The tale of two elections

Election results were questioned in both 2016 and 2020. In 2016, the issue wasn't fraud, it was the Electoral College and many Democrats wanted the Constitution changed, or wanted to try to undo it with state electors colluding. The whole Russia, Russia, Russia thing came about later when they couldn't undo the electoral process.

In 2020 the issue was illegal behavior by states because of Covid and changing voting rules without state legislation, and questions about the voting machines changing results in the middle of the night when Trump was ahead. It became very clear about why Biden didn't appear during the campaign. He didn't need to. It was fixed from the beginning.

Democrats beginning in 2017 continued to march, riot, whine and spill a lot of ink the next 4 years. They even managed to impeach the President over unrelated issues, but which began by trying to undo a valid election.

 
Meanwhile, there were real, actual violations of federal and state voting laws which Republicans and Trump supporters questioned. They were not allowed a few weeks, let alone 4 years to investigate, discuss and bring law suits. The Democrats had massive amounts of help from Big Tech, which not only closed down the President, the man Democrats had been vilifying as Hitler redux and a dictator, but they've shut down other prominent Republicans on Twitter, deplatformed millions of conservatives and even prevented selling their books (aka book burning). Gradually, the truth about the election is dribbling out in PA, KY and other states about deadlines missed, voter registration laws ignored, and fraud in mail in voting. Confidence in our election process is at an all time low; it's at 3rd world trust level.

 
Democrats are rushing to increase the number of states, register illegals, give the franchise to prisoners and underage minors, pack the Supreme Court, and to federalize state elections so they can permanently control the country--a one party system, like the CCP in China. Now how's that for election fraud?

Drug cartels now free to cross the border

 

  

Those "pro-life" evangelicals--an embarrassment to Christianity

Is there a more flaccid word than "dialogue" in politics, or anything more vague than "common ground solution?" 

"As pro-life leaders in the evangelical community, we publicly supported President Biden's candidacy with the understanding that there would be engagement with [sic] us on the issue of abortion and particularly the Hyde Amendment," the group writes. "The Biden team wanted to talk to us during the campaign to gain our support, and we gave it on the condition there would be active dialogue and common ground solutions on the issue of abortion." (Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden)

Joe Biden was Obama's vice president for 8 years and could not have possibly surprised them. They disliked Trump more than they cared about the lives of the unborn. Lets give them a bag of white feathers for cowardice. One cannot support the Democrat party and be pro-life.

Report from the 1776 Commission

Under the executive order as US President, Donald Trump established a 20-member group serving a two-year term, which is to write a report on “core principles of the American founding and how these principles may be understood to further enjoyment of ‘the blessings of liberty’". Trump announced the new commission in a speech on September 17, 2020, in which he stated that a "twisted web of lies" regarding systemic racism was currently being taught in U.S. schools. The commission's goal is to end what it calls the "radicalized view of American history" which has "vilified the United States' Founders and its founding". The first day in office Joe Biden cancelled the commission, because Democrats are behind the move to change our history, our culture, and our values. However. that Commission met quickly, and in what must be a record for a government commission, it has published its work with a great bibliography. You'll need this to combat the lies your children and grandchildren will learn in school. https://www.amazon.com/1776-Report.../dp/B08T858PBH I would hate to think Amazon is the only way to get it--try Hillsdale college.

The failed lockdown policy

Our governors imposed draconian measures to control the Corona virus. The people meekly obeyed as though they didn't have a Constitution to protect them. Our rates of restricted movement and mask wearing are just as good as other developed countries. Yet still over 500,000 have died, and our "leaders" just call for more of the same, with more damaging health and mental welfare outcomes. Even the new "president" claims he has no ideas for how to stem the spread (which disappeared after the election) and has moved the target for backyard get togethers to July 4. Minorities and the elderly, whom Democrats claimed to care about, are suffering the most. Lockdowns have never been recommended before, even for those pandemics with higher death rates, like the Asian Flu in 1957 which I survived.

Where is the American spirit of 1776? Haters of America claim our country was built on slavery in 1619. Don't prove them right by being slaves to power hungry politicians.

Melanie Philips, British writer, on today’s culture of intersectionality and bigotry through the Sussex lens

"Universities and high schools have morphed from crucibles of knowledge and reason into propaganda platoons indoctrinating and intimidating students into endorsing androgyny, apocalyptic climate change and hatred of capitalism, white people and the West. And, of course, bigotry against Jews and Israel is rampant." . . .

"Although Christianity embedded those [Jewish] values in Western culture, it is the Mosaic codes themselves that are in the cross-hairs of those who are intent upon destroying justice, truth and sexual continence and unraveling biological identity."

The Sussexes take morality through the looking glass - Melanie Phillips (substack.com)

Would you get a job?

 "Full summary of what the unemployed and low income workers get.

 Family of four: $5600+$3,400 from CARES Act+$2400 from December bill. Total cash $11,400. 

Then they get $300 a week x 4=$1200 per month for each parent through September which will get extended to December =$21,600 (9 months) for both together. 

Plus average state unemployment another $300 a week each = another $21,600 by December. 

Child care credit $7,200 each child under 6- $6,000 over 6. Let’s say $13,200. 

Dependent care child care tax credit $4000 per kid if the parents are working, so 2 kids $8000 tax CREDIT, not deduction. 

If on Obamacare, zero premium payments if unemployed. 15% added value to food stamps. $27 billion to give to people who have not paid their rent and utilities. On top of $25 billion in December for the same use. And cancellation of at least $10,000 student loan.

So $11,400 + $21,600 + $21,600 + $13,200 = $67,800. Plus 2 kids $8000 kid tax credit, plus rent subsidy paid, plus utilities bills paid, plus free medical insurance plus food stamps. 

And they expect these people to go seek a job? Don’t you feel great supporting all those lazy people. And they will try to make these credits and subsidies permanent. You wonder why the Democrats win elections in poor counties and cities. 

These numbers come from the Wall Street Journal."

Investment letter

Ohio Right to Life and Title X

 "On Monday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a joint motion with the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to keep Title X funds from being used to pay for abortions. Title X funds are designed to support family planning and are currently prohibited from being used to pay for abortions. An executive memorandum by President Biden indicates however, that he will throw out the pro-life protection in Title X and allow abortion to be funded through the program.

Eighteen other states signed on to Attorney General Yost’s motion: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.

This is what those silly Evangelicals for Biden were upset about.

In what must be the worst reading of political tea leaves ever,

 
"More than 5,000 evangelical pro-lifers signed the Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden statement, insisting, “Joe Biden’s policies are more consistent with the biblically shaped ethic of life than those of Donald Trump.” They focused on economic issues (the welfare state) that might lead more women to choose life over killing their preborn child." (Catholic Daily)

How could Christians even imagine that after 8 years as Obama's V.P. the only politician (at that time) who was against born alive abortion legislation to save a child's life. A job is always better than welfare, and Trump offered low income women the best possibility for a good life for their children. Some anti-Trumpers will use any excuse to hide their hate. No president reduces welfare ever. What were they thinking?

Catholic Daily continues: "If the leadership of this group feels used and betrayed, they should: they were used and betrayed. It appears that Biden wanted their endorsement to provide cover to pro-life evangelicals and Catholics who had their misgivings about Trump but were also uncomfortable with the Democrats’ full-throated endorsement of abortion. It also appears that Biden had no interest in finding common ground on abortion funding or any other issue."

How is your state doing?

We live in Ohio, technically a red state if you only count the governor. However, with major cities, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Akron, etc., all being Democrat, I can’t say we’re a shining example of freedom during the pandemic, which is now officially one year old (all Democrat run cities had riots this past summer). The growth and vitality have been in the red states.  No one really knows what the death total would have been if common sense had prevailed and only those of us over 65 had been asked to stay home and covered. In low income countries the death rate was actually lower than developed countries because they have fewer elderly. Many lives in Ohio have been ruined, and we were already the epicenter of an opioid crisis given that the cartels (black tar heroin from Mexico) moved into Ohio years ago and used us as a base to spread the products around east and west and south of us. Teachers’ unions were already powerful and they fought return to the classrooms. Ohio has so many universities and colleges which are hot-beds for every flakey idea that pops up, and every federal grant ever released, it’s really hard to tell could the pandemic fear and terror have been slowed down.

Happy Anniversary

It's been a year since WHO declared that we had a global pandemic. Of course, our President had already taken action to close air traffic from China and was called xenophobic and a racist for protecting us by Lady Nancy who continued to invite tourists to California. 

Within months, when obese, diabetic smokers with cardiovascular disease were struggling more with the disease than normal BMI Americans, the entire medical system was declared racist building on the summer riots and the obvious known facts from decades of research that black Americans were more obese with more health challenges of personal decision than Americans of other ethnicities. 

The President moved quickly to mitigate the hospital challenges with extra funding for NY and CA for hospital ships and event centers open to take Covid patients. Both governors praised him, but the media had to move in to destroy any hope and confidence because clicks to their greedy websites were booming. 

The president's task force fumbled and fudged on the facts, and knew nothing about economics or finances or even mental health. Our nation, and indeed the world, locked down on the basis of a teen-ager's science report model of a decade ago. Riots by BLM and Antifa exacerbated the situation in Democrat run cities, while Democrats called for defunding the police. 

Soon the clever Democrats found a way to use the pandemic to play games with the state supervision of voting and decided it would be constitutional to override state laws on voting by mail. Democrats enlisted their supporters in Big Tech which began to block or deny "science" they didn't agree with, even finally silencing the President of the United States of America. Something they hadn't done to the Communist Party of China, President Putin, or the Islamic leaders of Iran.

 
Yes, the pandemic really did turn out to be Joe Biden's best friend.

 
Never waste a crisis to grab more power. Happy Anniversary.

It's not the cat, it's the culture

Yes, your cable news keepers and Big Tech will remind you that the Seuss Cat hasn't been censored or pulled from book stores and libraries. But when they went after Confederate generals we didn't know Lincoln, Columbus and Catholic saints were next.

  

The point is, slow learning moderate Democrats, the culture--whether you call that Western Civilization, Judeo-Christian,  cartoon characters, or plastic potatoes--must be declared racist, sexist or classist so that Marxism can make more inroads. You'll find it in the academic literature in obscure journals back in the 1990s. This is not a new idea. When the Cold War ended, it just heated up in the USA and Western Europe. Now we have a few generations of mind-numbed robot college grads taking the message to kindergartners and CEOs.

Holy Family prayer and painting

 The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities - The Family Project

I received a prayer card with a prayer by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, but with no identification of the artist of the painting. So I typed in a description and clicked on images and it came up about third on the list. 

"What we see in this painting is a vertical and horizontal presentation, the vertical of course being the Heavenly Trinity with the Holy Spirit descending as the dove from the Father upon the Christ child. The horizontal presentation is the trinity of the holy family revealing the humanity of Christ as well as the mystery of all families: one flesh of mother and father coming together in their love which typically brings forth new life, a creation of their own flesh who is one flesh with them. A human trinity. A small but important detail about this piece is where the Christ child is standing. It is the stone the builders rejected which will become the cornerstone who is Christ. (Matt. 21:42)"

The exact prayer wasn't easy to find.  The first two sentences seems to be settled, Prayer for the Family by Mother Teresa, Spirituality for Today December 2010 - Spirituality.org, But then it may be spliced in from another prayer.

March is women's history month, and four years ago they marched

Four years ago, apparently to "honor" women's history and rights, women were marching against President Trump. I wrote this on March 8, 2017. Still true today. Although I've never wanted to be a man, many days I am embarrassed to be a woman. And those "ladies" epitomized what's nasty and mean about women.

"Some women will be marching today against President Trump.

• We know it isn't for the right to vote, because many have that and don't vote;
• we know it isn't for higher education because they outnumber men in college; 
• we know it isn't for protection of Title IX because they believe biological sex doesn't matter and anyone can be a woman even a 6' 300 lb. male wrestler;
• we know it isn't for higher salaries because most work for the government in some capacity either as teachers (average hourly wage about $60 according to BLS) or mid-level bureaucrats in local or state or federal government and they are paid more than in the private sector;
• we know it isn't for freedom of religion or the right to own a gun because they want people to keep religion private and inside churches and want the 2nd amendment to go away;
• we know it isn't for life from womb to tomb because they are pro-abortion;
• we know it isn't to stop hunger because only 25% of Americans are "normal" BMI;
• we know it isn't to crash the glass ceiling because women are free to make choices for career track;
• we know it isn't to stop international slave trade in women for sex because they want to do battle against 18th century slave trade.

So that only leaves the obvious since for the last 8 years they just went to work and nothing is different today."

Why is Amazon censoring black opinion, lives, and opinions?

Why did Amazon, owned by the richest man in the world, find this film offensive? Another agency who decides who is black enough or liberal enough to be heard and seen? What are they afraid of?
"Early last month [Black history month, just in case you've forgotten] Amazon deleted a documentary film about Justice Clarence Thomas from its popular streaming service. Titled “Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words,” and culled from more than 30 hours of interviews with its subject, the film recounts Justice Thomas’s rise from poverty in segregated Georgia to Yale Law School and, eventually, to the Supreme Court." . . .

 
Last fall, Eli Steele’s “What Killed Michael Brown?”—a critique of liberal social policies that was written and narrated by his father, the race scholar Shelby Steele—was slated to stream on Amazon in October, then held up for reasons the company never fully explained. Amazon eventually relented and made the film available, but only after these pages weighed in and made a fuss." Wall Street Journal, March 2, Jason Riley

A new network to keep an eye on

  

Blue Anon

 

Rereading old blogs on health, Lakeside, family memories

As my memory becomes less sharp, it's nice to find markers and reminders, many of which I don't even recognize, in my blog posts. The stats at blogger tell me I've written about 19,000 posts since 2003, and approx. 2,900,000 readers or bots have either stopped by, glanced at or read them. That's a lot more action than I ever got writing articles when I was working, and I don't have to hassle with an editor to get them published. Today I was looking up articles on exercise, homocysteine levels, Covid, chocolate, Lakeside (not all in one post) and found I'd written on all and since I try to include links, I also had places to look. 

China benefitted from the Pandemic

 Whether you call it the Wuhan Virus, the China Virus, Covid19, or SARS-Cov-2, China is the big winner economically. Our current president has a very chummy relationship with China.

H.R. 1, another way to steal our rights

Democrats are masters at manipulating our language, but this one is priceless. "For the People Act."  They could be honest and call it, The Democrats Forever Act.

Everything that went wrong with the elections in 2020, the Democrats now want to enshrine in law so that states and the Republicans can never be in power again. The people who gave us Jim Crow, restrictive covenants and Black Laws are at it again to steal our freedom. Just new tricks for their old games. 

37 Things to Know About H.R. 1, 'For the People Act' (breitbart.com)

Since Big Tech doesn't approve of Breitbart.com, don't be surprised if the link is blocked.  

Churches, the relief bill, and PPP

I think this $1.9 trillion relief bill, 9% of which is directed at Covid, is a trial run for universal basic income which U.S. socialists have wanted for a long time. Eighty Five years ago Democrats under the leadership of FDR extended the Great Depression probably 5-6 years longer than a natural recovery, now they want to do the same with the pandemic economic slump. 

I do hope that churches will turn down the 2nd application for PPP. Churches are member supported organizations which do not pay federal income tax. If they have the trust of their membership who continue to pay their pledges, there's money to pay staff. It's legal, but not ethical, to apply for PPP. Especially since so many churches sat in their closed buildings and were willing to be "non-essential" in the eyes of their state governments.

Critical race theory and the churches

This is the racist/Marxist target and idea behind critical race theory (CRT). If you are a member of a Christian of Jewish congregation--Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Bible only, non-denominational centered on your pastor, you are the target. If you are ethnically a distant German, Scot, Lebanese, Slovak, Spaniard, Greek, etc., you are a target. If you are ethnically an African American, middle class or higher, and college educated, you are a target. It's Marxism, and it is coming for YOU, especially you males. 

"Critical theory is a Marxist idea developed in postmodernity in which absolutes, objectivity and absolute truth are no longer accepted. Critical theory purports to explain the world in terms of power, and its proponents believe those with the least power have the most moral authority to speak. Power is, therefore, mapped through intersectionality -- race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. The white male heterosexual Christian has the most power and therefore has the least moral authority to speak in society." (Erick Erickson column in Town Hall, March 5) 

You can confess or humble yourself, cower, scrape and bow, or pay big bucks to offer CRT reeducation camps, it won't make any difference, because reconciliation isn't the goal. The intention is never forgive, never offer forgiveness and never have peace. Some liberal churches played with this when it was James Cone and Black liberation theology back in the 70s. It has simply been resurrected.

American Evangelicalism's Critical Theory Problem by Erick Erickson (townhall.com)

Now Biden calls us Neanderthals

To Obama Americans were bitter clingers to Bible and guns, to H. Clinton they were deplorables, and to Biden we are Neanderthals. Oh, but don't forget, President Trump posted mean tweets and so Twitter needed to take him down to let us know who is really in control. Democrats. Pelosis and Schumers. Oligarchs and Fascists. Totalitarians and despots. Karens and Simps.

A run on Dr. Seuss books

As I understand it, Dr. Seuss Enterprises pulled six of his books from the publishing list. Of course, it's still "cancel culture" because they knew what was coming.  After all, crimes against humanity, like abortion, child sex trafficking and destroying careers and maligning fragile people because of race, don't exist today, right? We are so much more holy than those slugs of the 1950s who had lived through two world wars and a world wide Depression. That said, yesterday copies of the “If I Ran the Zoo” title were going for $680 if you could find one.

Over 90% of the bill is not related to Covid

 

Your mom was right—eat all the colors, and a lot of them

Research shows Mom was right. Eat all the colors. This is a meta-analysis. Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies of US Men and Women and a Meta-Analysis of 26 Cohort Studies (ahajournals.org)  Free, original research article. Print it and read between the food commercials on TV.

• A higher intake of fruit and vegetables was associated with lower total and cause-specific mortality in a nonlinear manner in both an original data analysis in 2 prospective cohorts of US men and women and a meta-analysis of 26 prospective cohort studies.
• The lowest risk of mortality was observed for ≈5 servings per day of fruit and vegetable intake, but above that level the risk did not decrease further.
• The thresholds of risk reduction in mortality were 2 servings daily for fruit intake and 3 servings daily for vegetable intake

My favorite vegetables, peas, corn and potatoes, are not associated with lower mortality. Too starchy. Darn. It's just hard to eat this much of anything.

Despite recommendations in dietary guidelines for decades to increase fruit and vegetable intake, the current average intake among US adults is 1 serving of fruit and 1.5 servings of vegetables per day. Not good. There have been many campaigns (cited in the article) to change this because poor nutrition contributes to the burden of disease and premature death.

BTW, this is a premiere, peer reviewed journal. When I was a librarian, Circulation and its many numbered series, was the bane of my existence.

Andrew Cuomo and the fake outrage of the Democrats

The Cuomo "scandal" is so frustrating. The women involved were all his staff--all helped him get to power. Were jobs so scarce in NY that one had to put up with that? He's public and private behavior is not as bad as all the hair sniffing and fondling we've seen from the man they elected president. To kick him out with no medieval inquisition when he's made such horrid decisions about Covid, to the cheers of media and Democrats for being such a leader, is just ugly. The MeToo movement isn't addressing the women and children who are being trafficked across the border for sex. That's real damage. BLM isn't addressing the modern sex slave trade that includes very young children, because it's just so much more comfortable to look to the past rather than what's in front of their faces. Antifa is a fascist, racist organization supported by Big Tech, yet Amazon changed its logo because someone thought she saw Hitler's mustache. Stupid, ignorant, biased leftists.

Democrats with Big Tech destroy the First Amendment

 

Modern day slavery--labor, sex and children

Our book club selection today was "7 men and 7 women," by Eric Metaxas. Two of the individuals, William Wilberforce and Hannah More were English abolitionists. Amazing stories--and few people know of them, nor did most people of their era (18th century) know about the evils of slavery. Same thing is happening today. There's more slavery today than in the 18th century. Candace Owens interviews Tim Ballard who is fighting sex slavery--of children. The fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world is selling people. Most people don't know that. Now you'll have no excuse. Candace and Tim are telling you.

https://www.prageru.com/video/the-candace-owens-show-tim-ballard/?

Operation Underground Railroad (ourrescue.org)

Revolutions and the Bible - Os Guinness

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

https://youtu.be/Ws2U2DXREDQ

CPAC, masks and Twitter

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

On race, racism, class and opportunity

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

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

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

No one gave us the chance

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

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

News from the Front Line on Covid

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

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

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

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

c19study.pdf

Nutrition and diet changes for heart health

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

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

Specific, 

Measurable, 

Attainable, 

Realistic, and 

Time-oriented. 

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

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

Empty your bladder.  

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

Sit quietly and relax.  

Lay your arm on the table.  

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

Proceed. 

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

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

White Fragility

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Look back at your isolation this past year

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

Every single day is a risk.

Car accident, flu, etc.

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

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

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

couldn’t go to school

couldn’t go to church

couldn’t go to our grandma's house

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

couldn’t leave our homes

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

how long we could be there

how far apart we have to be

which direction to walk

what to wear

what we can buy/not buy

where we could shop/not shop

whether we could sing/worship/take communion

what time we had to be home

Yes, our health matters.

But you know what else matters?

Family.

Friends.

Church.

School.

Sporting events.

Family vacations.

Neighborhood BBQs.

Life.

Fitness.

Hugs.

visiting the hospitalized

Etc.. etc...

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

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

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

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

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

One day, you’ll dance your last dance.

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

Your time here on earth matters.

Live your life while you have the chance.

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

Virus or no virus.

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

Equality Act—it’s not what it seems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For Book Club, Monday March 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merritt Garland, unprepared and no thoughts about illegal immigration

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

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

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

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

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

About the Office (justice.gov)

No more business as usual

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

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

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

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

One thing Rush said wasn’t true. . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

Biden’s illegal immigration plan

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

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

Achievement gap and coronavirus | McKinsey

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

Candace Owens interviews Carol Swain

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

https://youtu.be/IF8quaC53ic

Rush Limbaugh, 1951-2021

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

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

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

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

I have two Rush stories to tell.

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

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

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

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

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

Biden talks to ally, Israel

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

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

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

The old Democrat line again

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

1) Finish high school,

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

3) have a full time job.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lockdown computer model from 14 year old's science project

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

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

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

Traumatic Brain Injury

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2022 elections—Freedom of speech and assembly

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

Sarah Sanders who is running for Governor of Arkansas:

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

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

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

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

Different perspective on Christian nations and Covid19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paying the college loans for those who signed for them

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

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

There is no free lunch.

Where are the Walk-aways?

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

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

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

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

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

Collecting My Thoughts: The cost of walking away for Linda

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

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

Collecting My Thoughts: Why Andrea walked away from the Democrats

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

Some pep talks are not truthful—especially ones about truth

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

“We can banish fear by realizing the truth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Should churches receive PPP to pay their staff?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How the Democrats did it

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

https://youtu.be/FTWlq7PqQVQ

Waiving Covid tests for illegals.

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

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

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