What science or expert do you trust?

"According to the epidemiologist Sunetra Gupta, you should do just about the opposite of what’s being preached by college presidents, teachers’ unions, political leaders, and the scientific and media establishment. Unless you’re elderly or particularly vulnerable, you shouldn’t be wearing a mask all day, or shaming others for going unmasked. You should be careful not to endanger the vulnerable, but otherwise you should be exposing yourself to the virus in order to promote herd immunity."

https://www.city-journal.org/achieving-herd-immunity?

I was a medical librarian for 14 years, agriculture for 3 and I used to translate medical journals when I was a grad student.  If I'd ever tried to present my clients or employers with the mish mash of so-called politicized science we've heard the last 6 months, I would have been fired. I have no idea if Dr. Gupta is right, or whether 6' is the optimal number, or whether masks do any good.  This I believe: the elderly, like me, are at risk; those with other health conditions like smoking, diabetes, obesity and lung diseases are at risk even if not elderly; and rioting and looting and taking your exposure back to your family puts everyone at risk.

The Blessing in many languages

Yesterday I came across a new contemporary hymn called The Blessing, and it has caught the world by storm.  I think it was released live in March, and by May, because of Covid, it had become a world favorite using people of many lands and languages all singing together, although they weren’t. Each group is passionate about Jesus and their own country.  When Americans are patriotic, when they express love for country or Jesus, they are called xenophobic or racist by leftists, but when you see these people all working together despite their differences, you see that bond.  And since so many are singing in their own homes, in their own settings, you see how technology, fashion and music are really global.  I did this for over an hour yesterday, and it was mesmerizing.

https://youtu.be/m-UDnY1B0fI The India blessing, sung in English, Hindi, Urdu, Kannada, Gujarati, Odia, Malayalam, Punjabi, Nagamese, Bangla, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil.

And in Spanish https://youtu.be/13TuS5egUVI

And in French https://youtu.be/j1eCnolXi8s

And Arabic, 16 nations https://youtu.be/Qy0v69p5Jik

From Australia, asking blessings on their nation https://youtu.be/OOt7baaVSbE

And from Kenya, many blessings on their land https://youtu.be/G0BppDtl3_Q

Zimbabweans asking for blessing in time of Covid https://youtu.be/OA1tVs7VNcY

The Blessing Nigeria--tremendous creativity in this one--in English, Esan, Urhobo, Benin, Igbo, Tiv, Hausa, Brom, Yoruba, Kalabari, Ibibio, Okrika, Ijaw, and voice overs and prophecy. https://youtu.be/lewZ8ZhZB3Q

And the Swedes https://youtu.be/Z21Jyq7RPXo

Over 20 churches and groups in Lebanon sing for their country https://youtu.be/tQ818qHiHL0

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7:9-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

You now have the facts about this nomination

All we need are the facts.  We don’t have to call Fancy Nancy names like lunatic even though she’s gone on national television threatening to impeach the President for fulfilling his duty.

It’s a fact.  This has happened 29 times according to Ted Cruz.  Yes, and each time a president at the end of his term has done his duty, and the Senate did theirs.  Period. Barack Obama did it too—and he lost.  That also happens if the President and the Senate are not the same party.   Democrats and some Republican RINOs like Murkowski and Romney are just uninformed (and suffering from severe TDS) when they say this is unprecedented.  The RINOs are also stabbing their constituents in the back.  The courts, for some, are a bigger deal than abortion or the 2nd amendment. Honor your voters wishes.

It’s also a fact that Democrats are threatening to pack the court.

It’s also a fact that Democrats want to add 2 more states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. to their “quiver” to take over the country.

It’s also a fact that Democrats want to destroy the electoral college so only the major metropolitan areas, which they control (most burning from riots and looting) will have a say in governance.

It’s also a fact that the far left of the Democrat party is pushing the “green new deal.”  If you want to see how that works, take a look at California and Oregon burning from 40 years of bad environmental laws and regulations.

It’s also a fact that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed in 44 days from nomination, less time than we have now before the election.

So now my friends, you silent lurkers who read my posts every day, you can face your wild eyed friends and family with information.  Let them do the screaming and yelling and the ad hominem attacks.

Facial language fails with masks

Today I learned it is very difficult to scowl wearing a mask and have people get your message. The church I attend is still closed, so when we're in Columbus I attend St. Andrew Catholic, which is only a mile away. This has never happened before, but there were 4 men chatting 2 by 2 in the entry and in the back of the sanctuary. Usually, in my experience, Catholic churches are very quiet and people go there to worship not to catch up on the local news. I love the architecture, but the acoustics are poor with a lot of echo, so having someone talking (that sound seems to travel) makes it especially difficult for others to hear. I tried turning my head and scowling at them, but they either didn't get the message or they figured out I was a visitor and they had rights. I would like to tell them that  many churches in the U.S. are not open and they should appreciate what they have.

Critical race theory in education

I was reading a summary of an article on critical race theory in education about black teachers. I think 5 people were interviewed and from that the author, Michelle Jay who is black, concluded, "The study confirms several tenets of critical race theory including the assertion that racism is not aberrant, but endemic and permanent in American society, and routinely exists in public schools."

This is always the theme in critical race theory which is taught from the highest levels of government and military (reeducation camps) to first graders (get 'em while they are young and parents are clueless). Racism according to critical theory is endemic and permanent, so therefore society must be destroyed and rebuilt. That in a nutshell is BLM.  The talking heads on TV, including Fox, look pretty silly searching for logical, historical, rational reasons for the riots. It has nothing to do with police, or with George Floyd--they are just tools. This author was writing about this stuff 20 years ago.

If there’s a bright side the the house arrest virtual learning, it’s that parents are getting a look at what’s going on in education.

Do eye glasses protect you from Coronavirus?

I always thought it made sense that wearing eye glasses all day could protect one from virus particles, but never heard much about it. Now it's come to light again due to a study done in China (which I actually don't trust much). Two theories—glasses block the entry and keep your hands away from touching your eyes when your hands are contaminated. This is observational, as are the mask studies.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2770873

Cheat sheet on Marxists among us

Marxists came up with critical race theory because there weren't enough poor people in the working class to overthrow the government. Too much opportunity.

Let's put it on an index card.

• Victimhood.
• Identity politics--race, sex, ethnicity.
• Indoctrination campaigns.
• Attacks on Western civilization.
• Rejection of truth and morality.
• Communal property.
• Intersectionality.
• Culture change.
• Community organizers.
• Grievance groups.
• Consciousness raising.
• Pathologize tradition and religion.
• Replace our history with the counternarrative of Marxism.
• Contempt for the middle class, common folk and flyover country.
• Anti-Semitism--especially anti-Israel.
• Capitalism is bad because it's so good, it interferes with change.
• Quash aspiration, individuality and ambition.
• Swell immigration to enlarge the victim groups.
• Loosen sexual mores to destroy the nuclear family.
• Suppress speech.
• Stifle criticism.
• Undermine authority of church and family.
• No assimilation of minorities.
• Take over the institutions--academe, corporations, churches.
• Control the language and the giving of names.
• Reject the Enlightenment--the source of today's racism.

You can learn Gregorian Chants on YouTube

OPChant is an educational YouTube channel created and maintained by two Dominican seminarians. For nearly a year they’ve been producing short videos that teach singers of all levels to perform and appreciate the traditional music of the Catholic Church: Gregorian chant. Singing in the original Latin text, these two scholars wish to share the beauty of the music that led them to discern their vocations.  They have 20,000 followers.

https://aleteia.org/2020/09/15/dominican-seminarians-reach-a-large-audience-teaching-chant-on-youtube/

Tucker interviews virologist from China

"As it happens, February 6th, that day the paper went online, was also the date of the first coronavirus death in this country. The American media had every reason to pay attention to what the Chinese scientists found. But they didn’t. For nearly two months, the paper was all but ignored by news outlets. On March 31st, this show broadcast its contents. By then, more than 3,700 Americans had died from the coronavirus. Tens of thousands were hospitalized. We imagined there would be a serious national effort to find out where the virus came from, and how the pandemic started. But we were wrong. There wasn’t. There was silence. Once again, the people in charge of our public health infrastructure simply ignored credible evidence that contradicted the Chinese government’s version of events."

Tucker talked to the virologist who fears for her life and fled China. It's not from nature, and the release was deliberate.

Which candidate for president is chummy with China? Biden. Facebook suppressed the video of the interview. Which candidate does Big Tech support? Biden. They've "fact checked" her and pulled her account, but they covered something completely unrelated from months ago.

Facebook and Big Tech believe in censorship.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/09/17/tucker_carlson_on_youtube_silencing_coronavirus_opinions_this_is_what_state_media_looks_like.html

I trust vaccines, but not Trump says Biden

Joe Biden says he trusts vaccines, he trusts science, but he doesn't trust Trump! Is Trump in the lab? Is he lining up the diverse group for the clinical trials? Of course not. He's promoting and pushing money to the firms doing the science. This vaccine has moved faster than any in history and multiple firms are working on it. All because of Trump's leadership. Biden is instilling hate, anger and distrust. How’s that for keeping people calm.  How’s that for hope? Who in the world would ever trust a vaccine with Biden's leadership? He has politicized science (although that had already been done in academia). If he wins, will he start all over because President Trump had provided the money? Probably. He wants to lockdown the entire country and raise taxes--why not start over and keep us really helpless. He hasn't read the distribution plan, but says he doesn't trust it--in fact, I think he said (with help from the media) that there was no plan in place. Biden is an anti-vaxxer. Last night I talked to a friend in the pharmaceutical business and am much encouraged. Time to toss Biden into the dust bin of history along with other socialists.

2019 crime statistics were decreasing

Before the current staged riots which have increased crime rates for 2020 in major cities, crime was decreasing. (Nine police have been shot in St. Louis since the death of George Floyd)  That must have made some CEOs of victim groups like BLM and ANTIFA very uncomfortable. It made Trump look good. Here's what happened in 2019--fewer women were assaulted and the cities were safer than 2018:

The rate of violent crime excluding simple assault declined 15% from 2018 to 2019, from 8.6 to 7.3 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older.

Among females, the rate of violent victimization excluding simple assault fell 27% from 2018 to 2019.

There were 880,000 fewer victims of serious crimes (generally felonies) in 2019 than in 2018, a 19% drop.

From 2018 to 2019, 29% fewer black persons and 22% fewer white persons were victims of serious crimes.

The rate of violent victimization in urban areas—based on the NCVS's new classifications of urban, suburban, and rural areas—declined 20% from 2018 to 2019.

https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv19_sum.pdf?

The Census and critical race theory

Why did the Left oppose a citizenship question on the 2020 census? Why wouldn't the government want to know during enumeration how many are citizens? For over 40 years various interest groups have been artificially dividing us into racial and ethnic groups--they've created victim groups based on the Civil Rights movement and Act of 1964. There's a lot of money involved just for the pickin', and ready made jealousy and finger pointing that can be used for agitation and demanding more.

By emphasizing citizenship (but not ethnic ties), the government tells all people, but especially immigrants and their children, that it is concerned with their relationship not with the land of their ancestors but with the land to which they now belong. But how can you build grievances with such an outlandish idea.

https://www.heritage.org/government-regulation/report/eliminating-identity-politics-the-us-census?

The Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations (NAC) was created by Barack Obama in 2012. But not out of whole cloth, it was birthed in the "1960s and 70s, when the census office first began to create National Advisory Committees on race and ethnicity. It was in those heady days of postmodernism’s birth—when Marxism in its academic form was embarking on “the long march through the institutions”. The definitions of ethnic groups were etched into law. Each of the pan-ethnic groups that racial activists and government functionaries were adding to the census and other government surveys at the time (“Hispanics,” “Asians,” “Pacific Islanders,” etc.) were the subjects of a special census committee, starting in 1974. Four decades later, the Obama administration pulled all the difference committees into one giant NAC." We almost got (or maybe it's still in the works) MENA, Middle East and North Africa so yet another group could get a piece of the budget pie and a slice of power.

I suppose you could call it part of Obama's legacy. Suspicion, jealously, bean counting, inventing new words for differences, redistributing wealth based on grievances through special grants and poking "whites" (anything from Swede to Welsh to Spanish to Serbian) in the eye. When you understand how critical race theory academics have helped create identity groupings, you'll be better prepared to understand the distrust and unrest among artificially created groups are being churned today.

https://quillette.com/2018/10/23/inside-the-us-government-agency-where-identity-politics-was-born/?

Why do rich capitalists support Democrats?

People ask why Democrat billionaires, who are devoted capitalists, support Biden who says he'll be the most progressive president in our history. That's code for socialist/Marxist. Usually that's not good for capitalism. After all, the Soviets used to kill a peasant for owning one cow. Communism hasn't become kinder.

So here's the dirty little secret about capitalists. They want to make money. They can make more by getting the government to tie up other businesses in red tape or to shut them down completely with local, state and federal regulations. If they can make more buying off Union bosses, that will be done. It's part of overhead. If they can make more greasing the palms of senator XYZ in North Carolina than senator LMNOP of Illinois, they'll move the business south. It's the cost of doing business. Right now, many large corporations and entertainment venues (like sports) are really into "woke." One guy has the name of a rapist on his helmet. Kaepernick was encouraging the death of cops years ago. It's still about the money, and if it's blackmail, then it's just the cost of doing business.

Filibuster memes going around

The longest filibuster was the Democrats fighting the Civil Rights Act in 1964, 60 days. "Fact checkers," always on the side of the Democrats, are quick to point out these were "Southern Democrats," and it wasn't really as long as the memes say, but they never point out that Republicans are the ones who got it passed, and Republicans had passed the 1957 Civil Rights Bill. Democrats filibustered that one, too, and tried to water it down.

https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1951-2000/The-Civil-Rights-Act-of-1957/?

Building a movement on victimhood

Did you ever wonder where and how we got the word, the made up word, "Hispanic?" Mexican Americans were just "white" in the census count "back in the day." They were proud to be "Americans," were working for assimilation. Same with Indian Americans like Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal. In the government reports for socioeconomic issues, they were "white." But leftists needed voting blocks, so they modeled a movement based on the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s among American blacks. People with no cultural, social or demographic affinities were lumped together--Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Colombians, Hondurans--or Chinese, Cambodians, Pakistanis--and organizations like "La Raza" were created to convince them they were victims and underserved. And it worked. Today we call it identity politics. They are all called, People of Color (POC) even if one grandparent was German the other Korean, to convince them of their victimhood. I call it a crime.

"They had the law on their side: a federal district court ruled in In Re Ricardo Rodríguez (1896) that Mexican Americans were to be considered white for the purposes of citizenship concerns. And so as late as 1947, the judge in another federal case (Mendez v. Westminster) ruled that segregating Mexican-American students in remedial schools in Orange County was unconstitutional because it represented social disadvantage, not racial discrimination. At that time Mexican Americans were as white before the law as they were in their own estimation."

Mike Gonzalez. https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/the-invention-of-hispanics/?