The Nashville school killings

At least the killer wasn't a woman. "Audrey Hale, 28, who police said was a transgender woman, had conducted surveillance and prepared for the attack with detailed maps, officials said. Police said the shooter had a manifesto, the contents of which were not released." (NBC)  I actually said that when I first saw on the news that the shooter was a woman. It just doesn't fit what we know about these crazies who shoot at little kids.

As soon as I saw it was Nashville, I remembered the son of my friend is a chaplain at a private Christian school there, so I looked him up, and that was the name of his school, Covenant.  Then I checked his Facebook page, and he had noted, "I am safe, please pray."  He's the same age as our daughter and used to be a member of our church.

Nashville school shooting live updates: Six killed, including three children (nbcnews.com)

No change in how awful Joe Biden is.

Boston Herald Editorial, September 19, 2021 Opinion by Peter Lucas

Joe Biden could have been a good president. All he had to do was leave things alone. Instead, he blundered into the office and wrecked the country

He is like the guy on a Boeing 747 high over the Atlantic Ocean who breaks into the cockpit and says, "I can fly this thing" "You don't have to, Joe," the pilot says, "It's on autopilot. It flies itself. You know, computers." Undeterred, Joe presses buttons and flips switches. The plane goes into a nosedive.
Which is where we are today. You don't put a guy like this in control.

He is President Doom Everything he touches goes bad. And nothing is his fault. He took an energy-independent country and turned it into a nation begging Saudi Arabia and Venezuela for oil. Gasoline prices hit the roof and inflation soared. But it is not his fault.

He forgot how he preened on Day One of his presidency, launching his war on domestic produced energy in favor of his Green Dream of a fossil fuel free world. Biden, John Kerry, his climate change czar, and the progressives would have you believe that the world will come to an end unless their anti-fossil fuel agenda adopted.

Yes, the world may come to an end. But the chances are the end will come sooner from the unleashing of nuclear weapons then it will come from the use of fossil fuels. But you do not hear politicians like Biden or Kerry talk much about doing away with nuclear weapons. On the contrary. Biden is reopening nuclear negotiations with Iran which will eventually lead to the Iranians having a nuclear bomb. This is the country where its religious fanatics have promised to use its first nuclear weapon on Israel and the second on the United States. If I were to bet, I would wager on the world ending in a nuclear bang before closing out in a fossil fuel whimper. Meanwhile, the rest of the world keeps pumping away, and the American people suffer. But it is not Biden's fault. It is Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine who is to blame, not Joe Biden.

Joe Biden took a working and strict border policy left to him by Donald Trump and turned it into a humanitarian disaster. Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from countries around the world are pouring into the United States and nobody is stopping them. And many of them are dying along the way. Bidens's decision to do away with border enforcement has also greatly facilitated the smuggling tons of drugs into the county, including deadly fentanyl from China that is killing many unsuspecting Americans. But that is not his fault either. It was Trump's racist border policy that caused all the problems. Besides, he assigned Kamala Harris to get to the root of the problem.

Biden also authored the ill-conceived and humiliating pullout from Afghanistan, causing the unnecessary death of 13 Americans at the chaotic Kabul airport, leaving hundreds of Americans, abandoning thousands of Afghan allies, and throwing he country into the chaotic hands of the Taliban. Naturally, he blamed Trump, which nobody bought The next thing you know Joe Biden will be blaming Putin for the Supreme Court's decision to send the abortion issue back to the states. Putin somehow must have gotten Trump to appoint three conservatives to the court in order to roil the country.

According to Biden, the "one thing" that has destabilized the country under his leadership has not been soaring gasoline prices, inflation, the open border, the shameful retreat in Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine, the frightening rising crime rate or the pandemic, but "the outrageous behavior" of the Supreme Court on the abortion issue.

The court did not destabilize the country. Joe Biden did. This man does not belong in the cockpit.

Peter Lucas is a veteran Massachusetts political reporter and columnist.

New Easter frock

 https://www.talbots.com/talbots-effortless-jersey-tie-detail-floral-dress/P231036224.html?

  

Update:  I wore this on Easter Sunday, and purchased a dark navy short jacket to wear with it at a resale shop--for $2.00, although I'm going to look for something else.  Fits well, and I'm glad I bought it.  Perhaps the best thing was it didn't cost me anything.  It was on sale, with "take another 25% off, and I had a $20 off coupon and a store credit from a Christmas gift, so it came to zero.

Remembering elementary school teachers (two schools)

 I tossed all my blogging notebooks several weeks ago as part of my Lenten house cleaning.  That's where I kept my notes while reading the Wall St. Journal and the Columbus Dispatch back in the day when I still went out for coffee every morning.   I pulled out one sheet that had information for 2005 and 2006.  It was about i-pad ear, and apparently younger and younger patients with hearing loss are turning up at doctors' offices, according to WSJ 1-10-06.  It seems there were 38 million MP3 players shipped in 2005.  However, when I turned over the sheet, I had started a list of all the teachers I could remember.  I checked my blog, and it seems I never finished what I'd started. I think I was doing a Thursday 13. So, let's try that:

Miss Marguerite Flora, First grade, she lived across the street from us with her parents. I wrote a blog about her when she died at 99. Collecting My Thoughts

Mrs. Greta (?) Huntley, Second grade.  She attended the same Lutheran church we did. I visited the church sometime in the 80s and she remembered me 40 years later.

Miss DeWall, Third grade (my favorite teacher of all times) As I recall, she died rather young, when I was in college.

Mrs. Hiteman, Fourth grade, very young, newly married.

Miss Michael, Fifth and sixth grade, she also had taught my father in Polo, Illinois. She lived with her sister about a block from our house.

Miss Jennie DeGraff, principal, and she apparently knew my grandmother because she was in her address book

Mr. John I. Masterson, superintendent, JoElla's father.  In retirement he was the pastor at Pinecrest, and lived in Mt. Morris.

Mrs. Beth Amsrud, music; she was like a circuit rider and taught in Forreston, Mt. Morris, Oregon, plus the country schools.  Used to put on charming musicals--great fun.

Our family moved from Forreston to Mt. Morris in March 1951.

Mrs. Beth or Betsy (?) Withers, sixth grade. I have her in a class photo MMHS1957: The old elementary school

Mr. Ray Appler, nor sure where he fit in--perhaps came in to teach math. Later Supt. of Schools Ogle Co., WWII veteran, Marines.  Photo at our 50th class reunion along with Katie Dirksen and Warren Reckmeyer.

Mr. David Rahn.  He taught the other 7th grade students, but our class had him, too.

Mrs. Verna Westfall, 7th grade. Class photo. MMHS1957: Mrs. Westfall's 7-A class 1952

Mrs. Mamie Knodle, 8th grade home economics.

Mrs. Rosella Opsand (Warren) Burstrom, 8th grade.  She also directed class plays when we were in high school, and Warren was our physics and chemistry teacher. Died young (1981). 

That's 15, but if I left out the two principals, I'd have a Thursday 13.

Underserved actually means overserved by government

What Democrats and their bureaucracy call "underserved" means under the heavy thumb of government programs. They are so "overserved" by the various 120+ wealth transfer programs, they can't afford to work, buy or rent in a better neighborhood, or take a promotion at work in fear of losing their "benefits." That word "underserved" may be one of the most deceptive in government-speak.

Here are the "underserved" amounts: Federal spending programs that are "designed to transfer income ... to individuals or families" are set to hit a record $3,223,943,000,000 in fiscal 2020, according to projections published by the Office of Management and Budget.

These so-called "payments for individuals" (as the OMB calls them) are projected to account for 67.9% of all federal spending  [fiscal year 2020] and consume 14.4% of the nation's gross domestic product.

$3.22 Trillion: Federal Programs That 'Transfer Income' Projected to Hit Record in FY20 | CNSNews

"More government benefits result in less private wealth, especially for the non‐​rich. It is not just Social Security and Medicare that displaces private saving, but also unemployment insurance, welfare, and other social spending. Some social programs have “asset tests” that deliberately discourage saving.

Total federal and state social spending as a share of gross domestic product soared from 6.8 percent in 1970 to 14.3 percent in 2018. That increase in handouts occurred over the same period that wealth inequality appears to have increased. Generations of Americans have grown up assuming that the government will take care of them when they are sick, unemployed, and retired, so they put too little money aside for future expenses." How the Government Creates Wealth Inequality | Cato Institute

More on Masking

Cochrane, the gold standard, has twice (2020 and 2023) shown that masks are not effective in stopping the transmission of the virus SARS-CoV-2. Progressives/socialists/Democrats still can't let go. So, what's up with that? They want to believe they can control the virus (although they've done a very poor job) and thus control people. These people are obsessed.

 
"In his recent City Journal piece on the 2023 Cochrane review, John Tierney asks, “Can anything persuade the maskaholics in the public-health establishment and the public to give up their obsession?” The answer, plainly, is no. Their faith transcends reason." https://www.city-journal.org/the-mask-of-ignorance?

Opinion | The Mask Mandates Did Nothing. Will Any Lessons Be Learned? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Here is the editor of Cochrane back peddling so she won't have her career cancelled. Cochrane Says Review Does Not Show That ‘Face Masks Don’t Work’ Against Covid-19 (forbes.com)

In 2020 I searched every 2 weeks or so, and never found a single study that supported the idea that mask could prevent the spread of Covid.  So did Cochrane, but the 2023 article is an update. Do Masks Work? What the Cochrane Review Can and Can’t Tell Us (health.com)

Masks Cochrane review: There’s still not strong evidence for masks’ effectiveness. (slate.com)

I know only two people personally who died of Covid. I'd say 99.99% of the ones who have had Covid I even know remotely or only by name, have survived, and most of those were vaxxed and boosted, but still got the disease. Of the two I did know one was 84 and one was 82. That's the highest risk factor--age.  I don't know if they had other conditions that might have contributed to respiratory problems.  One was fully vaxxed and boosted and very careful about exposure, usually masked.  The other was not vaxxed or boosted, but was careful in the common-sense ways--like crowds, hand washing, etc. I think the one thing they had in common was their medical care--both treated at small community hospitals. The websites and media that won't discuss or consider the failure of masks are also predominantly left of center and will interpret the article and research in that light.  No, with this disease, you can't follow the science, because in the last decade, science has been politicized. This disease has put a lot of power into the hands of a few, and huge fortunes have been made both in government and private industry.   It may take years to straighten it all out, but if these mandates aren't removed our freedoms will always be threatened,

Biden wants employers to have no conscience rights.

"Obamacare requires employers to pay for abortion-inducing drugs in their insurance plans. After years of litigation and action by the Trump administration, there are exemptions for employers with religious or moral objections. But the Biden administration is now moving to revoke the moral exemption. If it succeeds, groups that aren't explicitly religious but object to abortions on moral grounds will be forced to pay for them anyway. . .

 
"After multiple Supreme Court cases – including the Hobby Lobby and Little Sisters of the Poor victories – faith-based organizations and businesses that object to the HHS mandate on religious grounds are exempt. And after the Trump administration implemented a rule protecting them, so are non-religious organizations and businesses which object only on moral grounds."

How blood thirsty is Biden? Doesn't want even one little one protected by a Trump decision to get her right to life.

Biden Admin Restarts HHS Mandate Wars: Here’s How Catholics Can Fight Back - CatholicVote org

Seminar on DEI/DIE

 In his seminar on DEI/DIE James Lindsay mentions a post WWII training unit for the military to reduce discrimination and racial tension. It was pulled by 1950 because using the confess and confront style failed and caused more tension and racism. Unfortunately, Lindsay says, it's the very method that's been continued by today's grifters who call themselves the DEI/DIE experts.

https://newdiscourses.com/2023/03/marxist-roots-dei-session-1-equity/?

The Marxist Roots of DEI - Session 2: Diversity - New Discourses

"Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives have taken over the country, reaching into every aspect of our work, school, and lives. What is “DEI,” though? New Discourses founder James Lindsay explains the idea and its history in unprecedented depth in this new series from an in-person workshop in Miami, Florida, breaking down each of the three letters in detail. What we’ll find is that it’s a contemporary and managerial repackaging of socialism.

In this second episode of the series, following from his discussion of equity as (expanded) socialism, Lindsay articulates that “Diversity” initiatives are rooted in the goal of installing ideologically consistent political officers within organizations to effect and enforce policies directed toward achieving equity. These political officers, often called “Diversity Officers,” are in fact a rebranding of the older concept of commissars, who enforced socialism in the same way. Understanding Diversity in this regard is relatively easy, but how did we get here in America? The answer is bad judicial interpretation of Civil Rights laws that center “disparate impact” rather than intention as evidence of discrimination. Join James Lindsay as he walks you through the history and philosophy of the Diversity scam."

The Left can be very, very vicious

 Julie Hartman, a student at Harvard, wasn't very political, but like most college students, she was "liberal."  Never even thought there's another way.  She came across Prager U and Dennis Prager, and through his radio program had an epiphany. She's a conservative now, and in 2022 her description of a senior trip to Israel came out in which she defended America and criticized her generation, her classmates at Harvard on the trip, for their ignorance about our history. They are using their freedom to destroy freedom she said.  https://youtu.be/6iD09hBRL-Q

She was invited to appear on Prager's radio show, and when she did and her Harvard classmates found out, they were outraged and got really nasty.  But after some soul searching, she decided "coming out of the closet" was much less painful than holding back. She graduated in 2022, and now has her own podcast called Timeless. Timeless with Julie Hartman on Apple Podcasts

https://youtu.be/0xtv8XtjzdA  Her senior address at Harvard "If we lose freedom here."

Today's podcast is on Iraqi society now--on the 20th anniversary of the invasion. And on Ukraine. Timeless with Julie Hartman: The War in Iraq on Apple Podcasts

20 years after the fact, Julie dissects the events that lead to the US invasion of Iraq. Topics include: Defiant Putin visits Mariupol in first trip to occupied eastern Ukraine, the facts on ‘De-Nazifying’ Ukraine, and the long battle over Crimea; HHS Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine says gender affirming care will be normalized …when did tolerance become unabashed support?

  

March Madness

I'm not interested in sports/athletic events. But if I had to pick a sport to watch, it would be basketball. So, I can glance at the March Madness and feel good about it and know why big guys are chasing a little ball around. It feels good because there's still a place in the world for skill, merit, hard work, practice till you're exhausted, 2nd chances, and at least a smidgen of charisma to rise to the top. If DEI were a factor in these teams, there would be 83 year old white women demanding a place on the team because they needed more diversity, equity and inclusion.

Children in restaurants

On Facebook, sometimes people toss out a question that thousands respond to. Today I noticed this one from a minor celebrity (I remember he made a movie about 15 years ago):

Honest question #603:

"Is there anyone out there in FB-Land who would like to try and defend the practice of going to a nice, quiet restaurant and allowing a child (or oneself) to watch a movie on a tablet (or phone) with the volume turned up LOUD for all nearby to hear (if they want to or not)? So loud that that those sitting near you can no longer hear the house music?

In my sphere, this seems to be happening with increasing frequency. Is this becoming an epidemic, or… is it just me? Is this just the new normal? Just curious, please feel free to rebuke me at will… I am all ears, truly…"

My response:  I haven't had that experience, but I do remember taking our toddlers to restaurants occasionally (early 1970s), and other customers stopping by our table complimenting us on their behavior. One man at Friendly's on a Sunday morning after church (who ran a different restaurant) actually picked up our tab because he'd seen so many poorly behaved children at his restaurant. So, it must have been the same back then, but not with our family.

Ben Carson Podcast--Aaron Kheriaty

Dr. Ben Carson has a podcast, and here he interviews Dr. Aaron Kheriaty who has a new book, "The new abnormal; the rise of the biomedical security state." We're now about 1100 days into 2 weeks to flatten the curve. In 2019, none of us would have believed what we've been through since early 2020, the liberties we've lost. (I had a "fact check" splashed across my post about Tucker's showing the security footage about J-6). Although Biden has announced the pandemic was over, none of the emergencies, federal, state or corporate have been sun downed. Our churches can be closed again, and our pastors and boards haven't organized to stop it. They should.

 
https://youtu.be/pnu5o4gOT1o

Home | Aaron Kheriaty, MD He lost his job at University of California for publishing an article in WSJ on the medical ethics of these lockdowns/lockouts. Much more is known now, than 3 months ago when this podcast was recorded. He's been vindicated, but still had to start his career over.

"Lockdowns were never part of conventional public health measures. In 1968, an estimated one to four million people died in the H2N3 influenza pandemic; businesses and schools stayed open and large events were never cancelled. Until 2020 we had not previously locked down entire populations. We did not do this before because it does not work; and it inflicts enormous collateral damage."

"Actual contagion risk depended on the total time spent in a room with an infected person and was mitigated by opening windows and other methods of improved ventilation, not by staying six feet apart. Plastic protective barriers erected everywhere actually increased the risk of viral spread by impeding good ventilation. We had already been psychologically primed for over a decade to accept pseudo-scientific practices of social distancing by using digital devices to limit human interactions."

"Since the 1980s, reported loneliness among adults in the US increased from 20 percent to 40 percent even before the pandemic. Loneliness is associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, premature death, and violence. It affects health in ways comparable to smoking or obesity, increasing a whole host of health risks and decreasing life expectancy. . . "
The Quarantine of Healthy Populations ⋆ Brownstone Institute

Covid Student Loan Relief

You know, of course, about Biden's plan to forgive students loans and make people who never went to college or who already paid for their college (like the Bruces) pay for those who did borrow. But did you know how much the "pause" or Covid Emergency Relief and Federal Student Aid is costing us? $255 Billion as of March. The good thing is, it makes the $75 billion given to Ukraine not look so bad, right? President Trump began the pause, to last through December 30, 2020. Biden continued it, even though he says the pandemic is over, and even though employers can't find workers to earn the money to pay their loans. It's all part of the inflation which caused the Fed to raise interest rates to cool the economy, which in turn is helping create the bank crisis (and bad management, but that's another story). Everything is connected to everything else. The lockdown's damages in increased death, debts, and divisions among families and friends will not be known for years.

Trump Suspends Student Loan Payments Through December 31 (forbes.com)

Student Loan Forgiveness Debacle Has Already Cost $255 Billion in Lost Federal Revenue - Minding The Campus

In May 2020 silencing alternate viewpoints was a threat

In May 2020 when our alliance between government and academe was leery of Trump and his populism/power, Harvard International Review could publish this: 

"In a time when accurate, scientific information is vital to the well-being of populations around the world, silencing independent media and dissidents is counterproductive. Since the pandemic has hit, the International Press Institute has reported hundreds of violations of media freedom. Radical transparency in communication should be the norm; part of the success of countries like Taiwan and Canada stems from their clear communication about government efforts."

Canada? What a joke.

Later with Biden in power, transparency and independent media were a threat to his freedom strangling administration, and all alternate viewpoints had to be fired, deplatformed or tracked for being against "democracy."

https://hir.harvard.edu/covid-authoritarianism/?

More opinions on bank failures

Patrick Bet-David and panel  Barry Habib, Adam Sosnick, and Tom Ellsworth dig into how Dodd-Frank contributed to the SVB collapse. Silicon Valley Bank Collapse | The Patriot Post

                          ******

"Our economic seas are so rough that the financial experts at SVB made a bad bet on U.S. Treasuries — one of the safest asset classes — and sank their bank. At the end of 2022, SVB was holding onto over $17 billion in U.S. Treasuries and another $91 billion in government-issued mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that function similarly to U.S. Bonds. These bonds were purchased when interest rates were 1.5%. As interest rates rose north of 5%, those bonds could only be sold for a substantial loss.

Inflation and rising interest rates killed Silicon Valley Bank, slowly moving their balance sheet out of balance. Depositors became suspicious and withdrew their money.:   Jessica Anderson JESSICA ANDERSON: Congress Killed Silicon Valley Bank | The Daily Caller

                        ******

“Remember that after 2008, the Obama administration, Eric Holder swooped in and imposed DEI, diversity, equity and inclusion standards on the entire financial sector, and that’s one of the main reasons our big banks are now increasingly incompetent and one of reasons Americans are so divided by race,” Tucker Carlson said. “Ideologues who used the 2008 bank bailout to kill American meritocracy, that’s a big step, mostly unacknowledged, but we are living with its consequences. So, you have to ask yourself, what are they going to do this time?” Tucker Carlson Wonders What The Federal Gov’t Will Get In Return For ‘Backstopping’ Deposits At Failed Banks | The Daily Caller

                    *******

“Interest rates spiked, right, because of inflation,” Bill Maher said to former Democratic presidential candidate and Forward Party founder Andrew Yang and Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin. “So, when Uncle Sugar was very generous during COVID, right? That was the result of that. That’s what caused the inflation, a lot of what caused the inflation. You cannot put $6 trillion that you don’t have into people’s pockets and not expect some inflation.” ‘Uncle Sugar’: ‘Generous’ Spending During COVID Pandemic Led To Bank Failures, Bill Maher Says | The Daily Caller

                     *******

"There are 186 banks across the country that could fail if half of their depositors quickly withdraw their funds, a new study published on the Social Science Research Network found. Even insured depositors — those with $250,000 or less in the bank — could have problems getting their cash if these institutions face the sort of run that Silicon Valley saw a week ago.

The concern is that these banks hold a significant amount of their assets in interest-rate sensitive financial instruments like government bonds and mortgage backed securities. The value of those older, low-interest investments dropped sharply as the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates over the past year."

Nearly 200 banks could fail the same way SVB did: study (nypost.com)

                    *******

"Silicon Valley Bank, a lender that was a fixture in the venture capital space for decades, collapsed on Friday. The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation closed SVB and named the FDIC as the receiver. The trouble started on Wednesday after SVB suddenly announced a plan to raise billions in capital to cover big losses, setting off widespread panic among investors and the tech founders they backed. Shares of the company fell by around 60% in Thursday trading, another 20% in aftermarket trading, and were halted at the open on Friday. Hours later, amid reports that SVB was struggling to attract buyers in a sale, the government took control. In the run-up to all this, SVB’s proxy statement, filed earlier this month, reveals that the firm’s chief risk officer stepped away from her role early last year, and the bank did not hire a replacement until this past January." SVB had no official chief risk officer for 8 months | Fortune

                  *******

"The broader problem, though, is that just as the government had created that brittle 2008 financial industry in the first place, with the too-big-to-fail regime that had begun in 1984, the government also created today’s self-satisfied tech industry. How did SVB’s deposits triple in less than half a decade? Why did Signature Bank start dabbling in crypto? Why on earth did anyone ever trust Sam Bankman-Fried to do anything?

The culprit is all the money the federal government has pumped into the financial system over the past 15 years. After the financial crash of 2008, the Treasury and the Federal Reserve wanted to revive the economy by spurring yet more cheap lending and borrowing, ignoring how it was cheap lending and borrowing that had crashed the economy in the first place; household debt levels already stood at record highs. . . " Silicon Valley Bank: Who's to Blame? | City Journal (city-journal.org)

               ******

"In big, bold type on its website, Silicon Valley Bank bragged that “44% of U.S. venture-backed technology and healthcare IPOs YTD [year-to-date] bank with SVB.”

To put it bluntly, this was a Wall Street IPO machine that enriched the investment banks on Wall Street by keeping the IPO pipeline moving; padded the bank accounts of the venture capital and private equity middlemen; and minted startup millionaires for ideas that often flamed out after the companies went public. These are the functions and risks taken by investment banks. Silicon Valley Bank – with this business model — should never have been allowed to hold a federally-insured banking charter and be backstopped by the U.S. taxpayer, who was on the hook for its incompetent bank management."

Silicon Valley Bank Was a Wall Street IPO Pipeline in Drag as a Federally-Insured Bank; FHLB of San Francisco Was Quietly Bailing It Out (wallstreetonparade.com)

Moody’s Downgrades Entire U.S. Banking System; Credit Suisse Plummets. Welcome to Banking Crisis 3.0 (wallstreetonparade.com)

Anniversary of our First date, 1959

St. Pat's Ball at The University of Illinois in 1959 was our first date. So, I made a special dinner --Donato's Pizza. We'd never had this Columbus specialty although we've lived here 56 years. It was very good. We got a large, "serious meat" pizza: according to a nutrition website, sausage, pepperoni, ham, bacon, 720 calories per serving, and enough sodium and fat for a week. However, it was a celebration.

https://www.mashed.com/484751/the-untold-truth-of-donatos-pizza/?

Columbus-Style Pizza - Donatos Pizza (experiencecolumbus.com)

  

Blessed Gabriele Allegra, 1907 - 1976, translator of the Bible into Chinese

At 18 I transferred from Manchester College to the University of Illinois. A private dorm, McKinley Hall, was recommended to me by a high school friend who was living in a sorority house. (Details are important in serendipity that changes your life.) The housemother knew I was taking Spanish, but didn't know that Brazilians spoke Portuguese, so she matched me with a young woman from Brazil as a roommate.  That's how I met my Chinese roommate, Dora Lee.  Her family had fled mainline China when the Communists took over and moved to Brazil.  Most of her many siblings had since relocated to the U.S. for college and jobs. And since 1958, I've always enjoyed learning about Chinese language, culture and history.

So, this morning I read about Blessed Gabriele Allegra in the March issue of Magnificat, and it piqued my curiosity. While he was in seminary he learned about a 14th century bishop who had begun a translation of the Bible into Chinese, and from that day he decided that was his calling. By 1937, he had a first draft, but it was lost due to the Chinese civil war, so he started over and a full Chinese Bible was published in 1968. In addition, he was a scholar in other areas, and helped and served the poor and diseased (particularly lepers).

Most of my life as a Lutheran I've heard about Martin Luther's achievement of translating the Latin Vulgate into the vernacular German, however he had at least 18 other translations, some predating his achievement by 100 years plus much scholarship to aid his efforts.  It looks like Giovanni Allegra first had to learn Chinese and then how to translate it (I don't know which dialect).

The cause for his canonization was started in 1984 by Bishop John Wu in Hong Kong, 8 years after his death. He was declared venerable by the Holy See in 1994 and his decree of beatification was promulgated in 2002. He was the only scripture scholar to be beatified by Pope John Paul II.

https://religion.fandom.com/wiki/Gabriele_Allegra

Saint Who? Magnificat, v. 24, no. 13, p, 207 https://youtu.be/8A5yeVHf5A8

For Dora's bio and a peek at her fabulous fiber art: DORA HSIUNG — gallery twist

The problem with ethanol

I only saw a few snippets of President Trump's speech in Iowa, and he was criticizing DeSantis' lack of support for ethanol, a big deal in corn-growing Iowa. He needs to do more research and change lanes. In my blog in 2007 I wrote about how ethanol degrades the environment based on information published in 2003. I had become interested in that topic when I worked in the Ag Library in the 1980s. I assume the technology and efficiency have changed in 20 years, but the basics are the same.

"But let's look at the ethics of ethanol.

 . . . about 29% more energy is used to produce a gallon of ethanol than the energy in a gallon of ethanol. Fossil energy powers corn production and the fermentation/distillation processes. Increasing subsidized ethanol production will take more feed from livestock production, and is estimated to currently cost consumers an additional $1 billion per year. Ethanol production increases environmental degradation. Corn production causes more total soil erosion than any other crop. Also, corn production uses more insecticides, herbicides, and nitrogen fertilizers than any other crop. All these factors degrade the agricultural and natural environment and contribute to water pollution and air pollution. Increasing the cost of food and diverting human food resources to the costly inefficient production of ethanol fuel raise major ethical questions. These occur at a time when more than half of the world’s population is malnourished. The ethical priority for corn and other food crops should be for food and feed. Subsidized ethanol produced from U.S. corn is not a renewable energy source." Abstract, "Ethanol Fuels: Energy Balance, Economics, and Environmental Impacts Are Negative," Natural Resources Research, Volume 12, issue 2 (June 2003), p. 127-134.

And he doesn't even mention the bioterrorism of a well-placed fungus that could wipe out the Americans' dependence on corn for fuel the way the potato blight sent the Irish running for a new country in the 19th century. Also, when so much of the world suffers from hunger is it even moral to use land to grow crops to run your cars? There's more:  Collecting My Thoughts

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/corn-ethanol-bad-farmers-consumers-and-environment?

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323826704578354260914712792?

Opinion: who was at fault for January 6 failures?

"If there was a security failure on January 6, and demonstrably there was, it was probably Nancy Pelosi's fault, and after looking at thousands of hours of footage, we came to the conclusion that many others have reached, which is the Capitol Police were not prepared for what happened, and that's fascinating when you think about it, because there was ample warning. The federal intel and law enforcement agencies knew perfectly well there could be a massive disturbance at the Capitol, but the frontline officers on duty that day didn't know and yet the people who kept that information from the frontline officers were overwhelmed by thousands of people milling around the Capitol building? The people who fell down on the job, who didn't do their job, they were not punished. They were rewarded, and you have to ask yourself, why is that? " Tucker Carlson, March 7, 2023 Fox News

California dreaming a nightmare

It's been a tough week for higher (hi-jacked) education in California, that formerly great state where conservatives used to roamed freely and had constitutional rights. Stanford Law students urged on by a DIE dean attacked, insulted and shouted down US Circuit Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan who was invited to address students; then Antifa was allowed to go after Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA at UC Davis who had been promised the right to speak (which he already had). They destroyed property in the course of illegally attacking an invited speaker. Kirk should sue the media and the chancellor Gary May for the lies they tell, naming names of reporters and both DIE administrators should be fired--they are the ones who poured gasoline on the hot grill. No one said or has ever said anything racist or homophobic, but that's the old, broken down, gray mare trotted out if the speaker disagrees with Leftists. Apparently, there are rich parents out there who are willing to shell out for their adult children to act like assholes, but maybe they agree with them.

Prager U on how many lies the media tell us

 https://www.prageru.com/video/lying-liars

A long list of the lies the media tell.

Prodigal evangelicals

 This is an amazing, beautifully articulate testimony about the wokeness in the Christian church.

Prodigal Evangelicalism: A Video Essay | Megan Basham | First Things

Megan Basham describes her experience of conversion into the evangelical church and present ideological pathologies growing within it. She discusses the rise of progressive moralizing and the threat it poses to both the nation and the ecclesial health of the evangelical church.

Seasons of life

 

Why would Antifa be assaulting the media for covering a rights event?

"Having lived in our nation’s capital for the past six years, I’ve seen my fair share of unruly crowds. From the inauguration of President Donald Trump to the death of George Floyd to the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, the radical Left has become increasingly more emboldened, straddling the line between peaceful assembly and violent mob.

But not once did I ever think that these groups would feel so empowered and assault a member of the media, in broad day light, in front of police and face no repercussion in the moment."

https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/03/11/antifa-assaulted-me-at-a-detrans-rally-heres-what-happened/?

What are Democrats afraid of?

Before we all fall for the lies about Tucker, Taibbi and Musk (who have been exposing the illegal censorship and disinformation tricks of subcontracting to non-profits or just lying) so soon after millions absorbed the lies from the J-6 Congressional clown show, let's just review the riots when Trump was inaugurated back in 2017. They weren't "mainly peaceful," the rioters were armed with hammers and bricks, it was before the George Floyd riots (but perhaps practice for the big show).  There was more violence than January 6, 2021 and Trump hadn't yet done a thing. No tax cuts, no energy boost, no middle east peace, no NAFTA reform, no border wall, no prison reform. After this protest, there was an anti-Trump women's march.  Remember the pink "lady parts" hats?  This hate has continued to this day. 

https://youtu.be/Mr0i6piW_ak

Using dogs in cancer research

We watched a repeat of 60 minutes tonight that included a segment on how dogs and humans share many genes and cancer research in dogs is helping humans. Cancer is actually more common in dogs, so there are more subjects for research. I was happy to see that glioblastoma (brain tumor) is also one of the cancers being studied. Our son Phil died 3 years ago of glioblastoma, and he loved dogs. After his Lab Rosa died, he began a pet sitting side gig. This cancer's treatment has been stuck (in my opinion) in slash, burn and poison for probably 60 years with little progress, so life expectancy is still about 6 months to a year when the tumor is found at stage 4.

Trial cancer treatments for dogs could lead to breakthroughs for humans (msn.com)

Efforts by the states to defeat DEI, CRT, and ESG

"The efforts in Florida, Arizona, Texas, and Missouri join a bundle of bills that have passed in other states in the past two years or are still pending. These bills either reject the discrimination of critical race theory or establish parents’ bills of rights or guarantee academic transparency. The Heritage Foundation has a handy state tracker that shows where the state of play is in every one of the 50 states.

To understand the significance of these legislative efforts, it’s important to revisit the threat to our national unity and the preservation of American civic order that the leftist agenda poses."

Mike Gonzalez, Daily Signal,   These States Are Leading the Charge in Fight Against Left’s Agenda (dailysignal.com)

Taibbi and Shellenberger Twitter testimony

The House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government held a hearing featuring testimony from independent investigative journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger who were involved in the “Twitter Files,” a series of articles on how government agencies and lawmakers interacted with the social media company over content moderation.

Both men are highly respected writers/journalists, yet the Democrats tried to demean and insult their integrity and credentials.

‘Twitter Files’ Taibbi and Shellenberger testify before Congress - Deseret News

Matt Taibbi Opening Statement to Congress - COMPLETE Text and Video (substack.com)

Bret and Heather 165th DarkHorse Podcast Livestream: Skepticism ≠ Terrorism - YouTube

Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government Hearing on the Twitter Files - YouTube

Dr. Meryl Nass discusses how her career was ruined and she was silenced

 Dr. Meryl Nass SUSPENDED By Medical Board For Defying Mandates w/ Dr. Kelly Victory – Ask Dr. Drew - YouTube

After defying mask mandates & the CDC on COVID-19 treatments and mRNA vaccines, Dr. Meryl Nass was suspended by Maine's Board of Licensure in Medicine and ordered to undergo a psych evaluation. Though the board claims they received complaints about her medical practice, Dr. Nass says the complaints were fabricated by activists using targeted harassment to censor her freedom of speech.

 “The BOLIM, a regulatory extension of policies enacted by Governor Mills, was intent on silencing her,” said Gene Libby, Dr. Nass' legal counsel. Dr. Meryl Nass is a board-certified physician with over 40 years of experience in all areas of internal medicine. She is a nationally recognized expert on epidemics who has consulted for government agencies around the world, especially focusing on anthrax, Zika, Ebola, and biological warfare investigations. Follow Dr. Nass at https://twitter.com/NassMeryl and at https://MerylNassMD.com

Dear Conservatives, I apologize

Dear Conservatives, I apologize (Dr. Naomi Wulf, Democrat) Dear Conservatives, I Apologize (substack.com)

"I believed a farrago of lies. . ."

"There is no way for anyone thoughtful, even if he or she is a lifelong Democrat, not to notice that Sen Chuck Schumer did not say to the world that the footage that Mr Carlson aired was not real. Rather, he warned that it was “shameful” for Fox to allow us to see it. The Guardian characterized Mr Carlson’s and Fox News’ sin, weirdly, as “Over-Use” of Jan 6 footage. Isn’t the press supposed to want full transparency for all public interest events?"

"Sen Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate minority leader, did not say the video on Fox News was fake or doctored. He said, rather, that it was “a mistake” to depart from the views of the events held by the chief of the Capitol Police. This is a statement from McConnell about orthodoxy — not a statement about a specific truth or untruth."

"Jan 6 has become, as the DNC intended it to become, after the fact, a “third rail”; a shorthand used to dismiss or criminalize an entire population and political point of view.

Peaceful Republicans and conservatives as a whole have been demonized by the story told by Democrats in leadership of what happened that day."

You can read her entire piece, although she doesn't seem to catch on that the "mostly peaceful" meme repeated by Tucker was a reference to MSM journalists standing in front of burning buildings in 2020 claiming the Floyd riots were mostly peaceful.

Jesus Revolution and Isaac Watts

I haven't seen the new movie "Jesus Revolution" yet but reading through the history of the movie and the era, I realize it coincided with the years we became involved in the church in the late 1960s, first at First Community Church in 1967, then at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church in 1974, both in suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. So, our participation was more with small service groups within established churches, than with the worship movement. Whether or not we were aware of it, we were participating through prison reform, a fair housing group, marriage encounter groups, Cursillo, and the move at UALC to add a contemporary worship program to the regular Sunday schedule (which we no longer attend) beginning on week-nights crowded into the fireside lounge with guitar music.

 
This morning I was reading about Isaac Watts, born in the 1600s, and who as a teen-ager decided church music was too stuffy and boring and began to write his own hymns, which became very controversial, outraging many older church goers, but which also became extremely popular and spoke to the needs of the people. He wrote over 600 hymns, many we still sing today (Joy to the World, When I survey the wondrous cross), and paved the way for the more prolific Charles Wesley, who wrote thousands of hymns.

The Wesleys, John and Charles, went on to awaken and evangelize our country in the 18th century, and so the tradition of periodic movements to refresh and revitalize Christianity continues. And we saw it again last month in Asbury, KY.

David Clyde Bartow, 1939-2023

Sorry to learn of the death of my old friend and high school classmate, Dave Bartow. We had many sparing matches on FaceBook and many others chimed in on our arguments, but he was such a sweet guy. I think I last saw him about 20+ years ago at a reunion. I remember in high school he was an outstanding athlete and always had a big smile.

Obituary of David Clyde Bartow

David Clyde Bartow, 83, passed away on March 8, 2023. He was born July 11, 1939 to Clyde Orval and Elizabeth Mary (Schueller) Bartow, the youngest of five children: Bettie, John, Harry, Robert and David. He was raised in Mt. Morris, IL where he graduated high school after lettering in track, football and basketball. Dave enjoyed spending time with furbaby Copper, golfing, fishing, long car rides and watching the Chicago Bears. He wasn't a cold weather fan so he shared his time between Pensacola, FL and Columbus, WI. He is survived by his children; Terry, Steve and Tammy (Joe), grandchildren; Lisa (Jeff), Elizabeth (Grant) and Ashley (Ti), great-grandchildren; Kaiden, Kaliana and Lukas; ex- wife and mother of his children Marilyn (Maxey) Breunig; many nieces and nephews; as well as many good friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings. A memorial gathering will be held at a later date in Poynette, WI.

 

Looking back over 22 years of arts ministry

Bob will be leaving the Visual Arts Ministry of our church as of June 15, 2023. He has been with VAM for over 22 years. On April 5 he will be 85 and can no longer do the labor required to put a show together. It's very heavy work which begins with getting the ladder into the car, and then out of the car and up to the second floor, pulling out the hanging supplies from the VAM closet, and then arranging all the artwork on the floor before the others arrive to help. Bob has many fond memories and will miss all of the current members. For about 10 years after 9/11 (a meeting night) our little group met at Rusty Bucket to start off the church year and celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.

The ministry was developed with the opening of the Mill Run Campus in 2000, and the second floor corridor became the Upper Room Gallery, with classrooms available for check-ins and pick up of art, and good spaces for a reception. A few shows were held at Lytham Road Campus, most recently the 7th Annual Seven-day Art Challenge, The Bob and Norma Bruce show, and the Ned Neely show.  VAM supported many unusual and exciting shows like Blue Shoes (mentally challenged); the school children from Highland Elementary (2004) with the UALC volunteers; Columbus Dispatch graphic artist (Greek Orthodox) Evangelia Philippidis display of religious themes; Sibylle Custis, local artist active in women's art groups; photography of UALC member Bill Keintz of the Amish of Holmes County, Ohio; local architect and artist Dave Schackne; local artist Judith Vierow; the wildlife and world travels photography of OSU Professor Charles Capen, DVM; the Creche society show organized by members Donna and Dave Hahm; also a group trip to Akron for a show of Charles Close, photo realist; creation of our special Sacred Art Corner at Mill Run with the eclectic art of John Kohn of Delaware, OH; four programs VAM facilitated for the Thursday morning Senior Bible Study group and lunch--John Kohn, Pastor Steve Marshall, the chalk artist from Arizona, the internationally known watercolor portrait artist Mary Whyte of South Carolina, and Cody Miller, a local artist who worked with Good Will Industries; a very large retrospective show of the work of Gordan Keith, well-known local artist (then deceased) who designed the cross, candle sticks, baptismal font, altar pieces and Mary window for UALC; many shows for local artists' groups including Central Ohio Watercolor Society, Worthington Art League, Upper Arlington Art League, Digital Artists of Central Ohio, Women's Art Guild of Central Ohio, Westbridge Camera Club, and the Pump House Guys; and of course, our first show was our own "archives" show from storage of banners for the inauguration of the hanging system and in 2003 we began the annual UALC quilt group show.

  

Cody Miller Three kings

 

Pump House Guys

 

Highland School first grade art

 

VBS shirts 

 

Chalk talk 

 

Mary Window,  Gordan Keith, Lytham Rd.

 

Creche show

Quilt Show, Cross with verses

 

 

VAM meeting at Rusty Bucket 2010

 

Hanging a show after mounting the art of kids

 

The church at Mill Run

Other blog stories about the Visual Arts Ministry

Collecting My Thoughts  Scripture and trees.  About a purchase made by VAM in 2003.

Collecting My Thoughts  Lutheran Churches in Columbus Ohio.  This was a plug for our church mentioning the activities including VAM.  I think I wrote it because I couldn't find a listing on the internet. Interesting because a lot has changed.

Collecting My Thoughts  Blue Shoes Art Show in 2008

Collecting My Thoughts: Blue Shoes returns to Mill Run  Blue Shoes show in 2010.  These artists are all mentally challenged, and the social worker from the agency came to one of our meetings to talk about the artists.

Collecting My Thoughts   This blog was about Mother's Day, but last 3 paragraphs are about UAAL show at Mill Run in 2008.

Collecting My Thoughts  Ohio Artists Show, 2009 at Lytham Road Campus.

Collecting My Thoughts  Colored Pencil Show, mention of 168, Hilltop artist, and UAAL. 

Collecting My Thoughts: Fall Art Show at the Church at Mill Run  2009 show by members of UALC.

Collecting My Thoughts  The 2006 quilt show, with some history of the guild.

Collecting My Thoughts  Quilt show photos.

Collecting My Thoughts  This is about a photography show in 2003 by Joe Wagenhals, who had huge shows, and was either a member or regular visitor at UALC MR.   Also mention of an advent show, the quilt show coming up and the new hanging system. To Enter Press The Area Buttons (aworldofpictures.com) this is a link to Joe's photographs

Collecting My Thoughts  VAM show by watercolorist Jeri Platt of her paintings of Haiti  in 2008. 

Where we are today

The Covid studies showed in the early months of 2020 that those over 70, obese, or with other conditions were at risk, and younger people weren't. Not enough money in that, so after a vaccine originally limited to the vulnerable in early 2021, the rest of the country was railroaded into lockdowns and vaccines. Except the low-income workers. (Even though most poor people in USA are white, we're already getting the "systemic racism" of Covid lockdown studies). They got the privilege of being the cashiers and delivery people and the restaurant employees who got to feed and clothe the wealthier classes who stayed home and worked at their computers. Even the churches bowed to the pressure of being less essential than Kroger cashiers. Masks and lockdowns have since been proven ineffective in stopping the spread. Voting rules were set aside without the people's approval further creating divisions among citizens, friends and families. Vaccines have been only partially protective--a few months. Yet many of the mandates still are in effect; the vaccines still have emergency use approval supposedly because nothing else is available (which is forbidden to even mention). Biden slapped mandates on schools, corporations and government agencies with the help of Big Pharma and Big Tech after initially creating doubt in the vaccine because Warp Speed was a Trump policy, destroying careers and the economy as he moved on to the biggest drug of all--naked, raw power. FDR even with the Great Depression and WWII didn't have the power Biden does. To keep the power, the federal government then subcontracted censorship to "non-profit" misinformation agencies, so now we are swimming in lies and censorship caused by the very people who should be protecting us.

The J-6 set up to destroy Trump

The J-6 clown show lied to the nation about Jacob Chansley, Ray Epps, and Brian Sicknick and we've all seen the evidence now. The whole point was to destroy Donald Trump, not to find out what happened the day that Pelosi failed to protect the Capitol. Looks like there needs to be another investigation.

Now that Republicans (barely) control the House we're finally getting the truth about masks, lockdowns, and infections, what went on inside the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the disastrous pull out of August 2021 when Biden ran away from Afghanistan, killing Americans, Afghanis and letting Putin know he could attack Ukraine. Worst president in my lifetime.

The tapes of what else happened on January 6

 Tucker Carlson is drawing a lot of fire from both the GOP entrenched leaders, the Democrats who wanted to lynch Trump, and the Leftist Media, not to mention the hateful women on the View.  Why?  He showed more detail of the January 6 riots.  People armed with American flags walking around with police who didn't seem alarmed.  

The link between periodontal disease and arthritis

 They are now connecting the dots.  It was known there was a connection, but which came first?

"For many years, there had been suggestions that the oral bacteria causing periodontal disease might contribute to rheumatoid arthritis. For instance, past studies have found that periodontal disease occurs even more often in people with rheumatoid arthritis. People with both conditions also tend to have more severe arthritic symptoms that can be more stubbornly resistant to treatment.

What’s been missing is the precise underlying mechanisms to confirm the connection. To help connect the dots, a research team, which included Dana Orange, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, and William Robinson, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, decided to look closer."

Connecting the Dots: Oral Infection to Rheumatoid Arthritis – NIH Director's Blog

I had gum surgery for periodontal disease about 45 years ago.  I think I also had surgery for a frenectomy at the same time (removal of labial frenulum between front teeth).  Very painful.  Don't let them tell you it's no big deal. Anyway, until recently I've had no pain in my fingers.  Some in left hand now--don't know if it's arthritis or just old age.

Makes me want to leave the computer an floss.  

I've got a cold

So, on Sunday morning I realized I had a scratchy throat, my usual sign of a cold coming on, and I stayed home from church and took a nap. (I've since watched Joe's sermon on the Parable of the Sower at our on-line site).  My son-in-law brought me some Zicam rapidmelts, an OTC homeopathic cold remedy. Instead of a 3 day lead up to stuffy head and coughing and sneezing, I had only one day. My colds are usually 2.5 to 3 weeks--let's see how this turns out. What's been your experience?

My last cold was probably July 2022 at Lakeside, a first since the Covid lockdown, which did protect many from colds and flu according to the articles I read, but then they returned with a vengeance. That one was at least 2-3 weeks before I felt comfortable being in public and not wearing a mask. Both times, to be on the safe side, I did the Covid test and it was negative.

Adults get approximately two to three colds per year, and young children who go to elementary school or kindergarten have an average of around five to eight colds per year. When my children were in elementary school our family would have about 10 colds per year (one year we were in a study which is how I remember). Bob had fewer colds than the rest of us--being out of the house more probably protected him, because we were a little cesspool of germs on Abington Road.

We had been to a wonderful concert Saturday evening, so I did call my friend Lynn I'd been chatting with closely and suggested a heads up for whatever she takes to stay healthy.  She's had so many health problems with cancer and heart the last 4 years, I didn't want her to be unsafe, since I assume I was infectious before I had any symptoms.

Dr. Zhivago redux

Flipping through the channels today I came across the Dr. Zhivago movie, 1965. It's 3 hours, but 30 minutes of scenes of Russia's Civil War, WWI, Bolsheviks and Communist regime I was reminded of the current battles in Ukraine killing thousands more Russians just as in the early decades of 20th century. It was too much. Some of the script reminded me of the lies of today's Leftists. Hollow and deadly. Anyway, it was so depressing while they were losing their home and being destroyed by the Communists, I switched to HGTV for "reality."

Once upon a time there were two presidents

President Donald Trump froze travel from China as too risky when a city with a SARS lab showed an unusual uptick in deaths. Nancy Pelosi and other leftists called him a racist.

President Barack Obama froze funding (both federal and private) of gain of function research in the U.S. as too risky. But someone at NIH found a way to fund it in China.

So which President is the racist with the most damage to the Chinese people as a result of his executive action?

Doing Diligence to Assess the Risks and Benefits of Life Sciences Gain-of-Function Research | whitehouse.gov (archives.gov)

Biden ‘Believes’ Gain-Of-Function Research Is Necessary To Stop Future Pandemics, Kirby Says | The Daily Caller

CPAC now meets all over the world.

https://youtu.be/8Oim0ZzKhnI Nigel Farage speaks at CPAC about how because of Covid we English speaking countries gave unlimited power to governments, giving up freedoms it took centuries to develop. Don't let it happen again, he says.

Ukrainians and Russians side by side in UAE

A new restaurant in Dubai offers Ukrainian expats a taste of home : NPR

Fashion isn't as important as a taste of home.

"She's dining at Yoy with Iryna Klevetenko, from Kyiv. Both women have been living in the United Arab Emirates for several years. They're enjoying borsch on Yoy's outdoor terrace overlooking a dancing fountain and the landmark Atlantis resort hotel.

Klevetenko says the bling and luxury of Dubai feel surreal as she grapples with horrors of news from the war in her country. The war changed her priorities.

"Before, you were, like, I want Dolce and Gabbana bag," she said. "Now it's like, who cares about Dolce and Gabbana bag. We just want war to finish, that's it.""

Speaking of inflation

Tonight, I was sorting through old bills--really old--like over 60 year old invoices and cancelled checks. Fuel oil, lumber, paint, furniture, taxes, insurance. Then I came across a cancelled check for a restaurant dated Sept. 11, 1961, our first anniversary. I remember it well. I was 8.5 months pregnant and could barely sit close enough to the table to eat. I was wearing my one nice outfit, a light brown 2 piece with a white fluffy blouse. But the check was for $7.00. I thought that couldn't be right, so I ran it through an inflation calculator (Federal Reserve). $7.00 in 1961 came to $70.04 in 2023, for 900.4% inflation. To double check I used a U.S. CPI inflation calculator, but it wouldn't do March 2023, so I had to use December 2022, which was $69.25.  Close enough.