Revolutions and the Bible - Os Guinness

At the 2020 Wilberforce Week-end (named for William Wilberforce, famous abolitionist) sponsored by the Colson Center), Os Guinness discusses the deep divisions in modern America. The roots go back to the 5 revolutions of the modern era--England (1642), United States (1776), France (1789), Russia (1917) and China (1949). The first two were Biblical (Exodus), and the last three were anti-Biblical. The French Revolution was based in atheism and was extremely anti-church. Today our current "revolutionaries" follow the French model. Utopian. The American Revolution is based on the idea that mankind is sinful. Utopianism is/was disastrous. It is always filled with violence and force. Our revolution comes from the idea of Covenant, a Hebrew idea. The Constitution is freely chosen consent, a morally binding pledge. It's reciprocal. Therefore it includes the idea of freedom, truth and love. Today's revolutionaries must use the idea of victimhood--wrong answered by revenge--so the feud continues. The Biblical way includes repentance and forgiveness, freedom from the past and therefore freedom in the future. Guinness is a European, an immigrant. If America turns from true freedom, he says, it will be a disaster for the world.

https://youtu.be/Ws2U2DXREDQ

CPAC, masks and Twitter

I caught an interview on Newsmax of something that happened at CPAC in FL. A young man with a twitter following (I’d never heard of him) had press credentials, and was wearing a mask, but when people asked to have a photo with him, he pulled it down. The Security asked him to leave. (Not sure how you eat, drink or take photos with masks--the entire Biden clan took off their masks for photos at the inauguration.) He thinks it was because of his t-shirt which said, “Arrest Cuomo.” Then he uploaded this incident to Twitter, and they have banned him. He says the CPAC event was in a blue county and individual stores and facilities have the right to control mask wearing, not the governor. Once Twitter found out it could ban the President of the free world and no one would stop it, it went crazy banning anyone it pleased. This makes Big Tech more powerful than Big Government, with its CEOs billionaires the richest people in the world. And not a one of us voted for or asked for that. But we did give away free all our data and they have imprisoned us with it.

On race, racism, class and opportunity

Who are the white supremacists? Maybe those white and black globalists who control or own academe, entertainment, music industry, major sports teams, the tech industry, government, unions, financial industry, health care, Facebook, Google, Twitter, foundations and non-profits, and especially the Democrat party. They are the ones feeling entitled to tell the peons how to live. Just ask them--they will tell you they are righteous.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why the people with all the power are trying to convince us that it's a 40-somethingTrump lover with no investments, not on welfare, riding a motor cycle or driving truck, with a flag sewn to his leather jacket who watches OANN who is the problem. Makes no sense, but then as Tucker has pointed out, the 21st century social and economic revolution is from the top down. The hyper-educated, moneyed elites are oppressing the little guy demanding he give up his first and second amendment rights so they can have more power! So they can feel morally superior while they trash everyone who doesn't agree with them.

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, earned $280,621,552 in total compensation—more than 1,000 times the income of a median company employee ($246,804 is the median, well beyond what the rest of us can complain about). He was born in India and went to an IT school there before he immigrated. Too bad the U.S. is such a terrible racist country, so prejudiced that no one has any opportunity to become that overpaid. I wonder if Alphabet's employees have to attend reeducation classes to become woke.

No one gave us the chance

What if the nation had stayed open for business and only the old (>65) had restricted their activities, spaces and faces after the "2 week shutdown to save the hospitals" last spring. Would there be any difference in the infection death rate (already extremely low)? We are the boomers and the silent generation, but I think we could have saved the nation if given the chance.

"The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on education has been severe, accelerating the learning losses typically seen over summer breaks. The sad reality is that the shutdowns have had an unequal effect on students. While most students have experienced a learning decay, the impact has been more severe among disadvantaged children." (PolicyEd "Endless Summer, How Covid has reversed academic achievement")

News from the Front Line on Covid

FLCCC Protocols - A Guide to the Management of COVID-19 - updated Feb 23, 2021 (covid19criticalcare.com)

An overview of the MATH+ and I-MASK+ Protocols A Guide to the Management of COVID-19

Developed and Updated by Paul Marik, MD, FCP (SA), FRCP (C), FCCP, FCCM for the COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC Alliance). This is our recommended approach to COVID-19 based on the best (and most recent) literature. This is a highly dynamic topic; therefore, we will be updating the guideline as new information emerges. Please check on the FLCCC Alliance website for updated versions of this protocol. www.flccc.net.

Database of all HCQ COVID-19 studies. 257 studies, 187 peer reviewed, 210 comparing treatment and control groups.

c19study.pdf

Nutrition and diet changes for heart health

When the cardio rehab from Ohio Health called to discuss Bob's diet, I had to be on the phone since I buy, plan the menus and prepare the food. Slowly we're making changes--more for me than him, since he's always been careful and disciplined. 

So the other day I was reading about heart healthy goals, SMART, which are 

Specific, 

Measurable, 

Attainable, 

Realistic, and 

Time-oriented. 

We can hit all those. I've lost 6 lbs., my blood pressure is down, and haven't had the salt shaker on the table for five days. Salty crunchy is my go-to comfort food. However, I recognized that's how my former boss (now deceased) Jay Ladd told me to write my goals for my annual report. For instance. Attend 3 professional conferences--national, local or state, meet with the faculty library committee once a month and send him a report, answer 2 letters a month from school children (two was a good achievable number because there would be many more). It had to be specific, measurable and attainable. That way when he'd visit my library the next year, all he had to do was check, check and check. I hate setting goals, but being specific and measurable helped a lot. Same with health changes.

Since I'm now checking my blood pressure, which I'd never done in the past, I also read an article on how to do it.  

Empty your bladder.  

Sit with feet on the floor and don't cross your knees.  

Sit quietly and relax.  

Lay your arm on the table.  

Apply the cuff correctly (which is difficult for me without help).  

Proceed. 

Some days the high number is over 130, but more and more, it's in the teens as I give up salt and do it correctly. Today it was 112/65 pulse 64. On Feb. 20 it was 116/67 pulse 79. 

About salt.  I don't like adding artificial things if I can just do with less of the natural (such as "lite" salad dressing or "low salt" anything), so I poked around in the cupboard and found a shaker of "The Avenue" signature steak seasoning. The Avenue Steak Tavern  We'd gone there for my 80th birthday before Phil became ill.  The ingredients are granulated garlic, granulated onion, dried parsley, pink peppercorn, black peppercorn, and Kosher salt.  Since salt is the last ingredient, I think I'll use this on some things that are just tasteless. Ricotta, for instance, is as tasty as school paste. The main ingredient is whey.  I browsed the internet for other steak seasoning, and found most listed salt as first or second ingredient. 

White Fragility

Robin DiAngelo has made a fortune being a racist. She writes in White Fragility, that “All white people are invested in and collude with racism,” and that “The white collective fundamentally hates blackness for what it reminds us of: that we are capable and guilty of perpetrating immeasurable harm and that our gains come through the subjugation of others.” She also claims if we disagree with her we're racists. Kafkatrap. 

Would DiAngelo be allowed into our churches, book clubs and non-profit reading lists if she were speaking such vile filth about Jews, Blacks or Asians? Robin, if you are a racist and need to unload your guilt and promote your moral superiority, speak for yourself. Don't come to my social and educational events. Keep those books in your basement archive. 

I hope she donates her ill-gotten, slave-pimping wealth to an organization that wants to stop slavery in this time and place, this century--it exceeds the numbers of the 18th century, and is still primarily based in Africa and Asia. It includes labor slavery, sex slavery, and child slavery. Check the annual reports for TIP U.S. Department of State.

https://thelogicalliberal.com/2020/06/13/white-fragility/?

https://slowtowrite.com/white-fragility-is-pro-racism/?

https://thefederalist.com/2019/06/18/white-fragility-inherently-racist-idea-retired-immediately/?

https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/24/tucker-carlson-white-fragility-robin-diangelo/?

Telling black women to abort their future in the name of health and liberation

New ways to oppress blacks. Tell them that aborting their children is reproductive justice and liberation. And feature it during Black History month. I wonder how much these women earn for taking their show on the road. They've been paid speakers as "Christians" for years. More black babies are legally killed in 4 days than 80 years of lynching. Why isn't it called "systemic racism?"

"Ohio State's Center for the Study of Religion for "Religion, Healing and the Movement for Black Lives," from 4:30─6 p.m., featuring these presentations:

• "Black Spirituality and the Creation of Spaces for Healing and Liberation" with Dr. Elise Edwards (Baylor University)

• "Trusting Black Women: Reproductive Justice as Black Liberation" with Dr. Monique Moultrie, Georgia State University"

Look back at your isolation this past year

Three years from now, some of you will look back & admit that you spent an entire year of your life wearing a mask, cooped up in your house & avoiding all the people you love.  A year in your life that you’ll never get back.

Every single day is a risk.

Car accident, flu, etc.

Our days were numbered from the moment we took our first breath. Life isn’t a race where we win against the inevitable! That has not changed since the beginning of time!

BUT, we should not be forced to live in fear.

We went from being a free nation to being told we:

couldn’t go to school

couldn’t go to church

couldn’t go to our grandma's house

couldn’t pay respects to a loved one through a funeral

couldn’t leave our homes

...and when we were allowed to do these things, we were told:

how long we could be there

how far apart we have to be

which direction to walk

what to wear

what we can buy/not buy

where we could shop/not shop

whether we could sing/worship/take communion

what time we had to be home

Yes, our health matters.

But you know what else matters?

Family.

Friends.

Church.

School.

Sporting events.

Family vacations.

Neighborhood BBQs.

Life.

Fitness.

Hugs.

visiting the hospitalized

Etc.. etc...

One day, you’ll hug your grandma, mom, dad, or brother for the last time.

One day, your best friend will cry on your shoulder for the last time.

One day, your child will play their last ball game.

One day, they’ll have their last day of school.

One day, you’ll spend your last day laughing with a loved one.

One day, you’ll dance your last dance.

Don’t waste the days you have by living in fear.

Your time here on earth matters.

Live your life while you have the chance.

God is gonna call you home when it’s your time.

Virus or no virus.

https://globalcitizensunited.substack.com/p/life-is-risk?s=r

Equality Act—it’s not what it seems

The misnamed "Equality Act" is coming THIS WEEK in a vote in the House of Representatives. What you need to know when you call your Member of Congress:

1. The Equality Act's unverifiable and unscientific attempt to address discrimination by elevating protections for certain groups on the basis of a new definition of sex is a direct threat against every woman in America.

2. The Equality Act would upend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by replacing "sex" with "sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity," placing "gender identity" among the protected categories of discrimination and segregation in places of public accommodation. The word "sex" would no longer be understood as "biologically male and female" in civil rights law. All federally funded entities would be forced to interpret "sex" as including multiple and fluid gender identities, or "the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms, or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual's designated sex at birth."

3. The Equality Act would force public facilities to allow men and boys who identify as women or girls to use the same bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, domestic violence shelters, and prisons as women or girls. The Equality Act would force employers to hire or assign men who identify as women to jobs requiring sensitivity to the physical privacy rights of women and girls such as intimate medical examinations, supervision of domestic violence shelters or prisons, airport security pat downs, strip searches, or supervision of overnight school field trips.

4. The Equality Act would deny female athletes a fair playing field in sports competitions. Title IX, which bans discrimination for women and girls on the basis of sex, would be negated, forcing female athletes to compete against biological males.

5. America does not need the so-called "Equality Act" to protect our constitutional rights. Nothing prevents any person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, from receiving equal protection of the laws under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Rather, this act will be used, as other gender identity policies have, to impede upon the rights, privacy, and safety of women and girls.

Loss of religious protections The Equality Act: What You Need to Know | Center for Arizona Policy (azpolicy.org)

Damage to several groups. Nancy Pelosi’s ‘Equality Act’ Would Be Disastrous. Here Are 5 Likely Victim Groups. (dailysignal.com)

ADF: ‘Equality Act’ profoundly intolerant, deceptively named | Alliance Defending Freedom (adflegal.org)

For Book Club, Monday March 1

I am the hostess (on Zoom) for the March book club and we’re reading the book by Eric Metaxas, Seven Men and Seven Women and the Secret of Their Greatness. (2016).  The main characters are presented in chronological order, and all are deceased.  The men are George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Saint John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson.  The women are Saint Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa).

I’ve looked around the Internet for some interviews and opinion pieces.

Eric Metaxas telling how he became a Christian through intellectual discussions with a Christian at his job, and then God revealed something to him in a dream. Eric Metaxas testimony how he became a Christian - YouTube

Study guide with links for 7 men (original title): A Discussion Guide for Eric Metaxas’s Seven Men and The Secret Of Their Greatness – home (chrisbrauns.com)  Includes Metaxas’ personal testimony. If you are unfamiliar with Metaxas’ background, this is a good start.

There are many videos of Metaxas discussing William Wilberforce. This is at Calvary Church https://youtu.be/njLUCmtLQpY

Metaxas lecturing about Bonhoeffer and Wilberforce at Grace Church in 2012.  https://youtu.be/48U3D74SwLs  

Metaxas laments in a secular publication that the Jackie Robinson movie left out the faith of both Robinson and Rickey in 42. Jackie Robinson a man of faith: Column (usatoday.com) “Omitting the role of faith in this story does a serious disservice to history — and to the memories of Robinson and Rickey.”

Interview (2013)  with Metaxas about the book Seven Men and the secrets of their greatness

https://youtu.be/yw-hVleL1DI (pt.1) and https://youtu.be/1UmJESQ-5iw (pt.2) and https://youtu.be/tiaXPGNje-E  (pt.3)

Interview with Metaxas about the book  Great Women from Joan of Arc to Mother Teresa | Eric Metaxas

The Secret of Mother Teresa's Greatness | Eric Metaxas  Mother Teresa  Opinion piece written for Fox

Article by Metaxas on Susanna Wesley, Joan of Arc, and Rosa Parks, Susanna Wesley, Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks and Other Ordinary-Extraordinary Women God Used to Change the World | Eric Metaxas in Christian Post.

For an extra if you’re interested in Mother Teresa.  Interview 1974 https://youtu.be/Th2QzJwy8tI  in Ireland.

Full movie on Corrie Ten Boom https://youtu.be/GHjiGwG4cFY

Movie on the life of William Wilberforce William Wilberforce | Full Movie | Steve Bell - YouTube  voice over with drawings--very well done.

Merritt Garland, unprepared and no thoughts about illegal immigration

Merritt Garland seems to be the only American who hasn't thought about whether or not entering the country illegally should remain a crime. And he's applying for the job as Attorney General--the chief cop! I'm just a retired librarian, and I've thought about it. I'll bet you have too.

“I haven’t thought about that question… uh… uh… I just haven’t thought about that question,” Garland replied cautiously. “I think the uh, the uh, president has, uh, made clear that we are a country of uh with borders and uh a concern about national security. Um, I don’t know of proposal to uh decriminalize, but um, still make it unlawful to uh, enter.”

Also, when in recent history has our current president ever said we are a country with borders that are important for national security? Wasn't that during the Bush years that he mentioned it?

The Department of Justice traces its beginning to the First Congress meeting in New York in 1789, at which time the Congress devoted itself to creating the infrastructure for operating the Federal Government. After meeting for several months the legislators passed a bill known as the Judiciary Act that provided for the organization and administration of the judicial branch of the new government, and included in that Act was a provision for appointment of “…a meet person, learned in the law, to act as attorney-general for the United States…” 

Although it would be nearly another century before Congress would create the Department of Justice, the establishment of the Attorney General position marks the true beginning of the Department. The Judiciary Act was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington on September 24, 1789, making the Attorney General position the fourth in the order of creation by Congress of those positions that have come to be defined as Cabinet level positions.  

About the Office (justice.gov)

No more business as usual

I've been reading my husband's professional (architecture) literature for so many years, I think I could write the articles--at least the opinion pieces of the last 3 decades (social, cultural and green). But finally, a paragraph I support for its truth, yet question its suppositions.

"What's next? A year ago, the answer that no one foresaw would be "a pandemic." Though the COVID-19 pandemic will end, architecture cannot--and will not--simply return to its old habits and forms. The global health emergency has changed how we live, travel, and work. It has altered how we use and navigate space, what we expect regarding safety and sanitation, and the way we greet strangers and loved ones. . . " p. 59, Architect (journal of AIA), Jan/Feb 2021. 

The theme of the issue is Post-Vaccine Architecture. And the vaccine will change a lot, but it won't restore our faith in our government, it won't let us forget how politicians used us, and how our leaders accepted the call of power over the call of service. The vaccine can't restore the lost dreams, careers, businesses, relationships and lives. It can't undo the memories of cowering in our homes or replace the time we might have had with friends and relatives who have died. The top 1% in technology have become richer and more controlling; grifters, special interests and unions are absconding with our money buried in the Covid relief bills; the people who should have protected us have failed us; and their children, families and future move ahead without a hitch and are not being harmed. The poor and disadvantaged have lost even more ground after some spectacular gains the previous 3 years -- especially the children closed out of their schools. 

Churches, schools, and workplaces need to rethink many issues and policies. Don't allow the architects, engineers, governors, and politicians to do your decision making. We've had enough of "experts" telling us what to do and then responding without thinking it through.

One thing Rush said wasn’t true. . .

In 1994 Rush Limbaugh reflected on why liberals were so afraid of him. Not much changed in 27 years.

"I have not attracted and kept my audience by being a blowhard, a racist, a sexist, a hatemonger. Those who make such charges insult the intelligence of the American people. If l were truly what my critics claim, I would have long ago, deservedly, gone into oblivion. The fact is, my audience knows I constantly champion rugged individualism. One of the most oft-heard phrases on my shows is this: “I want a great America made up of great individuals, an America where everyone is unshackled to be the best he can be.” This is the philosophy that sends liberals into fits—because they know a country made of strong, self-reliant individuals does not need them at all."

He was criticized for reporting on his show that Sidwell school where Chelsea Clinton attended had assigned a paper to 8th graders on "Why I feel guilty being white." He was insulted and ridiculed for saying this on the air, but it turned out that it had already been reported in 3 other sources, and his critics had to apologize. What makes this story interesting 27 years later, is today would it even raise an eyebrow? CRT is all over the place and children are being brainwashed in violation of the Civil Rights laws.

Unfortunately, one thing he said in 1994 is not true today:

 ". . . modern liberalism—exhausted and confused—is on the run. "

Some how, the generation that fell in love with him in the 90s, managed to lose control of the Republican party, schools, boards of directors, entertainment, churches, non-profits, clubs, and turn out some very brainwashed socialists.

Biden’s illegal immigration plan

https://youtu.be/dZ-w86r12Uw No social distancing, no masks, no quarantines. No isolation of sex criminals. Releasing drug cartel members. It's Biden's plan to control the virus and the opioid crisis.

The lockdowns of schools, churches, libraries and social activities have hurt the children in low income families the most. Democrats and their allies in the unions are once again using government control to hurt minorities. Systemic racism? How about just systemically Democrat party with business as usual? And equal opportunity plan to hurt all children, but hurts minorities more. We don't really need statistical models to tell us what we already know.

Achievement gap and coronavirus | McKinsey

How much learning students lose during school closures varies significantly by access to remote learning, the quality of remote instruction, home support, and the degree of engagement. For simplicity’s sake, we have grouped high-school students into three archetypes. First, there are students who experience average-quality remote learning; this group continues to progress, but at a slower pace than if they had remained in school.⁴ Second, some students are getting lower-quality remote learning; they are generally stagnating at their current grade levels. Then there are students who are not getting any instruction at all; they are probably losing significant ground. Finally, some students drop out of high school altogether.

Candace Owens interviews Carol Swain

Knocked it out of the park! Candance Owens and Carol Swain today. Prof. Swain had been a Democrat all her life up to the Obama era, but even then was struggling against the victimhood idea,. She didn't like identity politics. Today's messages for young blacks are very destructive today.  Progressives hate blacks--yes, she said it. Every generation it's something different--all the way to defund the police. They HATE black people. Now it's Covid (OK to riot without masks) and shutting down the schools. Everything progressives do hurt blacks more. And she called Critical Race Theory what it is--Marxism. She encourages whites to stop the bullying by using the Civil Rights laws--they protect everyone, not just blacks. Don't miss this one. She's a strong Christian, but wasn't for many years.

https://youtu.be/IF8quaC53ic

Rush Limbaugh, 1951-2021

https://youtu.be/gfRgI5LryyM The outcome was never in doubt, but he lived longer than expected.  Rush Limbaugh, dead at 70, announced by his wife on his radio program at noon, February 17.

A real American success story. Started at the bottom. He used to inspire young people with stories about how many times he failed or was fired. Former disc jockey, former sports announcer. Loved the stories about his grandfather and father. Quit college because he said he wasn't learning anything about what he loved. He set the standard for talk radio and always encouraged people coming up in the business. And the money he used to raise for cancer research! Millions. Not realizing then it would take him, too.

I was still a Democrat the first time I heard him, and I wouldn't say he was the reason I changed, but he helped my education and caused me to dig a little deeper than my shallow knowledge of politics. But it was his voice. Best voice on radio, and so patient in listening to some of his really "challenged" callers. He loved to get calls from Democrats on Open line Fridays and just gave them enough rope and encouragement to strangle themselves. He appreciated every prayer, his wife reported.

The first time I heard Rush Limbaugh on the radio we were driving to Lakeside and he was talking about Dan's Bake Sale. With Rush promoting it (it was to needle President Clinton) about 70,000 people showed up but Dan never caught on to the opportunity.  I didn't become a Republican for another 12 years, but always enjoyed his show. Democrats were smarter back then. He could talk about anything and make a good story. Clinton was his nemesis, and I think Rush needed him to be funny.

I have two Rush stories to tell.

1) I listen a few times a week to the "Called to Communion" show with Dr. David Anders on EWTN radio. It's on at 2 p.m., but I listened to the archived shows in the middle of the night if I wake up. About 3:30 this morning I listened to Tom Price, Dr. Anders' side kick and announcer, get choked up speaking of Limbaugh's death (this would have been just 2 hours after it was announced by his wife on radio). He said that when he and Rush were starting out in the radio business they worked together as disc jockeys. (That's why the music on the Limbaugh show was always so great--he could also sing.) Rush always came to work in a white shirt, tie, and dress slacks, instead of the casual jeans of the other rockers. During commercials or on break, Rush was always talking politics, Tom recalled, even back then when he was poor and struggling. Of course, Rush's opinions and voice of Conservatism became famous, he wrote a number of books including a series for children in addition to his syndicated radio show and was a multimillionaire when he died. Tom happily works for a Catholic non-profit in Alabama, but also has a voice heard around the world.

2) Rush's fans are called "ditto heads" because shortly after his national show became so wildly popular back in the late 80s, the calls from his fans were so effusive with compliments, he asked them to just say, "ditto" so it didn't take up so much air time. Americans were thrilled to have someone who spoke to and for them.

Turn on Newsmax and turn off the alphabet and cable news if you want to hear a real eulogy, honest information.

Yes, Rush was divisive. You either liked that he gave Conservatives a voice and platform or you didn't. But he was never racist or homophobic. I wasn't a daily listener, but in 32 years, I never heard that. Women? He did tell stories about some women we didn't like or admire, same as men. Sort of equal opportunity. But his female fans adored him--why would you believe a Leftist over them? And he loved having Left leaning callers on his show--really let them play it out so we could see what they were about. They actually provided material and he had a name for those who had been trained on how to set him up. He could always tell. What was it--a seminar caller? Can't remember. The lies and hate were all from his enemies--he was a joyful, happy patriot. Always optimistic, even when dying.

"Usually, in this line of work, if you're lucky, you get a moment - a year or two when you're the in-thing - and you hope to hold enough of that moment as it slowly fades away to keep you going till retirement. Rush did something unprecedented in the history of TV and radio. Commercial broadcasting began in the United States in 1920: The Rush Limbaugh Show came along two-thirds of a century later, became the Number One program very quickly, and has stayed at the top all the way to today - for a third of the entire history of the medium." Mark Steyn

Biden talks to ally, Israel

Finally after almost a month, Biden got around to chatting with Netanyahu of Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East. Trump called him on the second day of his administration. He's already talked to China and Russia. First things first. Appease our enemies. Wasn't that so easy to call off the Russia Russia Russia attacks in our own country? 

Biden's administration is filled with Obamabots, and the media are still swooning and throwing rose petals instead of questions. Don't expect the leakers' sources at the Post or Times to comb through every preposition and pause (or gaffe) in the phone conversation as they did with Trump looking for treason and xenophobia. 

Trump had offered, in the Middle East recent peace plan, the best deal the Palestinians had ever had under any U.S. president, but of course, they don't want peace so it was rejected. Biden doesn't want peace in the Middle East either, so he'll go back to coddling the Palestinians.

The old Democrat line again

At a Townhall yesterday, Biden said, "No one should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty." According to government statistics, no one does. Even during the Clinton administration decades ago, it was shown that to avoid poverty 3 things are required.

1) Finish high school,

2) be over 21 and married before having children, and

3) have a full time job.

Just those three can lift most children from poverty and break the cycle. If both parents are working 40 hours a week even at minimum wage (the old one) the family won't qualify for poverty programs because their income would be too high. It's not that there aren't exceptions like mental illness or intellectual deficiencies, alcoholism, drug abuse and illness which might prevent full time work, but overall, Joe is lying to us.

This speech was the old Democrat chant and whine for more money to redistribute among their faithful, and that ours is not a land of opportunity. You can never make America great again under Joe because legislation will prevent it.

Democrats continue to make these 3 simple rules, articulated in the 1990s by Ron Haskins in a Brookings report, difficult for the low income.

1) They denigrate and ridicule the value of marriage/children in all the cultural areas they control,

2) they weaken the necessary moral principals to sustain the education system by focusing on intersectional, racial and social issues leaving millions of children uneducated in the basics for employment, and

3) they make it difficult for young people to get good employment through programs that punish the employers, like raising the minimum to job killing levels.

The Bachelor Host is called a Racist for asking for grace for a contestant

It makes no difference how important you are in your government or business position, the woke police can dredge up your college or even elementary school behavior and "cancel" you. Did you “like” something on Facebook or Twitter casually moving on?   This needs to stop, but it's been so successful by leftist haters, I doubt it will. Especially if a liberal can replace you in your job to continue the narrative. No one is safe, not Democrats, not libertarians, and certainly not Republicans or the a-political.

WALSH: ‘Bachelor’ Host Called Racist For Advocating Grace And Forgiveness. Now He’s Stepping Down From The Show. | The Daily Wire

Lockdown computer model from 14 year old's science project

Maybe someone else would have come up with the same computer model for a lockdown and social distancing as a 14 year old girl did for her science project in 2006. But as of now, she's the only culprit. It had never been tried before, and for good reason. It would destroy the world economy and kill millions more than the virus.

Social Distancing for Coronavirus Has a History - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Also, the FB "fact checkers" still have a grey/black shield over my research on the lack of research about SKSAM and this virus (spelled backwards)

Traumatic Brain Injury

About 35 years ago I applied for a job as the Director of an organization helped victims of TBI, traumatic brain injury. I had some of the qualifications they were seeking, like research and supervising staff, the advanced education, but I didn’t know anything about TBI. So I researched it before the interview. I didn’t get the job, but I never lost my interest in TBI. When I see articles about children’s sports injuries, or NFL brain trauma, or head injuries from auto accidents or falls, I always stop to read them. I’ve known two brilliant women whose careers and lives were devastated in auto accidents during their post graduate college years.

Today I saw an item about a coming conference at OSU, the annual CBI Research Day (Chronic Brain Injury) CBI Research Day | Discovery Themes, The Ohio State University (osu.edu) on March 10. I looked at the qualifications of some of the speakers and for articles they’ve published since I won’t be attending, even virtually. This item about Dr. Christine MacDonald was particularly interesting: Combat concussions worsen over time, not lessen.

“The EVOLVE study, for which she is the lead researcher, found that those who suffer combat concussions worsen over the course of their 1-year and 5-year follow-ups; 80% seek mental health assistance by the 5-year follow-up, and only 19% achieve a “sustained resolution of their symptoms.” The service members had blast or non-blast related concussions, but none had more complex or severe brain injuries.” The Invisible Wounds of War — Concussion Alliance

Electromagnetic controlled cortical impact device for precise, graded experimental traumatic brain injury - PubMed (nih.gov)

Clinical and imaging assessment of acute combat mild traumatic brain injury in Afghanistan (nih.gov)

Cerebellar White Matter Abnormalities following Primary Blast Injury in US Military Personnel (nih.gov)

Amy K. Wagner, MD, Chair for Translational Research at the University of Pittsburgh, is the keynote speaker, and Carrie Lynn Esopenko, PhD, Asst. Professor of Rehabilitation & Movement Sciences at Rutgers is the Spotlight Speaker. 

The database at the University of Pittsburgh, certainly shows some interesting statistics:  Whites (67%) are far more likely to be victims than blacks (19%), an overwhelming number are single--never married, divorced, widowed (67%), males are 73.5%, and 52% of the causes are vehicular crashes.  TBIMS_NationalDB_update.pdf (pitt.edu)

2022 elections—Freedom of speech and assembly

I think this will be the big issue for 2022 elections. Silencing us. Using non-government entities to destroy our First Amendment rights.

Sarah Sanders who is running for Governor of Arkansas:

"From "cancel culture" to big tech censorship, liberals are determined to dismiss, defeat, and repress any opinion that isn't in line with theirs.

They even went as far as banning a then sitting President of the United States from all platforms."

Right now, they are attacking supporters of the President who went after the swamp, but others are being silenced too. Doctors, lawyers, librarians, teachers, professors, entertainers and business owners are questioning the unproven medical advice and policies related to the pandemic. They are being silenced, whether or not they are the president's supporters. Time to step out and speak up. Stop cancel culture in your schools, churches and non-profits. Stop the scam. Stop the lockdown. Know what's going on in your state and community.

And you Democrats will be silenced next. Learn from history. Germany, Russia, China, Venezuela, Cuba and others have much to teach you.

Different perspective on Christian nations and Covid19

I was researching the missionaries John and Betty Stam (I'll write more later) who were murdered by the Chinese Communists in 1934 thus starting a missionary movement, when I came across an article about them by Dr. Eugene Bach at the Back to Jerusalem* website. I checked, as I often do, to see what else he had written, and found an interesting perspective on the role of Christian nations in this pandemic:

"The truth is, the world is crying out for Christian nations to come up with a solution. Most people do not realize how much we depend on Christians nations – not even the nations themselves. In fact, citizens of traditional Christian nations are crying out for more atheism, separation of church and state and the outright rejection of Christian ideas and traditions in society, but when they look to their counterparts in atheist nations like China and Russia, they do not see any hope. Subconsciously, perhaps they do not even expect it.

Russia was one of the first nations in the world to develop a vaccine last year and the WHO completely ignored it. Nobody trusted it – the process was not as transparent as many would have liked.

China also developed a vaccination last year and there were some nations who bought it. However, after it was revealed that it was only 50% effective in Brazil, the confidence level sank.

So, reluctantly, the world turned to nations based on Christian principles that make it possible for refugees are looking for a place to go, where do they go?medical and scientific breakthroughs.

It is not just about scientific and medical breakthroughs, though. When the world is in crisis and

When Iraqi and Syrian refugees ran from ISIS, they didn’t seek refuge in neighboring Kuwait or Qatar. They didn’t apply for refugee status in Vietnam or Laos. When economic refugees leave their home in Sri Lanka or Nepal, they do not apply for citizenship to China or Russia."

Coronavirus Reveals The World STILL Turns to Christian Nations for Help - Back to Jerusalem

I was particularly challenged by his statement: ". . . citizens of traditional Christian nations are crying out for more atheism, separation of church and state and the outright rejection of Christian ideas and traditions in society, but when they look to their counterparts in atheist nations like China and Russia, they do not see any hope. Subconsciously, perhaps they do not even expect it."

I'm not sure I have his high opinion of the so-called Christian nations, many of which forgot their Christian heritage long ago, and those of us who still claim it have squabbling groups of Christians with no unity and no charity for each other.  I'll need to do more thinking and research on this.

*What is the Back to Jerusalem movement? "Many mistake the idea of Back to Jerusalem as a movement of the Chinese church to evangelize Jerusalem. However, Back to Jerusalem is the goal of the Chinese church to evangelize the unreached peoples from eastern provinces of China, westwards towards Jerusalem. The vision was birthed among the Chinese in the 1920s, and since that time, the churches of China have strove and even suffered persecution to fulfill what they believe is their integral role in fulfilling the Great Commission. Our organization partners with the church of China to not only evangelize the religiously oppressed areas of Asia, but to also train and send Chinese missionaries into the unreached regions of the globe, including Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu nations.

Paying the college loans for those who signed for them

I worked at the local public library and the drug store when I was in high school.  In summers and during the school year in college I worked various part time jobs--usually the college library.  My parents provided most of the cost going without since 3 of us were in college at the same time. Dad would have considered it an embarrassment to take money from the government. Then when I got married during my senior year, my parents provided me with a loan which we paid back in a year or two. 

College education costs became a huge bubble since those days (1960s), worse than the real estate bubble of 2007-08, and mainly because the government flooded the colleges with loan and grant dollars. The colleges and universities just raised tuition and built more buildings and cut back state support. Academe has continued that bad planning by luring young people away from those colleges that could have benefitted them in order to meet federal requirements for minority enrollments. And with slight of hand academe "counted" foreign students whose governments were paying for their educations in their minority quotas.  The American minority students took on loans they could never pay back and never got those good jobs without the degrees they were promised. This is what happens when we think someone else will pay, and since it isn't the government's money, they just throw it at anything and anyone that moves.

There is no free lunch.

Where are the Walk-aways?

The walk away campaign, crushed by Big Tech, was probably the most multi-cultural, diverse and interesting political group on Facebook (and maybe other platforms). I learned a lot about the challenges of people who are trans, gay, disabled, very rich, very poor, black, Latino, victims of violence, over educated and under educated. What an amazing group telling their stories of coming to the fresh air of conservatism after years of being trapped by the left.

Often the reason was that their own "community" to say nothing of lover or family, had deserted them when they began to question the obvious -- Marxism, lying candidates, lies about Trump, the swamp creatures, etc. If you're already in a group that has been tested and tried for being different, it's a huge blow to have them turn on you because you THINK FOR YOURSELF! Also, many got to that point by doing their own research when they notice obvious failings in their Democrat party.

I didn't read every post, but they were usually sincere and autobiographical on why they walked away after voting years for Clinton or Obama, or Bernie. The non-citizen posts from other countries were particularly poignant and encouraging as they had their own battles with political correctness.

But the Left, those guys who like to talk about "my truth," couldn't take it. Brandon, a former gay hairdresser with a knack for offering hope, and his 500,000 followers (plus probably that many who just read their stories about walking away from the Democrats) have been de-platformed, jailed, silenced or whatever you want to call it.

Brandon was a huge Trump supporter. Not all his walk away members were and they didn't claim to be Republicans. They all had in common that Democrats had lied to them year after year and nothing ever changed. For whatever reason, Trump brought them changes in jobs, attitude and hope.

Collecting My Thoughts: The cost of walking away for Linda

Collecting My Thoughts: Why Donna left the Democrats—she didn’t—they left her

Collecting My Thoughts: Myrna walked away from the Democrat Party in 1988

Collecting My Thoughts: Why Andrea walked away from the Democrats

Collecting My Thoughts: Jim tells a familiar story about Democrat friends

Some pep talks are not truthful—especially ones about truth

I saw this in the daily dose of coping encouragement in the OSU medical newsletter—which these days is mostly about Covid19.

“We can banish fear by realizing the truth.

“Am I afraid to be alone?” This fear can be subdued by the realization that we are surrounded by people each and every day.

People who care about us are all around us every single day. They’re willing to support us at the drop of the hat — but only if we let them know we need their support.

The number of people willing to support us is inexhaustible and unfailing, as long as we engage in open communication making clear our need for their support. Funny thing, when we support each other: Our bonds grow stronger, and we’re much more successful in our endeavors.”

Think about that first sentence in the context of what we see every day.

We knew the truth about glioblastoma when our son was diagnosed on October 1, 2019.  We knew he would soon die and that our lives changed forever on that day.  That was the truth.  It didn’t banish our fear.

We saw enough evidence about mail in ballots and middle of the night vote counting for the November 3 election to know the truth.  It hasn’t banished fear about where our system of government is heading.  The truth is not banishing fear, it’s causing us to lose our basic freedoms.

I’m looking out my window at fresh snow, I know it will be extremely cold and slick when I go to the grocery store.  That’s truth.  But I’m still afraid to drive there.

And there are NOT inexhaustible and unfailing people surrounding us and available to help at the drop of the hat.  Those people are locked in their homes.   True, this was written to support the highly stressed medical workers dealing with a pandemic who see people every day. but imagine throwing that guilt trip on people already stressed to the limit.  And although sometimes just the right person comes along to help or support, that’s the exception, which is why we often mention it in our prayer groups and Bible studies (now available only on ZOOM).

Platitudes and cheap grace.  That’s what a lot of coping stragies are.  This advice was followed up with a video of horses playing with rubber balls.  Cute.  But it didn’t banish the fear based on Truth.

Should churches receive PPP to pay their staff?

ON AVERAGE, CHRISTIANS GIVE 2.5% OF THEIR INCOME TO CHURCHES. During the Great Depression, they gave 3.3%. Giving is way down since 1990.

Even though tithers are in the minority (5-10%), their tithes still make up a large part of the budget for churches (one-half to three-quarters according to Barna). The number in the pews who drop $1-$5 in the collection plate, if that, are in the majority. We discovered while still in our 20s that we were never short of money once we started tithing.

That said, I think it is unethical for churches to be applying for and receiving government money for PPP. First, most of them closed at least for awhile. Second, many of them still had at least part of their regular source of income. Third, as non-profits, churches don't pay federal taxes, because technically they have no income. (Their employees do pay taxes.) Fourth, I'm guessing the smallest and poorest churches probably couldn't even afford to apply--it's a very tedious and time consuming application.

I know it's legal--the two largest churches in my area got $677,000 and $667,000--and that was for 2.5 months to pay their staff. The information is public. at www.federalpay.org

The confusion and misinformation (and hatred of Trump) concerning hydroxychloroquine has been resolved—Statement of AMA, Resolution 509

Background:  Early in the 2020 pandemic HCQ was approved for early use, and then rescinded when two studies claimed harm.  Meanwhile, President Trump talked about HCQ in glowing terms at a press conference, and the leftists in media and Big Tech jumped on that as a reason to demonize a perfectly safe and effective treatment used in many countries with a lower death rate than the U.S.  They also criticized American doctors who were using it, and ridiculed them.  The American Medical Association finally reversed its harmful course in the November 2020 addendum to the Handbook, and in Resolution 509, approved its use in the early states. Just in case it disappears, here it is.

“Whereas, The original studies published in The Lancet and The New England Journal of  Medicine (NEJM) initially citing harm due to hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine use were retracted by said journals due to dubious research methodology and incorrect conclusions, 

Whereas, AMA policy H-120.988, “Patient Access to Treatments Prescribed by Their 38 Physicians,” supports a physician’s autonomy to prescribe medications the physician believes to 39 be in the patient’s best interest, where the benefits outweigh risk and the patient consents; and 

Whereas, Physicians have used off label medications for years and this use is supported by 42 existing policy; and

Whereas, Data regarding harm have been limited due to poorly designed studies or studies usually in Stage 2 or later, or stopped without harm but no effect in phase 2 and hypothesis 

Whereas, There are many studies that indicate that the use of Hydroxychloroquine,  Azithromycin is effective and front-line physicians are using the therapy where permissible ; and

Whereas, The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious medical issue, people are dying, and  physicians must be able to perform as sagacious prescribers; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association rescind its statement calling for physicians to stop prescribing hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine until sufficient evidence becomes  available to conclusively illustrate that the harm associated with use outweighs benefit early in the disease course. Implying that such treatment is inappropriate contradicts AMA Policy 8 H-120.988, “Patient Access to Treatments Prescribed by Their Physicians,” that addresses off  label prescriptions as appropriate in the judgement of the prescribing physician (Directive to  Take Action); and be it further

RESOLVED, That our AMA rescind its joint statement with the American Pharmacists Association and American Society of Health System Pharmacists, and update it with a joint statement notifying patients that further studies are ongoing to clarify any potential benefit of hydroxychloroquine and combination therapies for the treatment of COVID-19 (Directive to Take Action); and be it further

RESOLVED, That our AMA reassure the patients whose physicians are prescribing  hydroxychloroquine and combination therapies for their early-stage COVID-19 diagnosis by issuing an updated statement clarifying our support for a physician’s ability to prescribe an FDA approved medication for off label use, if it is in her/his best clinical judgement, with specific reference to the use of hydroxychloroquine and combination therapies for the treatment of the earliest stage of COVID-19 (Directive to Take Action); and be it further 

RESOLVED, That our AMA take the actions necessary to require local pharmacies to fill valid prescriptions that are issued by physicians and consistent with AMA principles articulated in AMA Policy H-120.988, “Patient Access to Treatments Prescribed by Their Physicians,” including working with the American Pharmacists Association and American Society of Health System Pharmacists. (Directive to Take Action) “

I have removed the footnotes from the partial document so it would be easier to read, but you can find them in the original document. Nov 2020 Special Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates - Handbook Addendum (ama-assn.org) 

Considering that this was in an addendum to a handbook issued too late to be included and circulated before the election, the timing is definitely suspicious.  I’m not familiar with this blogger, he wrote

“So, there we have it. HCQ could not be approved before the election, because President Trump had recommended it. Meanwhile, with an 8o +% reduced risk of having to be admitted to the hospital if administered with Azithromycin and Zinc as soon as testing positive or symptoms occurred, many (70000+) lives could have been saved.

It has come to my attention that the resolution, while adopted got stopped before a new and valid recommendation was issued. There are powerful interests in the AMA that want to keep things as they are rather than advance real medical science based on real results, and never admit a mistake. Meanwhile, people are dying because of lack of solid, but inexpensive medical solutions.”

American Medical Association Rescinds Previous Statement Against Prescription of Hydroxychloroquine to COVID-19 Patients. (Updated) – Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. (lenbilen.com)

How the Democrats did it

Everyone is talking about the TIME article which explains how the Democrats did it. "The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election."

https://youtu.be/FTWlq7PqQVQ

Waiving Covid tests for illegals.

Tucker Carlson reported last night: "The New York Times, Reuters and others reported last week on the CBP releasing hundreds of migrants into Texas and California owing to ‘overflow facilities’ already being full.

Less than one month into Biden’s Presidency, there is already a new ‘border crisis’, according to officials, with facilities unable to hold or test migrants.

“When we release people that break our laws without bothering to test them for the virus – the same virus we’ve used as a pretext for wrecking your life – what we’re saying in the clearest possible terms [is]: “We don’t like you,”‘ Carlson said, of the Biden Administration

Franklin Country death rate from Covid: .0066

I've been looking at the Ohio "Dashboard" for Covid this morning. The state fatality rate is .012 from Covid with 922,143 cases and 11,695 deaths. If your loved one has died of Covid, that's 100% for your family, however, closing down the state and listening to terrifying news every evening for .012 death rate seems callous for the rest of us, especially the elderly who can't see their families, and the young adults whose careers and businesses have been shattered.

Now a look at the counties. Huge differences in cases and death rates. Our three largest counties are

Franklin (Columbus, the largest, has gained 13.2% since the 2010 census), death rate .0066

Cuyahoga (Cleveland which was the largest in the 2010 census, but has lost 3.5% in a decade) death rate .013

Hamilton (Cincinnati) death rate .0069

Franklin Co. had the most cases, and the lowest death rate.

I looked at the race/age/poverty figures, and Cuyahoga (Cleveland) is older, with a larger minority population, and higher poverty rate. I'm no expert in statistics, but the spread between the races appears much smaller than the age spread. Because the co-morbidities increase with age, this could be the reason. In developing countries, for instance, the death rate is lower than the U.S. and Europe even though they don't have as good a health system. They have younger populations. (And maybe they were allowed to use HCQ?)  My friend Anna Loska Meenan, a retired physician, says India’s death rate is a fraction of USA, and they can buy HCQ over the counter.  Trump was right and was demonized by the media and the medical establishment.

https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/dashboards?

The lynching of Donald Trump, private citizen

The thought police will squash the person who even suggests there were irregularities in the 2020 election. And there's probably 50-70 million who are becoming more suspicious every day wondering why Democrats are so afraid. Lynchings were performed without due process by special committees of the self righteous, and the results were known ahead of time. We're seeing this played out again in the most powerful and corrupt city in the world where the word justice is meaningless and Democrats have shredded the Constitution.

Fascism—Trump or Biden?

What exactly is fascism? The Democrats for 4 years accused Trump of being a Fascist and Antifa proclaims to be fighting Fascism. Nope and nope. Here's how it works. Silence and jail those who disagree. Make new laws. Work with the scions of industry to insure their support and transfer to them some powers of government (to protect religion, speech, assembly).

"Hillary’s latest op-ed in the Washington Post, a paper owned by the richest man in the world whose company deplatformed Parler, calls for expelling Republican legislators, passing “new criminal laws”, and government oversight of social media platforms. This is fascism." Frontpage, Jan. 20, 2021

Hallelujah. Jesus is Lord

I can't verify the Hallelujah story, but it's a good one.

Erling Olsen in his Meditations in the Book of Psalms writes in 1937 (on Ps. 147, p. 1013) that the word Hallelujah (Praise the Lord) was taboo in Germany because it is a Hebrew word.

His book is enjoyable not only for all the history and analysis of the Psalms, but because he was living in and comments on the era of terrible economic depression, a time of terrible drought and crop loss, and the build up to WWII.

Hitler tried to blame all Germany's problems on the Jews and diminished them as human beings. Forbidding certain words is not new to our era--like stolen election or even an acronym like MAGA. It's typical in power grabs. Hitler considered Jews inferior to the German master race. He convinced many Germans that Jews weren't worthy of the rights enjoyed by other Germans even thought they'd been neighbors and friends for decades and centuries. That power enhancing trick is being used today by certain totalitarians in government, entertainment, business and education aided by Big Tech. Demonize Trump supporters and then on a larger scale, all white people, and on to Western Civilization and its core values. It's been a growing crescendo for at least 3 decades, maybe more. It's in "studies" curricula, "woke" speech, intersectional group speak, behavior demands, shadow banning and cancel culture. It's in the 1619 myth and in the climate change hysteria. We've been here before. The House Un-American Activities Committee lasted from 1938-1965, then got a name change. If you look at a list of the committee members in Wikipedia, by far the majority were Democrats.

Olsen says (it was a radio show later published in book form) Hallelujah is the language of heaven. Brush up on it now, he says, so you will be fluent when you get there. Olsen also warns us not to forget our knee exercises--don't forget to pray and praise. Our hearts can grow cold without praise.

Teaching guilt and shame in reeducation courses

Knowing the helper/healer/teacher and the beneficiary/student/client  have different cultures which affect learning and relationships is, of course, essential.  Missionaries know this; middle managers are either taught or learn it; a city teacher should study rural values if she wants to be rehired by the school board of farmers.  Doctors and nurses and aides should be learning this all through college and medical school.

For example, when I was a department head, I had to accept and understand some aspects of Muslim immigrant cultures—like why my female student employee was driven to work by a male relative and why she would never attend a social event with our staff. I also had some disabled student employees—one from India whose polio limp not only affected her work, but her arranged marriage. One student was on the autism scale and I needed to modified her schedule for less client contact. My male assistant was on his journey from Daniel to Danielle. The student whose problem was knowing more than the boss (could be cultural?) just had to find a new job.

There’s something different in the “reeducation” modules included in certification the last decade or two. The supervisor/employee is expected to relearn her own culture and be embarrassed and shamed by it.

The following are the learning objectives and course description in a federal government “cultural competency” for 5 hours of certified, continuing education course to meet various requirements for maintaining a professional license.  I’ve not sat in for the classes, so whether it qualifies for “cancel culture” or “critical race theory” I can’t say.   I’ve high lighted the buzz words that set off alarms for me.

Learning Objectives

After completing this continuing education activity, participants will be able to:

• Describe how culture, cultural identity, and intersectionality are related to behavioral health and behavioral health care.
• Describe the principles of cultural competency and cultural humility.
• Discuss how our bias, power, and privilege can affect the therapeutic relationship.
• Discuss ways to learn more about a client's cultural identity.
• Describe how stereotypes and microaggressions can affect the therapeutic relationship.
• Explain how culture and stigma can influence help-seeking behaviors.
• Describe how communication styles can differ across cultures.
• Identify strategies to reduce bias during assessment and diagnosis.
• Explain how to elicit a client's explanatory model.

Cultural and linguistic competency is recognized as an important strategy for improving the quality of care provided to clients from diverse backgrounds. The goal of this e-learning program is to help behavioral health professionals increase their cultural and linguistic competency.

Course Outline

• In Course 1, An introduction to cultural and linguistic competency, you'll learn what culture has to do with behavioral health care.
• In Course 2, Know thyself – Increasing self-awareness, you'll learn how to get to know your cultural identity and how it affects your work with clients.
• In Course 3, Knowing others – Increasing awareness of your client's cultural identity, you'll learn how to get to know your client’s cultural identity.
• In Course 4, Culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions and services, you'll learn how to build stronger therapeutic relationships with clients from diverse backgrounds.

The estimated time to complete all 4 Courses is between 4 – 5.5 hours.

Keep in mind, that today’s young professionals have been exposed to probably a decade or two of such classes.  I wonder if they see it as a blow off class sort of like our health classes in high school where they put worms in alcohol to show us about the dangers of drinking.  Even at 16 I knew the worms would die in a bottle of Coke. Social and behavioral manipulation can backfire.

Home - Think Cultural Health (hhs.gov)  This information was dated or updated in 2019, the Trump administration, and will be revised, deleted, or rewritten as Biden appointments move in.

Pray for the nation's protection

"Morning Brief: Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview aired on Feb. 4 that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will use artificial intelligence to comb through troves of personal data on U.S. citizens recovered from Chinese technology and apps and use the intelligence as a weapon to strong-arm the United States.

Let's pray against this attack on our information because Jesus is not only our savior but our protector. " Darlene in her morning prayer request via e-mail.

And while I'm at it, I'll pray against those in our government who are accommodating the CCP.

Pompeo tweets communist China infiltrating Congress, schools and more | American Military NewsAmerican Military News

Pompeo: Sanctions from China are a 'message' to Biden administration | Fox Business

Pompeo says China’s repression of Uighurs is ‘genocide’ | Financial Times (ft.com)

Mike Pompeo: China sanctions Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump officials for violating 'sovereignty' - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)  

Honoring Officer Sicknick

Finally, the Democrats care about police--at least one of them, the Capitol officer who died the day after the January 6 attack. Brian Sicknick.  But there's no evidence on how he died. (I've heard he was a Trump supporter.) At first, it was reported he died of a stroke. Then that was changed to hit on the head. But instead of all the videos that circulate at other suspicious and politically motivated deaths, I've yet to see them. Yet many people (reporters) with cameras were there. An unarmed woman with no criminal record was shot in the back, and two other police officers have committed suicide, and three protesters have died of medical causes. Who's in charge of those investigations?

Democrats ignored all the attacks on their own cities and other federal property like court houses and statues. Democrat mayors and councils said, "Ho hum, no big deal" as their citizens were terrorized by hoodlums, miscreants and vandals. ["Thugs" is now considered a racist term because Trump used it, even though Obama used it before him.] Their cities were looted and burned by BLM, a well funded Marxist organization, and Antifa an anti-fascist Fascist group who can fund their own travel and expenses. They ignored attacks on police and supported the "defund police" movement. They then elected Joe Biden the guy who wrote the $30 Billion 1994 crime bill that has funneled so much money to the states to fund those same police departments and which some blame for so many black men in prison. Bill Clinton said, "You can't have civil justice without order and safety." Democrats are well organized to take advantage of chaos and crises, but are really messed up inside their hearts and heads.

Americans need a religious revival says famous agnostic

“The Founders were not really super orthodox,” Charles Murray observed. “They were all nominally Christians, but they wouldn’t pass the litmus test for a lot of evangelicals today. But they were absolutely, emphatically agreed that you cannot have a free society with a constitution such as the one they had created unless you are trying to govern a religious people. If you do not have religion as the controlling force, then the kinds of laws we have could not possibly work.” Without religion, Murray told me, there was simply no “intrinsic motivation” for people to behave morally — and no definition for what constitutes moral behavior in the first place."

Q&A with Charles Murray: Religious Revival That Could Save America | National Review

Proportionality, equity and percentages, Thomas Sowell

So many areas of research and information are being damaged by the equity and/or proportionality myth. Every minor subdivision in archeology or biophysics or cytology or even librarianship must now have its search committees focusing on gender and color instead of number of research projects completed or published articles or work record.

Every time I pass a competitive sport event on TV (because I don't sit down to watch), I don't see anyone who looks like me, either on the field, on the bench or even in the stands. I think that's as it should be. And if it's football or basketball, if I didn't know better I would suspect that black men are 90% of the population. But, at least in professional sports, equality rules, not equity.

Thomas Sowell: "According to proportionality dogma, every group in society must be equally represented at work or school according to their percentages in society. If not so represented, the cause must be discriminatory bias and the only remedy is government action in the form of quotas, now passed off as “diversity.” Those who argue this way, Sowell explains, “cannot show us any society—anywhere in the world, or at any time during thousands of years of recorded history—that had all groups represented proportionally in all endeavors.” For example, Sowell cites the National Hockey League.

More NHL players are from Canada than the United States, and more players from Sweden than California, which has nearly four times the population. Therefore, Sowell says, “Californians are more ‘under-represented’ in the NHL than women are in Silicon Valley. But no one can claim that this is due to discriminatory bias by the NHL.” The discrepancies are “far more obviously due to people growing up in cold climates being more likely to have ice-skating experience.”

Letter from friend Bill, who lives in Florida

My favorite senator, Joe Manchin (D) WV, is the man of the hour. He is and has been a great guy for the residents of WV and the USA as a country. He does work across the aisle with ease. His thought process puts his party's issues way down the list of importance, way behind the people of WV and the citizens of the USA. We could have a no better person to be the senator in power that can swing issues for the betterment of our country. He rejects the $15 an hour minimum wage as he realizes this just costs thousands of jobs to disappear for those folks who need these jobs, particularly folks in WV. He realizes the destruction of the energy industry for the supposedly green energy program is not in the best interest of the country and its citizens while killing thousands of high pay jobs. The environmental results of the private sector, increased use of natural gas, and fracking have made huge improvements during the last 3 years in our environment like no other country.

As we move forward addressing our economy and the country's health, Senator Manchin's thoughts will be the dominate mind set. Even though you may not be a member of his party nor a citizen of his state, send him a note of encouragement. Circumstances place him in a position that directs the future of our country. We could not have chosen a better person.

William Lundholm

Florida

Manchin says he doesn't support raising minimum wage to $15 per hour (msn.com)

Biden moves ahead with killing the unborn

From a Christian friend: "The day before the March for Life, the Biden Administration reversed the Mexico City Policy, which had prevented our tax dollars from funding abortions overseas. Now, our tax dollars are being used to spread the heinous policies of abortion worldwide.

 
We need to confess this sin for our nation and ask God for mercy. We also need to pray to change the hearts of our leaders to follow God. "

AMEN.

5 pro-life reactions to Biden rescinding the Mexico City Policy - The Christian Post

If you are a Christian and you voted for Biden, what do you think of his anti-Christian, pro-Marxist policies now? Are you pleased he's not only ordering more soldiers to DC for "show," but also to Syria?  Are you happy he's going to give more money to Iran, just as they announce a nuclear bomb? Are you pleased that more Americans--thousands--lost jobs at the stroke of a pen, or that in spite of all his criticism of Trump's Covid successes, he really had no plans except masks and social distancing?

The obvious answer is the right one

This really isn't funny, but it may be the funny answer. The question was, on a “health” website, Why is the HIV rate so high among young male Latinos (it's 21% when they are 16% of the population, which actually is a lot better than young black men whose HIV rate is 42% with 13% of the population). There were ten responses from Latinos (with photos): they ranged from immigration policies to no health information in Spanish to homophobia in the Latino community. Only one response mentioned having sex with other men as the reason, and he said, "Latinos are hot and we love sex."

Could Homelessness become a Conservative issue?

Hugh Hewitt today has a good program on homelessness in California. It's not a new topic for him. Today he is suggesting that Conservatives should take this on as a cause. Liberals/progressives and Democrats/socialists have failed hugely, and are using the issue only to grab more money to solve a problem they really don't want to solve.

He says it is both a humanitarian issue and a property issue. The homeless were better off in the old days (pre-War on Poverty) when there were institutions to house, feed, and care for them rather than allowing them to live on the streets and destroy businesses and homes. Considering how the Left has revealed its hatred for private property, especially in various Marxist groups like BLM, their willingness to let this fester makes some sense.

The Left will always make homelessness an income issue, or a racial issue, and until a transwoman can't get into a women's shelter in San Francisco or Seattle, or the official count once a year, you won't even hear about it. Are they dying of Covid? Haven't heard much about that, but considering the living conditions and the co-morbidities of alcoholism and drug abuse, I would think so. It will look great on those requests for funding to hire more people at comfortable salaries for the non-profits and expanding government agencies.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1928898523917429&ref=watch_permalink begin at about 1 hour with Byron York discussing the failures in California

Another attack on President Trump—Codifying Constitutional Norms.

"Codifying Constitutional Norms" based on what a liberal thinks was President Trump's bad behavior doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Will they codify Biden's bad behavior in China and Ukraine with his family's help? Of course not. Only those presidents who are a threat to Democrats or the deep state. Getting cozy with China doesn't seem to be threatening them.

Gould, Jonathan, Codifying Constitutional Norms (January 19, 2021). Georgetown Law Journal, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3769465 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3769465

IED statements

Statements on gender identification and underrepresented voices don't live up to their promises.  My comment at a federal agency, "Contact Us" page.

I was reading your IED statement: "“RESOLVE is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its operations and products. We welcome and actively seek contributions from all backgrounds, ethnicities, races, gender identifications, and areas of expertise to build a fair, balanced, inclusive, and representative knowledge base on violent extremism and beyond. RESOLVE strives to elevate the work of diverse and underrepresented voices through inclusiveness in its membership, contracting and hiring practices, research conceptualization, literature reviews and publications, and capacity building activities.”

Is there anyone on your staff or among your contributing researchers, contractors or donors who are registered Republicans or Conservatives of any type? Do you know the rate? I'm a retired librarian (associate professor). In 2004, based on political contributions, librarians were 223:1 liberal to conservative, and in 2016 they were 419:1 liberal to conservative. That's not diversity. I'm not being snarky, and I'm not a troll. This is an honest question. If you have no diversity of opinion or politics, you are biased and not inclusive. Also, you don't mention age. Isn't that included in the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 for any agency receiving federal funding.

I'm 81. I'm not looking for work, but I do want to know how my tax dollars are being used. I'll be watching.

Attacks continue on Trump supporters

RESOLVE used to be primarily focused on violent extremism, particularly Islamic. Now through its subgroup, Racially and Ethnically Motivated Extremism (REMVE), it is focusing on so called "white supremacists." As the Biden administration defines them-anyone who supported Trump (not in the REMVE mission statement, but the media has explained that to us for 4 years).

Just as freely elected Adolf Hitler used the burning of the Reichstag in early 1933 as an excuse to become a dictator, the Democrats are using the attack on the Capitol building. They see it as their opportunity to label all of us who either supported Trump (black, white, Asian, Hispanic), or who believe our election rules need to be examined in light of the pandemic induced mailed ballot fiasco, as dangerous. They know better, but it sells well, (so did Hitler's excuse) and it is being used to shut us down on social media. Democrats now in control of 3 branches are joining forces with the oligarchs in Big Tech. They are the ones, not the Trump supporters, who are in dangerous territory, as history shows. Free markets, no new wars, prison reforms, and lower taxes do not define a leader of a free society as a fascist or racist. But stomping on free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly does. An impeachment with no evidence and no trial certainly does. Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism (REMVE) (resolvenet.org)

There are white supremacists, I'm sure, just as there are black power advocates, BLM members, Antifa disruptors and anarchists. But I'd like to see something about how they are funded compared to the billions that BLM has raked in since the Floyd death in Minneapolis and the burning and looting of Democrat controlled cities the past 8 months. They are a miniscule group, and they haven't caused the spike in murders and property crime that the anarchists on the Left have caused. We know the FBI has infiltrated them, that's their job, but where were they on January 6? Creating the problem?

Using ethnicity or religion as an excuse to tamp down legitimate protests is an old, old, trick of tribal leaders, Czars, monarchists, totalitarians, and apparently American presidents.

RESOLVE is not a U.S. government agency, it's an international dot net organization supported by our taxes that is used as a revolving door for various academics and politicians from a variety of nations. It is attached to the much older USIP established in 1984. "RESOLVE is housed at the U.S. Institute of Peace, building upon the Institute’s decades-long legacy of deep engagement in conflict-affected societies." Although I've never made a study of the various peace/conflict resolution non-profits, I suspect we've never had as many wars since these entities sprang up after WWI and WWII. It does "research."

If you have the time, you can click on all the logos (I hate that instead of an easy to read list) of international organizations connected to this 501-C-3, the advisory board, and research council. I'd need some other FBF to work through all them. It's just one "tiny" group now shifting focus to U.S. citizens they don't like and fear.

Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism (REMVE) (resolvenet.org)

The obligatory inclusive statement:

“RESOLVE is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its operations and products. We welcome and actively seek contributions from all backgrounds, ethnicities, races, gender identifications, and areas of expertise to build a fair, balanced, inclusive, and representative knowledge base on violent extremism and beyond. RESOLVE strives to elevate the work of diverse and underrepresented voices through inclusiveness in its membership, contracting and hiring practices, research conceptualization, literature reviews and publications, and capacity building activities.”

I’ll just bet they don’t want my contribution, background, ethnicity, or age—which is not part of this IED statement.

Does character matter to you, Pt. 2

TRUMP’S REELECTION BID:

As Joe Biden himself declared, in a colossal political gaffe: “We have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics.”

And they did just that.

In 2016, with a 55.7% voter turnout, Trump managed to defeat Clinton with 46.1% of the popular vote (62,984,828) to her 48.2% (65,853,514), but amazingly he managed to win 304 electoral votes to Clinton’s 227.

In 2020, with a 66.7% voter turnout, Biden defeated Trump with 51.3% of the popular vote (81,268,757) compared to Trump’s 46.9% (74,216,722), for 306 electoral votes over Trump’s 232. (Libertarian Party candidate Jo Jorgensen received 1.2% (1,865,873).)

Not since Herbert Hoover lost to Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 has a Republican presidential loss left the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives under Democrat control.

A New York second after the election results were in, Trump protested: “This election was stolen. It was a rigged election, 100 percent, and everyone knows it. It’s going to be that I got about 74 million votes, and I lost? It’s not possible.”

As I noted previously, Trump inspired seven million more Democrat votes than he was able to garner for himself. He energized his opponents, though I should note that in key swing states the numbers were very close.

Fact is, Trump was not wrong about the election being rigged, but his claim about voting-machine irregularities was not how the Democrat Party rigged it. As it turns out, voter fraud was the Demos’ final coup against Trump. But the fraud was perpetrated by way of what I outlined in “The Left’s Bulk-Mail Ballot Fraud Strategy.” The Democrats beat Trump on the ground with their bulk-registration and bulk-mail balloting strategy, including the receipt of millions of votes that were undocumented by any reasonable standard of identification. It worked, and it will work in future elections if it goes unchecked.

Prior to the November election defeat of Trump along with otherwise mixed results, I declared that the Democrat bulk-mail balloting and ballot harvesting programs opened the election to massive fraud. There is no way to adequately verify the identification of those receiving or returning bulk-mail ballots. There is no way to authenticate ballot signatures, which requires a substantial level of expertise.

Recall that the Democrats made reference to the “red mirage” ahead of the November election, noting that initially it would look like Trump had won in some states but that would change when the bulk-mail ballot totals were calculated. That’s exactly what happened.

To fully comprehend the Demos’ fraudulent bulk-mail strategy, consider the following voter regulations as proposed by Nancy Pelosi in House Resolution, the grossly misnamed “For the People Act of 2021.” It is an effort to pass the same HR 1 bill that failed in 2019 — except now there is no Senate majority gauntlet to reject this effort to establish a Democrat majority in perpetuity.

Pelosi’s HR 1 stipulates that the federal government will, contrary to our Constitution, have the power to set universal regulations regarding voter-identity requirements, in order to implement universal bulk-mail balloting. HR 1 asserts: “A state may not require an individual to provide any form of identification as a condition of obtaining an absentee ballot. … A state(s) may not require notarization or a witness signature or other formal authentication (other than voter attestation) as a condition of obtaining or casting an absentee ballot.”

That should alarm every American dedicated to the future of American Liberty.

Despite Joe Biden’s “unity” theme, the Democrat agenda is anything but.

TRUMP IMPEACHMENT CHARADE 2.0:

Unfortunately, given the elevated rhetoric about election fraud, on January 6th, a fractional faction of thugs undermined Trump’s entire legacy and MAGA movement by rioting in our nation’s Capitol building. These badly misguided jackasses were not “Patriots”; they were adherents of a personality cult, which is inevitably and irrevocably antithetical to Liberty. As I have written previously, I hope Trump’s “election fraud” protests and the DC riot don’t overshadow the legitimate concerns about election fraud — but Democrats and their Leftmedia are doing everything possible to ensure that disgraceful event defines Trump and all who have supported his policies.

To that end, the House and Senate are now undertaking another impeachment charade to spit shame and embarrassment on conservatives, particularly those in Congress whose seats will be contested in 2022. This absurd political theater, the unconstitutional trial of a former president, is scheduled for the week of February 8, but Demos will drag out this theatrical farce as long as possible before citizen Trump will be acquitted.

Signaling the asininity of this charade, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, in what competes with the latest Biden gaffes, declared, “Senators will have to decide if Donald John Trump incited the erection.” (Make up your own joke here…)

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has already removed himself from presiding over this political pretense, which now falls to president pro tempore of the Senate, Patrick Leahy, (D-VT). Leahy administered the oath to Senate “jurors” earlier Monday: “Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of Donald John Trump, former president of the United States, now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and the laws, so help you God?” Anyone repeating those words who does not object to this proceeding is violation of that oath.

And to bolster their impeachment theatrics (which any seasoned security analyst will tell you invites trouble), Washington is still occupied by armed battalions of National Guard troops and armored vehicles manning barricades topped with concertina wire. Additionally, DHS has issued a national terrorism alert to extend the theatrics nationwide! Meanwhile, leftists continue their urban attacks and assaults on police officers at unprecedented rates.

MOVING FORWARD — OUR MISSION:

The Biden/Harris regime declared before the election: “This election is a ‘BATTLE for the SOUL of the NATION.” Post election, it is now a BATTLE for the FUTURE of AMERICAN LIBERTY.

I hope Trump will put whatever voice he has moving forward behind the most capable congressional candidates ahead of the 2022 midterm election — that he will do nothing to further foment division. Fortunately he has indicated that he does not support, and in fact rejects, the defeatist notion of a third party. And, according to his post-presidential advisory team, Trump’s goal “is to win back the House and Senate for Republicans in 2022.”

Despite all the handwringing about political divisions on the Right, that split is over support for Trump the personality. There is no split over support for the Trump administration’s considerable policy successes. As Biden disables those policies with a flash flood of executive orders, and his fellow socialist Democrats reverse policies with legislation, that will have the net effect of further unifying conservatives going into the 2022 midterms.. . “ 

Mark Alexander, Patriot Post, January 27, 2021  And I’m posting this because sometimes links are delete.