Reading about the mother of 7 sons

This morning I was reading 2 Mac: 7:20-31 

"Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox use the Septuagint(s) as the source of their “Old Testament” … Hebrew Scriptures. –Roman Catholics accept/ include 1, 2 Maccabees –Most Eastern Orthodox accept/ include 1,2,3 Maccabees –Some Non-Chalcedonian churches (e.g., Coptic, Syriac) accept/ include 1,2,3,4 Maccabees Protestants generally use the Palestinian Canon as the source of their “Old Testament” … Hebrew Scriptures. –The 39 books of the Protestant “Old Testament” represent the 24 books of the Hebrew Scriptures."  The Protestant Bible doesn't include this book or story.  It's gruesome, but the mother's heart and courage are wonderful.  (1603-602-OLLIMacc1HO.pdf (gmu.edu)

22 I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. 23 Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of humankind and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.” (2 Mac. 7:22–23; NRSV)

Christ has no body but yours

Christ has no body but yours

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Steve Bannon in hand cuffs and shackles

Steve Bannon is put in shackles for a misdemeanor charge--which Obama's buddy Eric Holder ignored when he was charged with contempt of Congress. It's a much more serious offense to be a friend of Trump than Obama. The media really needs to get Trump back in the news in order to shore up their sinking profits. I briefly looked back about 40 years and it only seems to affect Republicans. Democrats just thumb their noses, and we all know what stern taskmasters the Republicans are.

Bannon indictment defies history of Congress' contempt power (wsls.com)

A doctor's advice on monoclonal antibody infusion for Covid

"To all my friends who are over 65 and those with high-risk health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, and/or BMI>25. If you test positive for Covid, call your doctor immediately, even if you don't feel like you have a severe case. Ask your doctor to refer you for a monoclonal antibody infusion. It is a one-hour intravenous infusion, one time only, given in the ER or in an outpatient infusion center. It must be given in the first 10 days after symptoms develop, and cannot be given once your oxygen levels drop or you become sick enough to be admitted to the hospital. It will decrease your risk of hospitalization or death by at least 75%. Likewise, if you are high risk and someone in your household tests positive, a monoclonal antibody infusion can protect you from getting the disease. It's crazy how many people I am encountering who have no idea that this is available. The current administration has barely mentioned the one treatment that can actually HELP SAVE LIVES, so please spread the word! 

The Biden Administration is doing a horrible job of publicizing a lifesaving treatment. Among the several doctors I know, I have not heard a single one report that this treatment made things worse or did not make things better. Obviously, since it does not prevent hospitalization or death 100%, there must be some cases where it did not help, but I have not heard of any."

Houston Methodist: "Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy, also called monoclonal antibody infusion treatment, is a way of treating COVID-19. The goal of this therapy is to help prevent hospitalizations, reduce viral loads and lessen symptom severity.

This type of therapy relies on monoclonal antibodies. These are antibodies that are similar to the ones your body would naturally make in response to infection. However, monoclonal antibodies are mass-produced in a laboratory and are designed to recognize a specific component of this virus — the spike protein on its outer shell.

By targeting the spike protein, these specific antibodies interfere with the virus' ability to attach and gain entry into human cells. They give the immune system a leg up until it can mount its own response.

This therapy can be extremely effective, but it's not a replacement for vaccination. The community still needs to step up and get vaccinated to break the virus' chain of transmission."What Is Monoclonal Antibody Therapy & Who Is Eligible to Receive It? | Houston Methodist On Health

Monoclonal antibody infusion Ohio Health locations
for central Ohio

OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital
335 Glessner Ave
Mansfield, OH 44903

OhioHealth Marion Infusion Services
1000 McKinley Park Dr
Marion, OH 43302

OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital
921 E Franklin St
Kenton, OH 43326

OhioHealth at Home Infusion Center
800 McConnell Dr
Columbus, OH 43214

OhioHealth Grant Medical Center
290 East Town St
Columbus, OH 43215

OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital
30 Herrold Ave
Athens, OH 45701

OhioHealth Grove City Methodist Hospital
1375 Stringtown Rd
Grove City, OH 43123

OhioHealth Westerville Medical Campus
260 Polaris Parkway
Westerville, OH 43082

OhioHealth Lewis Center Health Center
7853 Pacer Dr
Delaware, OH 43015

J.D. Vance campaign for senate

I've heard the anti-JD Vance political ads using his comments about Trump during the 2016 election. Hey, my comments about Trump during the primaries when I supported Cruz were just the same as his. Trump's accomplishments in 4 years turned me around. Also Glenn Beck was a huge critic as was Dennis Prager--before they saw the results. Read about the Walk Away movement--thousands of Democrats are now awake to Marxism, not woke loving it. Or, look at Biden's accomplishments since January 20. He's turned the U.S. into the nation that runs, the nation that gave up energy independence to return to begging OPEC, the nation that has no borders and wants to reward illegal behavior, and the nation of weak citizens who submit to government mandates about children that aren't necessary. What Biden has "accomplished" in 10 months is frightening, and both parties in Congress have enabled it.

 Vance is the author of the best selling Hillbilly Elegy.  Issues - JD Vance for Senate Inc.   From here on out, you'll probably not be able to believe anything you hear about Vance--either because there are probably 5 other candidates who will only talk trash and because of the Left because he's an American success story and they hate that.

"J.D. Vance’s life was rife with drug abuse, childhood trauma, and self-destruction. For example, his mother was a drug addict, his community was falling apart spiritually and financially, and he had a distant relationship with his father. Although his grandparents were a light in his life, they too were abusive, flawed, and broken people.

Despite his upbringing, J.D. broke the cycle of violence and abuse. He joined the military, settled down, grappled with his trauma, and achieved financial success. As with all remarkable individuals, he overcame the hell he was borne into. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance | The Five Powerful Lessons I Learned (becomeanindividual.com)"  This review is overly dramatic--read the book.  He was fortunate to have the love of his grandparents and some good mentors along the way.  The military service was a turn around for him.

Also read my blog about Vance from 2017. Collecting My Thoughts: Family support vs. public policy

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month--Veterans' Day

As we were driving back from the lake today, I apologized to my husband for telling him a story I've told many times. When I finished he said he'd never heard it. Here it is from my blog, November 11, 2009:

"I didn't hear about WWI memories [from my parents] until sometime in the early 1990s. I had interviewed my father for an oral history to include in a family recipe collection for a reunion of the descendants of his parents who had died in 1983. I had interviewed my mother about her parents' personal library for two articles I wrote. Both recalled in their 80s the first Armistice Day (now called Veterans' Day) even though they were 5 and 6 years old. I imagine they listened in on adult conversations and caught the fear and dread that gripped their communities. My mother's father who was 44 was registered for the draft. And although I haven't seen the record, I would assume my father's father, who was a much younger man (25), did too.

There were no radios or television, and newspapers would have been too slow. So the plan was to ring bells when word came to the nearest town that the armistice had been signed. The church bells would be rung; then each farmer would begin to ring the bells they used on the farm; then the next farmer a few miles further away would hear and begin ringing his bells. Both my parents had exactly the same memory of that first Armistice Day--hearing bells tolling throughout the countryside from all sides. The war was over."

First they came for Mike Flynn

November 5, 2021
First they came for Mike Flynn, but I said nothing...(at American Thinker)
By Andrew W. Coy

– They came after President Trump, but I said nothing because I did not like his tweets.
– They came after the J-6 protesters who have been locked up as political prisoners, but I said nothing because they seemed a little too "unwashed."
– They came after the Founding Fathers, but I said nothing because they're from an age a very long time ago.
– They came after soccer moms at school board meetings, but I said nothing because my kids are already out of school.
– They came after MAGA Nation, but I said nothing because I considered myself a college-educated moderate.
– They came after the Christians/constitutionalists/conservatives in the military, but I said nothing because I never served in uniform.
– They came after the citizens who carry 2A, but I said nothing because guns scare me.
– They came after the police, but I said nothing because none of my family wears blue.
– They came after the EMS/firefighters/nurses, but I said nothing because I was already vaccinated.
– They came after Christian white heterosexual men, but I said nothing because I'm not a Christian white heterosexual man.
– They came after the Evangelicals, but I said nothing because I don't think of myself as that devout.
– They came after Israel's right to exist, but I said nothing because I'm not Jewish.
– They came after the patriots who said the 2020 election was stolen, but I said nothing because I was scared and intimidated.
– They came after writers, authors, .coms, but I said nothing because I don't read negative news that much anymore.
– They came after the blue-collar workers who actually make things and build things, but I said nothing because the slave-labor goods from China were cheaper.
– They came after the farmers, but I said nothing because I thought "climate change" was real.
– They came after Steve Bannon, Mike Flynn, and Roger Stone, but I said nothing because they can afford their own attorneys.
They came after Governor DeSantis, but I said nothing because I live in Michigan.
– They came after Tucker Carlson, but I said nothing because I don't watch FOX News anymore.
– They came after Coach Jon Gruden, but I said nothing because I don't watch the NFL anymore.
– They came after the unvaccinated, but I said nothing because I had already taken the vaccine (but really a therapeutic).
– They came after the pastors, the priests, and the rabbis (they came after God ), but I still said nothing. Nothing at all. Not one word.

Now they are coming after me. But there's no one left to speak for me, fight for me, and stand with me. I wish I had stood up, spoken up, and fought when this all first started. Now it's too late. Some lessons of history we never learn. Or we learn too late, again.

I've used most of these "best words," saving for later

 And lately I use Thingamyjig and Whatchamacallit a lot.  Useful at my age. Don't believe I've ever used skewwiff--meaning askew.

Our Twentieth Anniversary of the fall condo meeting

 Last night the residents of our condo association had its fall business meeting.  It was our 20th anniversary of our first business meeting with our new neighbors (complex of 30 units was built in mid- to late 70s). That first meeting was in the Fishinger Road school and was a potluck.  Some of the people I remember meeting that night who are no longer with us or have moved to a retirement community are Tom Fitzpatrick (and wife), Ohmer and Pat Crowell, Barbara Stradley, Mary and Dan Dunbar, Tom and Judy Wessel, Mac and Marilyn Campbell, Dick Smith, Herb and Ruth Abrams, Kate Haddox, Bill and Jean Baskwell, the Herrolds, Al Gallucci, Dee Cole and her parents.  On September 11, 2001, we all remember what happened, so the bottom also fell out of the real estate market, and our home on Abington was not moving.  We were about to put the condo up for sale, and take our chances.  Fortunately, at Christmas, the daughter and son-in-law of one of the realtors who had shown our home, made and offer, and in January 2002 we were able to move.

This past year, 2021, there were significant changes and repairs--the roofs were replaced with a black shingle (also replaced the first year we were here, so apparently something wasn't done right), the shutters were removed, cleaned, painted and replaced (at about half the cost of buying new), downspouts were replaced, new solar attic fans were installed to replace the old ones, and that all went with the color scheme of the new garage doors that were replaced in 2020. Other years we had all the driveways and the street replaced, or the stone wall along the creek replaced (needs another repair--perhaps next year).  Trees are a huge asset, but a huge cost to maintain to keep them healthy. The refurbishing and new roofs cost about $350,000, and each owner was assessed a share based on their percentage figure.  Some condo associations use an annual upkeep fund where each owner pays in to cover repairs, but ours uses an assessment system. Both systems are legal in Ohio and each year we have to vote to continue our choice.  Most of our neighbors would rather keep their money in investments rather than lose it if they move after 5 years of contributing to the fund if they move out. With our new roofs, clean and painted shutters, new garage doors, and some very close attention by our landscape committee, the place is looking very good. 

William Studer, OSUL director, 1977-1999

William J. “Bill” Studer, Director of The Ohio State University Libraries for 22 years, passed away on Thursday, October 14, 2021. Bill left an indelible mark on both University Libraries and the larger library profession and will be remembered for his vision and leadership.

Bill earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Indiana University and launched his career at the Library of Congress before returning to IU as Associate Dean of Libraries. While there, he conducted research focused on improving service for students and scholars through computer technology. His work garnered him invitations to lead seminars at other universities and informed many of the initiatives he undertook throughout his career.

Bill’s success as Associate Dean of Libraries for IU led to his appointment as Director of Libraries for The Ohio State University Libraries in 1977. Throughout his tenure at Ohio State, Bill championed the growth and development of the Libraries. Under his leadership, University Archives, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, the Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program, Hilandar Research Library, and the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute became part of Libraries’ special collections. He oversaw the addition of more than 600 folios to the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library’s medieval manuscript fragment collection, which students and researchers actively use.

Bill championed the idea that active and public use of special collections was at the heart of knowledge creation and sought to promote these unique resources as a way of living Ohio State’s land grant mission.

As a founder of the network of academic libraries that became OhioLINK, Bill continued to push the idea of opening access to knowledge. This statewide consortium provides access to valuable print and digital research collections for students, faculty, researchers, and staff. The model attracted interest from library leaders across the globe.

While he was director, Bill passionately advocated for the renovation of Thompson Library. At his retirement, the University committed to the project. In 2009, the three-year, $109 million renovation was complete and Thompson had been returned to its previous grandeur.

Bill is survived by his children Joshua (Margaret) Studer and Rachel Studer; sisters in law Carol Millsom, Peggy Studer, and Margaret Lippie; numerous nieces and nephews; and faithful feline companions Gigi and Charlie. He was preceded in death by his wife Rosemary (nee Lippie); parents, Victor and Sarah Studer (nee Hammersley); and brothers, Victor Studer and Arnold Studer. Friends and family will be invited to a memorial to celebrate Bill’s life and legacy at a later date. (from OSUL website)

Two shoe salesmen

The difference between a Biden presidency and a Trump presidency:

There is a story about two shoe salesmen who were sent to a primitive island to determine business potential. The first salesman wired back, "Coming home immediately. No one here wears shoes." The second man responded, "Send a boatload of shoes immediately. The possibilities for selling shoes here are unlimited."

Trump sees possibilities, not only for our country, but for all who will put shoulder to the wheel, and take advantage of capitalism, competition and merit to lift their country out of poverty. Biden is a defeatist, sees only emptiness and hopelessness (on which he can build his power base through lies and deception.) He's an old style, old failure, socialist using a system pushed by the squad and others in Congress that has failed in Russia, China, and many Latin American countries. Even Nazi Germany was a socialist base.

I think it is Dennis Prager who reminds us that the Left destroys everything it touches. Biden has destroyed our energy independence, energy that could have been sold to countries having shortages, like Europe this winter. Biden has destroyed our supply chain, and is hoping for shortages. This puts a burden on our small businesses, plus the economy of all those countries with which the U.S. trades. 99.9% of all U.S. businesses are small businesses and employ 60.6 million people or 47.1% of the U.S. private workforce. In the US. Biden is working on destroying the morale and independent spirit of essential workers, many who have unions, in transportation, distribution, medicine, education, entertainment/sports through mandates that are not necessary. Many of these same people gave their all and their own health in the early stages of the pandemic, and now they've been tossed aside like a mouse caught in a trap.

Back to the mythical shoe salesmen. The lie the Left would tell you is that these were indigenous people living in paradise and those nasty capitalists came and spoiled it. Not so. Terrible diseases can be transmitted not only from the Left, but physically from what bare feet pick up. Even in the U.S., . .

https://www.iheart.com/content/2021-11-05-deadly-parasite-that-enters-body-through-bare-feet-is-spreading-in-america/?

Dr. Syed Haider on Off label use of drugs

Dr. Syed Haider has his own website where you can ask questions. https://drsyedhaider.com/covid-19/covid-19-the-frontline-online? Definitely don't take FB warnings at face value. Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Government seem to be glued together in a very sticky snowball rolling down hill.

From his website discussing "off label" use.

"Many in the media and medical establishment have played up the fact that ivermectin (and earlier hydroxychloroquine) are unproven, off-label and therefore dangerous therapies.

So what is off-label use anyway?

It just means that the FDA has approved a medication for one use and it is being used for another.
Off-label prescribing is very common, reason being it costs a lot to fund clinical trials to “prove” a drug is effective for an indication, but if a drug is reasonably safe and there is good reason to believe it might work for a problem (e.g. test tube studies or just general physiological plausibility) physicians try it out on patients, especially when no other medications work.

Common examples of off-label use include all the following:

Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, carotid artery atherosclerosis, carotid artery stenting, primary prevention of colorectal cancer; acute migraine, PCI for stable ischemic heart disease, pericarditis, peripheral vascular disease, polycythemia vera, prevention of preeclampsia, prevention of thrombosis in: surgical prosthetic heart valve replacement, transcatheter aortic valve replacement and transcatheter mitral valve repair with MitraClip device; and the prevention of DVT after total hip or knee arthroplasty.

Ivermectin itself for ascariasis, demodicosis, gnathostomiasis, hookworm-related cutaneous larva migrans, lice, mansonella ozzardi infection, mansonella streptocerca infection, scabies, trichuriasis, and wucheria bancrofti infection (try telling someone with lice or scabies they can’t use a curative course of IVM because it’s off-label and thus unproven and too dangerous).

Ibuprofen for gout and pericarditis (if you’ve had gout you don’t need the FDA telling you high dose ibuprofen works – it’s rather obvious).
Wellbutrin/Bupropion for smoking cessation.
Neurontin/Gabapentin for bipolar, essential tremor, hot flashes, migraine prevention, neuropathic pain, phantom limb syndrome, and restless leg syndrome.
Magnesium sulfate for premature labor and preeclampsia.
Seroquel for insomnia.
Zoloft for premature ejaculation.
None of these would be used if, above all, practical experience, and after that many small, underpowered and somewhat flawed studies, did not show they worked.

(And from me for a public service) Modafinil for people with no thyroid so they can stay awake.

Advice for cancer patients

 Yesterday I decided to repack some of Phil's things in nicer boxes, and then to put the sympathy, get well, and thinking of you cards, notes and letters inside the boxes. There were well over 200 of those.  Of course, then I had to pause and reread them, which is sort of kick in the stomach, but I remember the comfort they brought us in the Spring of 2020 and when he died in April.  One is particularly worth sharing because it's good advice for cancer patients.  It's from his cousin who is 12 years older and was a great help to us in filing the paper work for social security disability (although the first check didn't arrive until after he died).

"I was hoping to be able to find words of strength and encouragement that I could share as you deal with all your health challenges.  But it's hard to find anything profound and helpful to say, though I wish I could.  I had cancer five years ago and it's a long, lonely journey in many respects--no one else can really understand what you're going through, even when someone has had cancer themselves. So I mostly just wanted to tell you to hang in there, keep fighting, and don't shut people out.  I wanted to do everything alone, and just be alone, and in retrospect I wish I'd let more people in and had been able to be more welcoming of the support.  At least more welcoming of the food people offered that we kept turning down!

My one cancer survival tip is to tell you to laugh every chance you can get--not an easy task on the days when it's hard to even get out of bed but it's worth creating every possible opportunity to do so.  For months I watched only comedies and comedy specials on TV.  I rented ridiculous movies, watched every stand-up comedian I could find, and went to every funny movie I could go to.  I was the only thing I enjoyed while going through treatment.  I'm sure the endorphins that laughter produces helped--but mostly it just felt like an escape and respite from doctors and hospitals and all the people hovering over me and all the cancer talk.

Completely unrelated but I also, for some reason, enjoyed putting together jigsaw puzzles--although not sure that's something you'd like.  I sounds pretty old-fashioned and dull (although as the most elderly of the Corbett cousins I'm sure it's my duty to share old-fashioned ideas), but I found it very soothing.  I was such a concrete and orderly thing to do, when everything else seem chaotic and out of control--I knew how to start with the edges, how to organize the colors, how to finish, how to rip it up when I was done.  And best of all I could do it even when my brain was foggy."

And she included Rolling Stone's list of the 25 funniest movies of all time.

CRT in the schools, and the Democrats' denial

Democrat talking heads on news TV are denying that CRT is being taught in schools [defending Democrats who lost Tuesday around the nation on school issues], which is ridiculous.

Let me explain. You'll find no courses described as "Critical Race Theory" in the curriculum description in public schools. That's probably the extent of the producers' research, if they've done any. It is a full system to assure that every child learns he is either a victim or an oppressor and skin color is the defining quality. Racism is not "systemic," but teaching about it certainly is from math to English to cooking (if any schools still teach that).

 
Every university and college has a DIE department (diversity inclusion equity) and it is bloated. If you don't believe me search any university with which you are familiar, and count noses. At Ohio State, these are just a few that fall under that umbrella: 

African and African American Studies
American Indian Studies
American Sign Language
Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator's Office
Asian American Studies
Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART)
Office for Disability Services
Disability Studies
Diversity and Identity Studies Collective at OSU
Council of Graduate Students Diversity Committee
Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity
Latino/a Studies
Multicultural Center
President and Provost's Diversity Lecture and Cultural Arts Series
Sexuality Studies
Undergraduate Student Government Diversity Committee
University Senate Diversity Committee
Office of Military and Veterans Services
The Women's Place
Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

The Buckeye football and basketball teams are not scrutinized for racial balance and equity.

The Wexner Medical Center at OSU has it's own list. I counted 27 people on its Advisory Council on DIE, and 2 vice chairs. Recent offerings are:

 
"Approaches to Reducing Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Mortality: Improved Risk Prediction for Black Women"
"Clinical Trials and Underrepresented Minorities: Mistrust, Misconceptions, Missed Opportunities and Moving Forward to Enhance Diversity"
"Black people from under-resourced neighborhoods are significantly more likely to die within five years of surviving a heart attack than Black people from wealthier neighborhoods and white people of all socioeconomic backgrounds."

And yet, reading through Wexner's own data, there are fewer minority males in medicine today than in 1978! I was in academe then, and I know there were many recruitment and special programs to bring in minorities.

 
Women are usually included in DIE departments, even if white and wealthy. Over 25 years ago I remember seeing posted in the building where I worked (Sisson Hall, veterinary medicine) a list of over 50 organizations and groups to help college female students! Must have worked for women because now females outnumber males in college--60% to 40%--and single, childless women have been earning higher wages than single, childless men upon graduation for over 15 years.

Each academic department in these schools of "higher learning" also have their own DIE departments and the universities also have departments of DIE that teach courses, usually in the humanities, leading to degrees. There must be jobs out there waiting for them in textbook companies, HR departments of businesses large and small, all levels of k-12 schooling, churches, marketing for TV commercials and magazines, etc. They definitely are NOT learning of the amazing achievements and progress of the past 50 years and the trillions the government has spent in establishing laws and regulations to assure that even the less than .1% trans-woman-disabled black has a good job and a fair deal.

The term POC, People of Color, keeps expanding and is frequently used in place of the term minority, which is why Dublin, Ohio (wealthiest suburb in Columbus area) politicians can claim the schools are 41% POC. Dublin is only 2.3% black, but almost 17% Asian, because so many executive and academic families choose to live there. Ohio's population is 12.3% black and 1.94% Asian. POC has become a marketing tool.

 
And DIE has become a necessity for every business, school, hospital, church, and club. But it's never enough. It must become an election issue because it is disguised racism and grievance policies for every group defined by color, ethnicity, ability level and sex. Oh, and fat has now joined in. Their word, not mine.

Update: "Defenders of CRT-inspired curricula and training programs often insist that these initiatives are aimed at teaching both the good and the bad in our nation’s history, and that opponents of racialized education are racists and neo-segregationists. In fact, these initiatives seek to advance a deeply divisive ideology of race essentialism, offering a distorted account of American life to promote a set of radical political ideas. That’s why the opposition to CRT has been so widespread and diverse, as evidenced by new data from Manhattan Institute and Echelon Insights. In a survey of 20 of America’s fastest-growing cities, parents oppose critical race theory in the public school curriculum by a massive 42-point margin, and a majority of black and Hispanic parents oppose CRT and support removing contentious “concepts such as white privilege and systemic racism” from the curriculum." Christopher F. Ruffo

Psalm 15, reflections from 1938 and 2021

This morning in my Magnificat (journal) reading for November 4, Psalm 15 was suggested. When I read it,  immediately my thoughts turned to the recent election and all politicians and candidates, issues and levies from city council to governor all over the nation. To me it said our leaders need to honor God in order to be successful.  So I turned to my favorite source on the Psalms, "Meditations in the Book of Psalms" by Erling C. Olsen which is based on his Sunday radio broadcasts during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Much to my surprise, I see I wasn't the only one who thought of politicians with this Psalm--so did President Franklin D. Roosevelt who was elected to 4 terms during the Depression and WWII. At the time of this telling, FDR was not yet a war time president, but a president who had been unable to keep his promise to get the country out of the Depression, in fact, his policies had deepened it as the federal government grabbed more and more power. In 1937 there had been another depression inside the Great Depression.

Olsen tells the following story: On the 5th anniversary of FDR's inauguration [1938] at a special church service at which this Psalm was read. . .it is reported that he suggested that this 15th Psalm of David was an appropriate lead for any story [reporters].  "The next morning the New York Herald Tribune obliged the President by printing the Psalm upon its front page.  This caused some controversy in the press (just like today) and Dorothy Thompson (very popular and influential columnist married to Sinclair Lewis) declared that it is extremely dangerous to quote the Bible in support of one's prejudices because the other side can always find just as appropriate a quotation. She even went so far, and correctly so, as to suggest that the devil can also quote Scripture.  Olsen goes on to say that it is unfortunate that the Bible is used this way (I don't think he was a fan of Roosevelt, nor am I) and that the Bible was never intended to be handled in a partisan way and can only be used by a spiritual man as he is guided by the Spirit of God.  Perhaps it was Roosevelt's speech that day in a church using scripture that Olsen disapproved of, but when I read it this morning, I immediately thought of November 2 and the election.

Psalm 15

1O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?

2Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;

3who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;

4in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;

5who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent.

 Those who do these things shall never be moved.

Thoughts by Mike on the Virginia victory--and I agree

Mike, a commenter at the NeoCon blog pointed out what we should all remember about the Virginia victory:

"Not to pull a black cloud out of a silver lining but it is important to remember that in order to get last night’s results, we literally had to have the top Democrat in Virginia say out loud in front of cameras “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach” AND we had to have a story break in the closing weeks of the campaign of a Virginia school literally covering up for a rapist, seemingly out of fear of offending the transgender community.

And even with all THAT, NBC News exit polls showed 62% of college-educated white women STILL voted for McAullife.

There’s a long fight ahead of us.
Mike"

Being a white, college-educated suburban woman myself, I sometimes suspect woman suffrage was a terrible mistake. They just seem to want to be taken care of, and the Democrat party promises that, but never delivers.

Our Joan is home, finally

"After a 10 day hospital stay; I am thankful to know the great Physician, for God’s healing and for all the prayers that were and still being lifted up for me. I praise God for His love, healing and mercy on me. I thank the Lord for the wisdom he gave to the medical doctors and for each nurse and tech, that cared for me. Thank you, Lord, for bringing me home."

In the past two weeks, we've had 10 relatives diagnosed with Covid, and five have been hospitalized (none in our city).  All are at home now, recovering.  Still quite sick. We'll continue the prayers and God's protection.

Virginia isn't for lovers this week

I see Associated Press is reporting that the GOP has politicized school board races. HA! During the lockdown, the parents found out how education has become very lopsided, kids are being force fed race based learning in all fields at the expense of real math, science, English and social studies, and merit and achievement are no longer valued. So maybe it's too late to fight fire with fire, but the awake are now fighting the woke.

I heard two views on the Virginia election which has become about education. 1) It will first appear that Youngkin wins, then in the middle of the night, votes for McAuliffe will pour in because Covid-era election rules are still in play. 2) The Democrats won't try that trick again, willing to sacrifice one governor because it will look too suspicious. But it will be tried again.

Did you see that FEMA is providing funeral assistance for families of those who died of the virus? But only those who died early in the pandemic--during the Trump administration. More people have died of the virus under Biden who had a 12 month head start on figuring out what to do and has a cozy relationship with China which started this mess. The policy was amended in late June 2021.
Shhhh.

On being a conservative in 2021

When I left the liberal left (i.e., the Democrat party) in 2000 I only knew about the one issue that mattered most to me: abortion. Democrats supported it, wanted it, lusted after it, used my tax money to support it, and campaigned on it. So I left the left--the party that said they cared about the workers and the little guys, but lied about it for years.

At the time, I didn't know much about Republicans except what I'd been told by academics and the media. They were bad I was told. I had to find out about "conservative" ideas and values on my own, because Republicans were sort of . . . spineless, and weak, and weren't good at selling their ideas. So here's what I'd like to see from Republicans--perhaps the impossible dream.

Attitudes/sentiments/beliefs for Conservatism

Family (I include pro-life protections in this)
Faith (freedom of religion for all faiths)
Fair (opportunities for all)
Patriotism (respect and honor for the country's history, values, laws)
Security (strong, but not corrupt or bloated, military)
Free markets (as little gov't interference as possible)
Safety net (for the unborn, the weakest, the elderly)
Practical, prudent policies (no more 2000 page bills no one reads)
Fiscally wise, low taxes (capitalism, but not oligarchs like Bezos owning Washington Post or Big Tech controlling the presidency)
Separation of the 3 branches of government as intended
Merit, intelligence, ambition and ability rewarded
Natural and built environment protected, but not worshipped
Local control where possible, national direction where necessary

and I'll add more as I think (or sleep) on it.

The Great Reset, the Plan

I don't often post unsourced material. Emerald Robinson posted this, and she says she can't figure out the author. It's called 

The Great Reset, The plan

Phase 1: Simulate a threat and create fear. (December 2019-March 2020)

>- Mount a pandemic in China.
> - Kill tens of thousands of elderly people.
> - Increase the number of cases and deaths.
> - Position vaccination as the only solution from the beginning.
> - Focus all attention on Covid-19.
> - Result: (almost) general panic.

- Phase 2: Sow the tares and division. (March 2020-December 2020)

> - Impose multiple unnecessary, liberticidal and unconstitutional coercive measures.
> - Paralyze trade and the economy.
> - Observe the submission of a majority and the resistance of a rebellious minority.
> - Stigmatize the rebels and create a horizontal division.
> - Censoring dissident leaders.
> - Punish disobedience.
> - Generalize PCR tests.
> - Create confusion between cases, infected, sick, hospitalized and dead.
> - Disqualify all effective treatments.
> - Hope for a rescue vaccine.
> - Result: (almost) general panic.

Phase 3: Bring a treacherous and deadly solution. (December 2020-June 2021)

> - Offer a free vaccine for everyone.
> - Promise protection and return to normality.
> - Establish a herd immunization target.
> - Simulate a partial recovery of the economy.
> - Hide statistics of side effects and deaths from injections.
> - Passing off the side effects of the injections as "natural" effects of the virus and the disease.
> - Recover the notion of a variant as a natural mutation of the virus.
> - Justify the maintenance of coercive measures by not applying the herd immunity threshold.
> - Punish health professionals for the illegal exercise of care and healing.
> - Result: doubts and feelings of betrayal among the vaccinated, discouragement among opponents.

Phase 4: Install Apartheid and the QR code. (June 2021-October 2021)

> - Voluntarily plan for shortages.
> - Impose the vaccination pass (QR code) to reward the vaccinated, punish the resistant.
> - Create an apartheid of the privileged against the others.
> - Take away the right to work or study from non-vaccinated.
> - Withdraw basic services to the non-vaccinated.
> - Impose PCR payment tests on non-vaccinated.
> - Result: First stage of digital control, impoverishment of opponents.

Phase 5: Establish chaos and martial law. (November 2021-March 2022)

> - Exploit the shortage of goods and food.
> - Cause the paralysis of the real economy and the closure of factories and shops.
> - Let unemployment explode.
> - Apply a third dose to the vaccinated (boosters).
> - Take up the murder of the living old men.
> - Impose compulsory vaccination for all.
> - Amplify the myth of variants, the efficacy of the vaccine and the immunity of the herd.
> - Demonize the anti-vaccinated and hold them responsible for the dead.
> - Arrest opposition leaders.
> - Impose digital identity on everyone (QR code): Birth certificate, identity document, passport, driving license, health insurance card, etc.
> - Establish martial law to defeat the opposition.
> Result: Second stage of digital control. Imprisonment or removal of opponents.

Phase 6: Cancel the debts and dematerialize the money. (March 2022-September 2022)

> - Trigger the economic, financial and stock market collapse, the bankruptcy of the banks.
> - To rescue the losses of the banks in the accounts of their clients.
> - Activate “the Great Reset.”
> - De-materialize money.
> - Cancel debts and loans.
> - Impose the digital wallet.
> - Seize properties and land.
> - Ban all global medicines.
> - Confirm the obligation to vaccinate semi-annually or annually.
> - Impose food rationing and a diet based on the Codex Alimentarius.
> - Extend the measures to emerging countries.
> Result: Third stage of digital control.

Praising God, by Scott

I watched Scott grow up in our church; sat behind his family for years. Now he's a pastor with many children, and I still watch him grow through Facebook. I don't know the details, but apparently there was an accident and his wife was driving. His praise and thanks are worth re-reading.

"Tonight I give thanks. My Deanna is okay—better than okay—after a box truck pulled in front of her this afternoon. A devastating and violent collision. Amazing fire rescue, police, and EMTs. And medical experts that have helped us navigate this evening. For phone calls and texts. For prayers and love. For the rescue of Ms Paula to watch my kiddos and Mr. William for his presence, comfort, and guidance through Piedmont Hospital. Tonight I give thanks because what was could have been so much worse. Tonight I give thanks for engineers and inventors who develop safety features for cars. Tonight I give thanks to the men and women who installed airbags on our van. You can see in the picture a cross. It has been hanging from our mirror for as long as we can remember. Tonight, I give thanks to our almighty God who has protected my wife through this day and has surrounded us by such a great cloud of witnesses. Tonight, I give thanks.

 
We are headed home from the hospital in a few minutes. All of Deanna’s tests and scans came back clear. Soreness is moving in for a little while. Gratitude—that is staying."

Physical therapy instead of drugs or surgery

My week has been “eventful.” Two physical therapy appointments and the guy came to measure for blinds. Woot!  Oh yes, and the Clark shoes I ordered came in just 4 days from Greenwood, Indiana.  I loved this "Mary Jane" style, and had been unable to find it.  Now I've ordered 2 and the athletic shoes.

I had 7 referrals last week from my doctor during my annual Medicare exam. Two were for physical therapy. My hands and my balance. Two problems that had been increasing probably the last decade. I've already been discharged from the hand therapy--and good news, I only needed a "tune up." The exercises I need to regain my dexterity and strength are very simple and require no special equipment--like stacking pennies, squeezing putty, paying attention to how I use my hands, using a special jar opener (he gave me one) and also playing solitaire, or just shuffling, stacking, manipulating cards, etc. He said stringing together safety pins would be good too, although I currently don’t have a package. I remember when I volunteered at PDHC I had to pin tags to baby booties (a gift when women come in for an ultrasound) and it was difficult for me to manipulate closing the pins over the yarn.

The hand therapist gave me a little package called “Hothands” which I think hunters and tailgaters use to keep their hands warm. They stay warm about 6 hours after they are exposed to air. I’m going to check around and see where they are sold, because it sure felt nice.  My hands always are stiff in cold weather.

The balance will take a little longer. But during the interview when I mentioned my periodic bouts with vertigo the last 2 years, she got right on that. Even though I am not having the trouble right now, when she did manipulation of my neck and head, she found lose crystals floating around I didn't know about. She said until we solved that problem, there would be no therapy for my balance. For the rest of the day I wasn’t suppose to bend or put my head back, and I couldn’t take a nap (that's the worst part), but by today all is in good shape. She told me even when I'm not aware of any vertigo symptoms (which I could have had for years), it's probably affecting my balance. So when I rolled over in bed this morning, I wasn’t dizzy.

I gave up my bike I think around 2010-11 because of poor balance, and I know I didn't have vertigo until a few years ago—or wasn’t aware of it. So, next week I go back and work on balance.

And it was a good week for LuLaRoe yoga pants.  The VOA has many racks of that brand since it went bankrupt, and the last Tuesday of the month VOA has a half-off sale.  So I bought four more at $3.50 each. Wild and crazy, but soft and comfy. I wore this one today with a bright pink shirt.

 

History of Civil Rights

"The Republican Party was not so badly split as the Democrats by the civil rights issue. Only one Republican senator participated in the filibuster against the [Civil Rights] bill. In fact, since 1933, Republicans had a more positive record on civil rights than the Democrats. In the twenty-six major civil rights votes since 1933, a majority of Democrats opposed civil rights legislation in over 80 % of the votes. By contrast, the Republican majority favored civil rights in over 96 % of the votes." From History of Filibusters at CORE, Congress of Racial Equality. 

Did you know that--there were 26 major civil rights bills to vote on before the 1964 Act. All supported by Republicans.


The 1957 Civil Rights law—the first significant measure to address African-American civil rights since 1875—established the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for two years, created a civil rights division in the U.S. Justice Department, and authorized the U.S. Attorney General to seek federal court injunctions to protect the voting rights of African Americans. It was pushed by the Eisenhower Administration, the NAACP and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Representative from NY. From History of U.S. House of Representatives.

Ohio State and enrollment data

Today I received The Office of Student Academic Success of Ohio State the 2021 Enrollment Report. I doubt that having Trump as their president made any difference at a state school, but the class of Trump 2020-2021 certain broke all the records. Those of you not familiar with Ohio State, the total enrollment for all campuses is 67,772. 71% of that enrollment is in just 3 areas, arts and sciences, business, and engineering and architecture. I thought it was going to be a report on academic success, given the name of the office, but it primarily focuses on minority enrollment and retention of the freshman class, and that is excellent. Also the highest record for minorities for the Trump class, I might add. That said, college retention is difficult if they aren't getting a good high school preparation, and 69.1% are Ohio residents. That said, the male/female ratio is not looking good, but I think that is happening all over the country. 46/54. For 50 years there has been a push to improve the chances of the women, and perhaps at the expense of the men. Now the trans movement can make it worse if all those gender dysphoric males are counted as females.

Incidentally, J.D. Vance, venture capitalist and author, graduated from Ohio State after getting a kick in the pants in the Marines and the Iraq War, then went on to graduate with a law degree from Yale. He's now running for Senate. If anyone knows American life from the ground up, it is Vance. Read his book, "Hillbilly Elegy."

Dennis Prager had Covid

Why would Washington Post care if Dennis Prager had Covid? WaPo published a long article on him when he announced he had Covid. It's not like people who have had the shot haven't gotten Covid, or died of Covid, nor that younger men haven't gotten myocarditis and pericarditis just from the shot. [see VAERS; it's an alarming number compared to other vaccines] He was sick a few days, and was back on the radio at work in 3 days despite being in the dangerous age group (and I might say, overweight, another of the co-morbidities).

 
Of course, that's a rhetorical question (needs no answer because it's obvious). It's a leftist newspaper, with staff who hated Trump (who got the vaccines on the market), and fights anything like Ivermectin and HCQ (recommended by Trump) that Big Pharma can't make a buck from because they are safe and easily available. Nor does it report anything negative about border jumpers who come in without a vaccine.

I've always been puzzled that a private business like a newspaper dependent on advertising (capitalism) would support Democrats, although that's also easy. They spend huge amounts lobbying for tax and business benefits. Essentially, Jeff Bezos, the owner of WaPo, is like a shadow government official. That way government can't control business, which is the way Conservatives would run government. Huge corporations like Amazon and Microsoft or Pfizer like higher taxes because they hurt the smaller business which might be competition in the future. It's like early abortions being less messy and easier than late term. Nip it in the bud, so to speak. Also, they can just move business off-shore. They can be smug and self-righteous about climate change or building codes or their daughters sharing bathrooms with boys because they'll never face the problem.

What you can say and what will get you cancelled

We can say, "China doll."
We can say, "dinner China."
We can say, "Chinese calligraphy."
We can say, " Chinese Communist Party.."
We can say, "Made in China."
We can say, "Chinese slave labor."
We can say, "all the tea in China."
We can say, "Chinese cabbage."
We can say, "Chinese silk."
We can say, "The great wall of China."

But we can't say, "The China Virus," even though the NIH and Congress have shown it to be so, and in February 2020 our major news outlets were calling it that.

"China virus outbreak has now killed six people and infected more than 300" CBS News, January 21, 2020.

"Economic impacts of Wuhan 2019‐nCoV on China and the world," Journal of Medical Virology, Feb. 18, 2020.

"News outlets contribute to anti-Asian racism with careless stock photos on coronavirus coverage." Media Matters, March 5, 2020

While Nancy Pelosi was calling Trump a racist for referring to a global threat as the "China virus," or the "Wuhan virus," which the media were also calling it, she was inviting tourists to come to San Francisco. ‘Come to Chinatown, we are careful, safe, and come join us.’ Fox News, Feb. 24, 2020.

Complete Lives Covid Protocol?

Lethal Connections: “Complete Lives” Morphs into “COVID Protocol” in America’s Hospitals

By Elizabeth Lee Vliet, MD

In a shocking departure from traditional hospital policies, a hospital admission has become like reporting to prison. Prisoners in America’s jails have more visitation rights than do COVID patients in America’s hospitals.

One family member, a professional psychologist with a career focus treating victims of trauma, said that in many hospitals COVID patients are treated “little better than animals.”

Shocking recordings of Mayo Clinic-Scottsdale and Banner Health System hospital executives have been released by an attorney on the Legal Advisory Council of Truth for Health Foundation, an Arizona public charity. Executives were discussing coordinated efforts to restrict fluids and nutrition for hospitalized COVID patients and to suppress all visitations for COVID patients.

The COVID protocol that hospital physicians must follow, in lockstep across the U.S., appears to be the implementation of the 2009-2010 “Complete Lives System” developed by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel for rationing medical care for people older than 50.

Dr. “Zeke” Emanuel, who was the Senior White House Health Policy Advisor to President Obama and has been advising President Joe Biden about COVID-19, stated in his classic 2009 Lancet paper: “When implemented, the complete lives system produces a priority curve on which individuals aged between roughly 15 and 40 years get the most substantial chance, whereas the youngest and oldest people get chances that are attenuated.”

“Attenuated” means rationed, restricted, or denied medical care that commonly leads to premature death.

In 2021, whistleblower doctors, nurses, attorneys, patient advocates, and journalists have exposed egregious hospital abuses, neglect of patients, denial of vital intravenous fluids and basic medicines to hospitalized COVID patients across the U.S.

The Complete Lives Protocol apparently derives from the 1990s UK National Health Service “Liverpool Pathway,” which in effect constituted euthanasia.

Now we see its malevolent manifestation in the “COVID Protocol.” Age-based rationing is happening every day on COVID units of our hospitals, since the overwhelming majority of COVID patients are older than 50, the age at which Emanuel claims that a life is “complete” and not worth the use of medical resources.

"Complete Lives System" and the "COVID Protocol" are pathways leading to suffering and premature death, mainly of older Americans. They achieve the government's goal of reducing Medicare costs. At the same time, hospitals make untold extra millions with extra incentive payments for COVID patients during their tortured path to death, while they are chemically and physically restrained and isolated from families, pastors, priests, and rabbis.

The heartbreaking story of Veronica Wolski, a well-known Chicago Freedom advocate, was widely publicized. Once hospitalized in ironically named Resurrection Hospital, Veronica was given remdesivir, which she had repeatedly refused, denied proper basic medical care that could have been life-saving, and was not allowed access to her family, priest, or healthcare power of attorney. The hospital blocked Veronica leaving the hospital when she and her attorneys demanded release. Her healthcare power of attorney was removed by hospital security. Veronica died alone as a medical prisoner in a Catholic hospital denied even a priest at the end of her life.

Unconscionable hospital violations of human rights, including even violations of the Geneva Convention codes established following World War II to prevent abuses of prisoners, are occurring daily across the U.S.

 
Patients are coerced to take rapidly approved drugs like Remdesivir, in spite of known risks of kidney and liver failure, and to be placed on ventilators, both of which bring in incentive payments and create huge profits for hospitals.

 
Patients are denied adequate fluids and nutrition, as well as vitamins, inhaled and intravenous corticosteroids, antibiotics, antivirals, and adequate doses of “blood-thinners” (anticoagulants).
Patients suffer inhumane isolation with use of chemical and physical restraints, in violation of existing guidelines for patient protection.

 
Hospitals are using law enforcement to deny access to hospital grounds for family and advocates.

Patients and their advocates have been denied information on benefits of early treatments and denied access to such treatment. Autopsies have confirmed many patients died because of inadequate doses of standard anticoagulation, even after family members went to court to demand therapeutic doses to help save lives.

Doctors and nurses risk their careers, their licenses, livelihoods, and even their lives as they courageously speak out to inform their patients and the public with life-saving information. One ICU physician colleague posted this on social media recently

"Just finished a 10-night stretch in the ICU. Patient bashing and blatant meanness have taken on a whole new level within our healthcare colleagues. How can we NOT spiral downwards towards despair when this behavior is allowed and is being normalized?? …I feel I’ve been thrown into a Mean Girls sequel. Making fun of patients and families for not being V’d is the cool thing now. . . . I don’t mind taking care of COVID patients. But this hateful vibe that has permeated my world is what’s going to end my career if it doesn’t end.”

Welcome to the brave new world of government-directed medical care carried out by obedient, profit-focused hospital executives eager for the government handouts of incentive payments for following the “COVID Protocol.”

(permission to publish, 10/26/2021)

Green New Steal in the $3.5 Trillion tax bill

$10 billion of the 2,465 pg., $3.5 trillion tax and spend, Green New Steal bill is for “Environmental Justice” College Programs. Heritage Foundation reports:

"Colleges and universities across the country are already awash in “ethnic studies” programs that primarily serve as a factory for producing left-wing activists.

Section 136601 of the spending bill would spend $10 billion on creating something similar for the environmentalist movement, calling for funding “environmental justice” programs in higher education."

Free money for activists, agitators, and terrorists.

8 Ridiculous “Green New Deal” Programs in Democrats’ Bloated Spending Bill | The Heritage Foundation

New Movie about the Biden Crime family--My Son Hunter

"Dynasty" Star John James will play the role of Joe Biden in the film, "My Son Hunter." "The script has it all. Money, power, greed, sex, drugs, and alcohol. It kind of reminds me of Dynasty . . . This is a common tale of a father’s ultimate love for his son, despite his major shortcomings. My Son Hunter is an inside look at the world of politics.”

 
The media, big tech, and the establishment worked overtime to coverup the truth about the Biden Family Corruption. Soon you'll be able to see the movie. 16% of Biden voters would have not voted for him, had they known this story.

mysonhunter.com It's crowd sourced.  Send your tax-deductible gift securely online or you can send your gift by check to: The Unreported Story Society, 578 Washington Blvd #802, Marina del Rey, CA 90292

The film’s producers are Irish filmmakers and journalist couple Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney (“Gosnell,” “FrackNation”). McAleer said they were thrilled to have James on board the project.
“Joe Biden is a complex character,” explained McAleer. “At times he mumbles and stumbles but he also is one the longest serving politicians in Washington who has become very wealthy during his time in public service. John is the perfect actor to portray that complexity.”

McAleer said My Son Hunter will be “Austin Powers meets King Lear meets House of Cards.”
“Joe and Hunter have this strange King Lear style relationship. Hunter can never live up to his fathers’ expectations. And although Joe loves Hunter, he sees him both as an addict who needs help and a business opportunity to be exploited. This conflict is what makes for the great drama.”

Decriminalizing shoplifting has hurt blacks

Decriminalizing shoplifting has hurt black communities and store owners, says Jason Riley in Wall Street Journal, Oct. 19. Walgreens has closed 22 stores in San Francisco where thefts under $950 are effectively decriminalized.

Using Target as another example, Mr. Riley notes the closure in recent years of Target stores in predominantly black sections of Chicago, Milwaukee, and Flint, Mich. in the wake of not only increased store thefts but also rioting, looting, and violent anti-police protests.

"If you are middle class and the nearest big-box store closes, you simply drive to a different one or its equivalent. But if you are a poor single mom without a car, your options are limited. You’ve just lost access, perhaps, to the closest, cheapest and widest variety of fresh produce, medicines and other goods. The alternatives are more-expensive convenience stores and less-healthy processed food for your family."

Mr. Riley says, "The fallout from antipolice protests in recent years has been all too predictable, as has the left’s response to it. Large employers quit urban areas after the riots of the 1960s as well, and some of those communities still haven’t fully recovered. Until the rule of law is restored and enforced, they probably never will."

How are our Democrats/socialists/progressives helping black communities? After destroying businesses with invitations to steal, they blame the investors and profit motive, and call the lack of retain or big box stores "systemic racism." Do all Democrats work for free? Do AOC and Bernie get paid? Do they have nice neighborhoods to shop in, or security guards to protect their belongings? And how about all those CRT free-lance workshops. Aren't they overpaid and living in abundance?

Why we shouldn't use the China model

Biden's cozy with China, but it isn't in good shape even though we seem to be using it as a model.

China has a birth dearth--also too few women. Only a few countries have abortion laws as gruesome and destructive as ours, and China is one of them. In the USA, motherhood and womanhood is being demeaned and destroyed (pregnant persons) by the trans agenda.

China has too few workers, and too few young people to fund retirement and pension plans. In the USA, we pay people to stay out of the work force and kill pensions with raging inflation.

China is killing off its millionaires and billionaires. Literally. As in dead. Our Congress is just trying to tax them out of existence.

 
China is experiencing a fossil fuel shortage and many may freeze or starve to death.

China wants to wipe out Taiwan, a democracy. We're destroying ours from within by electing the radical left wing of the Democrat party.

Xi is a devoted Communist. We should learn from him. China is at war with the USA and has been for decades.

 
Information from Steven W. Mosher as interviewed on World Over, Raymond Arroyo  https://youtu.be/6xNkbimfXnE

NSBA apologizes for its letter to Biden

The National School Board Association has apologized to its members (local school boards) for the mess it made of things by asking the "Biden administration to investigate whether alleged threats against school-board members constituted domestic terrorism."  There's still a lot they could have said, for instance, the provided no evidence and the letter seems to say, we used the wrong words to start this fire storm.  All sides in this controversy over the rights of parents, the secrecy and smugness of officials, and  appropriate venues for protest could stop using the Twitterverse as their source of information.  If there are threats against anyone (like having the FBI turn up and watch at a protest of 25 parents is seen as a threat by parents) then that's a matter for the local authorities--you don't need to go to the federal government for that!

This is the memorandum from the NSBA 

  

I don't know how they apologize to the thousands of parents whom they have intimidated and maligned. How do they apologize to the nation for lighting a fire in a forest of dead wood?

The National School Boards Association apologizes for letter (osba.org)

National School Boards Association Apologizes for Letter Comparing Parents to Terrorists (yahoo.com)

It’s the White House siccing the FBI on parents who question CRT nonsense (nypost.com)

AG Garland’s Message To Concerned Parents Is Clear: Shut Up Or Else (thefederalist.com)

Confession of the non-busy

In January 2018, one of our pastors preached on a topic that included use of time.  After the service, I told him I was probably the only person he knew who says, "I'm never busy." I almost never have too much to do. So I offered to write him a note about it. Today I found the note, but I'm not sure I ever gave it to him, and I don't know if I ever entered it here as a blog. After 18 years and my sloppy way of adding tags/subject headings I often can't find what I wrote even a few months ago.

"Here it is; the confession of a non-busy church goer. My husband says that isn’t true, but let me explain.

I’m efficient and reasonably neat, I’m a modest cook, and I don’t obsess much over details. I keep up with laundry, but don’t do a lot of cleaning. The bed is made as soon as I get up, dishes can wait a bit. I’m careful with money, tithe my income, invest wisely, and have no debt. We’ve never had a credit card balance—ever. We paid off our home mortgage in our 40s, and never had a college loan. That’s not being so smart—it’s mainly because we were born in 1938 and 1939 to parents who had been through the Depression.

When we were younger, we (mostly my husband) did do home maintenance like painting and repairs, now we hire that, and it’s more efficient and safer. I did wallpaper a bedroom once, and I think in the 1960s-1970s I might have made curtains. When our children were at home 1967-1987 I did things I don’t do today—like sewing, driving car pools, Campfire Girls leader, choir mother, but usually pretty short term, like BVS, or volunteering at their school. I didn’t push the kids to be joiners, but that was a losing battle, because if I didn’t enroll them in sports or after school activities they had no one to play with because all their friends were doing something away from our neighborhood. Still I had limits—mainly because I didn’t want all my time tied up. Some mommy stuff I did to actually keep busy—to feel a part of things, which I think you addressed this morning.

The modern women’s movement really took off in the early 70s and there was a lot of pressure on women to bring in a second income. I crunched some numbers and figured out it didn’t pay, but did return to work part time (no summers) when the kids were about 3rd-4th grade. But keep in mind, our Upper Arlington middle class life style in the 70s would be poverty today—one TV, one car, no AC, rarely eating out, no phone contracts or cable bills (our cable bill is higher than our mortgage was when we had one—not adjusted for inflation), etc.

When I was working (as an academic librarian, veterinary medicine, Agriculture, Latin American studies, Russian language studies from 1966-2000 with time out from 1968-1978 for children, etc.) I avoided joining committees. However, it was required for my promotion and tenure to Associate Professor, so I didn’t volunteer much for task forces, or ad hoc stuff. Committees are time eaters and empire builders for the chair, whether at work, in organizations or at church. I was busy one year—the budget had been cut and I lost some employees and had to do their work, but it only lasted about 4 months. I was blessed with some great assistants. Before my annual review I would put a box under my desk and put everything from the top of the desk in it so the office would look good when my boss visited. 6 weeks later I’d go through it, and most stuff could be tossed. I still do that occasionally because my desk at home gets messy.

I believe people are busy to feel a need. God made us to be creative, be in relationship with Him, and after the Fall, to work. Our modern life is really pretty easy, but it’s sedentary. I think I read recently that because of our lifestyle and life span, the average adult American has about 40 years of leisure counting week-ends, holidays, and retirement.

But the key is pressure. I just hate feeling pressured, and it doesn’t matter if it’s internal or external. As I’ve aged and my memory isn’t what it once was, I’ve had to start making lists, something I resisted for years. I feel pressured with a list waiting for me. But. That energizes many people. They need something pushing, nagging, chastising them for not doing better, not doing more, not being more efficient. They thrill at making a line though something on the list. That just doesn’t work for me—makes me feel rebellious and anxious, like a failure. I try not to schedule more than one thing a day—can’t always avoid it—like maybe a medical appointment and lunch with friends may fall on the same day. I try to consciously schedule something social, because I know it’s good for me, like exercise.

I know people who say to me, “You blog? (or you paint? Or you have time to read?) I just don’t have time to do that.” And my response is, “I don’t have time to play tennis or golf.” (I hate competitive sports and am no good at it, never have been.) People are as busy as they want to be, and everyone uses time differently. I’m retired. If time is money, I’m a millionaire. Every verb we use with money we use with time. Spend it; invest it; use it; waste it; etc."

If I wrote more, I haven't found it.  If I've posted this before, I also haven't found it!

Darlene's prayer for the Border Control

Heavenly Father, We thank you for the border patrol and their passion to keep us safe. But we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. Lord we pray that each member of the border patrol know YOU and that every day they put on the full armor of God . We pray that wisdom for them right now.

We thank you for the fact that they were able arrest more lawless people but Lord we know they are probably tired so we ask your anointing for supernatural energy be on them. Some are at home with families. May they know your rest. May they enjoy their families and not take the job home with them.

We also praise you for the arrests, but ask for all the guilty perpetrators to be convicted and put in prison not released like some from the left are requesting continuously. Father we pray for the  lawless that they, too would come to the full knowledge of God. That they would have encounters and come to know you.

We praise you for these mighty men and women securing our borders. We pray for revelations and encounters for them also that they would know YOU ARE WITH THEM. Just like Elisha and his servant . . . may they see who is with them ( 2 Kings 6:16) So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” 16“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.…

Pray this over them regularly as Holy Spirit directs. And praise God for the victories.... Darlene

I remember when Democrats believed in borders

I'm so old I remember when Democrats cared about the country. We don't/ can't have a country without borders.

In 2005, Senator Barack Obama said, "We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, unchecked and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country."

In 2006, Senator Barack Obama said, “Those who enter our country illegally, and those who employ them, disrespect the rule of law. And because we live in an age where terrorists are challenging our borders, we simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, and unchecked. Americans are right to demand better border security and better enforcement of the immigration laws,”

 
In 2006, Senator Joe Biden said, "Let me tell you something, folks, people are driving across that border with tons, tons--hear me, tons--of everything from byproducts from methamphetamine to cocaine to heroin, and it's all coming up through corrupt Mexico."

In 2008, Joe Biden said, “Now, I know I’m not supposed to say it that bluntly, but they’re the facts, they’re the facts. And so everything else we do is in between here. Everything else we do is at the margins. And the reason why I add that parenthetically, why I believe the fence is needed does not have anything to do with immigration as much as drugs.”

In 2009, Senator Chuck Schumer said, "Illegal immigration is wrong, plain and simple. . . When we say “undocumented worker,” we are refusing to say it’s wrong and the American people think we’re not serious about changing it. I think it is illegal. . . People who enter the United States without permission are illegal aliens and illegal aliens should not be treated the same as people who enter the U.S. legally." https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10156156092545090&t=9 

Listen carefully to what Schumer says about the American people believing they are serious about reform.

Perhaps these Democrats believe now that since they INVITED thousands to come, putting their lives in danger, subjecting women and children to trafficking that it's no longer illegal?

The mis-named Women's Health Protection Act of 2021

This is the Leftists' reaction to the Texas Heartbeat Law. If enacted, the Women’s Health Protection Act would endanger essentially all state-level abortion restrictions, existing state and federal conscience protection laws, and various provisions limiting taxpayer funding for abortions.

H.R.3755 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2021--The most anti-life, anti-woman piece of legislation ever proposed by loyal, devoted Catholic Speaker Pelosi. It uses every intersectional and CRT term you can imagine. It lies about Black women, who bear the brunt of abortions. This Act which has "women" in the title, uses "person" more often in the language than women. Since only women have babies, it ought to be tossed just for that reason. Not once does it mention the ghoulish methods used to kill late term babies or the selling of their body parts.

"To protect a person’s ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy,"

"for the preservation of the life or health of the person who is pregnant."

"access to abortion services is critical to the health of every person capable of becoming pregnant. "

 
"This Act is intended to protect all people with the capacity for pregnancy—cisgender women, transgender men, non-binary individuals, those who identify with a different gender,"

"unduly burdening people’s personal and private medical decisions" [seems that doesn't matter for the jab where the power of the feds can force you out of your job]

"where a person’s life and health is at risk" [but not the little person who matters the most--U.S. is one of 4 countries in the world where a baby can be aborted on the due date]

"Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize any government to interfere with a person’s ability to terminate a pregnancy" [at any time for any reason, and no previous care before termination is required]

"affect a person’s constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy," [there is no such right in the Constitution]

This is NOT HEALTH. This is legalizing murder and shifting more power to the federal government than it already has.

More Radical Than Roe: House Abortion Bill Would Repeal Existing Laws, Prohibit Future Pro-Life Laws | The Heritage Foundation

Herschel Walker, Senate Candidate, guest blogger Brian Rhodes

Now that Herschel Walker is running for U.S. senate, liberals have begun their inevitable attack on him. I just saw one person refer to him as a pea brained idiot. Uh huh sure, a pea brained idiot who overcame a speech impediment and bullying as a kid and then went on to become valedictorian of his high school class, a Heisman trophy winner in college, a professional football player, an Olympic athlete, an mma fighter, and a successful business man who started renaissance man foods in 1999 which he’s now grown into the largest minority owned poultry company in the United States providing jobs and financial security to hundreds of people. He also bought into a drapery company in North Carolina that supplies curtains for hotels across the country, and has helped to grow that company exponentially through his involvement. In addition to that, he founded H. Walker Enterprises, LLC and started his own promotions company out of Atlanta that works with Fortune 500 companies on promotional goods. What’s more, is that he’s actually hands on and serves as chief executive for all 3 of his companies. But yeah! Just some dumb former athlete right!?- Brian Rhodes

Diane notes:  He also did all of his athletic achievements without ever lifting weights. He did sit ups and push ups and simple things like that to strengthen himself because he couldn't afford to train at a gym or own weights when he was younger.

Soros funds Facebook fact-checkers

"Currently, Facebook has more than 60 partners who fact-check content in more than 50 languages ​​worldwide. As Remix News has previously reported, 18 out of 20 members of Facebook's global fact-checking board have ties to George Soros, who has provided funding to liberal causes around the world, including over $50 million he's spent on defeating President Donald Trump and efforts to undermine conservative governments in Hungary and Poland.

Soros' influence on the social media giant does not end with Facebook's global fact-checking board, though. He also funds or indirectly funds the third-party fact-checkers that have partnered with Facebook in specific countries, including Great Britain, the United States, and Spain. Increasingly, the fact-checkers he funds are also located in Central Europe, with Remix News identifying at least eight out of 11 countries in the region where the fact-checking organization is a Soros-funded group (a number of countries, such as Hungary, Serbia, and Romania, still have no official Facebook third-party fact-checker or no such information was available at time of publication)."

Definitely an incorrect term. He's not a fact-checker, he's a fact-butcher.

George Soros funds 8 out of 11 of Facebook's fact-checking organizations in Central and Eastern Europe - Transparency International Hrvatska -

Wake up about Woke

Even with Republican Presidents Bush and Trump, the deep state was busy sowing dissent among government employees and had been for a long time. The current unrest--rioting, destroying businesses and tearing down statues--didn't start with the death of George Floyd or the Ferguson effect. It began in the 1930s in academe and by the time the rest of us "woke" up, it had taken root in most government agencies, and blossomed into our public schools, non-profits, think tanks, and the HR departments of corporations. Even some of our churches were reaping the thistle crops.

The FBI was holding workshops on intersectionality theory as well as diversity and inclusion.

 
Former CIA boss John Brennon, who lied under oath about Trump, declared he's infused with "white guilt" for being a white male. Brennan’s plan required diversity training and included agency-wide “unconscious bias” training.

The Department of Homeland Security was telling white employees they were committing microinequities and had been socialized to be oppressors.

The Army had launched Project Inclusion and is moving to stamp out "unconscious bias" a malicious theory that white people are born with inert bias in their genetic makeup that they are unaware of.

 
The Treasury Department was requiring training sessions to tell staff members that virtually all white people contribute to racism and needed to convert to "antiracism."

Sandia National Laboratories (nuclear) sent white male executives to 3 day reeducation camps and were taught that white male culture was analogous to the KKK, white supremacists, and mass killings.

 
This is loosely known as critical race theory and burbles with words difficult to define but quick to lob a bomb such as equity, diversity, inclusion, cultural sensitivity, microaggression, and links arms with transitioning of sexes, cisgender and militant feminism.

 
The movement is moving more quickly than most Conservatives can comprehend. Bush just grinned, and Trump was slow to do anything, or maybe couldn't imagine that our freedom loving, capitalist country was eroding so quickly. And then when he did take action, was roundly criticized by the MSM and Leftist think tankers using their template--racism. But he was the first president to act against this threat. Now Biden, of course, has it in full swing again, as you can see from his disastrous Afghanistan move with the weak generals.

Wake up, don't be forced to accept woke lies. Vote even in the lower level campaigns that you would usually ignore--city council, school board, judges, school and library bond issue. Remember, non-citizens are allowed to vote in some states in local elections. Who brings them in? Democrats. Write or protest to your representatives. Support the writers and speakers and pastors who are knowledgeable. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Speak up. The next time you're accused of racism because you have common sense and are a patriot, push back. Refuse the workshops on diversity training. Bring a lawyer if you must. Be the Paul Revere of our era--there's a battle to be won and they aren't slowing down. They've got a 30 year head start.

Critical Race Theory is Marxism, simply substituting color of skin for class. Wealth, social position and education level are all fluid in the United States. With skin color, the Left has a never ending source of jealousy, resentment and vilification.

https://www.manhattan-institute.org/critical-race-theory/all?

Homeroom: I’m Concerned About Wokeness at My Child’s School - The Atlantic

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2020/08/13/americas-top-nuclear-weapons-maker-was-subjected-to-a-white-privilege-re-edu-n2574297?

Workers who are paid not to work--a Biden disaster

Some of you think those economy crippling benefits have stopped. They haven't. If your favorite restaurant closes or shop owner locks the door, it may not be supply chain. It's no one will work when being paid to stay home.

 
"Back in July, the federal government was still paying enhanced benefits to the unemployed—even though many in Washington, including prominent Democrats, were warning that the federal handouts on top of state unemployment payments were creating a big disincentive to go back to work. That extra federal payment, which had begun under President Trump and was extended by Biden last March, finally ended in early September, but other federal aid continues. The IRS, for instance, now pays families a child tax credit that has expanded to $3,600 per child under six and $3,000 per older child. A recent study estimated that this lucrative benefit, if it becomes permanent as some Democrats have proposed, could prompt up to 1.5 million more mostly low-income parents to leave the workforce over the next few years. Meantime, the Treasury Department has told states that they can use some of the $350 billion stimulus money Washington was sending them to support and expand their own unemployment benefits."

https://www.city-journal.org/biden-policy-encouraging-worker-shortages?

Even before the Covid-induced recession struck, public policy in America had been increasingly discouraging work through expanded and more generous disability payments, longer bouts of enhanced, less restrictive unemployment benefits, and more generous social-welfare payments. One consequence: the ranks of the permanently unemployed have grown in America. In the last 20 years alone, the country’s labor-participation rate shrank from nearly 68 percent of adults to just 63 percent right before the Covid lockdowns began. Then in March 2020, the rate slipped below 61 percent—an unprecedented drop. Since then, it’s climbed less than halfway back to pre-Covid level, despite widespread business re-openings and help-wanted signs everywhere. More people are getting used to not working, and the Biden administration’s proposals for expanding federal aid programs will do little to lure them back.