of all House members at GovTrack's website, Grijalva is ranked farthest to the left."

PS He ran unopposed in 2016.; 12/1/17, 6:12 PM
Darrell said...: “Whatever our beliefs, we know that the birth of Jesus Christ and the story of his life forever changed the course of human history.”

President Trump.

Foster fathers are fathers nevertheless.; 12/1/17, 6:16 PM
Jim S. said...: In the movie the hitman played by Jackson quotes the Bible, which everyone agrees is bad-ass.

That quote was made up by Tarantino. It's not in the Bible.; 12/1/17, 6:18 PM
IgnatzEsq said...: I saw that too Tim. Newsweek would like to remind all of you adoptive 'parents' that your adopted son isn't actually your son. So calling yourself his father is not only a bald faced lie, but also shows that you are stupid. Like Trump. And certainly not like Newsweek who is like really smart.; 12/1/17, 6:18 PM
Unknown said...: "That quote was made up by Tarantino. It's not in the Bible.'

Indeed. It is Tarantino, bad-assing up Ezekiel 25:17.

But it plays as 'The Bible', and -- as I said: "Which is funny, because most of them could care less about the Bible."

It's like that quote that went around the internet, supposedly by Thomas Jefferson. Where he said "The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government. And hot slave bitches. Yo."

Anyway.

Everyone loves the bad-ass Jesus. When he went all medieval on the money-changers. In that pre-medieval way.

- james james; 12/1/17, 6:29 PM
Unknown said...: A great page of various Ezekiel 25:17 translations.

Almost Gangsta. In that old-school way.

- james james; 12/1/17, 6:35 PM
Etienne said...: That is cruel, throwing a stick. I mean what the fuck is he going to do with the stick after he gets it?

At least throw something he can tear apart. Throw a cat, or a gerbil out there. Give him something to tear apart, and clean his teeth.; 12/1/17, 6:42 PM
traditionalguy said...: Go ahead and wear Zeus out. He likes it and he will have a long winter's freeze over to rest up.; 12/1/17, 7:05 PM
Narayanan said...: What is the story here? That Mary's hymen was unbreached upto conception and delivery?; 12/1/17, 7:14 PM
Tommy Duncan said...: Having read the political posts on this thread, I'm glad I took the time to savor the sunset tonight. Time to take my own dog out for a walk, breath the crisp fall air and count my blessings.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll "spit on (my) hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats."; 12/1/17, 7:22 PM
Big Mike said...: Well, Narayanan Subamanian, if Jesus had turned out to be a lawyer I'd have guessed that Mary got pregnant from anal sex.; 12/1/17, 7:23 PM
David Baker said...: Leave it to Zeus to lift the spirits! Great photo.; 12/1/17, 7:38 PM
tcrosse said...: My old pooch was delighted to jump into Lake Mendota in whatever weather to chase a stick, But he would be distracted by the corpses of dead carp which washed up on the shore.; 12/1/17, 7:51 PM
Sydney said...: Sweet Jesus, Donald Trump doesn´t even understand the Bible´s most important story!

Most Christians would say the Nativity isn’t the most important story. It’s the Resurrection.; 12/1/17, 7:55 PM
YoungHegelian said...: begins 2,000 years ago with a mother, a father, their baby son."

While the Catholic Encyclopedia refers to St. Joseph as the foster father of Jesus, let me tell you, as someone who went through 8 years of Christmas plays & Advent preps in Catholic school, Joseph is very commonly referred to as Jesus' "father" in "street-level" Catholic devotion.

I imagine that President Trump bounces quite a bit of his attempts at getting Christian details right off of Melania, who apparently is still a believing Roman Catholic. How Catholic is she? I mean, who the hell knows? But, it's highly unlikely that she's any less Catholic than John F. & Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, & somehow those two always got to take credit. Rumors that JFK had a shrine to Mary Magdalene in the WH are apocryphal.; 12/1/17, 8:00 PM
Ken B said...: Holy crap. I read that Newsweek thing. Jaw dropping, but I want to emphasize only one thing. Luke 3:23; 12/1/17, 8:04 PM
YoungHegelian said...: I remember this great story out of Nat Geo or the like, where a team of Russian naturalists were out exploring around some yuuuuge lake in Siberia (not Baikal). One of the men went hunting for dinner & shot a duck. They tried to send the dog out to retrieve the bird out of the lake, but the water was so cold that the dog said "No fucking way" & refused to retrieve the bird. The Russian naturalist then stripped down to bare nekkid & swam out to retrieve the duck himself.; 12/1/17, 8:12 PM
Inga...Allie Oop said...: BREAKING: @TGowdySC used $150,000 in taxpayer money to fund a settlement because he fired someone for not participating in the Hillary witch hunt.; 12/1/17, 8:16 PM
Jaq said...: Does anybody think that the New Yorker would have gone after Weinstein if he were close friends with the President of the United States and that president was a Democrat?

It's amusing to see Inga posting all of this stuff as if her constant shilling for Hillary prior to the election, unless there was a third "Unknown," was an attempt to keep the power dynamic in place that had enforced the silence on all of these women.

I am happy to see the dam burst. Happy to see the New York Times concede that yes, Bill Clinton was probably a rapist, to see The Atlantic concede it, and Salon. Inga did her best to prevent any of this from happening by supporting the Clintons. Wrong. Side. Of. History.; 12/1/17, 8:17 PM
Ken B said...: I guess Newsweek's point is that a *smart* politician says “Wife, child, and cuckold” when talking about that family. That's what a savvy pol does.; 12/1/17, 8:17 PM
Sydney said...: We call them the Holy Family. That’s Jesus, Joseph and Mary, not just Jesus and Mary. Also, more than once the Gospels refer to Joseph as his father:

“When his parents[a] saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.”-Luke 2:48

“And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him” -Luke 2:33

“And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” -Luke 4:22; 12/1/17, 8:26 PM
Ken B said...: Looks like Brian “Bentonite” Ross got caught lying again.; 12/1/17, 8:28 PM
Humperdink said...: "BREAKING: @TGowdySC used $150,000 in taxpayer money to fund a settlement because he fired someone for not participating in the Hillary witch hunt."

Money well spent.; 12/1/17, 8:31 PM
Ken B said...: Tim
The concessions about Clinton are nugatory. They are just to establish “credibility” for pretending when they attack Trump for saying “pussy”.; 12/1/17, 8:31 PM
dreams said...: I just ordered the new book by the late Thomas Fleming who like Ron Chernow really draws you into the story. I feel like I got it free, thanks to my credit card points. "'The Strategy of Victory': Thomas Fleming’s Last Testament to George Washington."; 12/1/17, 8:38 PM
dreams said...: https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/strategy-victory-thomas-flemings-last-testament-george-washington/; 12/1/17, 8:40 PM
traditionalguy said...: Dueling miracles between the incarnation and the resurrection gives a big win to the incarnation. Without that miracle, none of the Gospel can follow. Sure Father God resurrected Jesus and we go along for the ride, but the substitutionary cross events on Good Friday would mean nothing for us if Jesus was not God incarnate himself too. ( see, Apostles Creed that nailed down this against potential heresy).; 12/1/17, 8:44 PM
edward irvin said...: they don't call him Zeus by accident!; 12/1/17, 8:49 PM
Humperdink said...: If I am R in congress, there no way I want Conyers and Alfrankenstein to resign.; 12/1/17, 8:54 PM
chickelit said...: Althouse wrote: Labrador style:

More generically: dog style.; 12/1/17, 9:01 PM
chickelit said...: Inga said...BREAKING: @TGowdySC used $150,000 in taxpayer money to fund a settlement because he fired someone for not participating in the Hillary witch hunt.

Didn't Hillary once get fired because her boss refused to engage in a Nixon witch hunt?

Bitch is a karma.; 12/1/17, 9:04 PM
Etienne said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/1/17, 10:02 PM
narciso said...: Yes but you have to accept it all, both the birth and the resurrection, Joseph was the father by law. This is how they were able to register for the census. It's what Jon Stewart and his stooge camembert thinks is clever.; 12/1/17, 10:55 PM
Etienne said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/1/17, 10:58 PM
Unknown said...: Etienne - Michael Savage, who is a rich prosperous person but a wise person (who makes mistakes, as he would admit) recently stated that we should honor our parents because without them we would never have been born, and we should be thankful to the Lord that we were born: that is the honor which we owe to our parents (Savage was right about that): but he also said we should not worship our parents, that would be wrong (Savage was right about that, too).

It is possible that all of us - parents, children, friends, fellow soldiers, acquaintances - knew each other, back in the day before any us were born, and it is possible we used to talk about our hopes that we would not be selfish parents when we had the opportunity to be parents in this world, that we used to talk about how we would not be children who grew up without wondering if we should, after all, have some more gratitude in our hearts ( remembering those conversations before any of us - parents or children - were born); it is possible that every friend you have ever had was someone you knew before you were born, in those days when we talked excitedly about the days when we would be friends in this world after we forgot the world (sadly, we forgot) before this world: and who cannot imagine - since we all know we may die one day - what it is like to be a soldier who fights and faces the enemy knowing that he is doing so with his fellow soldiers: and who has not had a dream, one night or another in the past, where we recognized that some person who was just an acquaintance in this waking world was actually someone who would have given up his or her life to keep us from harm, and who told us that, before we were born, in those long-ago forgotten days?

Or maybe I do not know what I am talking about....let's start over. Abraham was an ancestor, but he was just a man. Jerusalem is a beautiful city, but it is just a city. Here is what I am trying to say: Christmas is a better holiday than Easter ( a good holiday, but, unlike Christmas, a historically contingent holiday....think about it). Abraham was a sinner, married to a sinful wife: Christmas was a beautiful surprise: a divine child born to a sinless mother. Abraham and Jerusalem are beautiful words, but worldly words: Christmas is a divine word. Thanks for reading.

Jerusalem is a beautiful city. Abraham was someone we should all respect. But Jerusalem, Abraham, Easter: all are, even at their best, no better than they would be in the best of fallen worlds. Christmas would be divine in any world, fallen or not. Merry Christmas!!!; 12/1/17, 11:14 PM
Unknown said...: Christmas is the only happy major holiday. Easter is a nice holiday, but for God's sake,how happy can anyone be three days after the best friend they ever had in the world has been tortured to death? No matter how good the news of the next couple of days was? And who wants to remember, on the anniversary of such a holiday, how they felt three days after their friend was killed? We are just human, after all.; 12/1/17, 11:23 PM
narciso said...: Seriously he came back from the dead, as was prophesied in scripture to redeem the law not replace it.; 12/1/17, 11:57 PM
Yancey Ward said...: And ABC dropped the bombshell this evening that their initial reports about candidate Trump directing Flynn to contact the Russian ambassador. Turns out it was President Elect Trump like I pointed out earlier today. Inga was all over this juicy, but wrong detail all afternoon. I noted that once ABC published the retraction, Inga vanished like a fart in the wind.; 12/2/17, 12:36 AM
chickelit said...: Inga vanished like a fart in the wind.

What unfresh hell is that?; 12/2/17, 1:17 AM
Jaq said...: More generically: dog style.

Nah. Ever had a Yorkie, for example? You have to really get to know a Labrador to appreciate that they are the greatest of dogs.; 12/2/17, 5:07 AM
Fabi said...: I'm sitting in a duck blind at the moment with a good friend and his best friend "Jake". He's a yellow lab of three years old and no human enjoys life as much as this pup. He's a very good retriever and disciplined in the blind. Hopefully we'll provide him with some opportunities to do his thing -- nineteen minutes until shooting time. Quack, quack, boom!; 12/2/17, 5:45 AM
Humperdink said...: I dunno, we have a have German Shepherd pup now. He may turn out to be a great dog. We are training the living daylights of him. But he has a long way to go to match our long gone Norwegian Elkhound.; 12/2/17, 5:46 AM
Jaq said...: dunno, we have a have German Shepherd pup now

I hope you train the hell out of that dog. German Shepards can be extremely annoying to your guests, for example. And they will say all kinds of things about them behind your back that they would never say in your presence. Like I am doing right now about my friends German Shepherd. If you are worried about burglars, or whatever, that dog is a much better choice than a Lab though.; 12/2/17, 5:57 AM
Humperdink said...: Check out the Schutzhund Trial video. Obedience, tracking, protection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmgRkgqfaWw; 12/2/17, 6:20 AM
Michael K said...: Fabi, some of my best memories of time with my father were in a duck blind on the Illinois River.

After a few hours, he would walk back in the woods to cook hamburgers on his war surplus gas stove. He always took his 12 gauge magnum with him. By the time we could smell the burgers, there would be five guys who also smelled them and had joined him.

He usually had three ducks he had gotten flying over the stove high.

Good times.; 12/2/17, 6:44 AM
Humperdink said...: Is Brian Ross still employed this morning? If so, why?; 12/2/17, 6:57 AM
AllenS said...: Evidently, Humperdink, you can lie but not grope.; 12/2/17, 7:05 AM
gilbar said...: "The Senate passed sweeping revisions to the U.S. tax code past midnight Saturday.
The bill, which included about $1.4 trillion in tax cuts, would lower the corporate rate to 20% from 35%, reshape international business tax rules and temporarily lower individual taxes. It also touched other Republican goals, including opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling and repealing the mandate that individuals purchase health insurance, which would punch a sizable hole in the 2010 Affordable Care Act"

not tired of winning: yet; 12/2/17, 7:15 AM
Tommy Duncan said...: Yancey Ward said: "Inga vanished like a fart in the wind."

Oh that it were so. UnknownInga164 is more like crap on your shoe than a fart in the wind.; 12/2/17, 7:16 AM
MadisonMan said...: BREAKING: @TGowdySC used $150,000 in taxpayer money to fund a settlement because he fired someone for not participating in the Hillary witch hunt.

Why would you give $150K to someone who didn't do what you asked? I assume Gowdy was the Boss, and someone wouldn't follow directions?; 12/2/17, 7:21 AM
Fernandinande said...: Michael K pontificated...
That's why they call them "Labradors"

Very astute of you! Most people think they're named after a part of Canada.

He usually had three ducks he had gotten flying over the stove high.

How did you know the ducks were high? Slurred quacking?; 12/2/17, 7:26 AM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: gilbar said...
not tired of winning: yet

So, 'winning' for you involves blowing a 1.5 trillion dollar hole in the budget? Bush Jr did a lot of 'winning' like that. How did that work out?; 12/2/17, 7:41 AM
Michael K said...: Go away stalker.; 12/2/17, 7:41 AM
Michael K said...: "Bush Jr did a lot of 'winning' like that. How did that work out?"

With Obama calling him and raising him $10 trillion.; 12/2/17, 7:42 AM
AllenS said...: Hold on, ARM, how about the doubling of the debt under Obama? Did that concern you? I can't remember you saying anything bad about it when Obama was blowing the holes.; 12/2/17, 7:43 AM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: You guys, conveniently, want to ignore the Bush Jr tax cuts that created the deficit and the Great Bush Recession, that made it vastly worse.

"We’ve seen Republicans pull this before: During Bill Clinton’s first year as president, for instance, Democrats enacted a major deficit reduction package without any support from conservatives. And while many Democrats in Congress lost their jobs as a result, their leadership helped produce a budget surplus several later.

When George W. Bush became president, Republicans authorized a series of massive tax cuts that ballooned the federal deficit and worsened income equality, and passed a prescription drug bill despite the fact that it carried a $400 billion price tag for which no one paid. These measures — combined with the administration’s continued spending on wars — helped squander the budget surplus produced under Clinton."; 12/2/17, 7:57 AM
Fabi said...: Michael K -- your duck hunting story is almost as entertaining as ARM pretending to understand economics!; 12/2/17, 8:01 AM
jaydub said...: "When George W. Bush became president, Republicans authorized a series of massive tax cuts that ballooned the federal deficit..."

Barak Obama could not be reached for comment.; 12/2/17, 8:07 AM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: jaydub said...
Barak Obama could not be reached for comment.

His comment would be: 'that dumb cunt Bush destroyed the budget and the economy and I got stuck with the bill for his incompetence'.; 12/2/17, 8:18 AM
rehajm said...: This is where ARM would like to report on the economic catastrophes Trump has caused.; 12/2/17, 8:18 AM
paulmichiel said...: Our Lab never learned to swim. She liked the water OK, but seemed afraid to go in over shoulder-depth, even if I tossed a stick a little farther in. I thought it was instinctive, but not for all dogs apparently.; 12/2/17, 8:20 AM
Michael K said...: Leave ARM alone. He has his DNC talking points almost down perfectly.; 12/2/17, 8:21 AM
Jaq said...: Trillion dollar "stimulus" that was basically pork for Obama's allies. Yeah, that worked out great. Germany did zero stimulus and did a lot better a lot quicker.; 12/2/17, 8:30 AM
Jaq said...: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is calling for Rep. Ruben J. Kihuen, once a rising star of the Democratic Party, to resign amid reports he sexually harassed a former campaign staffer.

Just an oversight that ARM didn't post this one, I am sure. Nothing to do with the parties.; 12/2/17, 8:51 AM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: In the real world, the EU recovered much more slowly from the Great Bush Recession than the US, at least in part because of early mismanagement by Germany.; 12/2/17, 8:54 AM
Tommy Duncan said...: ARM is a master at the progressive tactic of snidely making factually outrageous two sentence claims and then gloating when others don't want to waste their time refuting his BS. It is a spiteful behavior.; 12/2/17, 9:10 AM
mockturtle said...: Sydney claims: We call them the Holy Family. That’s Jesus, Joseph and Mary, not just Jesus and Mary. Also, more than once the Gospels refer to Joseph as his father:

“When his parents[a] saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.”-Luke 2:48

“And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him” -Luke 2:33

“And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” -Luke 4:22

But Jesus, himself, always referred to God [Yahweh] as His Father. He also clearly disputed any special status for His mother.

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matt. 12:46-50; 12/2/17, 9:20 AM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Tommy Duncan said...
ARM is a master

Spiteful behavior is empty personal attacks.; 12/2/17, 9:31 AM
Bad Lieutenant said...: No, ARM, it's true, you suck. Frankly you're not worth the effort to engage at a higher level than that. You know it and you like it.; 12/2/17, 2:33 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Another sad little personal attack. Deal with the facts or don't bother commenting.; 12/2/17, 4:02 PM
Bad Lieutenant said...: 1, you are not the boss of me. 2, you are a known liar and slanderer. 3, your posts are content free, devoid of facts to deal with.

You have used up such credibility as may have ever been credited to you. Time for you to delete your account.; 12/2/17, 6:24 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: A few posters here are unable to deal with contradictory points of view. Apparently you are one of them. You should find a safe space where there are no moderates or liberals.; 12/2/17, 8:38 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Bad Lieutenant said...
3, your posts are content free, devoid of facts to deal with.

Above your unresponsive post I point out that the large difference in the economic performance of the US and EU post recession directly contradicts an earlier post. What factual post have you made?; 12/2/17, 8:42 PM
Bad Lieutenant said...: That's the trouble: even if you ever were to say something substantive (even if it would be the tendentious cherry-picking sophistry that is the most one could expect of you), you're already brulé, nobody cares what you say anymore.

You've done your best to burn down this joint and as such, you smell of tar. Nobody has gained in any way, ever, by your putative contributions here. You don't even engage in small talk. You only come here to disrupt. You lie in your very name.; 12/2/17, 10:48 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: So nothing substantive on your part? Just more hatred of the other? Exactly what you accuse liberals of.

I am not 'burning this joint down'. The diverse opinions here are what keep it alive. It is the drones that are killing the place.; 12/3/17, 7:47 AM
Bad Lieutenant said...: Earnest Prole on, I believe, the previous thread, made a trenchant observation (invoking Stanley Fish as its sponsor) that the Left threw away all principle decades ago in the name of "Just win, baby," and now the Right, or if not the Right, the subset thereof that does not want to be pushed into the pit, is waking up to the notion of fighting fire with fire. That really is too bad-but if a man puts his hand into boiling water, is he not to pull it out?

So yeah, you deploy these tactics, it's all you have and are, and then you squeal when you get a little reciprocity? You asked for this and you're getting it.

Hey don't look at me, I wouldn't waste words. Buwaya is perfectly right, it will be tire irons before long.

You know the truth, you don't like the truth, you resist the truth. But pleading ignorance will no longer serve as a defense.; 12/3/17, 1:31 PM