National Sanctity of Human Life Day

What a difference a year makes--or a day. Today is National Sanctity of Human Life Day. President Trump was inclusive. He was all about life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Now just like that we have totalitarians in charge. Open the border, shut down energy independence and bring back the big lies about our founding dreamed up by a New York Times employee. All while preaching "unity" when what they really mean is "uniformity." The key difference between unity and uniformity is their acceptance of differences; when there is unity, people tolerate and accept differences, but uniformity demands that everyone think and be alike, so there is no room for differences. No differences allowed--you can be cancelled, kicked out, lose your job, your rights and the Constitution.

Menstrual justice

If you can only make your life feel significant or sell a book by adding an adjective to the word "justice," you're impaired and there may be no hope. I just got an e-mail about menstrual justice.

I've read through the very wordy piece (satire?) and see that the words woman, girl, or female are never used. And that's because of the T in a certain acronym

It’s showtime—time to put part timers and teens out of work

The minimum wage is showtime for Democrats. FDR used it in the 1930s to destroy the economy for black communities so they couldn't compete with their own free labor and outbid whites. Very few employers have been paying federal minimum for years, and only 4% of wage earners are paid state minimum. Wal-Mart's minimum is $14.76. Ohio's is $8.70, California $13.00, New York City $15. And right now, with the lockdown, the no job wage is whatever check the government is giving people. Democrats like to trot it out as "caring for the poor" while keeping our economy locked down, and turning a blind eye to the summer of rioting. Nothing helps the poor like a good job, and President Trump showed that with rising wages for low income and minorities.

To keep voters, Democrats need to convince them they are getting something. Part timers and entry level receive minimum, so it doesn't affect that many people--but then the other wages must be moved up, and the employer hires fewer teens and women wanting some part time work.

Minimum Wage Increases May Explain Decline in Teen Employment (journalistsresource.org)

The Unintended Consequences Of Raising Minimum Wage To $15 (forbes.com)

Column: Raising the minimum wage lowers employment for teens and low-skill workers | PBS NewsHour

All for the guy who promises unity—Joe Biden

In a show of totalitarianism, the folks who called Trump and Bush Hitler, show how it's really done. They don't mess around.

"This force—at least four times the deployment for Trump’s heavily and even violently protested inauguration in 2017—far exceeds the number of all serving U.S. personnel in the Middle East. It has no precedent on American soil at any time since the Civil War. And even this wasn’t thought sufficient to deter Trumpian mischief. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly wanted the Guard armed with high-caliber machine guns and requested that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff deprive Trump of constitutional military prerogatives prior to his leaving office. At least one Democratic congressman wondered in a televised interview whether the guardsmen could be trusted since so many of them are white males, statistically likely to have voted for Trump, and therefore suspect in his eyes. "

Papers, Please | City Journal (city-journal.org)

Inauguration day riots

Any riots yet? From American Spectator:

"Here’s something you already know: Joe Biden doesn’t need 26,000 National Guard troops to protect him from Proud Boys at his inauguration.

He doesn’t need 16,000 troops. Or 10,000 troops. He might not need 6,000.

Four years ago, the Department of Homeland Security mobilized 7,800 National Guardsmen for Donald Trump’s inauguration. At the time there were some 99 left-wing outfits proclaiming they would demonstrate to protest the Trump inauguration.

Those protests turned into riots. The Left looted stores around Washington and made a mess. Few were arrested."

How to celebrate the inauguration

For inauguration day follow the peaceful principles of the rallies for Trump which were always joyful and non-violent until a break away group followed the example of the summer rioters. Do an act of charity--I'll be writing some checks to Conservative groups.

Psalm 37 provides these commands:

Do not fret (mentions that several times)

Do not be envious

Do good

Take delight in the Lord

Commit your way to the Lord

Trust in him

Be still before the Lord

Do not fret

Depart from evil

Do good

Wait for the Lord

Keep to his way

Refrain from anger

Turn from wrath

Do not fret

Consider the blameless,

Observe the upright

. . . a future awaits those who seek peace.

Joe is not a moderate

Joe Biden stopped being a moderate years ago. He's so in debt to the left wing of his party. The man (and his vice president) who couldn't even make it through the early primaries in years past (I think he got 1% in 2008 and she got about the same in 2020) is now president because they dragged him over the finish line with the blessing of the black left. Not that Bernie would have been better; he's just more honest about who he is. I think Democrats dumped him in the past because of his lies about his education and plagiarism and she blamed Democrats for being racist for not choosing her. What a team!

As LifeNews.com reported, "Biden promises a return to international abortion funding, Title X dollars, taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, legalized infanticide, pro-abortion Supreme Court justices, and Obama-era strong-arm tactics against faith-based groups who object to abortion coverage in health care." Planned no-Parenthood contributed $45 million to the 2020 campaign, 3x what it gave Hillary Clinton, yet PP uses half a billion of our tax money to move their money around on the ledger so it can kill more babies legally and donate to a candidate who will do its bidding.

Infanticide and harassing Christians--yet the media want us to compare character qualities between him and a real patriot.

The military show of force and the deprogramming demands

Counting all the rallies for Trump, including the one in DC on December 12th which drew tens of thousands, there were probably over a million people at his rallies and none were violent or even left a pile of trash the way the left does. But the one on the 12th was to let our Congress know that half of the country wanted to "Stop the Steal." All the legal ways were being blocked. Could you got 100 people at a protest in the summer by the Left without busting up windows or burning police cars.

So why the big show now? The voters who were following the rules to question an election, were blocked at every turn, and were vilified by Democrats even though their party had done the same in 2000 and 2016. Then Big Tech jumped in with a show of force that makes the Capitol mob look like kindergartners. I think this massing of military force is just to further adjust us to the totalitarian government Biden will bring with him. A number of high profile Democrats are threatening to take your children and reeducate them because Trump supporters are part of a cult. It's not legal to deprogram a Moonie or a homosexual, but Trump supporters are fair game. They have no ideas, only threats.

This is the face of fascism--people who hate Israel, the unborn, the military, our secure borders, lower taxes.  

Katie Couric: GOP lawmakers have to be 'deprogrammed', applauds Trump's impeachment (hotair.com)

WaPo's Robinson: Trump Supporters 'Need to Be Deprogrammed' (breitbart.com)

Can We Deprogram The Cult Of Trump, MAGA & GOP? (refinery29.com)

Huckabee pushes back on calls for 'deprogramming' Trump voters: 'The cult of the left' (msn.com)

Nikole Hannah-Jones Calls For 'Deprogramming' Republicans - Truly Times - Conservative News

DNC Member Suggests 'Deprogramming' 75 Million Trump Supporters (westernjournal.com)

Two lies I’m sick of hearing

There are two lies circulating these last few years that I am sick of reading/hearing. Whatever truth or impact the writer could have is lost on me because of their own bias. Like this one in today's WSJ

"As the Trump Presidency ends in the disgrace of the Capitol riot, an effort is already underway to erase everything in the last four years as disgraceful too. That’s a lie—a Big Lie, to borrow the cliché of the moment. Donald Trump’s profound character flaws need to be separated from what so many people in his Administration accomplished for the country."

The riot and character flaws. The Capitol riot is the responsibility of the mob or confused people who did it. It was not nearly as expensive, blood letting and horrifying as watching our major cities go up in flames this summer, pretending to be protests over racism and the death of George Floyd. The media are not carrying his speech of that day, or the information the FBI now has about the planning that went into it. If Trump had stayed in bed with a cold, the mob still would have pulled it off, because all we do know is the Capitol police didn't get their back up that was requested. And that needs to be investigated thoroughly. The stand down and defund chatter is from the left, not the right. Yes, try sending social workers in to handle mobs. Democrat mayors think that's OK.

With no evidence and no trial, the Leftists in government who still fear Trump's power and his high ratings are covering their own tracks in this travesty. Compare the character flaw of Biden supporting abortion for any reason right through the 9th month--including no reason--with the character flaws of our President. There's no question which man is deeply and irrevocably flawed.

Compare the character flaws of Biden's relationship with Ukraine and China with Trump's flaws in judgement with foreign nations, and again, it's just laughable. What isn't laughable is we will never have the 24/7 spying on Biden by the press even while he's in bed with the media hair sniffing and fondling.

And the other big lie I'm sick of is "systemic racism." That phrase is thrown around so frequently it has become old wall paper for the mind. I see it in every article about education, sports, entertainment, banking, real estate, religion, food, obesity, diabetes, smoking, HIV, the trades, marriage and family, college, and hair styles. Essentially, these writers who seem to be paid by the number of times the word "racism" appears in their piece or speech are saying the lives, achievements and values of black Americans are worth nothing unless they surpass or beat down white, Asian and Hispanic Americans. I'm sick of it. They are the highly paid bosses of the field hands charged with making blacks feel worthless and down trodden and whites feel like power houses who can make others of a different race fail just by existing.

Stop it!!

God makes no mistakes

I read this story in my morning devotions, and it is so beautiful, I'd like to share it. I thought I'd have to summarize it, but actually found it on-line. Anthony Esolen, a masterful writer, is the author. But just in case you're not ready this day for inspiration, I'll just share the last paragraph about this crippled monk born in 1013 who was so brilliant people came from all over to learn.

"Had Hermann been born in pagan times, they would have given him back to the gods or the wild beasts by exposing him on a hillside. We are even less pious now. He might not have been born. Let us thank God that Hermann lived at the bright dawn of the high Middle Ages, and that his mother and father were good Christians, and that the abbot Berno understood that the gifts of God come in ways the world will not see. Consider that Blessed Hermann now stands upright in the presence of God, and that when the saints sing of the glory of our Savior who was born in poverty, his voice will keep pace with the racing of his heart, nor will it sound like the braying of a donkey. May we someday sing as well!"

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/faith-and-character/faith-and-character/god-makes-no-mistakes.html

Remembering Communism by Michael Smith

I'm older than my Facebook friend Michael Smith, but we have some shared memories, except mine would begin with the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and a Chinese college roommate in 1958 whose family had fled Communism and all my East European classmates whose families fled Communism:

"Being that I am that old, I remember the news reports about the Soviets invading Czechoslovakia in 1968. I remember daily Vietnam War body counts on the Huntley-Brinkley Report at 6 pm. I remember East Germany before the Berlin Wall fell. I remember Checkpoint Charlie. I remember the Warsaw Pact and the hard line, pre-“glasnost” Soviet leaders, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko. I can remember when China was essentially a closed society and a mystery to the West…at least until Richard Nixon visited there in 1972.

I remember the violent suppression carried out by these Marxist/communist governments, something that Americans under the age of 35 only read about in history books. To them, China has always been open, there never was a USSR and they have never seen a communist state roll an army into a neighboring nation because they were insufficiently communist. They have never heard miraculous stories of daring escapes from East Germany and the terrible accounts of the 171 people killed trying to reach freedom.

So spare me the mealy-mouthed excuses for Marxism, the admiration of communist China and how a little socialism is a good thing for America. I saw what it looks like in practice. Socialism is the gateway drug to Marxism and Marxism is the precursor to authoritarian communism."

Joe Biden on abortion—through the 9th month

This was a prayer request I received today. It is estimated that abortion isn't a choice for about 60% of the women who seek one. So every time you hear that "choice" lie, remember all the women whose boyfriend, husband, parents and friends are pressuring them.

" For a woman who is being pressured by the father of the baby to have an abortion. She has 3 children already and is undecided about this pregnancy. During her initial visit, the consultant shared her abortion story, and this woman was touched, and cried as she listened. God, we pray You would use this story to encourage this woman onto the path of life."

If you are a Christian, remember what the incoming administration stands for, especially Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi who are both Catholics, violating the beliefs of their church. They are the most anti-life politicians ever to hold these important positions and thousands of Americans will lose their lives before they have a chance.

Joe Biden Supports Abortions Up to Birth, Supports Killing Babies “Under Any Circumstance” | LifeNews.com

Illegal immigration reform under Biden

Like every President since the early 1970s, Joe Biden is promising to do something about illegal immigration. That way he can begin with splitting Republicans since not all agreed with stronger border security--and you can be sure that won't be on his list. I suppose if he just made crossing the border legal, that would fix it. That's what some in his party--like the squad--want. If we'd just stop penalizing and criminalizing car theft, there would be no more car thieves, right?

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/R42138.pdf This history and collection of data was written during the Obama years (2016), so we can keep political hatred out of range and it's safe even for Democrats to read.

A change of diet

I thought I'd mix up our diet a bit and serve more fish. I’m trying to lose my Covid weight, and Bob will probably be told to eat less red meat when he starts heart rehab this week. I usually shop at Marc's and it doesn't sell fresh fish, so I looked at the frozen choices. I always start with Product of the USA or Made in the USA. "Distributed by" is just a way to sell you fish from China or Thailand. I glanced at the label of the "lobster cakes with real lobster" (after checking out the price) and put it in the cart. Today when I took it out of the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator, I took a closer look. Less than 2% lobster meat. There are some other kinds of fish, but also soy, wheat, milk, eggs, etc. Looks like I'll need to drive a bit further for fresh fish.

You can't call it false advertising, but you could call it a Democrat politician.

Will the real Nazis please stand up

Why did the Democrats, and some of your liberal friends on Facebook and Twitter call our President a Nazi and Fascist? Next to racist, it was their most popular word. Probably because they know most people don't know what that is, or only associate it with camps for Jews as they saw in old WWII movies. The fact that his grandchildren are Jews and his closest advisor is a Jew is just not important for those liars.

Why didn't they call him a Communist? Those governments were far more powerful than Hitler and killed 10x the number of people. They are both forms of socialism--Nazi is just short for National Socialism. They are hoping you are ignorant. Fascism is when the government controls private industry to enlarge its power and control the people. Communism is a little different--the government owns the businesses as well as controlling them after extracting all the wealth from the owners. That fits our current situation of Big Tech which has flipped that--controlling our government, with the power to shut down our President because he believes in election fraud. It's not as though Democrats have never claimed a stolen election or fraud or questioned the electoral votes. We hear it each time their candidate doesn't get the WH or a governorship (Stacy Abrams still preaches that she won Georgia; Hillary Clinton spent 4 years claiming fraud because the Electoral College didn't work for her). Were their Twitter accounts or platforms shut down?

Big Tech is also controlling major businesses pushing them to outer Wokeland. Academe can't exist without Big Tech. With the lockdown, even your child's education and future is being controlled by Big Tech and the food you put on the table. Nazi Germany NEVER had the kind of control over their people that Big Tech with cooperation of the government has over us.

Mrs. Pelosi, Ben Stein has a message for you

Ben Stein writes to Mrs Pelosi in the American Spectator. They are probably about the same age, and she should remember:

"I can remember it like it was yesterday. 1965. 1966. 1967. 1968. 1969. 1970. 1971. 1972. 1973. One demonstration after another. Driving down from Columbia to Cambridge to march with Stokely and Martin and Eldridge to demand equality of opportunity for blacks.

Hauling down in an ancient light blue Volvo station wagon from Yale to D.C. to protest the war in Vietnam: “Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” “One, two, three, four, LBJ stop the war!”
We tried to break into the White House, the Pentagon, the South Vietnamese Embassy, the State Department. We lay down on K Street, in Lafayette Square, the Memorial Bridge, on Virginia Avenue Northwest. On Highway 50 in Maryland. We blocked traffic. We tore down street signs. We spray-painted obscenities everywhere we could find space. Jerry and Abby and all three million of us students." Just the Facts, Mrs. Pelosi | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

I didn't participate in those "protests" but I remember them and how frightened we all were. I was raising babies and feared what their future would be. We know several things. 

1) The President has been charged unjustly by Democrats who have been trying to impeach him since January 2017. He was well within his rights to question the election, and members of the Supreme Court also believed particularly in the Pennsylvania case, that the irregularities needed to be corrected. Most of the 75,000,000 who voted for him also believe in some level of fraud from the dead voting, to mail ballots, to bad software. 

2) Also, in a rather tardy investigation, we know that the mob that attacked the Capitol had this planned weeks before the speech the Democrats claim is sedition or inciting to riot. It's hard to cause rioters to act if the speech hadn't yet been given, plus those of us who heard it knew exactly what he meant as a patriot. And it sure wasn't violence. 

3) Yes, the Capitol Police were unprepared, even though the FBI, which infiltrates these groups all the time should have been coordinating with them. But Mayor Muriel turned down their request for backup and help. It could have all been avoided if only she'd done her job.

And I certainly remember the summer of 2020 when the police were told to stand down by our Democrat mayors and Nancy Pelosi laughed it off as "People will do what they do" when statues were torn down and rioting ignores by our "representatives." When it's her office, and she's the hated person, it's a different story.

AOC and suppression of freedom of speech

Did you hear AOC this week? Did you hear the code words "liberation of the workers and the poor?" Every Communist leader, anarchist and dissident of the last 100 years has pulled that one, although it's usually in a country that really does have poor and oppressed people. She says (believes would be the wrong word here) there are no red states--just states of suppressed people. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced to her followers on Instagram in an hour long tirade that the only reason why southern states are “red” is that voters are “suppressed” and that nationwide healing would come only through their “liberation.” That's why when churches, Republicans and mayors ask for healing for our nation, you should ask them to define what they mean. Is it God's healing or the AOC type healing? She did say her way was the only way. It's on YouTube. Look it up. She has young  followers who were never taught about the 100,000,000 million who were killed by their Communist governments. A massive failure of our school system.

Big Tech like Facebook, Twitter and Google allowed the Charlottesville lie about Trump to spread and metastasize, and even China Joe used it in his campaign. Trump never said it and he condemned the far right, but a lie can go half way around the world faster than the truth can get its pants on, as I think Jonathon Swift said. And with the help of ignorant Twits on the Internet, it can go around 3 or 4 times. Even one of my FBF who doesn't vote but is glued to MSNBC often repeats that lie while quoting what the Bible says about lying.

So if the Left in collusion with Big Tech can keep that lie going for 4 years, imagine what it can do with January 6! Our President never incited a riot, never said anything except what he has a right to say, that there was fraud and theft in the 2020 election. Several members of SCOTUS agreed, as well as 75,000,000 voters. Hillary Clinton and Al Gore said the same thing for the rest of their lives, and the Left didn't take away their freedom of speech.

Our summer of riots, but where was the Guard?

I don't know if Antifa is proud that the national guard is being called out in the state capitals for a paltry, weak, disorganized mob or angry. They've been rioting since Memorial Day week-end and have staged 4 riots just since January 6 in Portland. This is what they've birthed and no one is celebrating their baby! Pelosi said, "People will do what they do," and Kamala Harris raised bail money for them.

The MSM rarely covered the riots and destruction fully, but people with cell phones captured it and uploaded to the internet. That's how we know about the attacks on people leaving the RNC in August. MSM thought it was no big deal. It won't be long before you won't be able to be part of the people's press. Big Brother knows who you are. Andy Ngo says 90% of the charges against those criminals have been dropped. Let's see how the rate is for those who stormed the Capitol.

Democrats are creating no-fly lists, de-platforming, putting pressure on banks, destroying technology they can't control--but allowing those domestic terrorists to frolic all over Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat, Google, etc. A lawyer for PBS suggested reeducation camps for children of Trump voters, or having the children removed from their homes and put in physical camps.

I hate using those medical portals, because I know what happens to our data--it's like dumpster diving for academics to publish pages of tables and graphs and get tenure writing about racism in medicine.

Trump and the false narrative

From a friend:

What must President Trump feel like today at the end of four years of serving this country with boundless energy, total commitment to righting a sinking ship, courage in the face of incredible opposition, denigration and betrayal over and over by the self-serving and corrupt, and a total lack of gratitude by the portion of the citizenry who have chosen to embrace the false narrative of the media and are blinded from recognizing all he has done for this country? To think he took no salary for himself for four years—donating it all to worthy causes.

And now, his opposition is not satisfied with his term coming to an end. They are trying to destroy him as a soon-to-be private citizen, by closing his personal bank account, cutting off funding for his business enterprises, canceling a PGA event at one of his golf courses, banning him from most social media, etc. Dissent and disagreement are one thing: malice, vengeance, and retribution are another.

Purveyors of evil--Big Tech

 "If we’re going to be objective about it, we’ve got to give the Mark Zuckerbergs, Jeff Bezoses and Jack Dorseys of the world their due — the apps they’ve created are some of the greatest technological marvels in history. 

It’s too bad that the purveyors of the technologies Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Amazon have on offer are such profoundly myopic, evil bastards. And the events of the past week make it pretty clear that these companies are literally out to get conservative America. By extension, they’re really out to get America itself, because anyone tyrannical and dastardly enough to wish to ruin people financially and to destroy their power to speak over simple political or philosophical disagreements isn’t just a political partisan. Anybody who would do what these people did to Parler for the sin of providing a platform for conservatives to talk among each other after being persecuted by other social platforms clearly doesn’t have respect for the ideals that founded the country and bind it together still."

There may be a firewall, but it's worth a read. Big Tech v. America: How to Fight Back and Win | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

News of the incoming rulers

AOC has called for the "liberation" of the southern states. They aren't red states, she says, they are oppressed. And that's not a call for violence? That's worse than anything President Trump has ever said.

Get ready to open your wallets for the new regime. "On Thursday night President-elect Joe Biden will describe some of his plans for multitrillion-dollar spending increases. Before long he’ll also tell us about his tax increases. And they aren’t going to be small. A new report from the Tax Foundation says the Biden plan would impose the industrialized world’s highest income tax rate on business. Research from around the world says that wouldn’t be kind to workers, either." (WSJ Best of the Web, Jan. 14, 2021)
This should drive businesses to other countries, stifle growth, and puff up the salaries of government bureaucrats.

Google has bought Fitbit. . . and all our data. The funniest sentence in their announcement is: "we will maintain strong data privacy and security protections, giving you control of your data and staying transparent about what we collect and why. "

Sooooo. . . . I think we understand CONTROL. We have none.

Kristen Clarke, Biden's choice for Civil Rights, thinks blacks are superior in every way to whites and Asians. And it's not just culture, they are born superior. That should work well with our Civil Rights laws.

Joe Biden has selected 14 executives from Big Tech, the crowd that doesn't believe in the basic American values of free speech. Even a month ago he'd already added to his team Zaid Zaid, a former special assistant to the president and associate White House counsel under the Obama Administration and current team member at FACEBOOK'S public policy, Strategic Response, who will serve on the review teams for the Department of State and International Development, FACEBOOK'S manager of governance & strategic initiatives Christopher Upperman, who will serve on the Small Business Administration and FACEBOOK'S director & associate general counsel of strategic response Rachel Lieber, who will serve on the review team for the Intelligence Community.

So just to review, he's packing Department of State, SBA and government intelligence with FACEBOOK loyalists. What could possibly go wrong? FB already has data on millions and millions of Americans and foreigners.

She probably doesn't want to be cancelled

 I got an e-mail today from a woman whom I quoted about a Christian sorority of which she was a member in 2008.  She had been checking on her on-line presence, as it is called, and asked me to remove her name from the blog.  It's called being "cancelled."  In this case, she's being pro-active.  Maybe she's no longer a Christian, or has changed groups.  The group has been involved in a discrimination case because they only accepted Christian women. 

Update:  I looked her up and based on her resume of the last 11 years, it's a fair guess she is no longer a Christian.  Advertising the company she has created (last April) would most likely necessitate cleaning her record.

Was my mother funny?

We were big fans of the TV show Closer and the character Deputy police chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, so of course we watched Kera Sedgwick in the premiere of Call your Mother last night. Underwhelming and not even particularly funny. Maybe even boring? Did you watch it? Lately I've watched 3 older episodes of Mom, now in its 8th season. I keep waiting. How did that show make it past episode 3 in season one? I had a terrific mom, but she wasn't particularly funny. Or so I thought. I'm beginning to rethink that.

I blame the mayor of DC

You can assign the blame for the deaths of unarmed protestors where ever you wish, but I blame Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) who refused to help the Capitol Police leaving them completely unprepared and overwhelmed. An unarmed female veteran committing a crime was killed, although she presented no danger to the officers or the people in the building. As a criminal she was not exactly in the same class with George Floyd who was a seasoned criminal and high on drugs, plus she was white and female, therefore no mobs will gather to protest. No cache in being white or a veteran these days. Especially if one is a Trump supporter. Finally, women are equal in malfeasance in office and in being shot by police, all in one incident. Other Democrat mayors showed their inadequacies for four months in our summer of riots, looting, killing and destruction. But Muriel gets the prize.

First, make two columns

Whether a Democrat or Republican, a Trump supporter or not, take an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and fold it in half length wise. At the top left column, write OBAMA. At the top right column, write TRUMP. Then write the numbers 1 through 15. For each president fill in the numbers with policies YOU believe have helped the American people.

I'll start with Obama.

#1. His race lifted the pride of many black people causing them to vote in unprecedented numbers. I don't discount this--pride, a sense of self worth even if borrowed, is important.

#2. His race lifted the burden of guilt for racism and personal bad behavior from the shoulders of millions of Americans who sighed with relief.

OK. I'm done with that column. There's something to be said for feelings, although as policy, it's pretty weak. And that race thing has certainly come back to bite us as it was fertilizer for BLM, Soviet style reeducation classes in critical race theory and the virus of Woke.

I'm aware that many Democrats would put Obamacare at the top Left, but when you look at the loss of insurance for millions who already had good insurance and liked their doctors/hospitals and then lost them, it wasn't a sound plan. Certainly not for "feelings." Compare those 85% to those 15% uninsured who received very expensive, poor insurance or who had never signed up for one of the government plans already available, In my opinion, it was a very poor and expensive swap. Also the mandate to buy a product or be fined or go to jail was a very bad precedent.

Now for President Trump.

#1 Life. Protection for the unborn, the disabled and the elderly. Although the Democrats responded with powerful penalties against the unborn--like no aid for those born alive if intended for death, even in the 9th month, he supported both with his person at pro-life events and actions the unborn. I'm a one issue voter, so of course, LIFE would be at the top of my list. President Trump was dedicated to advancing policies that protect the fundamental right to life for the unborn, the elderly, and the medically dependent and disabled. Democrats in Congress, who spent 4 years trying to impeach him, saw abortion as pitting the rights of the child against the rights of the mother, and abortion as an act of political courage and charity, to combat poverty and poor health. The President believed Americans were better than that.

#2 Protect and advance lower income Americans were key for the President. Lower taxes and better jobs help the poor far more than one more government program which primarily goes to the middle class bureaucracy. Lowest unemployment rate in my life time. Lower taxes did nothing for those who paid no taxes at all (close to 50%), and for that the Left criticized him. Pelosi called it crumbs. It's hard to give back what the government didn't take.

#3 The border was strengthened with moral, physical, technical and political walls. This directly affected #2.  The flood of illegal immigrants has hurt American workers for decades. This brought attention back to legal immigration, one of our strengths which builds the country. It also brought attention to the "sanctuary city" controversy, where local governments use our tax money to expand their population which enlarges their state representation which hurts the entire country.

I've got more, but I need to go to the store. I'm sure you can think of a few issues specifically important to you. And if you can find anything good about Obama's administration that I missed, please add that.

Comments on the week's events by my friend and I agree

 Right now “I am mad as hell and not going to take it anymore!”  Trump never acted very “presidential,” but he got things done. His accomplishments have been historic in numbers and in dimension. He was elected because people were tired of the establishment politicians of both parties failures to deliver what they promised and their party and power over what is best for the country attitude. 

 I resent being lectured about morality when the left including politicians, corporations, news media and social media fail to call out the left for any transgressions. They are clearly working to silence anyone who dares to disagree with them. 

 Where was this outrage from Elected Democrats in 2020 while cities literally destroyed by the far left loonies?  Destroying businesses and thus innocent peoples’ livelihoods was termed block parties. Federal buildings and police stations were attacked. Where was the outrage by the rest of the left. Oh but let a small group of loonie rightists break into their place of business ( the capital) and they go apoplectic!  The hypocrisy is enormous. 

 I believe the election was unfair. Democrats have been bending the rules and creating fraudulent votes for years. The only reason they do not want voter ID is so fraudulent votes can be cast. They didn’t let the Covid “crisis go to waste.”  They rushed out mail in ballots to everyone on their dirty registration roles with little , if any, verification that those voters are still alive, live at the address of record, or are even citizens. In PA Democrat counties allowed voters to correct their ballots and Republican counties did not because they followed the law. In GA signatures were verified on in person voting but not on mail in ballots. The list goes on. Democrats spent four plus years trying to destroy Trump because he dared to call them names, he wasn’t one of them and he was being successful. They ginned up so much hate against him but no one ever called them out for promoting violence. No, that is reserved for Republicans only. 

 I must add that Judicial Watch has successfully sued a number of states forcing them to clean their voter registration roles. Thousands of names have been removed from the rolls in those states. But many states have not done this yet. 

 Yes, I know Trump isn’t likable , but his policies snd accomplishments have have resonated with so many people. They love him. What has Biden ever done?  Trump had thousands of people at rallies all over the country. Biden barely campaigned and when he did he’d got a handful of cars attending. How did he get so many more votes than Obama did?

My husband and I will be very active politically over the next few years. We will take a stand against all this politically correct nonsense and censorship. We will promote liberty and self-reliance and personal responsibility. We will try to do this with love even though it keeps getting harder to do so with all the hate that the left has generated. 

 Remember, the left has already done or is doing everything bad they accuse the right of doing whether or not the right is actually doing anything wrong.  Another thought - It is just so rich that the Democrats talk about coming together now that they have won. How dare they suggest that after they have spent four plus years throwing dirt at everyone Republican!  Yes, we should try to compromise, but Democrats have pushed too far. If they are not careful there could be a revolution. 

VDH Common sense as always

“The proper conservative response to last Wednesday’s violent entry into the Capitol and vandalism, as well as assaults on law-enforcement, is to identify the guilty parties and ensure they are arrested.”

“Those who wrongly demanded to defund the police, now rightly deplore the lack of a Capitol police presence. Their only consistency is their own perceived political self-interest.”

Crazy 2020 Is Dead! Long Live Crazier 2021! - American Greatness (amgreatness.com)

Letter from a friend of a friend

He was there on the 6th, and this is what he saw and heard.  I don’t know “friend,” however I’d believe him above anything that is said on CNN, MSNBC or the reporter on our local news channel who kept referring to the President’s lies while interviewing our governor.

“Family:

I just wanted you to know that since we live so close to Washington D.C. I decided to attend the March for Trump. No matter how I felt, I knew this would probably be one of the most historic political events in my lifetime. I must honestly say I was impressed. When I came home I was shocked by how the media spun things. There were so many people there, the pictures don't even do it justice. Here's an image from the stage someone else took:

[see below]
The following pictures and videos are from my own camera which I attached to a homemade selfie stick made from a flagpole, zip-ties, and rubber bands:
Pictures: https://cloudup.com/cZ8ELLpbuGK
Videos: https://cloudup.com/c1Mcm70XVhO

I remember specifically in Trump's speech (though that section is not being shown by the media) that he said we should never give up or concede. He said even if we lose the fight, to keep fighting in 2 years and vote them out. And he promised to be on the ground with us campaigning to find real politicians who would fight for the people. He went very deep into stats and fraud claims, but much of that was removed from the public eye in other streams. If you want to hear his full speech, here's a working URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBH7ql34Ex0

Never once did he say to riot or attack. He said to never give up and to remember we have the power. I know people who were at the front steps of the capitol (after I left) who didn't even realize there was any violence.

I personally believe this was a setup in a lot of ways and I am sad that anyone would condone violence. But let me be 100% clear, Trump told us to fight legally. He told us to have hope. He told us to fight for truth. I walked away with a new perspective of Trump. It was great to hear his words directly instead of any marketing spin. The contrast of what he said versus what they say he said is quite disturbing. I just wanted to share that with all of you.”

10 books Conservatives need to read

‘Economics in One Lesson,’ by Henry Hazlitt (1946)

‘The Black Book of Communism,’ by Stéphane Courtois, et al. (1999)

‘Hollywood Party: How Communism Seduced the American Film Industry in the 1930s and 1940s,’ by Kenneth Lloyd Billingsley (1998)

‘Reagan and Thatcher: The Difficult Relationship,’ by Richard Aldous (2012)

‘A Renegade History of the United States,’ by Thaddeus Russell (2010)

‘Gay New York,’ by George Chauncey (1994)

‘Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston,’ by Valerie Boyd (2002)

‘Public Opinion,’ by Walter Lippmann (1922)

‘Good White People,’ by Shannon Sullivan (2014)

With summaries and annotations. 10 Books Every Conservative Should Read To Combat Fake News (thefederalist.com)

Stay awake, not woke.

Normally, I wouldn’t be reading Refinery29, a digital media source established in 2015. It’s owned by something called Vice Media which in turn is Disney, A & E, and other media investors.   It’s for young fashionistas in New York. But then, it’s the modern version of Woman’s Day or Ladies Home Journal which influenced women of the last century with heath and fashion while being obedient to the needs of the marketing department. 

One of the founders and CEOs Christine Barberich  (the other 3 are all males) resigned in June because a minority employee had said bad things about her and the toxic work atmosphere on her Twitter account. Twitter users can say anything and the accused is toast.  Twitter has so much power it has silenced the President of the U.S., and because it is a private company, freedom of speech does not apply.  Maybe you think that’s great because you don’t like the president.  Just keep in mind there is someone out there who doesn’t like YOU too, maybe an ex-, or a member of your club, or even an adult child. The laws about employee and management put in place over the years to protect you, don’t apply to gossip and whispers on social media. Your union or employer will not protect you if the charge (no hearings or trial) contain the magic word, RACIST.  You could have your life’s purpose and meaning closed out and cancelled by Twitter.

But back to Refinery29—why was I reading a digital style magazine for shallow, young New Yorkers? Because it was quoted in the Ohio State University  “OSU HealthBeat” which I received in e-mail. Elizabeth Gulino in Refinery29  was quoting in “The COVID-19 Vaccine Won’t Make You Infertile” the OSU Iahn Gonsenhauser, MD, chief quality and patient safety officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.  Then HealthBeat also linked to two other articles that quoted R29 which quoted an OSU doctor. This raises R29’s credibility as a serious journal, and OSU’s appeal to the younger set. A two-fer.

Here’s the kicker (I actually did some further research on this issue, and completely agree with Dr. Gonsenhauser who is quoted in many other popular websites.)  Refinery29 is so woke and so alert to every possible misstep of intersectionalism, it has begun to cancel women by referring to “pregnant people.”  You may skip right over that when you read about pregnancies (the way God designed the plan for males and females to procreate).  That change has moved into the language and fanciful unscientific beliefs because of women calling themselves men while still hanging on to all their lady parts. It’s along the same line as Pelosi destroying the “gendered family.”  It’s all about cancelling women and their uniqueness.

“There is limited data about the safety of receiving COVID vaccinations during pregnancy. Pregnant people are typically excluded from clinical trials due to concerns about harming the fetus (although many argue that keeping pregnant people out of trials leads to their health needs being underrepresented). Twenty-three of the participants in Pfizer's trial became pregnant over the course of the study, but that's too small of a sample to tell us much. Dr. Olulade says that people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to become pregnant [paraphrase] should talk to their doctor before getting the vaccine (everyone should!). "Ultimately it’s about weighing the risks of the unknown when it comes to the vaccine in pregnant women [direct quote] versus the known dangerous risks of COVID."

You and I are awake, not woke.  We know that pregnant people are women, and that people who are pregnant or breastfeeding are women. Every time you read about “pregnant people,” or see an adjective in front of the word “justice,” you are being manipulated. When the kettle heating the water to boil the frog for dinner gets hot enough, it’s too late for you to jump out and save yourself.

Update:  Facebook gave me a black mark for posting this link to my own blog (owned by Google) to my FB wall.  I'm directly quoting a source that quoted an OSU doctor speaking on Covid, yet Facebook fact checkers find my opinion about being woke objectionable.

Still sorting, packing and reshelving

Does your husband (or you) save screws, nails, tacks, and pieces of unidentified plumbing parts, TV wires, and pencils too small to use? We are rearranging the basement storage. Life was easier I think when we lived in a house for 34 years that had no basement and no attic. Now we've had both for the last 19 years, and I swear these mysterious oddies and endies in my husband's tool area just grow! I have one box that is just light bulbs. extra extension cords and surge protectors, and emergency candles. Another box of containers that just hold things together like putty, glue, calking, bonding, etc.

I had planned to buy a metal open shelving unit to store what I didn't throw out, but after pricing them (over $50), the wood bookshelf from our old house that's a little awkward began to look pretty good. Also none of us could remember how we got it in the house and down the stairs in 2002. So we solved the moving problem by just putting it back.

One of the collectors of nuts, bolts, nails, screws of 4 styles and 16 different lengths appears to be an insert from an old desk—maybe walnut or maple. I asked Bob if it was from his grandfather's desk (he died in 1955) which we had when we were married in 1960, or his grandparents' secretary they'd purchased when they got married in 1906. But he couldn't remember. So just in case it's an antique, I moved it to the laundry room where it can accumulate more unidentifiable things.

Am I alone?

Violence is unacceptable--written by a friend

"Violence is unacceptable. Vandalism is unacceptable. I condemn fully the actions of a few that occurred in our nation’s capital yesterday [Wednesday] Period. 

I’m so glad all of America is on the same page now. I’m wondering where the half that spoke up yesterday and today were all this time, but welcome to the club of common sense. It’s time for some reflection for those who never condemned the violence of the past seven months. Seven months of denying the reality of the domestic terrorism and normalizing political violence has consequences. We all saw what was in our streets all summer with the burning down of people’s livelihoods, murdering innocent police officers, hitting pedestrians in the back of the head while laughing about it, churches burning, screaming in the faces of diners in restaurants trying to make a comeback, stealing armfuls of clothing and electronics. Hell, across the bridge in downtown Seattle a new “nation” was formed in the midst of what the mayor called a “summer of love” and people were murdered and police officers were barricaded in precinct buildings that were set on fire. 

Liberals laughed at it. All summer. We watched as mainstream media told us not to believe our lying eyes telling us it was all a “mostly peaceful protest” while standing in front of a five alarm fire. See also, Cuomo’s (who apparently needs to read the First Amendment) “show me where it says protests are supposed to be polite.” It was all normalized and allowed to continue all summer with no consequence.
Today, we have newly minted President-Elect Biden saying about yesterday’s chaos, “well if it was BLM...” ...what? Are you kidding? This is the uniting message of the President-Elect? What did Biden want - more than one unarmed woman to die yesterday? This is called gaslighting, ladies and gentlemen. Biden’s dementia must have allowed him to forget that BLM was allowed to burn cities to the ground. Biden’s dementia must have allowed him to forget that BLM was moved out of Lafayette Park the day after a church was lit on fire and there were so many rioters trying to storm the WH that the President had to be removed and put into the bunker with dozens of secret service agents injured. 

Unsurprisingly, no outcry of an “attack on democracy” from from the usual players on social media then. Crickets from the mainstream media. Normalization of political violence. A small fringe of the other half of the country took notice and took their chances at playing the stupid game without the spray paint (and likely some Antifa actors joined in what they consider a normal Wednesday). The difference here is that Republicans are also outraged by this behavior. We are consistent. It is the outright hypocrisy of the media and liberals now pearl clutching at people in a federal building that is atrocious. No such clutching of the pearls from them during the Kavanaugh confirmation when extremists took over the Hart Senate Building?

Regardless, welcome to the club of common sense. What you won’t see from Republicans is the bail out of the idiots. But join the club, Democrats, join the club with the mission statement “outrage at violence.” No bail funds allowed."

Two wrongs don’t make a right, but there were two, after all.

Antifa sponsored riots in major Democrat cities on New Years Eve, just a week ago. The media didn't blink an eye and politicians federal and local didn't resign in shame for not stopping it.

Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi, behaving like zombie mean girl cliques, have been screaming at the President and his supporters for four years, telling Democrats and anarchists to get in the faces of American citizens minding their own business and take them down, to shame them, and cause them economic loss. They ruined families and friendships, and probably destroyed careers. Pelosi ripped up the president's speech with millions watching on TV in an "act of violence." Big Tech has made themselves our rulers shutting down communication after stealing our identities and data for years to create massive wealth for their millionaire owners, and we never cast a vote for them.

Now the book burning Democrats and many Republican leaders who barely spoke out as our nation was torn apart by riots are outraged that a small group went rogue on Wednesday (some probably were Antifa or FBI plants as there always are in these crowds) from a rally of many thousands. The people came to the capital at great expense and danger to express their frustration over a stolen election. The courts had refused to hear their case, and the local officials just laughed in their faces. The citizens in Hong Kong rally against a Communist government for their rights, and Americans whose rights were stolen in a so-called free country are ridiculed.

A fraction of those at the rally broke out and defiled the "people's house." As others have suggested, it was 99% peaceful. Where was the outrage this past summer from those members gathered for voting Wednesday? They allowed violent behavior and even encouraged it while federal, state and personal property was bombed, burned and defiled? Where were the cabinet members now fleeing the chicken coop calling for calm or asking Schumer, Pelosi and Waters to accept responsibility for their own incendiary words? We know where Joe Biden was--in his basement. We know were Bernie and AOC were--fanning the flames. We know were the media were during the summer riots--dashing off more articles on cancel culture and critical race theory ignoring the Marxist roots of the leaders of BLM and the white faces of Antifa. We know where the board members and CEOs of major corporations were this summer--scrambling to get in the line of woke--as their own buildings were boarded up or burned. down and employees sent home.

It's terrible that 5 people have died, and none of them were killed by the rogue group that attacked the building, unlike those who died during the summer mayhem at the hands of Antifa and BLM.

This is not "whataboutism." It's about the gaslighting and theft, the spying and lying that's been going on for 4 years.

Portland police declare a riot as protest gets out of control (msn.com)

7 Charged In New Year's Eve Vandalism Of Philly Federal Buildings | Philadelphia, PA Patch

Maxine Waters encourages supporters to harass Trump administration officials (cnn.com)

Pelosi calls Trump, GOP lawmakers 'domestic enemies,' 'enemies of the state' over mail-in voting opposition | Fox News

Photos of America's Summer of Rioting - American Renaissance (amren.com)

What happened yesterday, didn’t start yesterday

I received an email from a European friend expressing her sorrow and disbelief about what happened in the capital yesterday. She’d spent several years in the U.S. getting her PhD in the 1980s when we became close friends and she’s returned several times and is now a granny. Brief messages in social media over the past years have shown her to believe the usual European press and American press about our President, while ignoring the accomplishments the last 4 years like Israel peace agreements, low unemployment, cutting red tape, lessening the power of the bureaucracy, lower taxes, prison reform, better treatment of veterans and prison population. Here’s how I responded.

What may be more unbelievable is what happened in the summer with federal and state buildings being vandalized, statues torn down, even of Abraham Lincoln, of required “reeducation camps” for workers in private and public businesses, and anarchists (mostly white) in the streets of every major city controlled by Democrats. It was impossible to travel through downtown Columbus. Businesses not already destroyed by the pandemic where leveled by the rioters. After the Republican convention in August in DC, attendees were attacked in the streets returning to parking lots. But the party of tolerance and diversity said little or nothing except “defund the police.” Biden hid in his basement. Kamala Harris was raising funds to bail out the anarchists arrested for looting and burning.

We don't know who took over the buildings yesterday, yet we know who the press will blame. We know that a few minutes of footage was run on loops in the news programs and reporters who called our summer of riots "peaceful" are now suddenly awake and casting blame and on the job. A group terrorized a Republican Congressman’s home in a DC suburb just this week, yet Washington Post called it a peaceful protest.

I urge you to hold judgement; I'll wait. The culprits don't represent anyone I know who supports our president. Many people including us are angry about how Trump supporters have been treated for 5 years (even before the election). The media, the education system, the churches, and a very powerful Marxist wing of the Democrat party maligned and insulted us. There are hundreds of viewpoints along the political spectrum. The issues aren't just the symbolic black or white, right or left, Democrat or Republican. There are many, many views from anarchists to survivalists to everything in between. We are sorry too, yet who to believe?

We are in three small groups at our church that meet on Zoom, and the divisions are palpable. Yet, all are Christians, all are Lutheran, all are white, all living in same community, all using the same Bible, all college educated, all upper middle class, mostly retired, mostly married or widowed, and deeply divided. And they were divided during the Obama years, which he exacerbated. Plus Bush was ridiculed and maligned during his administration by the media and his supporters depicted as knuckle dragging troglodytes. I remember scanning the few English publications on the news stands when we were in Finland. The European media literally couldn't speak Bush's name without rancor and hate.

So let's wait and see how this unfolds. Prayer would be good, however, the American people abandoned their Christian roots decades ago, so perhaps God is leaving us to our fate of worshiping materialism and the created world.

A Science parable—author unknown

A science professor on the first day of class went down each row of students and had them answer one question: "are you open-minded?" If so, then stand! Student after student proudly stood up and proclaimed, "Yes, yes, yes, yes. . ." One lone student said no, remained seated, and was mocked and scoffed at by the crowd. The professor then said to everyone else standing, "Good. . .all who are standing can leave now. . .you're not cut out for science." A wave of anger, disappointment and disgust took over the classrooms as entitled and confused students were trying to figure out what was going on. The professor then went on to explain, "If you're open minded, you're gullible and suggestable. If you want to know the truth, you need to be discerning--you hunger for evidence and you test assumptions--you take nothing at face value."

Both parties, but mainly Democrats are destroying the country

Democrats objected to the 2016 election because Trump won legally—using the electoral college vote which is the constitutional way, not the popular vote, which Democrats won. They went insane. Pink hat parades, attacking people in restaurants, finding a few Russian robots on Facebook, demanding the deaths of viable babies, launching impeachment even before the inauguration, screaming at us from late night TV and evening news hours on CNN. 80% of U.S. voters, including millions of Democrats, have claimed foul play in 2020. Some at the local and state level, but most for the presidential and Senate elections. 70,000,000 who voted for Trump see something illegal either in the night of the election or the mail in process (which is not absentee, btw) and all the rushed state controlled rules on how to run an election.

We have to face it. Democrats are just more clever and more evil. And Republicans are spineless and chasing rainbows. I hope you’re proud of your party, Democrats, and your media which pulled off 5 years of lying and deception beginning with the ride down the escalator of Trump in 2015, and your entertainment industry which chased the BLM and the MeToo movements despite decades of promoting the degradation of women and the ridiculing of blacks to make millions, and your welfare system which takes from the middle class to give to the rich while holding back the poor, and your shredded plastic Constitution. Congratulations, Democrats, you've destroyed a grand experiment, and we can't say we weren't warned.

The leadership of both parties has shown they don't really want lower taxes, or freedom of speech and religion, or freedom from middle East oil control, or an economic wall against Communist China, or legal immigration, or the end to foreign wars that drain our blood and treasure, or the end of miles of red tape and acres of swamp land for sale in DC.

President Trump was mistaken. Our citizens really didn't want fair trade, or legal immigration, or good jobs for minorities. Our citizens didn't really want smaller government or freedom. They wanted to be taken care of. The leaders of both parties wanted the status quo, they want to go back to making all the deals in the back room with collusion of the media and the king makers in industry. They want power and wealth. By theft, by lying, by rigged trials and courts, and boxes of found ballots in the middle of the night.

Our niece Kimberly

Meet Kimberly Rosenberg: Founder of Virtue & Vixen – SHOUTOUT LA

Her business is beauty. In short, she provides traditional beauty services specializing in eyebrow shaping, makeup artistry for weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and red carpet events. She also represents Virtue & Vixen as a brand of skincare and cosmetics. --from the article.

Minority voices dominate the national conversation

R.R. Reno speculates in the January issue of First Things (p. 59) that the percentage of the American population that fits the progressive activist profile might be over 10%, but not much. That compares to about 13% for U.K. But as in Britain, they are many times more likely to hector the rest of us and broadcast their political opinions. Their voices dominate social media producing a democracy deficit. Progressives drown out alternative voices and stomp on dissent. This is compounded by the censorship of Big Tech social media giants using blocking and algorithms to steer you away from the conservative viewpoint.

 
Even today as reports of attacks by Antifa on Josh Hawley's home in DC, the Washington Post, that "prestigious, elite" journal of record, is downplaying the seriousness of assaulting a member of Congress, while running endless wokeism articles, less some snowflake have her feelings bruised. It directs it's coverage to that 10%. Called them "peaceful," sort of like that Iranian terrorist they called a "scholar." In an opinion piece, it called Hawley's ambition a threat to the Republic! As though Biden after 47 years of bumbles and fumbles and several runs for the WH isn't ambitious? They don't think Biden's chumminess with China and Iran are a threat, but Hawley defending the President's right to use all legal means to question election fraud is terrible? 

Weird values and word choices those liberals/progressives/Communists.

Some causes may be scams

There must be hundreds of scams out there willing to separate you from your stimulus check. The one I heard this morning could well be on the up and up, but let it be a reminder about all those that aren't.

 
A very young, very white man was featured on our local a.m. news appealing for a go-fund-me campaign to use YOUR stimulus check to be repurposed for his idea to help those who've fallen on hard times. He began with reasonable comments about "through no fault of their own" and went on to "systemic racism." Sorry, Charlie. Most of the people hurting are those who had a good job, a hopeful future in a good economy, perhaps the best in their lifetime. They weren't poor, they were ambitious, had a decent education, and even had some savings and investments which are being used up. The speaker was marketing a SJW brand in my opinion. 

Most poor and low income people are white, most of the children not being supervised for on-line schooling are white, most of the people missing rent and mortgage payments are white. The vast majority of those with Covid19 are white. I realize that doesn't sell well in a time of racialist hawkers, but it's a fact. 

Small businesses, mom and pop stores with a few employees have been devastated, the entertainment and leisure industry has been decimated, non-profits have had to lay off excellent staff, all while massive big box and on-line services have thrived due to the mismanagement of governors and mayors who shut down a thriving economy. 

There are hundreds of non-profits, churches and charitable organizations that have been vetted who need our help. They are trying to help those not in the government maze of transfer programs for food, housing, education, and health. If you don't know any established charities or churches, ask a neighbor or DuckDuckGo. Food pantries can use your money to purchase food for emergency use, someone in your own family or neighborhood may not be able to meet a mortgage payment or pay the insurance bill, someone you know has died and her family needs help.

 
Don't fall for the racism scam. True charity is biblical, healthy and more holy than fake guilt and wokeism.

How to fight Covid at home

I'm not a doctor or nurse, so is there anything to this advice that my mother or grandmother probably didn't know (except for the OTC meds and prescriptions)? I'd heard about the dehydration. You just never know on the internet whether it's someone's dog or a real person.

"HOW TO FIGHT COVID AT HOME

No one ever talks about how to fight Covid at home. I came down with Covid in November. I went to the hospital, running a fever of 103, a rapid heart beat, and other common symptoms that come with Covid. While I was there they treated me for the high fever, dehydration and pneumonia. 

The doctor sent me home to fight Covid with two prescriptions - Azithromycin 250mg & Dexamethasone 6mg. When the nurse came in to discharge me, I asked her, "What can I do to help fight this at home?" She said, “Sleep on your stomach at all times with Covid. If you can’t sleep on your stomach because of heath issues sleep on your side. Do not lay on your back no matter what because it smashes your lungs and that will allow fluid to set in.

Set your clock every two hours while sleeping on your stomach, then get out of bed and walk for 15-30 min, no matter how tired or weak that you are. Also move your arms around frequently, it helps to open your lungs. Breathe in thru your nose, and out thru your mouth. This will help build up your lungs, plus help get rid of the Pneumonia or other fluid you may have.

When sitting in a recliner, sit up straight - do not lay back in the recliner, again this will smash your lungs. While watching TV - get up and walk during every commercial.

Eat at least 1 - 2 eggs a day, plus bananas, avocado and asparagus. These are good for Potassium. Drink Pedialyte, Gatorade Zero, Powerade Zero & Water with Electrolytes to prevent you from becoming dehydrated. Do not drink anything cold - have it at room temperature or warm it up. Water with lemon, and little honey, peppermint tea, apple cider are good suggestions for getting in fluids. No milk products, or pork. Vitamin’s D3, C, B, Zinc, Probiotic One-Day are good ideas. Tylenol for fever. Mucinex, or Mucinex DM for drainage, plus helps the cough. Pepcid helps for cramps in your legs. One baby aspirin everyday can help prevent getting a blood clot, which can occur from low activity. 

Drink a smoothie of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, honey, tea and a spoon or two of peanut butter."

The Holy Name of Jesus—a prayer

Today is January 3, Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus on the Roman Catholic calendar. I love to read about the commemorative and feast days, and the lives of the Saints.  We Protestants (I’m Lutheran) have lost a lot of our history. Most ordinary people didn’t read or have books, they surely didn’t have TV or internet for most of history, or CNN or Fox to opine, but they had festivals and feast days to remember, reflect and celebrate.  Today I read this lovely piece by Richard Rolle, a 14^th century hermit.  Seems like an easy prayer to remember in these tough times.  Who doesn’t need a little more joy or something to chase the devil.

"If you will be well with God, and have grace to rule your life, and come to the joy of love: this name Jesus, fasten it so fast in your heart that it come never out of your thought. And when you speak to him, and through custom say, “Jesus,” it shall be in your ear, joy; in your mouth; honey; and in your heart, melody: for men shall think joy to hear that name be named, sweetness to speak it, mirth, and song to think it.

If you think the name “Jesus” continually, and hold it firmly, it purges your sin, and kindles your heart; it clarifies your soul, it removes anger and does away slowness. It wounds in love and fulfills charity.

It chases the devil, and puts out dread. It opens heaven, and makes a contemplative man. Have Jesus in mind, for that puts all vices and phantoms out from the lover."  (Richard Rolle, English hermit, 14th century.)

CRT training—Just say No

CRT used to be the cathode ray tube, that tube/screen that flickers in front of your face. Now it means critical race theory, and if you learned about it college or studied it even 5 years ago, you need to catch up, and realize you're getting slapped up the side of your head with a marketing campaign with a powerful brand. Your church, your school board, your employer may be trying to convert you to a new religion, one more fundamentalist than any you've experienced.

I don't agree with everything in this debate, particularly not the guy who thinks Trump is to blame for its rise because I watched it soar under Obama, and on the campuses, even in the 1990s. Much of it is Marxist based just substituting race for class. So be prepared. If people refuse to debate it calling you a racist (some CRT advocates consider "debate", personal responsibility, and free speech as white racist privilege), then you have a right to refuse to accept it and should object to it being taught to your children or your being forced to attend thinly veiled Marxist reeducation camps. It only benefits the self interest (and wallets) of the marketers.

https://youtu.be/ZuvhrXM3v7U

Child stars—what became of—Barry and Stan Livingston

To avoid watching ABC news in the kitchen during breakfast, my husband’s been watching MeTV channel that plays old reruns.  Since “My three sons” ran for 12 years (1960-1972), I’ve seen a lot of the cute little Barry Livingston (Ernie), who is adopted by the father in the series (Fred MacMurray) after the oldest son gets married and leaves the show in 1965.  That way they didn’t have to change the title.

During the lockdown I’ve seen a lot of movies and TV shows, and I’ve been wondering what became of the children on those shows, so I looked up these talented, cute kids.  Here’s Barry Livingston singing a song about his own adopted brother, Gene.

https://youtu.be/rsNzI8wzFkw

Of all the characters on the show, according to Wikipedia he’s the only one still acting.  Apparently, he also has a YouTube Channel and enjoys singing and composing. He says his parents had 3 sons, adopted 3, and they were also foster parents.

And here’s a YouTube (2012) about Stanley Livingston (Chip) who is Barry Livingston’s (Ernie) real life brother. Provides some insights into how the show and cast worked together. https://youtu.be/KsaIfBo0mc0

Barry and Stan talk about 4 generations watching their show (now on MeTV) https://youtu.be/spmkw59Xnl4

Women who made a difference in 2020

Chloé Zhao has made the "Change Makers List: 30 women who saved entertainment in 2020." Zhao won the Golden Lion Award this year at the Venice Film Festival (the first woman in a decade to do so) for the new drama “Nomadland.” It's about Americans suffering from the economy (of a decade ago). I read the book. I wonder what they did to it?

From my blog:  Collecting My Thoughts: Book review “Nomadland by Jessia Bruder  "I'm about 1/3 finished, but I get the drift. Convince the readers there's something terribly wrong with the USA instead of the poor decisions, divorces, childhoods and investments of selected people interviewed for the book. So far, although the "great" recession of 2008 is noted as a cause for the white collar workers, the underlying factors in many of these cases are divorce, and/or an unhappy, abusive childhood that also included divorce, disruption, and frequent moves. I've been skimming or reading books like this for 4 decades. And since the so-called War on Poverty and the disintegration of households of married couples and families, the discussion doesn't get more positive, but the journalists/fabulists don't seem to catch on."

Communist retreads in the Biden adminitration?

We know that the Biden-Harris administration is Obama 2.0. We also know of some of Joe Biden's lucrative links to the Communist Party of China. Here's a list of Communists, Red Diaper Babies, and Marxists in Obama's Circle who influenced his development, thinking and presidency. "Obama Appointees in the Communist Orbit"  Unfortunately, not only are the media without morals, they are without curiosity.  Obama Appointees in the Communist Orbit (americanthinker.com)

John Brennan, Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod, Susan Rice, David Maraniss, Frank Marshall Davis, Jeremiah Wright.

"The Obama administration colluded with Russian agents who produced the Steele Dossier. It was paid for by Clinton, but it was Obama's minions at the FBI, CIA, and White House who weaponized this Soviet disinformation against President Trump.

We are all victims of the Obama cabal's collusion with Russia — President Trump's voters and all Americans who believe in our free and fair election process." Karin McQuillan

What I Learned in the Peace Corps in Africa: Trump Is Right

By Karin McQuillan

Three weeks after college, I flew to Senegal, West Africa, to run a community center in a rural town. Life was placid, with no danger, except to your health. That danger was considerable, because it was, in the words of the Peace Corps doctor, "a fecalized environment."

In plain English: s--- is everywhere. People defecate on the open ground, and the feces is blown with the dust – onto you, your clothes, your food, the water. He warned us the first day of training: do not even touch water. Human feces carries parasites that bore through your skin and cause organ failure.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that a few decades later, liberals would be pushing the lie that Western civilization is no better than a third-world country. Or would teach two generations of our kids that loving your own culture and wanting to preserve it are racism.

Last time I was in Paris, I saw a beautiful African woman in a grand boubou have her child defecate on the sidewalk next to Notre Dame Cathedral. The French police officer, ten steps from her, turned his head not to see.

I have seen. I am not turning my head and pretending unpleasant things are not true.

Senegal was not a hellhole. Very poor people can lead happy, meaningful lives in their own cultures' terms. But they are not our terms. The excrement is the least of it. Our basic ideas of human relations, right and wrong, are incompatible.

As a twenty-one-year-old starting out in the Peace Corps, I loved Senegal. In fact, I was euphoric. I quickly made friends and had an adopted family. I relished the feeling of the brotherhood of man. People were open, willing to share their lives and, after they knew you, their innermost thoughts.

The longer I lived there, the more I understood: it became blindingly obvious that the Senegalese are not the same as us. The truths we hold to be self-evident are not evident to the Senegalese. How could they be? Their reality is totally different. You can't understand anything in Senegal using American terms.

Take something as basic as family. Family was a few hundred people, extending out to second and third cousins. All the men in one generation were called "father." Senegalese are Muslim, with up to four wives. Girls had their clitorises cut off at puberty. (I witnessed this, at what I thought was going to be a nice coming-of-age ceremony, like a bat mitzvah or confirmation.)

Sex, I was told, did not include kissing. Love and friendship in marriage were Western ideas. Fidelity was not a thing. Married women would have sex for a few cents to have cash for the market.

What I did witness every day was that women were worked half to death. Wives raised the food and fed their own children, did the heavy labor of walking miles to gather wood for the fire, drew water from the well or public faucet, pounded grain with heavy hand-held pestles, lived in their own huts, and had conjugal visits from their husbands on a rotating basis with their co-wives. Their husbands lazed in the shade of the trees.

Yet family was crucial to people there in a way Americans cannot comprehend.

The Ten Commandments were not disobeyed – they were unknown. The value system was the exact opposite. You were supposed to steal everything you can to give to your own relatives. There are some Westernized Africans who try to rebel against the system. They fail.

We hear a lot about the kleptocratic elites of Africa. The kleptocracy extends through the whole society. My town had a medical clinic donated by international agencies. The medicine was stolen by the medical workers and sold to the local store. If you were sick and didn't have money, drop dead. That was normal.

So here in the States, when we discovered that my 98-year-old father's Muslim health aide from Nigeria had stolen his clothes and wasn't bathing him, I wasn't surprised. It was familiar.

In Senegal, corruption ruled, from top to bottom. Go to the post office, and the clerk would name an outrageous price for a stamp. After paying the bribe, you still didn't know it if it would be mailed or thrown out. That was normal.

One of my most vivid memories was from the clinic. One day, as the wait grew hotter in the 110-degree heat, an old woman two feet from the medical aides – who were chatting in the shade of a mango tree instead of working – collapsed to the ground. They turned their heads so as not to see her and kept talking. She lay there in the dirt. Callousness to the sick was normal.

Americans think it is a universal human instinct to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's not. It seems natural to us because we live in a Bible-based Judeo-Christian culture.

We think the Protestant work ethic is universal. It's not. My town was full of young men doing nothing. They were waiting for a government job. There was no private enterprise. Private business was not illegal, just impossible, given the nightmare of a third-world bureaucratic kleptocracy. It is also incompatible with Senegalese insistence on taking care of relatives.

All the little stores in Senegal were owned by Mauritanians. If a Senegalese wanted to run a little store, he'd go to another country. The reason? Your friends and relatives would ask you for stuff for free, and you would have to say yes. End of your business. You are not allowed to be a selfish individual and say no to relatives. The result: Everyone has nothing.

The more I worked there and visited government officials doing absolutely nothing, the more I realized that no one in Senegal had the idea that a job means work. A job is something given to you by a relative. It provides the place where you steal everything to give back to your family.

I couldn't wait to get home. So why would I want to bring Africa here? Non-Westerners do not magically become American by arriving on our shores with a visa.

For the rest of my life, I enjoyed the greatest gift of the Peace Corps: I love and treasure America more than ever. I take seriously my responsibility to defend our culture and our country and pass on the American heritage to the next generation.

African problems are made worse by our aid efforts. Senegal is full of smart, capable people. They will eventually solve their own country's problems. They will do it on their terms, not ours. The solution is not to bring Africans here.

We are lectured by Democrats that we must privilege third-world immigration by the hundred million with chain migration. They tell us we must end America as a white, Western, Judeo-Christian, capitalist nation – to prove we are not racist. I don't need to prove a thing. Leftists want open borders because they resent whites, resent Western achievements, and hate America. They want to destroy America as we know it.

As President Trump asked, why would we do that?

We have the right to choose what kind of country to live in. I was happy to donate a year of my life as a young woman to help the poor Senegalese. I am not willing to donate my country.

https://www.americanthinker.com/.../what_i_learned_in...

National Association of Black Journalists

The National Association of Black Journalists in partnership with Facebook is looking for emerging journalists to participate in fact-checking fellowships in U.S. newsrooms. That should be interesting given that there are many black conservatives and their opinions and stories are being ridiculed or deep-sixed. Hey, kids, you dance with the one who brought you whether black, white, or other. 

It's interesting that in the article it is referred to as a "fact checking industry." What? Race baiting and woke poking are also industries--with a few at the top doing extremely well. Journalism is all about facts? I thought it was about opinion. Daily Beast and WaPo call their opinion rags "news." How about the fact that more blacks voted for Trump than any Republican in recent history? Or, maybe that blacks were opening and investing in their own businesses at an unprecedented rate under this president, or that lower income Americans benefitted at a higher rate from the Trump tax cuts than higher quintiles? What about "defund the police" with BLM hurting blacks more than other groups by ignoring crime? Think they'll give that story a fail just because there is a black fact checker on fellowship.

If we must have racial balance in all professions, how about NFL, NBA and MLB? I don't see enough Asians and women on those teams.

List of articles on Vitamin D and Covid19

 Role of vitamin D in preventing of COVID-19 infection, progression and severity - PubMed (nih.gov)

Plus 146 similar articles, 118 free access, others abstract only. 

The transgender cancel culture hoax

The transgender movement may be the biggest "cancel culture" of them all. And it's all to cancel women. Transman or transwoman, makes no difference. It all cancels women and their specialness. I had a really good friend who thought he was a woman--long before it became trendy. He was a Christian, slightly built, odd, quirky and incredibly bright. Now (or the last time I saw him 20 years ago) he says he's a woman--Christian, slightly built, odd, quirky and incredibly bright but wearing make-up and wearing women's clothing. It's also pretty convenient to cancel the homosexuals too, since most don't see themselves as a wannabe anything but what they are.

Some things to read on this hoax--although they don't actually say what I do--that the trans-movement is anti-women. That it is the ultimate anti-female snuff movement.

Wall Street Journal Journalist’s Book Researching Rise in Transgender Identification Censored, ‘Canceled’ | BCNN1 - Black Christian News Network

Thomas Gallatin: Rainbow Mafia Cancels Book for Questioning ‘Transgender’ Craze — The Patriot Post

Cancel culture cannot erase a strong argument (feministcurrent.com)

What is Transgenderism? And What Comes Next? (hli.org)

Data Shows that Suicide Rate of Transgender Teens Is Breathtakingly High (redstate.com)

Trans Rights Activism is Anti-Woman - NRN • New Right Network

Ben Shapiro Interviews Zuby on TRANSGENDER Deadlift Record & Rap Music - YouTube

President Trump honors St. Thomas Becket

"St. Thomas Becket, also called Thomas à Becket or Thomas of London, (born c. 1118, Cheapside, London, England—died December 29, 1170, Canterbury, Kent; canonized 1173; feast day December 29), chancellor of England (1155–62) and archbishop of Canterbury (1162–70) during the reign of King Henry II. His career was marked by a long quarrel with Henry that ended with Becket’s murder in Canterbury Cathedral. He is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion." Saint Thomas Becket | Biography, Death, & Significance | Britannica

Breitbart News:  President Trump issued a powerful proclamation on religious liberty Tuesday to commemorate the 850th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket.

“A society without religion cannot prosper. A nation without faith cannot endure — because justice, goodness, and peace cannot prevail without the grace of God,” the president declared in his proclamation, while calling the English saint a “lion of religious liberty.”

President Trump: Justice Cannot Prevail ‘Without the Grace of God’ (breitbart.com) [note Google removed the hot link because it was Breitbart.]

Trump calls for end to 'religious persecution worldwide' on 850th anniversary of Thomas Becket's death (msn.com)

Worse than McCarthyism

"In a recent paper titled “Keeping Your Mouth Shut: Spiraling Self-Censorship in the United States,” political scientists James L. Gibson and Joseph L. Sutherland reveal that self-censorship among Americans has soared. In the 1950s, at the height of McCarthyism, 13.4 percent of Americans reported that they “felt less free to speak their mind than they used to.” In 1987, the figure reached 20 percent. By 2019, 40 percent of Americans reported that they did not feel free to speak their minds." Keeping Your Mouth Shut: Spiraling Self-Censorship in the United States by James L. Gibson, Joseph L. Sutherland :: SSRN

For more examples, see "Tell only lies" at City Journal. Tell Only Lies | City Journal (city-journal.org)

What is patriotism? Ask a Hungarian

I've been spending some hours away from American cable TV and watching Israeli i24 channel which has excellent international coverage, particularly of middle east and some Africa and Europe. Learned about the Moroccan delegation visiting Israel. Interesting to watch Covid coverage on the international scene. Every nation is having 2nd and 3rd waves, no one is blaming Trump like our TDS Democrats, and everyone is vaccinating. I think Israel will win that race for highest and fastest rate vaccinated. Israel's cases are soaring as are South Africa. Everyone complains about their young adults not taking precautions. It seems to be party time in South Africa. Not much difference between blacks and whites--both are being irresponsible according to the health official interviewed. I watched a 30 minute interview of the Hungarian foreign minister who seems to be a rising star in his early 40s; he's called "right wing." So I listened to see if that meant he was a Trump supporting white supremacist. No. It means he believes Hungary has a right to control its own borders; support for Christian values; strong economic investment environment; saving Hungary's western cultural heritage; standing up to the Leftists; being suspicious of Iran's motives; a positive relationship with Israel and being watchful of Turkey's motives and encroachment and loving his country. He wants mutual respect from Biden--fat chance, since Biden is soft on Iran and China.


Also, one of the Chinese "citizen-journalists" (I think that is another term for blogging or tweeting) who blew the whistle on the Chinese virus is getting 4 years in prison. Now, in the U.S. not since Obama have any journalists gone to jail, but there is a Facebook and YouTube jail for anyone who blows the whistle on the news media's monopoly on the virus narrative. And I love watching Israeli technology news. A new Israeli made mask might neutralize 99% SARS-COV2 virus within just 30 minutes. of exposure