Sri Lanka used to be a food exporter, had a thriving economy. The government decided they needed to go "green" to save the planet (i.e. grab more power and control) and now people are starving and rioting. Netherlands was the 2nd largest exporter of agricultural products even with a population of only 17 million--that tiny country not only fed itself, but others--now truckers and farmers are rioting because power hungry greenies are going berserk. They are trying to demonize the farmers--killing their golden goose and the impact will be starvation for other countries. Yon and Peterson discuss that war creates war, and famine creates famine, and well, we all know about that pandemic. Yet smart intelligent American Democrats support the climate change lie which is trying to destroy agriculture and transportation, not only in developing countries, but in wealthy, well-fed countries.
https://youtu.be/R7gAEkzIgvw YouTube discussion July 28, 2022
https://aboutthenetherlands.com/why-does-the-netherlands-export-so-much-food/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/21/emotion-and-pain-as-dutch-farmers-fight-back-against-huge-cuts-to-livestock
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/20/what-is-behind-largest-protests-in-panama-in-years-explainer?
https://www.dw.com/en/german-farmers-eye-poor-harvest-urge-freeing-up-fallow-land/a-62650482?
Here's a moving comment on the discussion by a Dutch citizen:
"As a Dutch man I must admit that all the praise and applause for our country brought tears to my eyes. So much I actually paused the video (especially the part at 1:02:19 ). We live in a time where every sense of pride or patriotism is considered a bad thing, so much, in fact, that when other people acknowledge the accomplishments of your nation it (apparently) brings up incredible strong emotions. The cliché mentality of a Dutch person is: stop whining and do your job. Our mothers creed is: "bad weather does not exist only bad clothing". We usually shrug our shoulders and carry on with our lives. This no- nonsense mentality is the strongest within the farmers community. They withstand the horrible Dutch weather with lots of rain and howling winds that blow over the flat lands to feed everybody. Literally. Not just their community, or their country.... no a large part of the world. They are the sort of people that, until a couple of years ago, were characterized as more or less "emotionless". Now their land, their family business, that was so carefully built over generations is taken away from them. It is a bloody shame. They truly are the canary in the coalmine. I stand with them for 100%."
Sunday, July 31, 2022
Flowers at the cottage
Although we've sold our cottage at Lakeside, this year the flowers have been doing beautifully. So Bob took a photo, and because of the reflections in the porch window, we also have a photo of our neighbors.
Saturday, July 30, 2022
Making churches relevant
This is one more article about why mainline and evangelical churches are shrinking (i.e. dying, becoming irrelevant). Unfortunately, the author after attempting to describe the problem--cultural suicide--suggests finding a new vision. Huh? Have they tried Jesus? This is an irrelevant article about why churches have become irrelevant.
The author is still quoting William Sloane Coffin.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/gloriouslife/2021/01/how-mainline-churches-closed-themselves/
Friday, July 29, 2022
Low fat or full fat? Silver Sneakers' advice
https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/should-you-ditch-low-fat-foods-for-good/?
I try to eat the real thing when available. Real milk. Real butter. But I didn't for years. My mom was all about margarine and 2% milk. Salad greens need full fat dressing, if you want dressing. (Not everyone does.) All that low-fat stuff and no calorie drinks just make one eat/drink more because they aren't satisfying. Not impressed with that plant-based, highly processed substitute for meat, either. If you have an ethical problem with eating animals, that's one thing, but if you think plant burgers will save the planet, you're kidding your self.
Andrew Forrest, preacher of the week at Lakeside
Our pastor this week has been Andrew Forrest. Outstanding. He's beginning a new position in Tulsa, Oklahoma, leaving Dallas, TX, but made the move via Lakeside, Ohio. He was just the best, and left us all in tears Thursday morning. His theme for the week was the Prologue of the Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-11 (Creation to Babel). It will be interesting to see if someone this good can remain in the United Methodist denomination. It's a boiling pot ready to spill over.
About — Andrew Forrest
From Lakeside website:
"Lakeside Chautauqua welcomes Rev. Andrew Forrest as Preacher of the Week July 24-28. He will lead the 10:30 a.m. Chautauqua Community Worship Service on Sunday, July 24 in Hoover Auditorium. This week’s service will be live streamed. Visit lakesideohio.com/streaming to watch on the day of the service. This week’s preacher is supported by Dr. James & Betty Jane Young.
Forrest’s Sunday sermon is “Genesis: The Beginning of Wisdom,” and the scripture is Genesis 1:1-2:3. He will also lead Vespers by the Lake at the Steele Memorial Bandstand. Note: Vespers will take place Monday at 7:30 p.m. instead of Tuesday.
Forrest is a husband, father and pastor. Raised in West Africa and Virginia, he has an undergraduate degree from Columbia University in New York and a graduate degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. As a third generation Methodist minister, he was the pastor of Munger Place United Methodist Church in Dallas since it was planted in 2010 by nearby Highland Park United Methodist Church. After 12 years at Munger Place, Forrest became the Senior Pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 1, 2022. His first Sunday at Asbury will be Aug. 7.
Forrest wants to engage culture, teach the Bible, and most importantly, make weekly worship the foundation of everything. He believes the purpose of a pastor is to prepare people to live faith-fully in the world. Forrest blogs at andrewforrest.org."
About — Andrew Forrest
"Lakeside Chautauqua welcomes Rev. Andrew Forrest as Preacher of the Week July 24-28. He will lead the 10:30 a.m. Chautauqua Community Worship Service on Sunday, July 24 in Hoover Auditorium. This week’s service will be live streamed. Visit lakesideohio.com/streaming to watch on the day of the service. This week’s preacher is supported by Dr. James & Betty Jane Young.
Forrest’s Sunday sermon is “Genesis: The Beginning of Wisdom,” and the scripture is Genesis 1:1-2:3. He will also lead Vespers by the Lake at the Steele Memorial Bandstand. Note: Vespers will take place Monday at 7:30 p.m. instead of Tuesday.
Forrest is a husband, father and pastor. Raised in West Africa and Virginia, he has an undergraduate degree from Columbia University in New York and a graduate degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. As a third generation Methodist minister, he was the pastor of Munger Place United Methodist Church in Dallas since it was planted in 2010 by nearby Highland Park United Methodist Church. After 12 years at Munger Place, Forrest became the Senior Pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 1, 2022. His first Sunday at Asbury will be Aug. 7.
Forrest wants to engage culture, teach the Bible, and most importantly, make weekly worship the foundation of everything. He believes the purpose of a pastor is to prepare people to live faith-fully in the world. Forrest blogs at andrewforrest.org."
Thursday, July 28, 2022
City Council to support abortion with our money
"Today, Ohio Right to Life released a statement in response to Columbus City Council’s recently approved ordinance no. 2215-2022. The ordinance was approved on July 25th, 2022, and is one of several ordinances which compose the city council’s larger initiative to protect so-called "reproductive healthcare" for pregnant women. Ordinance no. 2215-2022 authorizes a partnership with Pro-Choice Ohio to investigate the medical legitimacy of Crisis Pregnancy Centers. The ordinance states that this attack will be funded by $26,500 of taxpayer funds, taken from the Neighborhood Initiative subfund.
“I have personally worked with dozens of pregnancy centers across the state of Ohio during my years of pro-life work. The individuals who work at these pregnancy centers are some of the most kind, caring, competent, and loving individuals that you could encounter,” says Ohio Right to Life's Executive Director Peter Range. He continued, “I invite each city council member in the state of Ohio to visit with me their local pregnancy centers so they can see firsthand the amazing work they are doing for mothers, fathers, and babies in need.”
Ohio Right to Life's Director of Communications Elizabeth Whitmarsh strongly condemned the ordinance, stating “the targeting of pregnancy resource centers will put vulnerable women at risk and strip them of the resources they need on a day-to-day basis.” She went on to say, “the obvious truth here is that the anti-life activists do not care about women in need, and in fact, they are willing to put them at risk of survival if it means they can silence pro-life voices.” Peter Range shared similar sentiments: “The fact that these pregnancy centers are under attack is a clear illustration the left is not focused on women’s health, but just expanding abortion.” "
“I have personally worked with dozens of pregnancy centers across the state of Ohio during my years of pro-life work. The individuals who work at these pregnancy centers are some of the most kind, caring, competent, and loving individuals that you could encounter,” says Ohio Right to Life's Executive Director Peter Range. He continued, “I invite each city council member in the state of Ohio to visit with me their local pregnancy centers so they can see firsthand the amazing work they are doing for mothers, fathers, and babies in need.”
Ohio Right to Life's Director of Communications Elizabeth Whitmarsh strongly condemned the ordinance, stating “the targeting of pregnancy resource centers will put vulnerable women at risk and strip them of the resources they need on a day-to-day basis.” She went on to say, “the obvious truth here is that the anti-life activists do not care about women in need, and in fact, they are willing to put them at risk of survival if it means they can silence pro-life voices.” Peter Range shared similar sentiments: “The fact that these pregnancy centers are under attack is a clear illustration the left is not focused on women’s health, but just expanding abortion.” "
Too late for these memories?
I received a notice (in a newsletter) from my alma mater (University of Illinois).
Calling all Former Library Student Employees
Did you work for the Library when you were a student at Illinois? We want to hear from you! Share a favorite memory, why you loved working for the Library, or how the Library helped shape your career path. You may be featured in an upcoming issue of the Library's award-winning Friendscript newsletter.
Fill out this short survey here.
I've been blogging for almost 20 years, (2003) but I can't recall I ever wrote down any memories of being a student employee in the 50s (as an undergrad) and 60s (graduate student) at the University of Illinois Library.Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Med students walk out at the University of Michigan
Medical students at the University of Michigan walked out of their White Coat Ceremony in protest Sunday after Dr. Kristin Collier, who wasn't speaking about abortion, was introduced; her views are known. She has referred to abortion as violence, and it is. She's referred to the unborn as her prenatal sisters, and they are. But let's look at the overprivileged, highly educated students who walked out. First they'd petitioned to stop her appearance, and when they didn't get their way, they stamped their big biased feet and walked out. They can't dare to have their minds warped by someone with a different view point--like the truth about life.
Is that how they will treat patients who want to carry to term but the doctor "knows best" and violates not just their oath, but human decency? Will they refuse to treat blacks or trans people if they don't like their politics? What about those disabled from military injuries if they (the doctors) didn't like the war?
I don't think these people are mature enough to have this level of responsibility, but really I don't know where they could go where it is acceptable to be open to views other than your own bubble. If this isn't happening at your local/state university, it's probably because no pro-life people have been hired or promoted.
Is that how they will treat patients who want to carry to term but the doctor "knows best" and violates not just their oath, but human decency? Will they refuse to treat blacks or trans people if they don't like their politics? What about those disabled from military injuries if they (the doctors) didn't like the war?
I don't think these people are mature enough to have this level of responsibility, but really I don't know where they could go where it is acceptable to be open to views other than your own bubble. If this isn't happening at your local/state university, it's probably because no pro-life people have been hired or promoted.
Symphony begins tonight
All of Lakeside looks forward to this. In 2020, we only had small groups playing at the bandstand in the park, and 2021 had a very limited season. Now this announcement:
"Under the direction of Music Director & Conductor Daniel Meyer, the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra (LSO) will open its 59th summer residency in Lakeside at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 26 in Hoover Auditorium.
The LSO, established in 1963, is a celebrated tradition at Lakeside and a key component of our arts programming. More than 80 musicians from across the country are members of the symphony, many of whom have devoted years of service to Lakeside.
This summer brings a series of LSO performances for all ages, seven to be exact, with extraordinarily talented guest artists and new opportunities for audiences to share the love of music and the symphony. There will also be an LSO Brass Quintet Family Concert on Thursday, Aug. 4 and four Pre-Concert Lectures on July 29, Aug. 2, 9 and 12."
BIOGRAPHY | danielmeyerblack (danielmeyermusic.com)
Lakeside Chautauqua names Daniel Meyer new symphony conductor - cleveland.com
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Vitamins for the eyes -- recommended
Yesterday my ophthalmologist, Dr. Rogers, suggested I could benefit from vitamins to slow the progress of macular degeneration. The study is called AREDS 2, so I've looked through a few articles that explain it and which are free to download and print.
Abstract Is There an Optimal Combination of AREDS2 Antioxidants Zeaxanthin, Vitamin E and Vitamin C on Light-Induced Toxicity of Vitamin A Aldehyde to the Retina? - PubMed (nih.gov)"Vitamins C and E and zeaxanthin are components of a supplement tested in a large clinical trial-Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2)-and it has been demonstrated that they can inhibit the progression of age-related macular degeneration. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal combinations of these antioxidants to prevent the phototoxicity mediated by vitamin A aldehyde (ATR), which can accumulate in photoreceptor outer segments (POS) upon exposure to light."
Abstract The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2): Study Design and Baseline Characteristics (AREDS2 Report Number 1) - PMC (nih.gov)
Purpose
The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) demonstrated beneficial effects of oral supplementation with antioxidant vitamins and minerals on the development of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in persons with at least intermediate AMD (bilateral large drusen with or without pigment changes). Observational data suggest that other oral nutrient supplements might further reduce the risk of progression to advanced AMD.
The primary purpose of Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lutein+zeaxanthin (L+Z) and/or omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) supplementation in reducing the risk of developing advanced AMD. The study will also assess the reduction in zinc and the omission of beta-carotene from original AREDS formulation.
We are all paying for transgender surgery through Medicaid
Medicaid represents $1 out of every $6 spent on health care in the US and is the major source of financing for states to provide coverage to meet the health and long-term needs of their low-income residents. The Medicaid program is jointly funded by states and the federal government. Now that states are succumbing to pressure from leftist ideology groups to obscure the truth known from the beginning of time by pagan tribes, rampaging warlords, Greek philosophers, Roman Caesars and thousands of years of the Judeo-Christian traditions with sacred texts (including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama), trans-intervention (called GAHT and GAS) will be covered by Medicaid.
“Gender-affirming surgeries are safe, effective, and medically necessary,” says the ACLU, but in fact they aren't any of those. Certainly not safe or effective when one considers the long term (untested) results of a life time of mental confusion and hormones foisted on people already with high suicide rates. But they want us to pay for their crimes in the medical, legal, non-profit (obviously very well funded) and entertainment fields. They want the government to pay for amputating non-diseased penises, testicles and breasts, and then they want all of us to not only pay for it, but to agree it's right, change our language and submit to being vilified if we speak the definition of a real woman.
Patrick W. Lappert, MD: "Self-identified transgender persons are a small but apparently growing population of persons who experience a severe dissonance between their sex (male or female) and their interior sense of themselves as men or women. It is a condition that is associated with a high rate of self-harming behavior, including alcohol abuse, drug abuse, sexual abuse, prostitution, and suicide. It is a condition that demands merciful care in every regard.
Care for transgender persons is presently being compromised by a distortion in our understanding of the human person. Whereas in times past the patient was seen as an intrinsic unity of body and spirit, today we are seeing large segments of the medical community tacitly accepting an understanding of the human person as a kind of spirit creature that may or may not be inhabiting the correct body." Are Man and Woman Interchangeable? – St. Paul Center (stpaulcenter.com)
I only mention Clinton and Obama because Bill admired women and knew the difference, and Obama was a great family man and even in his campaign said marriage was between a man and women until the swamp issued directives about rest rooms during his term, so we can date this official, tax paid insanity to about 2012, a little recent in the history of mankind's approval.
“Gender-affirming surgeries are safe, effective, and medically necessary,” says the ACLU, but in fact they aren't any of those. Certainly not safe or effective when one considers the long term (untested) results of a life time of mental confusion and hormones foisted on people already with high suicide rates. But they want us to pay for their crimes in the medical, legal, non-profit (obviously very well funded) and entertainment fields. They want the government to pay for amputating non-diseased penises, testicles and breasts, and then they want all of us to not only pay for it, but to agree it's right, change our language and submit to being vilified if we speak the definition of a real woman.
Patrick W. Lappert, MD: "Self-identified transgender persons are a small but apparently growing population of persons who experience a severe dissonance between their sex (male or female) and their interior sense of themselves as men or women. It is a condition that is associated with a high rate of self-harming behavior, including alcohol abuse, drug abuse, sexual abuse, prostitution, and suicide. It is a condition that demands merciful care in every regard.
Care for transgender persons is presently being compromised by a distortion in our understanding of the human person. Whereas in times past the patient was seen as an intrinsic unity of body and spirit, today we are seeing large segments of the medical community tacitly accepting an understanding of the human person as a kind of spirit creature that may or may not be inhabiting the correct body." Are Man and Woman Interchangeable? – St. Paul Center (stpaulcenter.com)
I only mention Clinton and Obama because Bill admired women and knew the difference, and Obama was a great family man and even in his campaign said marriage was between a man and women until the swamp issued directives about rest rooms during his term, so we can date this official, tax paid insanity to about 2012, a little recent in the history of mankind's approval.
Thursday, July 21, 2022
Baby in womb surgery photo
Republican Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama briefly showed a photograph of a preborn child at a House subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, but Chairwoman Diana DeGette, D-CO, immediately gaveled him and demanded the picture be taken down. It was a photograph of a preborn child reaching out from his mother’s womb during a surgery, and clasping the doctor’s finger. The surgery was a success, and that child is now in his twenties."
It was not a photo of abortion, it was a photo of a live baby and life saving medical help, high tech, correcting spina bifida. I thought Democrats loved that. Science. But because it proves them wrong, this photo infuriates Democrats and pro-abortion forces.
The baby was anesthetized for the surgery, so technically he didn't grab the finger. Makes no difference. This is a living child.
It was not a photo of abortion, it was a photo of a live baby and life saving medical help, high tech, correcting spina bifida. I thought Democrats loved that. Science. But because it proves them wrong, this photo infuriates Democrats and pro-abortion forces.
The baby was anesthetized for the surgery, so technically he didn't grab the finger. Makes no difference. This is a living child.
Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Prepare yourselves for Biden's Climate emergency
Prepare for the Climate Emergency--Biden could shut you down--take your fuel, your money, your future, and Democrats will fall for it. Even some Republicans are dumb enough to fall for it. All to save something 2 centuries from now, they don't know what, and destroy what we have today. People who can't figure out men don't have babies are telling you to be afraid of climate models.
I just did an internet search--something really simple about when Ohio was under a glacier and it melted. I had to go through about 100 entries of scare stories that had nothing to do with the subject to find this:
"When the earliest ice sheets penetrated Ohio they dramatically changed drainage patterns in the state. The Erigans River was destroyed and the Teays River was dammed in southern Ohio. A large, ice-dammed lake, Lake Tight, formed in the valleys of southern Ohio, and adjacent Kentucky and West Virginia. Eventually, the lake spilled over low divides and cut new channels. This was the beginning of the creation of the Ohio River. The deep valleys of the Teays River and its tributaries were filled with sediment as they were overridden by the glacier. In some places in western Ohio the buried valley of the Teays River is more than 400 feet deep but no hint of it is visible on the flat surface of the landscape.
The advance of the Illinoian glacier 300,000 years ago continued the modification of the Ohio landscape, eroding bedrock and older sediments and depositing sediment as it melted. This glacier advanced the farthest south of any of the glaciations in Ohio. Deeply weathered Illinoian deposits are present in southwestern Ohio and in a narrow band through east-central Ohio.
The most recent and best preserved glacial deposits are from the Wisconsinan glaciation. This glacier entered Ohio about 24,000 years ago and was gone from the state by 14,000 years ago." . . .
I just did an internet search--something really simple about when Ohio was under a glacier and it melted. I had to go through about 100 entries of scare stories that had nothing to do with the subject to find this:
"When the earliest ice sheets penetrated Ohio they dramatically changed drainage patterns in the state. The Erigans River was destroyed and the Teays River was dammed in southern Ohio. A large, ice-dammed lake, Lake Tight, formed in the valleys of southern Ohio, and adjacent Kentucky and West Virginia. Eventually, the lake spilled over low divides and cut new channels. This was the beginning of the creation of the Ohio River. The deep valleys of the Teays River and its tributaries were filled with sediment as they were overridden by the glacier. In some places in western Ohio the buried valley of the Teays River is more than 400 feet deep but no hint of it is visible on the flat surface of the landscape.
The advance of the Illinoian glacier 300,000 years ago continued the modification of the Ohio landscape, eroding bedrock and older sediments and depositing sediment as it melted. This glacier advanced the farthest south of any of the glaciations in Ohio. Deeply weathered Illinoian deposits are present in southwestern Ohio and in a narrow band through east-central Ohio.
The most recent and best preserved glacial deposits are from the Wisconsinan glaciation. This glacier entered Ohio about 24,000 years ago and was gone from the state by 14,000 years ago." . . .
Monday, July 18, 2022
Christians who voted for Biden
If you are a Christian who voted for Biden, remember he doesn't use the words safeguard, protect, promote or support when it comes to children in the womb. He doesn't now and never has asked for swift and coordinated action at the border to keep drugs away from your children. When has he ever established an "interagency" gender policy to protect children from the misinformation and lies about their sexuality? Where is the EO for protection of crisis pregnancy centers now under attack by abortion terrorists?
The nightmare is not over
"The nightmare is over. In his masterful opinion for the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Justice Samuel Alito consigned the constitutional right of abortion to the ash heap of history. Alito’s criticisms of Justice Harry Blackmun’s opinion in Roe v. Wade are deep and cutting — and entirely justified. Roe was, Alito wrote, “egregiously wrong from the start.” It was “on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided.” " National Catholic Register, June 24.
Most of this is true, and I agree, except the nightmare IS NOT OVER; it's just begun no matter where you are on the pro-life continuum. From conception to dementia and physical collapse in old age, people will need to be thinking through what they believe about God, natural rights, the Constitution, state laws, the minority opinions, investments in corporations supporting abortion for employees, medical and obstetric training for doctors and nurses in states that criminalize abortions, financial and emotional support for women who struggle with a decision, talking to neighbors, relatives and friends about touchy topics, what our children are taught about sex and biology in school and what will be preached and taught in our churches. Jesus' command to love our neighbors is being challenged by society at so many levels. Are we prepared?
In New York, there's nothing to stop an abortion/killing up to the moment of birth, and ground work is in place to allow infanticide for some years after birth. That's very different than Ohio's heartbeat law, or Mississippi's law which bans abortions based on the sex, race, or genetic abnormality of the fetus. And then there's all the issues about language with people being unable to identify a woman, or which words to use about "life" and your employer vested with the power to destroy your career if you can't subscribe to the thought control of management or the university administration.
The nightmare is not over.
Most of this is true, and I agree, except the nightmare IS NOT OVER; it's just begun no matter where you are on the pro-life continuum. From conception to dementia and physical collapse in old age, people will need to be thinking through what they believe about God, natural rights, the Constitution, state laws, the minority opinions, investments in corporations supporting abortion for employees, medical and obstetric training for doctors and nurses in states that criminalize abortions, financial and emotional support for women who struggle with a decision, talking to neighbors, relatives and friends about touchy topics, what our children are taught about sex and biology in school and what will be preached and taught in our churches. Jesus' command to love our neighbors is being challenged by society at so many levels. Are we prepared?
In New York, there's nothing to stop an abortion/killing up to the moment of birth, and ground work is in place to allow infanticide for some years after birth. That's very different than Ohio's heartbeat law, or Mississippi's law which bans abortions based on the sex, race, or genetic abnormality of the fetus. And then there's all the issues about language with people being unable to identify a woman, or which words to use about "life" and your employer vested with the power to destroy your career if you can't subscribe to the thought control of management or the university administration.
The nightmare is not over.
Saturday, July 16, 2022
Peter Noone, Herman's Hermits at Lakeside
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg-ChNN8yso
We enjoyed Herman's Hermits--Peter Noone--and it was a great evening, Saturday June 16. All the baby boomers in the audience at Hoover Auditorium were jamming. Our neighbors (about 73-74) brought their 10 year old granddaughter, but she was playing games on her phone. It's happy music, with a lot of audience participation. Since this video is just a few months old, I think it represents him well.
Women on a bus in 1957
"On a recent trip to visit family, I found myself frequently travelling alone on public transportation. As a female, out of my usual surroundings, I always looked for the safest place to sit. Where might I be safe on this subway, in this train, on this bus? Is there anywhere safe anymore?
Over and again, I found myself seeking out the nearest mother with a child in a stroller in order to seat myself near them. Did that mother have a special forcefield around her? Why did I gravitate to the mother with the child as the safest haven? Because I realized that this mother had made a conscious decision to stand on the front lines." https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2022/07/16/we-are-the-front-lines/?
That's a quote from an article about how Christians are on the front lines in the culture wars. However, for me, I recall an exact incident like this in June 1957 that happened to me. My parents had taken me to the bus stop in Dixon, Illinois, to begin a very long trip by myself at 17 to Fresno, California for a summer term in Brethren Volunteer Service. I've written about it at this blog with photos. https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/search/label/Fresno I certainly didn't have experience at 17 of traveling alone, but I looked for the first adult woman with children (she had 3) I spotted on the bus and sat with her. She couldn't have been more than 20 herself and had an Appalachian accent. I ended up being her babysitter half way across the country, sitting with the little girl and telling her stories while I combed her wispy hair, stories my mother had told me to keep me quiet about critters who snarl the hair of little girls. I think I also used my own money to buy her snacks because her mother didn't get off the bus when we took meal breaks. I felt safer, and the mother was certainly trusting, as I took the little daughter into the rest room, helped her with the toilet and cleaned her up while mommy tended to the boys (the children all had the strong odor of unwashed clothing and bodies).
Maybe it's instinct for women to seek each other for safety. With the culture wars of today, who can you trust?
Over and again, I found myself seeking out the nearest mother with a child in a stroller in order to seat myself near them. Did that mother have a special forcefield around her? Why did I gravitate to the mother with the child as the safest haven? Because I realized that this mother had made a conscious decision to stand on the front lines." https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2022/07/16/we-are-the-front-lines/?
That's a quote from an article about how Christians are on the front lines in the culture wars. However, for me, I recall an exact incident like this in June 1957 that happened to me. My parents had taken me to the bus stop in Dixon, Illinois, to begin a very long trip by myself at 17 to Fresno, California for a summer term in Brethren Volunteer Service. I've written about it at this blog with photos. https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/search/label/Fresno I certainly didn't have experience at 17 of traveling alone, but I looked for the first adult woman with children (she had 3) I spotted on the bus and sat with her. She couldn't have been more than 20 herself and had an Appalachian accent. I ended up being her babysitter half way across the country, sitting with the little girl and telling her stories while I combed her wispy hair, stories my mother had told me to keep me quiet about critters who snarl the hair of little girls. I think I also used my own money to buy her snacks because her mother didn't get off the bus when we took meal breaks. I felt safer, and the mother was certainly trusting, as I took the little daughter into the rest room, helped her with the toilet and cleaned her up while mommy tended to the boys (the children all had the strong odor of unwashed clothing and bodies).
Maybe it's instinct for women to seek each other for safety. With the culture wars of today, who can you trust?
Friday, July 15, 2022
Losing our Linden (Basswood or Tilia Americana)
The linden, in the fervors of July,
Hums with a louder concert. When the wind
Sweeps the broad forest in its summer prime,
As when some master-hand exulting sweeps
The keys of some great organ, ye give forth
The music of the woodland depths, a hymn
Of gladness and of thanks.
William Cullen Bryant
Hums with a louder concert. When the wind
Sweeps the broad forest in its summer prime,
As when some master-hand exulting sweeps
The keys of some great organ, ye give forth
The music of the woodland depths, a hymn
Of gladness and of thanks.
William Cullen Bryant
It has been providing shade here for 90 to 100 years, our neighbor Bill Dudrow says. About 20 years ago a large section fell on the deck, but after having it trimmed (actually major surgery) we were told it was healthy although somewhat deformed. Then this summer we noticed a large area of decay developing. The tree man came out yesterday and told us the old damaged trunk was splitting and that was the cause of the decay at the bottom. It will have to come down. Sigh.
The Linden range extends from New Brunswick south to Georgia, and west to Nebraska and Texas. It is a soft wood, and I hear it's good for carving and cabinets. It has heart shaped leaves and early in the summer develops clusters of blossom-buds in greenish-yellow, which bees love, and the deck requires constant sweeping.
Information from "Our Trees: How to know them" by Arthur I. Emerson. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 5th ed., 1936.
Nap study mentioned by John Ed Mathison, Got a Minute
This study was mentioned in John Ed Mathison's "Got a Minute," 325 daily meditations. He's a retired Methodist pastor who was at Lakeside in 2021, and I attended his morning sermons. I bought this little book and have been using it for the opening meditations at the Lakeside Women's Club which meets at 1:30 on Tuesday. I try to pick something that's appropriate for the day's program. Any program about Lakeside would good for a study on napping. I see a lot of it-- on the hotel porch, on park benches, on towels in the sun and I have a nap almost every day.
John Ed says on p. 326, "a brief nap is healthy in releasing stress. The Bible teaches about stress, anxiety, and good health. I challenge you to put a 5 minute nap together with a reflection on what the Bible teaches. It might be off the chart how much healthier you could be!"
John Ed usually doesn't give complete citations--after all, these meditations are on phone apps or radio announcements, and I like to think they are reaching people that churches don't, or someone who maybe has a church family but needs a little boost. That's what librarians are for--we are finders so you can be keepers. That's why I give you the link to the research. And a copy of a painting I did years ago of a napper on the porch of Hotel Lakeside.
Thursday, July 14, 2022
More from the archives--love stories
I used to write short, short love stories about people in the coffee shop. Reread a few today. It was fun. I stopped going out for coffee in 2015. Saved a lot of money.
I never intended to be a writer, but have been doing it since I was a child. In college I "majored" in other things, although nothing that pays well, like library science. In a blog in 2008 I was writing about two of my favorite topics--food and money.
That said, if I thought my kids needed baked snacks (they were deprived and got raw sliced veggies and fruits) that weren't full of chemicals, sugar and salt, I'd keep an eye on this lady. Food Babe. She's very pretty and Hawaiian. Homemade Goldfish Crackers With Organic Ingredients (foodbabe.com) She must be OK because there are other web sites set up to attack her.
"In the early 1980s I was writing about food budgets, coupons, sweepstakes, and other ways to play with your food, just as I do today in my blog, but using an electric typewriter, a bottle of white-out, research in the OSU Agriculture Library, and a photocopy machine to issue my own newsletter, "No Free Lunch." I was interviewed on a local TV talk show, spoke to women's book clubs, a faculty lunch group at OSU, and I was featured in the local suburban newspaper. However, because my theme was in some ways anti-business and chiding the consumer for poor planning, I was not in great demand as a speaker or writer. You can't tell business that their methods are suspect and consumers that they are not behaving rationally and expect to be popular!
I was just as opinionated then as a liberal Democrat as I am today as a conservative Republican. I wrote a lot about how government and food conglomerates worked together to confuse or hurt the consumer and put the local food companies at a disadvantage (and I hadn't heard of a Wal-Mart). I was really hard on "food writers" in the magazines who always encouraged coupons and prepared foods. Actually, I still feel that way, but now wonder why Democrats continue to lull voters into thinking even more government control of their lives and wallets is beneficial. And I see how increased regulation of business hurts the little guy, and especially the poor."
Based on Biden's fuel policies, we'll probably be lucky to have food on the shelves to buy, but if you're concerned about inflation, you can still save a bundle by contributing your own labor, just as I wrote in 1981. These days, you'd also save a lot by discontinuing take-outs or eating out with your family. Even for us as a couple eliminating our Friday night date as we did during the Covid lockdowns saved us about $200 a month.
That said, if I thought my kids needed baked snacks (they were deprived and got raw sliced veggies and fruits) that weren't full of chemicals, sugar and salt, I'd keep an eye on this lady. Food Babe. She's very pretty and Hawaiian. Homemade Goldfish Crackers With Organic Ingredients (foodbabe.com) She must be OK because there are other web sites set up to attack her.
St. Ignatius of Loyola -- Pray as you go
https://pray-as-you-go.org/player/2022-07-14
Open any website or book or scripture for the Christian, and you'll find something about poverty, environment, sex discrimination, wealth gap and race. Since that's also the constant drum beat of the secular media, academic research and pagans, it falls flat--it is so mundane and nagging. Our sins most flagrant yet important to address according to Jesus are those closest, like members of our family or church or workplace. It's the commandment from both the Old and New Testaments--love neighbor as self. That said, there are so many sources to remind us of the horizontal dimensions of the cross. This link is to Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises. He lived in the 16th century and developed a plan to help focus on the gospel. Others carry on his work. This is just one of the first I came across in an internet search.
"Pray as you can, not as you can't." Additional links at this site on the left of your screen, some with soothing music and voices. Some with "examen" prayer opportunities for beginning of day, end of day, end of week,
And if you carry a phone with you (I don't, but tried it after downloading the app), there's a link for walking with meditation. https://pray-as-you-go.org/series/20-walking-with-god with either male or female voice. About 40 minutes. I haven't tried this--I'd be so distracted by a squirrel or fairy garden or piece of trash carelessly thrown from a passing car. I used the original meditation noted at the beginning here, rather than the walking one.
Ignatius on gratitude
Is there a distinctly Ignatian understanding of gratitude?In the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola, gratitude is not just beneficial to us, it is the only logical response to the grace of God.
There is a logic of gratitude that grows through the Exercises, a dynamic of grace building upon grace. Ignatius does not begin the Exercises with his great call to trait gratitude, the Contemplation to Attain Love – he ends with it. First, we need to see clearly and in true perspective. We begin by seeing ourselves in the context of creation, of the Fall, and of the decision by the Trinity to enter into our ensnared world and set it free. We then walk with Jesus step by step, through birth, life, agony, death and resurrection. The daily drip-feeding of state gratitude with the Examen culminates in the trait gratitude of the Contemplation to Attain Love. So gratitude is the fruit of all that we have experienced. We do not create it; it is brought to birth through our encounter with Jesus. We also do not force it. Ignatius urges us throughout the Exercises to be honest about our desires and our responses. He notes that we do not always desire the best, and that sometimes we need to pray for the desire for the desire. Tell the truth, and then pray for the grace you need: this is the process. Gratitude is perspective. When I see myself contextualised in the whole of salvation history, my response will be ‘the cry of wonder’. There is a natural welling-up of gratitude and love, which is intended to last, to make us people of gratitude at a deeper level.
For all Christians, there is a distinctive quality to their gratitude: belief in God as the giver. In a secular worldview, gratitude may be a response to a series of gifts from random ‘others’. For Christians, our lens is our ongoing relationship with God, the architect of salvation. Our root gratitude is to the One who has given, who gives now, and who can be utterly trusted to keep on giving. As Michael Ivens SJ explains, ‘Gratitude for the past… leads to trust for the future.’[14] Ignatius structures the Contemplation to Attain Love to reflect this past, present and future engagement with grace in my life and in the whole world, coming personally and intentionally from God.
There is broad agreement that gratitude is good for you, and that it’s linked to happiness. But where the science of gratitude seeks to understand gratitude, Ignatius wants us to orient ourselves through it. Where positive psychology notes that ‘gratitude has good outcomes’, for Ignatius it is much stronger than that: more like, ‘if you see God’s world and your life as they really are, gratitude will well up in you’. All agree that ‘if you want to be happy, be grateful’, but for Ignatius it’s fundamental: gratitude is the only disposition that makes sense.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Fauci has reappeared
For a long time I didn't know anyone who had Covid. Then as more lockdowns, more masking, more vaccines and more boosters just about everyone I know has had it or now has it. Most recently, 2 women in my Bible study group--and we meet on Zoom! And almost all of them did everything they were told to do by the Biden administration and their state governments (our governor nagged us for 2 years). Have you had that experience? And now Fauci's back on the news again. Hasn't he had it at least twice? Must be time for the mid-terms?
Money can't fix everything
We sold our home of 34 years in 2001 and the new owners installed a professional kitchen, spending ca. $50,000 ($80,000 in today's dollars), and then got a divorce. The three signs of a marriage in trouble are 1) a new sports car for the husband, 2) an expensive get-away vacation, and/or 3) a ridiculous remodeling project for the wife. Or, maybe money just doesn't fix what's wrong.
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
They never learn
Countries that have tried (by force or election) socialism, have failed.
Countries that have tried (by force or persuasion) Green Energy have failed.
Biden promised, and will we become Sri Lanka, Ghana, the Netherlands or France? He's pushing the USA into third world territory, and he's lying about the shortages. 9,000 permits means nothing if you've blocked every avenue to produce it. We could be producing enough fuel and food for the whole world, but Biden and his Green-goes are ghouls.
Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Promises Resignation After Protestors Stormed Capital |
Will ESG Reform Capitalism—or Destroy It? - Foundation for Economic Education (fee.org)
‘This is life and death’: AOC re-introduces Green New Deal with Ed Markey (yahoo.com)
How have we let this bartender who does make up videos control the future of the country?
The other Biden Bloopers
With compliments like these, who needs insults? Jill Biden described Latino diversity “as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio.” And she mispronounced bodegas according to the gossip I heard. Oh my.
Tuesday is Farmer's Market at Lakeside.
Drove our golf cart to the Farmer's Market this morning. It used to be just 2 blocks from our house on the "main street," but moved to the old school house a few years ago, about a mile away. I bought a rhubarb pie, some buckeye candy (on sale because the cooks had Covid and lost their sense of taste so couldn't guarantee the quality), a bag of homemade breakfast cookies, a pound of peaches, a half pound of green beans, one ear of corn (Bob hates corn), a bunch of beets with the greens, 2 bananas, and some strawberry jam; now I'm anticipating a great lunch. Every thing was much higher than I expected, but we have to pay for Biden's war on fossil fuel and common sense.
Monday, July 11, 2022
The 10 year old rape victim who had to go to Indiana to get an abortion
Looks like this is going to turn out to be bogus. Ohio has no 6 week law--it's a heart beat law; no rape was ever reported in any district; the abortion doctor in Indiana is required by law to report it for investigation; Ohio has no such report; the Indiana doctor is also an abortion activist who likes to be on TV; Ohio AG is investigating her story.
Update July 13, 2022: "COLUMBUS, Ohio— Today, Ohio Right to Life released a statement in response to the arrest of the alleged rapist in the case of the ten-year-old victim in Ohio. According to court records, Columbus police were notified of the victim’s abuse and pregnancy on June 22nd through a referral from Franklin County Children Services. The perpetrator was officially charged with first degree rape after making a confession. Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Cynthia Ebner has set bail at two million dollars and he is being held in the Franklin County jail."
The news release was dated June 29, the police notified June 22. Ohio Right to Life notice dated July 13. No information on date of rape. Somewhere I read the Indiana abortionist was reprimanded for HIPAA violation telling the Indianapolis Star about a patient.
I think the pro-aborts will have egg all over their faces and the President on down to all the media who reported it will look foolish for doing no investigation of a child rape report and accepting one abortionist's report.
This is a terrible crime if it happened, and someone needs to be in jail. Let's hope the investigation turns up no child and no crime--and the media were again engaging in misinformation for political gain. And I hope there is punishment for the abortionist if she made up this story for her own fame.
This is a terrible crime if it happened, and someone needs to be in jail. Let's hope the investigation turns up no child and no crime--and the media were again engaging in misinformation for political gain. And I hope there is punishment for the abortionist if she made up this story for her own fame.
The news release was dated June 29, the police notified June 22. Ohio Right to Life notice dated July 13. No information on date of rape. Somewhere I read the Indiana abortionist was reprimanded for HIPAA violation telling the Indianapolis Star about a patient.
Tearing Us Apart by Ryan T. Anderson and Alexandra DeSanctis
New book on abortion. I probably won't read it, but it does present a moral argument and history for the mess we're in. For those who haven't made up their minds, and those who need to clarify their points when encountering (arguing?) with the pro-abortion group: "Abortion harms everything and solves nothing."
We love killing babies--from summer of rage protestors
I was shocked to see on Facebook a woman I'd just taken communion from the week before write "abort the Supreme Court" on her page. She'd also been in DC 5 years ago wearing a pink hat to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump in January 2017 (before he's had a day in office) to cheer on that riot (which caused more damage than J-6). Although I'm sure she didn't mean kill them, that's how many in her camp will read it, and some are launching racist and violent attacks on our Supreme Court against Thomas and Kavanaugh. Will there be hearings? Of course not. Democrats are in charge. A retired 3 star general has been suspended by the Army for making a sarcastic remark about Jill Biden's abortion views. Now THAT's totalitarianism. These same duplicitous gangs who march for killing are rejoicing in the fake hearings on J-6 so they can breathe some more life into their hate Trump campaigns for media ratings. It makes me wonder what anger and hate bubble up and infect her other wise pleasant demeanor and smile on Sunday morning. Her rights and mine come from God and not the state.
'We Love Killing Babies': What I Saw at Women's March Protest (dailysignal.com)
'We Love Killing Babies': What I Saw at Women's March Protest (dailysignal.com)
Friday, July 08, 2022
Lakeside nostalgia--guest blogger Jennifer Mathews-Santulli
We have sold our cottage in Lakeside, but are leasing it for the final summer. The air conditioning died 2 weeks ago, and is being installed today ( for new owners, of course). It feels different, of course, especially since several in our neighborhood haven't returned due to illness, or busy schedules "back home" (usually doctors' appointments and grandchildren's activities). I noticed this very nice nostalgia piece on Jennifer's Facebook post today. I knew her mother--and perhaps I knew Jennifer when she was a little girl playing in Perry Park which was near her parents' house and the first cottage we rented back in 1974. She gave permission to repost it here, so enjoy a peek back.
In my opinion, this is some sort of surreal little pocket of heaven which I have been so lucky to be a part of all these years of my life. Again, unlike the new trend of leveling the older cottages and rebuilding up newer versions of themselves, our place is almost still original, save the shower updates in which my mother had the beloved Victorian tubs hauled away… and kitchen updates years ago… but the memories we have made in this place echo in my heart and mind all thru these years. I had first loves in this place, and brought my fresh faced new fiancé here. I nursed and rocked my babies under the moonlight rocking on vintage white wickers… until they snoozed back in bed. I taught my 3 girls how to ride their bikes or paint rocks or sing Bible school songs here. We experimented with food options and became instant chefs for only our people here. I walked dogs by the beloved great Erie lake shore here in the day and nighttime, being leery of running into midnight “friends” of the skunks or raccoons. I have stood face to face with a deer or coyote in the predawn’s light going down to the lake front. What a thrill… I had late night boat rides with old boyfriends… watching the bobbing lights on the nearby Islands… that feeling of being so young and free… and alive. I am still friends with many of these people still today… it doesn’t matter how different our lives are or have taken us… we all share that “Lakeside Bond” that does not seem to break. That’s what is so great about old friends and most especially up here.
I have met celebrities while being a young waitress across from the concert venue… serving them food and having the opportunity to chat awhile. And experiencing the MAGIC of hearing them play in that great and unique auditorium.. something so intimate and “back in the day” that never goes away. Magical nights when the wind turns during a program and gusts welcomed breezes to the performers.. sometimes bringing them to change their intended set list to something more intimate. Including the audience because they feel Lakeside’s spell, too.
Conversely, I have nursed my dying mother here in this cottage… watching her great light fade away slowly while secretly begging God for a miracle so she could stay awhile longer in this place… my 3 girls spread around her holding her hands and whispering gratefulness for what she had brought to us in this place… a second mother to them really… after my sad divorce. What memories we share singing and reading and taking walks and telling stories. . . playing cards games or “chicken foot” dominoes with their Nana.
And now I am caring for my elderly Pop. He’s still kicking it but very frail. Still hanging on. We go back and forth some . . . he’s much grumpier than my mom ever was but still . . . he’s my dad and I love him. He took me fishing off his wooden Lyman boat.. we caught two at a time on perch double hooks. I got many a suntan on that boat . . . while my dad and my brother fished. We drove to Canada to Pelee island and bought our English tea cups and woolen wear counting our Canadian coin change.
So many memories . . . such a different life than my other 10 months of teaching in a Title One school in an Atlanta suburb. I love Lakeside for all it has given to me and my family. It always goes by too fast…
And I will never forget it.
"It was very hot and humid all day yesterday. Portable A/C units blasting all day… for the relief of it in a few rooms in the cottage. It is nothing fancy but we love it that way… it’s like going back in time to Mayberry… you don’t have to lock up your bikes in the park… chances are, if you forgot it last night… it will still be there in the morning. Right where you left it. Unless some kid took it on a late night joy ride… and it will be discovered 4 blocks away discarded after the fun. Some neighbor will recognize it from a lost bike sign and you’ll go pick it up. Last night, I listened as I heard the American flag start to flap… after dropping heavy and low thru the heat of yesterday. It’s a welcome change and you snuggle in tight with a smile. You know that the northeast winds have blown in and will chase the thick humidity away leaving a crisp chilliness. Great sleeping weather. Perfect for reading on the porch.. or taking a nap. Everybody is out riding bikes and golf carts… kids racing, cousins reunited, birds and squirrels chirping and scurrying for seeds and bugs. Rushing to or from summer jobs up here… or out to pick up some forgotten BBQ or picnic supplies.
In my opinion, this is some sort of surreal little pocket of heaven which I have been so lucky to be a part of all these years of my life. Again, unlike the new trend of leveling the older cottages and rebuilding up newer versions of themselves, our place is almost still original, save the shower updates in which my mother had the beloved Victorian tubs hauled away… and kitchen updates years ago… but the memories we have made in this place echo in my heart and mind all thru these years. I had first loves in this place, and brought my fresh faced new fiancé here. I nursed and rocked my babies under the moonlight rocking on vintage white wickers… until they snoozed back in bed. I taught my 3 girls how to ride their bikes or paint rocks or sing Bible school songs here. We experimented with food options and became instant chefs for only our people here. I walked dogs by the beloved great Erie lake shore here in the day and nighttime, being leery of running into midnight “friends” of the skunks or raccoons. I have stood face to face with a deer or coyote in the predawn’s light going down to the lake front. What a thrill… I had late night boat rides with old boyfriends… watching the bobbing lights on the nearby Islands… that feeling of being so young and free… and alive. I am still friends with many of these people still today… it doesn’t matter how different our lives are or have taken us… we all share that “Lakeside Bond” that does not seem to break. That’s what is so great about old friends and most especially up here.
I have met celebrities while being a young waitress across from the concert venue… serving them food and having the opportunity to chat awhile. And experiencing the MAGIC of hearing them play in that great and unique auditorium.. something so intimate and “back in the day” that never goes away. Magical nights when the wind turns during a program and gusts welcomed breezes to the performers.. sometimes bringing them to change their intended set list to something more intimate. Including the audience because they feel Lakeside’s spell, too.
Conversely, I have nursed my dying mother here in this cottage… watching her great light fade away slowly while secretly begging God for a miracle so she could stay awhile longer in this place… my 3 girls spread around her holding her hands and whispering gratefulness for what she had brought to us in this place… a second mother to them really… after my sad divorce. What memories we share singing and reading and taking walks and telling stories. . . playing cards games or “chicken foot” dominoes with their Nana.
And now I am caring for my elderly Pop. He’s still kicking it but very frail. Still hanging on. We go back and forth some . . . he’s much grumpier than my mom ever was but still . . . he’s my dad and I love him. He took me fishing off his wooden Lyman boat.. we caught two at a time on perch double hooks. I got many a suntan on that boat . . . while my dad and my brother fished. We drove to Canada to Pelee island and bought our English tea cups and woolen wear counting our Canadian coin change.
So many memories . . . such a different life than my other 10 months of teaching in a Title One school in an Atlanta suburb. I love Lakeside for all it has given to me and my family. It always goes by too fast…
And I will never forget it.Wednesday, July 06, 2022
Let's compare the BLM summer of 2020 protests with the January 6 protest
For 120 days in summer 2020, violent protesters destroyed some $2 billion in property and injured 1,500 police officers in riots that led to over 35 deaths. Let's compare that to January 6. I for one want some justice and equity.
More tragedy for Afghanistan
A 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocked Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 22. The earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border, killing more than 1,000 people and wounding many more. I wonder what else can happen to those poor people, many of whom thought the U.S. would stand by them after years of war and not abandon them. But they didn't know about Biden. Neither did American voters.
At least 1,000 killed after strong earthquake jolts Afghanistan | News | Al Jazeera
Afghan earthquake: At least 1,000 people killed and 1,500 injured - BBC News
Monday, July 04, 2022
Happy July 4th!
"America is essentially a dream. It is a dream of a land where men of all races, of all nationalities, and of all creeds, can live together as brothers. The substance of the dream is expressed in these sublime words, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'
"Now, we notice in the very beginning that at the center of this dream is an amazing universalism. It does not say some men, but it says all men. It does not say all white men, but it says all men, which includes black men…
"It says that each individual has certain inherent rights that are neither derived from or conferred by the state. They are gifts from the hands of the almighty God. Very seldom, if ever, in the history of the world has a socio-political document expressed in such profound, eloquent, and unequivocal language, the dignity and the worth of human personality."
July 4, 1965 Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Now, we notice in the very beginning that at the center of this dream is an amazing universalism. It does not say some men, but it says all men. It does not say all white men, but it says all men, which includes black men…
"It says that each individual has certain inherent rights that are neither derived from or conferred by the state. They are gifts from the hands of the almighty God. Very seldom, if ever, in the history of the world has a socio-political document expressed in such profound, eloquent, and unequivocal language, the dignity and the worth of human personality."
July 4, 1965 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Happy Birthday America (July 4, 2022)
I saw this on her Facebook page. I think she's from Brazil.
I was travelling by bus from St. Louis, MO to Peoria, IL listening to my walkman (you can laugh now!) in total awe with the beautiful road, and as we crossed the Mississippi River I saw a group of bikers, there were twenty or so, they all had jackets with the American Flag on it and the leader had a big Flag flying from his bike….it gave me chills!
I cried, I was in America! The land of the Free!
I knew then I wanted to be part of it, I wanted to be Free also.
It wasn’t the kind of freedom that removes physical chains, it was freedom of the soul.
The visa process was a lengthy and expensive one, but to me it was so worthy! I was glad that this wonderful Country was so demanding and scrutinized its immigrants, after all, the reason it was so wonderful was because of its citizenry and the pride they carry in their hearts, the love they had for this land.
Becoming a US Citizen in those days was a privilege, one that I was very grateful for.
To all of you that were blessed with being born in this amazing Country….
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being selective about who you are willing to accept into your family, that’s called self preservation.
Read the beginning of this post again and ask yourself why have things changed so much in 36 years.
As we celebrate America’s 246th Birthday let’s remember that this Nation was made by immigrants who embraced it, loved it, fought for it, and died for it….and not by immigrants who refused to assimilate.
I wish all of you could feel what I felt that day when I crossed the Mississippi River….
“Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people” ~ Ronald Reagan.
"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance" - Thomas Jefferson
Sadly, we haven't been vigilant, but I'll always hold dear to my heart the memories of a country that made me who I am today.
Happy Birthday America! And thank you for having me.
By Sybele Capezzutti
Happy Birthday America!
When I came to America 36 years ago a few things caught my attention….
The streets were clean and well paved
There was a sense of order
There weren’t any beggars on the street corners
People didn’t lock their doors during the day or lock their cars
Americans could criticize anyone and anything freely
Americans could open a small business and make a decent living
Cops were respected
Each State was different with different laws that served its population
Voting wasn’t mandatory but Americans took it serious
Americans were proud, a good proud!
Happy Birthday America!
When I came to America 36 years ago a few things caught my attention….
The streets were clean and well paved
There was a sense of order
There weren’t any beggars on the street corners
People didn’t lock their doors during the day or lock their cars
Americans could criticize anyone and anything freely
Americans could open a small business and make a decent living
Cops were respected
Each State was different with different laws that served its population
Voting wasn’t mandatory but Americans took it serious
Americans were proud, a good proud!
I was travelling by bus from St. Louis, MO to Peoria, IL listening to my walkman (you can laugh now!) in total awe with the beautiful road, and as we crossed the Mississippi River I saw a group of bikers, there were twenty or so, they all had jackets with the American Flag on it and the leader had a big Flag flying from his bike….it gave me chills!
I cried, I was in America! The land of the Free!
I knew then I wanted to be part of it, I wanted to be Free also.
It wasn’t the kind of freedom that removes physical chains, it was freedom of the soul.
The visa process was a lengthy and expensive one, but to me it was so worthy! I was glad that this wonderful Country was so demanding and scrutinized its immigrants, after all, the reason it was so wonderful was because of its citizenry and the pride they carry in their hearts, the love they had for this land.
Becoming a US Citizen in those days was a privilege, one that I was very grateful for.
To all of you that were blessed with being born in this amazing Country….
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being selective about who you are willing to accept into your family, that’s called self preservation.
Read the beginning of this post again and ask yourself why have things changed so much in 36 years.
As we celebrate America’s 246th Birthday let’s remember that this Nation was made by immigrants who embraced it, loved it, fought for it, and died for it….and not by immigrants who refused to assimilate.
I wish all of you could feel what I felt that day when I crossed the Mississippi River….
“Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people” ~ Ronald Reagan.
"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance" - Thomas Jefferson
Sadly, we haven't been vigilant, but I'll always hold dear to my heart the memories of a country that made me who I am today.
Happy Birthday America! And thank you for having me.
Sunday, July 03, 2022
When Donald Trump spoke to the Catholic Bishops
I missed this story in April 2020. As you'll recall, the white liberal church threw itself into the George Floyd tragedy a month later, eager to move the blame to Trump and all white people for the failings of the Minneapolis Democrat run city and police department. To do this, Democrats/liberals/progressives/socialists had to lionize an ex-con who really hadn't contributed in a positive way to black culture until BLM took up the banner. Anyway, President Donald Trump identified himself as the “best [president] in the history of the Catholic Church” in a conference call for Catholic leaders and educators in late April 2020 where he warned that issues at stake in the upcoming presidential election, particularly on abortion and religious liberty, “have never been more important for the Church.”
Catholic liberals were spitting fire, and conservative Evangelical Christians were probably shocked and chagrined to see a Protestant president say something good about Catholicism (in an indirect way he was pointing out that Catholics have always had the weakest, poorest, and "least of these" close to the heart of the church).
Looking at the fury from the left since the first leak and then the final decision on Dobbs, we have to say, once again, President Trump was/is right. He's the best President ever in terms of life, religious liberty, and was a gift to the poor and minorities in their climb out of despair and poverty.
We don't even have to wait for history to confirm the President's call (although it was far more shocking than the one they impeached him for). Just go back and read recent government archives, research, documents, newspapers and websites. Just look how quickly the green-goes, border-free advocates, racialist rioters and fossil fuel furies are working to destroy our nation. Listen to them demonize patriots, people of success and merit, love for country and respect for the constitution. It's all there.
You were right again, Mr. President.
Catholic liberals were spitting fire, and conservative Evangelical Christians were probably shocked and chagrined to see a Protestant president say something good about Catholicism (in an indirect way he was pointing out that Catholics have always had the weakest, poorest, and "least of these" close to the heart of the church).
Looking at the fury from the left since the first leak and then the final decision on Dobbs, we have to say, once again, President Trump was/is right. He's the best President ever in terms of life, religious liberty, and was a gift to the poor and minorities in their climb out of despair and poverty.
We don't even have to wait for history to confirm the President's call (although it was far more shocking than the one they impeached him for). Just go back and read recent government archives, research, documents, newspapers and websites. Just look how quickly the green-goes, border-free advocates, racialist rioters and fossil fuel furies are working to destroy our nation. Listen to them demonize patriots, people of success and merit, love for country and respect for the constitution. It's all there.
You were right again, Mr. President.
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