Bible reading

I glanced across the aisle at church today and watched a three year old in her mom's lap. She almost made it to one of our Christmas cards some years ago when she was in the womb. She would have been a fabulous subject, but a different painting of Bob's won out. She had a pew Bible on her legs and was quietly studying the pages, intently moving her little fingers across the page, nodding her head and moving her lips. Perhaps she didn't know the words but in a family of 11 she's got those values down pat, like sharing, forgiving, mercy, justice, helping, caring, loving, trusting and looking to the future.

What the Democrats told us in the 1990s about WMD

Because I used to print and bind my blog entries, it's easier to look back and read them than skimming a computer screen. I was looking at November 2005 (20 years ago) and found a fascinating collection of a blog called, "Who said it game--Iraq Style." It looks like it ended in 2005, or perhaps changed names. It clearly shows our populace what intelligence and information President Bush had from 20-30 years before we got involved there. Direct quotes from Clinton, Reed, Gore, Kerry, Pelosi and others who later blamed Bush and lied about him. Before they were smearing Trump, they were smearing Bush, and some of the same players. Then we called it "Bush Derangement Syndrome" and the hate, anger and evil were the same. It's not about Trump, it's about Democrat ideology.

John Kerry, December 14, 2001, Larry King Live: "Oh, I think we clearly have to keep the pressure on terrorism globally. This doesn't end with Afghanistan by any imagination. Terrorism is a global menace. It's a scourge. And it is absolutely vital that we continue, for instance, Saddam Hussein."

John Kerry, 2003 CBS Face the Nation: "Well, it wasn't only on that basis. ... Saddam Hussein could not be left to his own devices based on everything we learned about him for seven and a half years while we were inspecting in Iraq. People have forgotten that for seven and a half years, we found weapons of mass destruction. We were destroying weapons of mass destruction. We were, the United States of America, together with Ambassador Butler and the United Nations."

Bill Clinton, Address to nation, Dec. 16, 1998: "Heavy as they are, the costs of action must be weighed against the price of inaction. If Saddam defies the world and we fail to respond, we will face a far greater threat in the future. Saddam will strike again at his neighbors. He will make war on his own people. And mark my words, he will develop weapons of mass destruction. He will deploy them, and he will use them.

Let me close by addressing one other issue. Saddam Hussein and the other enemies of peace may have thought that the serious debate currently before the House of Representatives would distract Americans or weaken our resolve to face him down."

Bill Clinton, Presidential Letter to Congress on Iraq May 19, 1999: "Many warnings (referring to April report) on weapons of mass destruction--biological and chemical--" "We are convinced that as long as Saddam Hussein remains in power, he will continue to threaten the well-being of his people, the peace of the region and the security of the world. We will continue to contain these threats, but over the long term the best way to address them is through a new government in Baghdad.

To that end, working with the Congress, we have deepened our engagement with the forces of change in Iraq to help make the opposition a more effective voice for the aspirations of the Iraqi people..."

Al Gore, December 16, 1998. On Larry King Live. "We need national resolve and unity, not weakness and division when we're involved, engaged in an action against someone like Saddam Hussein, who is trying to get weapons of mass destruction and threaten his neighbors... [I]f you allow someone like Saddam Hussein to get nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, biological weapons, how many people is he going to kill with such weapons? He's already demonstrated a willingness to use these weapons; he poison gassed his own people. He used poison gas and other weapons of mass destruction against his neighbors. This man has no compunctions about killing lots and lots of people."

Madeline Albright, February 18,1998: "Iraq is a long way from [the USA], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."

Nancy Pelosi, December 16, 1998: "Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."

So, you see, it's the same old gaslighting and finger pointing that we have today, then when things get dark and confusing, they bow out and point fingers.

Advent--almost

This is an important day. It's the penultimate day of the church calendar. (Ultimate means final or farthest and pen means almost.) So it means next to the last. Advent, the first day of the church year, is Sunday, November 30, and we look forward to the coming of our Savior and Lord who took on our flesh as a helpless baby.

 
To make it easy on myself I looked up how that is determined and self was told: 

"The first day of Advent in 2025 is Sunday, November 30, 2025. This date marks the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity and is the first Sunday of Advent, which is always the Sunday closest to St Andrew’s Day (November 30).

Advent will conclude on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, leading into the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ on December 25. Many churches observe this season with Advent wreaths, lighting candles each Sunday to symbolize themes of hope, peace, joy, and love."

Advent hymns are lovely and thoughtful--not exactly Rudolph and Santa. One popular hymn was written by Christina Georgina Rosetti and ends,

 
"What can I give him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb,
if I were a wise man
I would do my part,
yet what I can I give him,
give my heart."

Our facility, The Estates at Knightsbridge, is swarming with Christmas elves who have miraculously put out wreaths, ribbons and trees to make this place look like, maybe not home, but festive and cheerful as we look forward.

Also, it's Black Friday when retailers make it or break it (are in the black), and you're crazy if you go out to shop or buy a quart of milk. It's also the day before OSU and Michigan fight it out in Ann Arbor; the streets of Columbus will be quiet and safe.

Yesterday morning we got an update on our dishwasher/paper plate problem. It wouldn't be fixed in time for the big Thanksgiving Day dinner. But Hallelujah! Wednesday at dinner we had full table ware and weren't eating with plastic. I don't know what got fixed (needs 180 degrees on rinse) but we are all relieved. Also rent announcements for next year came out, and we're so thrilled that Trump's economy is working and the inflation I expected didn't happen. I think the hype we're getting about "affordability" is last year's Biden left-overs and they smell bad.

Word of the year is Parasocial

BBC – “Parasocial” is the Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year, defined as a relationship felt by someone between themselves and a famous person they do not know. Its examples include the parasocial interest displayed by fans when singer Taylor Swift and American footballer Travis Kelce announced their engagement. The term dates back to 1956, when American sociologists observed TV viewers engaging in “para-social” relationships with on-screen personalities. Chief editor Colin McIntosh said it had recently been used to describe “a type of relationship, between a person and a non-person, for example a celebrity”. “It was originally coined as an academic word and was confined to the academic sphere for quite a long time,” he added. “It’s only fairly recently that it’s made a shift into popular language and it’s one of those words that have been influenced by social media.”  The Cambridge Dictionary said its word of the year is “parasocial” – beSpacific

Although I passed the AI quiz

 . . . it didn't pass the grammar quiz.  I spent about 30 minutes with a tech support staff member at The Ohio State University yesterday and finally have reinstated my password, which needs to be frequently updated.  While I was browsing, I saw the department offered a quiz on AI with 12 questions and the "chance" for a prize.  It's intended for OSU faculty and students who will be using AI tools in research.  I answered the 12 questions correctly and read the explanations about why the answer was right (important since I was guessing). However, I did suspect whoever wrote it needed to proof her work.  For instance. "What is a important to consider?" That sentence had at least 2 errors--the "a" should be "an," and "important" is an adjective modifying a missing noun.  Also, the singular nouns such as person or teacher or researcher were followed by they/them/their but I think that is a concession to woke and is probably the standard lest we leave out a woman or a trans-something, or even a furry, in the discussion,

A friend of Phil

 Cecilia Fernandes Obituary (1938-2025) | Columbus, OH

We remember the kindness of the family in our time of need in 2020.

Is there really a housing crisis?

Why is everything a crisis? Like the affordability crisis? The age of first home purchase has increased to 38. We were 22 when we bought our first house, a run down duplex. Dual incomes were the exception until 2nd wave feminism in the 70s when women were told to go to work to have value (and to pay more taxes). We were thrilled to have renters pay our mortgage! It needed a lot of sweat equity and a loan from my dad.

 
Young people today want much more. They marry later and have huge college loans--even their parents are still paying off loans! They want nice cars--and need 2 or 3. We didn't take trips, buy nice cars, go out to eat, or dress well. For a long time we were "house poor." I get this uneasy feeling that when the government steps in to "fix" housing, things get worse, like 2007-2008 subprime crisis, or building "affordable" neighborhoods (that aren't). We had run away consumerism and inflation--keeping up with the Jones. In America, you really can have it all--just not all at the same time.

This complex https://www.apartments.com/fox-and-hounds-columbus-oh/cvfs42e/ is about 50 years old. Based on inflation since 1967, it's less than the 2 bdrm 1 bath unit we rented in 1967 after we sold our house in Illinois and moved to Columbus . What is affordability? We had one income (because a wife's income wasn't factored in the housing costs in those days). The dollar had an average inflation rate of 4.00% per year between 1967 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 869.99%, or our $140 rent would be like $1360 in 2025.

Chicken or Chicken Little?

Have Democrats lost their minds by circulating a ridiculous video encouraging active duty military to defy orders? Trump told his supporters to go peacefully to the White House on Jan. 6, 2021 and they screamed insurrection. And now they ask active military to defy the chain of command? But they blame Trump for their outrageous, unpatriotic behavior. And no, I don't think the voting Democrats will hold them accountable; they elected them because they hate Trump. Yet not a one of them can cite anything Trump has done that is illegal or beyond his powers. They let some lowest court judge in podunk do their dirty work.  Are they chicken or just chicken little who cried the sky is falling and incited panic and alarm.

Do you ever play Euchre?

The word "euchre" is likely not directly related to "eucharist" in terms of etymology, despite their similar spelling. The card game "euchre" is believed to have originated from the Alsatian game "juckerspiel," with early forms of the name appearing as "uker" or "yucker" in American English by the early 19th century. The modern spelling "euchre" may have been influenced by the word "eucharist," possibly due to a phonetic resemblance or a deliberate attempt to give the game a more formal or ecclesiastical sound, particularly by individuals with a church background.

However, this similarity is considered coincidental or a later adaptation rather than a true linguistic connection. The Oxford English Dictionary notes the etymology of "euchre" as uncertain, and while some have speculated about a link to the Spanish phrase "ser yuca" meaning "to be the best," no definitive connection to "eucharist" has been established.

The word "eucharist" itself comes from the Greek "eucharistia," meaning "thanksgiving," and is rooted in religious context, whereas "euchre" refers to a card game with no such religious connotation.

The 613 Commandments and the number of Federal regulations for automobiles

I have probably been in 613 Bible studies in my adult life, the number of rules/laws in the Old Testament for observant Jews. I often hear (and maybe I said) one didn't need so many laws to be religious, or to please God. I had hoped to be writing a blog about this, but just thinking about today, 6 a.m. when I got up to 9:30 a.m. when I drove to a hair appointment, I thought I could come up with 613 federal, state, municipal, township, plus thousands of regulations that will affect my life. That doesn't count the general commonsense rules we and our culture expect for us. Like brush your teeth; comb your hair; dress for the weather; check the rear view mirror before backing out.  Imagine that people living 4000 years ago could get by with only 613 and yet survived to the 21st century.

Since I would be leaving my apartment in the car I thought I'd just ask AI an easy question, "How many federal laws and regulations apply only to automobiles." Co-Pilot and I really got into an argument, and I kept feeding back to it its answer and telling Co-pilot that was not what I was asking, especially when it finally came up with 142 after telling me about all the revisions and subsections of the codes. After about 6 responses, AI began to blame it on me that I didn't accept its answer!! It really got snippy and tried to overwhelm me with BIG giant words no one would know except a government geek. Really, the gall!!

My final response:

Oh please! You can't answer a simple (for AI) question so it's my fault for the way I worded it? Is this Wizard behind the curtain a politician? "142 is an illustrative approximation, not an authoritative count, and any analytic or policy discussion should recognize this limitation and contextualize the number within the broader, dynamic regulatory environment."

Questioning the question mark

Every Wednesday morning for the last 4 years I've been logging my husband into ZOOM for his men's Bible study, but I have to write down the password. It's only 6 numbers, but for some reason it just doesn't come to mind. Yet on Wednesday I remembered my locker code for MMHS, Mt. Morris High School, which has been closed for years. The mind is a strange and wonderful thing. I wonder what else will pop up. I also wonder why that last sentence didn't need a question mark, because Facebook corrected it. So, I asked and Copilot told me "I wonder" questions are indirect and don't need a question mark. Did we learn that at MMHS? I've been doing it wrong all these years.

Shutdowns and Food Banks

The Schumer Shutdown may have been paused but the Obamacare funding problem won't go away, and neither will hunger if political interests decide to use the misery of our people to wield power. Democrats openly admitted it--they needed the shutdown to punish Trump and his supporters for a bad medical insurance plan they created!  "Leverage" some called it. Some agitators are furious today,

"Feeding America" is an organization almost 60 years old with noble goals--feed the hungry. It began with one man (some sources say one woman) as Second Harvest, a charity to collect and distribute food that might have gone to waste and redistribute it through food banks to local food pantries. I remember in the late 1960s attending a meeting in Clintonville about establishing a central location for food to be stored for local pantries. Recently, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called the local resources a "short-term approach to a crisis" [the shutdown] and said it was up to the federal government to fully fund food assistance. I don't call 60 years a short-term approach. Food banks have become a hallowed institution. Our food bank system here in central Ohio is massive. Our Commitment | MOFC

But low income people who are "food insecure," the current term for hungry, aren't stupid. They too are resourceful and want what's best for their households. As food programs expand, those households factor that into their budgets, leaving more cash for non-food items such as rent, utilities, clothing, alcohol, cigarettes, gasoline, cell phone contracts, etc. Studies show that even with the lowest unemployment rate since the early 1970s, food pantries are still an important resource for many households, some increasing their visits from occasional to regular. That in turn allowed for many small businesses to make a profit from the various food programs.

Right now, with the longest government shut down, we're in a situation that we've taught people to use food sources outside their income which includes government assistance. Was it a mistake for us to be charitable? No. Charity is required from good people, but we need to remember that good intentions don't always bring good results.

Schumer Shutdown--is it over?

It looks like the Schumer Shutdown is over for now. The disastrous Obamacare increases will still need to be solved, and the payment for illegals worked out. A CR would have been the smartest thing to do although once the gov't gives a freebie it doesn't go away, Schumer will still be attacked by his own party because they want the female youth vote that seems to go with AOC grabbing his Senate seat.
There are still people who are missing a paycheck or SNAP and will be relying on food pantries. For the most part, these are run and staffed by churches, but the "donations" are probably government and non-profit managed. The slack is picked up by the people--YOU.

Unveiling the Truth: Are Food Pantries Funded by the Government? - PanFlavor

Empire Wild at the Estates (aka The Forum)

Tonight, at the Forum (aka The Estates) we enjoyed the music of https://www.empirewild.com/ Empire Wild, 60 minutes of 2 cellos and a pianist. Ken Kubota now lives in NYC, but grew up here in Columbus (Worthington) and also Michigan. Here's his bio https://www.kenjameskubota.com/bio He has a large social media (YouTube) following. He also has a video series. Check it out.

The old home town--Mt. Morris, Illinois

J. J. Slayback posted his travels in northern Illinois on Facebook, including Mt. Morris, Oregon and Byron. Here's the piece on Mt. Morris.

"The clouds had thickened into a dull gray blanket as raindrops began to pepper my windshield. I flicked on the wipers, smearing the drops with the dozen or so bugs that had comicozied themselves against the glass during the long drive into Ogle County earlier that day. Running low on daylight, I came to a complete stop that my drivers ed techer would be proud of at the crossroads of Illinois Route 2 and 64. I nudged my friend Dave awake and fished a quarter from the cupholder, the one usually reserved for a rickety Aldi cart

“Heads, Mount Morris. Tails, Heyworth.”

The coin shot off my thumb, ricocheted off the cloth ceiling, and disappeared into no man’s land between the seat and console, where most fast food french fries go to die. After retrieving it, I made sure not to muff the next flip. With the concentration of a receiver on special teams waiving for a fair catch in the Super Bowl I caught the quarter. Flipping it over to reveal the results. Tails it was. Ignoring the Father of Our Country’s advice to head home, I cranked the steering wheel right and drove toward Mount Morris.

When I pulled into town, the aura was the complete opposite of the one I had left behind [Oregon], where the sounds of celebration of Byron still faintly echoed in my ears. Mount Morris was silent with the hush only interrupted by the late fall wind rustling leaves on the ground. I felt a bit like Burgess Meredith in that Twilight Zone episode where he's the last man on Earth, except here there was no ruin, no fallout, just a stillness that felt otherworldly.

The towns square layout was unlike anything I had seen yet, especially for a village of barely three thousand. Where you would expect a gazebo, or a rusty teeter totter, there stood a cluster of distinguished old brick and stone buildings, the remnants, as I soon learned from a plaque, of an old college. Not just any college, either, but the first institution of higher education in northern Illinois, founded in 1839.

Ivy had conquered the limestone, red and deep green leaves clinging stubbornly to the façade, holding out hope for one last day of summer, like we all do this time of year. Standing there, I felt like my lone semester at community college had not earned me the right to admire it, as if I needed a master’s degree just to qualify to look at it. Locals still call it “the campus,” and it was not what I expected from a non stoplight town, but I have learned to never underestimate a place where life doesn't hold itself in such wreckless abandoned of "maybe I should speed up on the yellow turn of the light." Each building stood as beautiful as the next, almost begging students to return for one more semester that would never come.

Walking back to Wesley Street where the businesses made their home, I found a small town history buff’s dream, plaques. One after another. I could barely take thirty steps without sliding my reading glasses down from the top of my Red Sox cap to absorb the next free history lesson.

There was a bandshell just off the road, the back of the stage reading “One Nation Under God.” A plaque on it honored Warren G. Reckmeyer, director of the Kable Concert Band from 1957 to 2015, a band that, in fact, will be celebrating its 130th year in 2026, covering everything from pop and classical to, my favorite, big band. I have been a swing nerd for over thirty years, so I pursed my lips like a trumpet out of tune and hummed a shaky version of The Band Played On. Most folks prefer the Stones or the Beatles. Me, I am a sucker for Guy Lombardo.

Mount Morris did not just host one of the oldest colleges in northern Illinois, it also printed its way into American history. The Kable brothers built a publishing powerhouse here in the early 1900s, and at its height the presses roared day and night, turning out magazines, catalogs, and books that ended up on kitchen tables across the country. So much so that during the 1930s, it was one of only two towns in the United States that did not feel the weight of the decade. Hershey, Pennsylvania, had chocolate. Mount Morris had ink, paper, and the relentless rhythm of a printing press. While the rest of the country tightened its belt, this little village kept the lights on and the presses rolling, proof that sometimes a small town with a big idea can outlast the biggest storms, even one as menacing as the Great Depression.

Where most towns I visit celebrate the trails of the 16th President, here I stumbled across the 40th. Ronald Reagan was in Mount Morris on a cold day in 1963 for the dedication of the Freedom Bell. He was closer to Bedtime for Bonzo than ending the Cold War at that point, but that doesn't hinder the town from proudly displaying a jacket in its museum that he borrowed from a local on that blustery April day. Point blank‐ all towns have history, but I’ve never been a fan of chasing it on my phone or sitting in an old dusty library. I prefer to see it celebrated openly, just as Mount Morris does. From its ivy clad halls of higher learning to the enduring power of the printed word, to a Freedom Bell rung by Ronald Reagan himself. The band still plays on in Mount Morris Illinois - And to think i almost took the advice of a shopping cart quarter.

Did you go to the polls?

Tuesday was election day. Sure, you've heard a lot about Zohran Mamdani and NYC. He wasn't on your ballot, although Communism was--subtle, but it was there. There were many local issues and candidates in Columbus, and it was our first time to vote here--we'd been living in the suburbs about 1/2 mile from here. But the critical issue on our ballot and yours was the school board. It was not the zoo, although I did vote for that renewal; it was not the roads, which are awful. I don't know anything about the Columbus school system (shame on me for thinking it didn't matter) but I had seen what was happening in our suburb--moving to the left and costing us more for the slippery slope to progressivism. This is not an accident; there is a plan and it is very well-funded by people, non-profits and foreign actors--specifically China. The candidates may not even know they've been ensnared in a plan to collapse the USA. You start with the children.

Mamdani is an immigrant with inherited wealth from his Indian parents (one Hindu one Muslim) who was born in Uganda and grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. He's had no employment experience but did begin his career just a few years ago as a volunteer in a senate campaign. Not a school board, but small. Someone knows the funding source, but not me.

The importance of education to fight Communism

How important is K-12 education? Very. Extremely. Critical. We've got citizens under the age of 40 who didn't live during or learn about the Cold War and never learned about Communism, or the 100,000,000 citizens of Europe and Asia who were killed by their own socialist governments. Symbolically the Iron Curtain fell in November 1989. Thirty-six years ago.  We've got 3 generations who had DEI/multiculturalism/gender confusion stuffed down their throats. They are now educated to be stupid and ignorant and voted for a Communist Islamist in more than one "blue" city. There are not enough homeschooling parents or Charlie Kirks to match the power of the leftist teachers' unions and funding by Soros.

The under 40 products of the schools don't see one of the major parties of the U.S. going under and drowning in lies because they have never learned the truth about Marxism. They wave their tiny, itsy bitsy American flags and salivate over words like Democracy and Justice, and yet have no understanding, no learning, no wisdom and no experience.

Gracious, did you hear the latest insanity of Nancy Pelosi. Sure, she's old and maybe demented, but I think she's also addled by Trump hatred. They blather on about Nazism and Hitler and don't realize those are socialist roots. That's why it's called National Socialism, aka Nazi. They scream about intifada and Palestine while we (sensible, conservative, wise) were naive enough to believe anti-Semitism in the U.S. had died with the KKK and Jim Crow, other scourges rooted in the Democrat party. The Democrats have gone from Cancel Culture to Assassination Culture, and the ignorant voters went along with it. Marxist playbook all the way. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/pelosi-rants-about-trump-calling-him-vile-creature-calls-republicans-puppets-of-trump/

Communists, thugs and radical Muslims have taken over the Democrat Party

Why are Obama and Politico defending or endorsing Democrat Jay Jones? Saying "sorry" just doesn't cut it when he fantasized about killing his opponent's children. Yes, he should be sorry, should apologize and should never, ever run for public office. And shame on Politico. Mentions the scandal but doesn't say what it is. "Jones fantasized about shooting Todd Gilbert, the Republican who was then-speaker of the Virginia house; talked of pissing on the graves of Republican officeholders if they predeceased him; and expressed his belief that Republicans would only change their views if they experienced personal pain, and allegedly gave as an example the wife of Todd Gilbert watching her child die in her arms.

Rather than slinking away somewhere upon the revelation of these disqualifying messages, Jones responded with defiant misdirection.

“Like all people,” he said in a statement, “I’ve sent text messages that I regret.” Yes, who among us hasn’t hoped to see people we disagree with get shot or suffer the loss of loved ones via text message? . . ." Virginia: The Jay Jones Misdirection | National Review

No, "all people" don't fanaticize about killing children or pissing on graves. What a ghoul. A disgrace to his party. Virginia Democrats should be ashamed, as should NYC Democrats and Democrats all over the country be ashamed of running a Communist as Mayor of the so-called premier city. Democrats are afraid of their Leftist base (aka foundation) and Muslims. Fear has driven them to cowardness. They can't even kick these guys out, they only know how to gaslight and lie.