Ten degrees and cold, but thankful

I keep a gratitude notebook, and despite all my blessings, sometimes I draw a blank. That's when I write down the truckers, miners, USPS, the grocery workers, the linemen, the snow removal employees, and all the other people who showed up when we were forced into a lockdown that didn't work.

And today I'm grateful that last night our son-in-law brought over his folding walker with wheels that he used during his hip surgery recovery. Yesterday about 6:30 a.m. I was sitting at the kitchen table writing in my gratitude journal and felt a familiar pain slowly move up my pelvis. Usually that happens if I've moved furniture, or sneezed or unloaded the dishwasher.  This may be the new "normal."  Back pain for no reason.  So, I'm learning to maneuver it, and have even found a cloth purse to attach to it to carry my cell phone, or even my breakfast in a plastic container.

For this type of back strain, it must be ice and not heat (causes swelling).  Sitting is worse than standing which is worse than lying down. I have a few things on the schedule this week.  A hair cut tomorrow and senior Bible study on Thursday to which I'm supposed to bring the snack. We now have more than 1/4 inch of snow, so that could cause additional problems. My plans for yesterday were to do a number of loads of laundry, so that's been put on hold too.

What is Woke?

Richard Hanania is an American writer and political science researcher. He has written for such publications as The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Quillette. He is the author of ‘The Origins of Woke: Civil Rights Law, Corporate America, and the Triumph of Identity Politics’

Where Woke REALLY Comes From - Richard Hanania (youtube.com)

00:00 Introduction00:32 The Definition of Woke 04:33 Are Conspiring or Well-Meaning People at It’s Roots? 08:02 How is Wokeness Affecting Law in America? 11:20 The Impact of Social Media on the Woke Movement 17:12 How Can Legal Quotas Be Filled in Certain Sectors? 19:30 Does Disparity Equal Discrimination? 23:17 Can Reparation Ever Be Made for Historical Guilt? 27:45 Fixing the Civil Rights Laws 31:53 Why Haven't Past Republican Presidents Tackled These Issues? 35:52 Have We Reached Peak Woke? 41:49 Richard's Past Writings and Views 47:05 Is the Backlash Worse than the Woke People? 52:38 Richard's Take on the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict 1:00:12 What's the One Thing We're Not Talking About?

Cairo Genizah and the Wisdom of Ben Sira

 The book of Ecclesiasiticus (church book) also called Sirach or Wisdom of Ben Sira is part of the Catholic, Orthodox, Syriac Peshitta, Coptic and African canons, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church with 81 books.  It does not appear in the Protestant canon, having been removed during the Reformation.  Although I've enjoyed reading Sirach when it appears as part of the liturgy, I didn't know about its discovery in Hebrew in 1896 until our book club read Sisters of Sinai, How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels by Janet Soskice (2009).

https://youtu.be/mSVPUU8unms?si=xgFChUUoM_UOb369   Sisters of Sinai - Janet Soskice on Scottish Twins Agnes Lewis & Margaret Gibson YouTube lecture

18 facts about the Cairo Genizah

"14. The Original Hebrew Ben Sirah Was Discovered There

"Ben Sira is part of what is known as the Apocrypha—works of Jewish wisdom that were not included in the 24 Books of the Hebrew Bible. In fact, it was when two sisters, Agnes Lewis and Margaret Gibson, found a piece of Hebrew Ben Sirah (which they could not identify) that scholars realized what a treasure the Geniza was. This work—quoted numerous times by the Sages—had only survived in Greek. Thanks to the Geniza (and the Dead Seas Scrolls), at least six sections of Ben Sira in Hebrew have been rediscovered."

The Cairo Genizah - Its History and Importance - Chabad.org

The Book of Sirach - Intro (youtube.com) Ben Sira

How the wisdom of Ben Sira has impacted the church (Sirach, Ecclesiasticus, Apocrypha) (youtube.com)

Ben Sira (also known as Sirach or Ecclesiasticus) is one of our most important sources of ancient Hebrew literature. It is also one of 7 books that belong to the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books of the Bible. This great source from second temple Judaism has played an important role to the Christianity since the early church. Our guest, Peter Beckman, is completing his PhD at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario and is a pastor at a Lutheran church. We discuss a number of topics * The placement (or lack thereof) of Ben Sira in the biblical canon * The different names for the book and what they show * The author of Ben Sira * The differences between the Hebrew and Greek versions * The purpose, style, and message of the book of Ben Sira * The unique prologue to the Greek version of Ben Sira * How Ben Sira navigates challenges that people of faith deal with today * How Ben Sira interprets Scripture * The “canon consciousness” of Ben Sira * We have a little debate about literacy and the target audience of Ben Sira * How has the book of Ben Sira been used in the church throughout history up to today in different denominations * How all wisdom should lead to worship and prayer

https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/bibliographies/genizah/search?query=2665&queryType=TITLEID Palestinian Syriac texts : from palimpsest fragments in the Taylor-Schechter collection, Cambridge Digital Library

https://oxfordre.com/classics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-8128 Oxford Dictionary, Ben Sira

"Welcome to www.bensira.org, the website devoted to the ancient and medieval Hebrew manuscripts of the book of Ben Sira. These documents, which are housed in Cambridge, Oxford, London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, and Jerusalem, are here presented in a single platform, to allow the scholar and the interested layperson to view these precious texts. To learn more about the remarkable recovery of the once-lost Hebrew original of Ben Sira, and its presentation at our website, click on 'Introduction'. To proceed directly to the images of the disparate manuscripts, click on 'View the Manuscripts'. We invite you to explore, peruse the website, and learn more about the book of Ben Sira, its contents, and its textual history."  https://www.bensira.org/  The book of Ben Sira [website]

"The known and published textual witnesses of Ben Sira in Hebrew are as follows: the five manuscripts discovered in the Cairo Genizah, beginning in 1896; the Ben Sira Scroll from Masada, discovered in 1964; fragments of Ben Sira found in two caves at Qumran (cave 2 and cave 11); quotations from Ben Sira scattered throughout the talmudic and midrashic literature; and the ancient Greek and Syriac translations.

In 1982, another manuscript from the Cairo Genizah was discovered by the Hungarian scholar Alexander Scheiber in the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Collection (Additional Series) at Cambridge. Scheiber published the manuscript in a Hungarian journal that was not generally accessible to
the scholarly community.4 He identified the new manuscript as belonging to the same source as that of MS D from the Cairo Genizah. . . . Di Lella’s  conclusion is that this is a totally new Genizah manuscript of Ben Sira, which he designates MS F. (Linguistic Innovations in Ben Sira Manuscript F. by Haim Dihi, Hebrew in the Second Temple Period; The Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls and of Other Contemporary Sources, 2013)  Linguistic Innovation in Ben Sira Manuscript F | HAIM DIHI - Academia.edu

Key Aspects and Themes in Recent Scholarship on the Book of Ben Sira | Markus Witte - Academia.edu

FBI Undercover assets or enemies

"A member of Congress investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol estimates the FBI had 200 undercover assets both inside and outside the building.

“We believe that there were easily 200 FBI undercover assets operating in the crowd, outside the Capitol, embedded into groups that entered the Capitol or provoked entry of the Capitol,” Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., said. " (Daily Signal)

Let's assume they were working on intelligence, and intended to STOP a riot and protect the Capitol. They FAILED. So let's look at plan B. They infiltrated a small group to make it worse by inciting them to riot and encouraging them in order to make Trump supporters look bad. They succeeded.

 
So, let's look at other riots during the Trump administration, like George Floyd in 2020. Those riots were infiltrated by large numbers of undercover assets, because they have informants in every special interest group. Did the government operatives fail or succeed? In the process, many black neighborhoods were torched and black businesses destroyed. Many people were killed or injured in the riots. Insurance companies will be reluctant to serve those areas. People will move out. But it gained huge sympathy for black radicals and launched a sympathy vote and defund police campaign. The founders of BLM sucked in millions in donations. Success comes in many flavors.

 
FBI lost count of number of informants at Capitol on Jan. 6: ex-official (nypost.com)

https://news.yahoo.com/real-takeaway-black-lives-matter...

Arrived and it's really cold today

Dreo Space Heaters for Inside, 2023 New Portable Electric Heater with Remote, 70® Oscillation, 1500W PTC Ceramic Fast Safety Heater with Thermostat, ECO Mode, 12H Timer, Heater for Office, Bedroom.

Bob's Man Cave is always cold, summer and winter. This might help.

A review of the lies and censorship of the last four years

It's hard to keep up. This past week there was news about Hunter Biden, but was it just in 2020 we learned about the laptop? How the information of his selling his father's influence when he was vp was withheld in a HUGE election fraud with the media lying to protect Biden. And the Twitter files and Matt Taibbi being so rudely treated by Democrats? For a quick review of the last four years and how badly Americans have been treated, watch https://www.judicialwatch.org/censored-and-controlled/ It exposes the bro-mance between Big Gov and Big Tech, Big Media, Big Pharma. There are 4 parts. A good review.

Biden's lies about George Washington and Democracy

Joe Biden gave a speech at Valley Forge on January 5. It was embarrassing. He got so much wrong. Who writes his speeches? George Washington never used the word "democracy" at Valley Forge, but good old Joe used the word 29 times! He said it was the whole point of what Washington was fighting for. He said democracy is on the ballot in 2024. No! Democracy is for mobs, and the Founders didn't want that. They designed a Constitutional Republic.** Joe also again for the umpteenth time called a riot at the capitol an insurrection which might destroy the sacred cause for which Washington and his men fought for. He lied about their cause, but he's allowing mobs to roam our streets and demand death to Jews and has not said anything. While funding two wars, he's allowing an invasion at our southern border and is doing nothing to stop it. Both are far greater threats than anything that happened on January 6, 2021.

**A constitutional republic is a form of government in which the head of the state, as well as other officials, are elected by the country’s citizens to represent them. Those representatives must then follow the rules of that country’s constitution in governing their people. Like the U.S. government, a constitutional republic may consist of three branches – executive, judicial, and legislative – which divide the power of the government so that no one branch becomes too powerful.

An analysis of his campaign speech at Valley Forge can be found at thepublicsquare.com .


All reactions:1Sue

Scams are every where

Caution. Don't fall for scams.

This morning I received via e-mail:

"Hello Customer,

Due to a pr󠆚󠆚obl󠆚󠆚em with your ca󠆚󠆚r󠆚󠆚d, we were unable to ch󠆚󠆚arg󠆚󠆚e your ac󠆚󠆚cou󠆚󠆚nt $1󠆚󠆚3.9󠆚󠆚9 and applicable ta󠆚󠆚xe󠆚󠆚s for your next 1 month of Am󠆚󠆚azo󠆚󠆚n Pr󠆚󠆚im󠆚󠆚e. Your m󠆚󠆚embe󠆚󠆚rshi󠆚󠆚p ben󠆚󠆚efit󠆚󠆚s are currently on h󠆚󠆚ol󠆚󠆚d. 

You may need to up󠆚󠆚dat󠆚󠆚e your p󠆚󠆚aym󠆚󠆚ent details though – Click the button below and follow the on-screen instructions"

This one was easy. I don't have Amazon Prime. But you might. Many scams are out there imitating real companies--using believable logos--we recently were caught by one pretending to be our cable provider. I get other e-mails and texts supposedly from UPS, or just a simple, "Hi, I haven't heard from you for a while," or "Did I miss your call" without any name. Don't give any recording or "person" (could be AI) any information like your SS or credit card number.

 
It's a mess to clean up, and they move faster than we can to correct it. There are bad people out there, and they aren't all in D.C.

Fourteen Trillion

$14 trillion. That's what Covid + lockdown cost us. "Workplace absences, and sales lost due to the cessation of brick-and-mortar retail shopping, air travel and public gatherings, contributed the most. At the height of the pandemic, in the second quarter of 2020, our survey indicates that international and domestic airline travel fell by nearly 60%, indoor dining by 65% and in-store shopping by 43%. . . . The toll we estimate that it took on the nation’s gross domestic product is twice the size of that of the Great Recession of 2007-2009. It’s 20 times greater than the economic costs of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and 40 times greater than the toll of any other disaster to befall the U.S. in the 21st century to date." 

COVID-19’s Total Cost to the U.S. Economy Will Reach $14 Trillion by End of 2023 – USC Schaeffer 

And how do you put a price tag on stealing our young people's youth and what they might have learned in school?The mental depression. The drug use. They were the least likely to get Covid yet they may have paid the biggest price.

So much of this was unnecessary. Too many ignorant people were given an enormous amount of power. What can we do to prevent it from happening again.

A Slavery Teaching Act named for Kamala Harris

"The "Kamala Harris Truth in Slavery Teaching Act" was filed Wednesday in both the Florida House and Senate. Under the bill, educators would need to meet several requirements when teaching "the history of African Americans."

The requirements include teaching which "political parties supported slavery," something its authors argue is currently ignored in most curriculums." Of course, that would be the truth about the Democrat Party's involvement in keeping black Americans down. Through the Civil War, KKK, Jim Crow, right up to the 60s and the Civil Rights Act--which wouldn't have passed without Republican support.

 
And if it were me, I'd add the truth about how Planned Parenthood, a campaign front for Democrats, has killed generations of black citizens through abortion campaigning.

Florida bill named after VP Harris would require teaching that Democrats supported slavery | WSTM (cnycentral.com)

Abortion in the U.S.: What the data says | Pew Research Center

I've often said we have 2 parties--the evil party and the stupid party.  Finally Republicans are starting to dish out what Democrats usually do.

Sensible advice to share--Depression tips

We’re heading into the darkest days of winter - it’s important to do self care, even if that’s just getting one thing done in a day.

DEPRESSION TIPS:

Shower. Not a bath, a shower.
Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you gotta.

Moisturize everything.
Use whatever lotion you like.
Unscented? Dollar store lotion? Fancy 48 hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers? Use whatever you want, and use it all over your entire dermis.

 
Put on clean, comfortable clothes.
Put on your favorite underwear.
Those ridiculous boxers you bought last Christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? Put them on.

Drink cold water.
Use ice. If you want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.

 
Clean something.
Doesn’t have to be anything big. Organize one drawer of a desk. Wash five dirty dishes. Do a load of laundry. Scrub the bathroom sink.

 
Blast music.
Listen to something upbeat and dancy and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.

Make food.
Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. Take the time and make food. Even if it’s ramen. Add something special to it, like a soft boiled egg or some veggies. Prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something.

 
Make something.
Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it. Create.

 
Go outside.
Take a walk. Bundle up if you have too. Listen to whatever birds winter where you are, watch the squirrels, admire whatever lights are in the trees. Go to the mailbox, send a letter, a bill, a card.

 
Call someone.
Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. Talk to a stranger on the street. Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. If you can’t bring yourself to call, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. Even if you don’t say much, listen to them. It helps.

 
Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them.
Take pictures of them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.

 
May seem small or silly to some, but this list keeps people alive.

Abortion statistics, 2023

For the 5th year abortion was the leading cause of death worldwide in 2023, topping infectious diseases and cancer.

Abortion was the top cause of death worldwide in 2023 | Politics News (christianpost.com)

Abortion Statistics - Worldometer (archive.org)

What looks like job growth isn't really

What’s driving American job growth? Wall St. Journal reports that in progressive states, it’s government, social assistance and healthcare. Only a Democrat blue state resident could think that is healthy.  Pay Wall, but it's easily confirmed by checking the Bureau of Labor statistics.

"Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 216,000 in December. Job growth averaged 225,000 per month in 2023, compared with the average monthly gain of 399,000 in 2022. In December, employment continued to trend up in government, health care, social assistance, and construction, while transportation and warehousing lost jobs." Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Summary, December 2023

19,000 college students meet to praise God

Only the Catholic news outlets are covering this story--19,000 college students attend a religious conference. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration and the Pope himself try to fight Traditionals who want Latin Mass and American values. "An even greater number of participants is expected on Wednesday evening, when Catholics from the St. Louis area are invited to join conference attendees for a massive session of Eucharistic adoration. Last year, more than 1,800 local St. Louisans joined in adoration and more than 500 priests heard more than 3,000 confessions in two hours. FOCUS spokesperson Kate Milligan said they hope to surpass 24,000 attendees for this year’s adoration session."

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256423/massive-attendance-enthusiasm-at-fellowship-of-catholic-university-students-conference?

Aging well research was ignored during Covid longdown

This Harvard study (2017) on longevity, good health and happiness isn't surprising. Many other studies have shown similar results. So why was all this research ignored in 2020-2022 when people were denied relationships with family, friends and community and locked inside their homes? Our taxes paid for the research--we should be demanding answer. Power (Biden and Fauci) and money (Big pharma) would be my guess. Over nearly 80 years, Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life — Harvard Gazette

"Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives, the study revealed. Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes. That finding proved true across the board among both the Harvard men and the inner-city participants."

"In a book called “Aging Well,” Vaillant wrote that six factors predicted healthy aging for the Harvard men: 

physical activity,

absence of alcohol abuse 

and smoking, 

having mature mechanisms to cope with life’s ups and downs, and 

enjoying both a healthy weight and 

a stable marriage. 

For the inner-city men, education was an additional factor. “The more education the inner city men obtained,” wrote Vaillant, “the more likely they were to stop smoking, eat sensibly, and use alcohol in moderation.”

Why do Democrats vote against our country?

I can't imagine why the Democrats are so fearful of being dragged back to the era of 

personal responsibility, 

merit, 

Judeo-Christian values,

respect for talent, 

self-esteem based on work and skills instead of race, 

true biology and science, 

responsible journalism, 

borders that protect us and not the crossers, 

honest elections, 

universities that educate instead of indoctrinating, 

and two sexes. 

They truly seem terrified of the past, of our roots, of our history. The goals weren't always achieved, and some didn't make it, but it was certainly better than DEI where everyone loses. Most Democrats I know say they are for these things, but vote against their personal values!

David K a former history teacher and writer responds: "Because it takes chaos to get there, and they think they are better than banana republic leaders and will not be subject to their chaos-creating turning on them such as has happened to many others in history, not least of which was the French Revolution. It is all about power, and they are behaving very much like dictatorships, where they use (like Peron, like French Revolutionaries, like Russian revolutionaries) the poor and disadvantaged to gain power, then treat them worse than they were before, along with everyone else except the ruling elite, which gets privilege. Soviet dictators had dachas on the Black Sea, as Brezhnev bragged to Nixon, and Putin still does. Hitler had his Bechtesgarten, Clinton his Martha's Vineyard, and so on."

Irregular relationships and Pope Francis

"The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the Declaration Fiducia Supplicans (FS), which says it’s possible to give “non-liturgical blessings” to people in “irregular relationships” (divorced and remarried, living together, same-“couples"), on December 18, 2023. The very next day, a photograph of Fr. James Martin, S.J. blessing a same-sex “couple,” who had been civilly married some time earlier, appeared in the New York Times, though the document had warned against that kind of public attention. Ten days later, Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie, who “identifies as Catholic” and was once a stout defender of marriage, cited FS for his shift to supporting same-sex marriage, saying “even the Church is changing.” "

I don't even know the meaning of several of the English words in this paragraph let alone the Latin! But even as a Lutheran from an anabaptist background I could have told you what the press and liberal Christians would do with it. The same as I knew what legal medical marijuana would do to the market for legal recreational gateway drugs.

https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2024/01/02/by-their-fruits/?

Pope Francis allows blessings of couples in same-sex relationships | America Magazine

Doctrinal dicastery explains how, when gay couples can be blessed | USCCB

Straightening up after credit fraud

It's a good thing I didn't make that New Years Resolution not to be critical (for one day) because here she blows.

We're trying to straighten out an ID/credit fraud, so yesterday we had cancelled our credit card, but it was a recording, and I decided I'd like to check with a live person. I waited until 1 p.m. thinking today's young [anyone under 55] professionals all do lunch at the same time. When I got there only 1 teller was at the window, and a number of retirees waiting. He explained to the line that some people called in sick and everyone else was at lunch (I saw about 5 empty offices from where I'm standing).

 
Someone wanders in from the back room to assist me, very casually dressed. Not even supermarket cashier level. I give him my ID and credit cards and explain the problem and asked him to check if indeed the account was closed. He goes to the back room (seems the upfront computers only do math) and comes back a few minutes later and says it wasn't cancelled and hands them back to me with no explanation. So I asked him to do it. He disappears again, comes back a few minutes later and says he can't do it. Someone else has to. When I ask who? He disappears again. Comes back. Someone can see you at 3 p.m. he says. I'll come back, I said, who do I see? He disappears again. Comes back and gives me a name. Where do I see her, I ask. and he waves his arm to the east. The other teller then gives better directions. And I return to the parking lot.

 
We do not bank there--they just do the credit stuff. We did Phil's banking there, but closed it after he died. My husband claims he's always had wonderful service there, but hadn't been inside since 2020.
Earlier in the morning I'd been to a branch of our bank to make sure they could flag anything unusual, since by this time our life history has been sold to the dark web. A very young [under 35] man, pleasant and eager to help, assisted us. He knew zip, nada, zilch. I explained how the bank handled it when my purse had been stolen in another county, smaller and tourist area. We don't do that anymore, he said (I doubt that, but big cities probably never did). He too was dressed very casually--a natty sweatshirt with the bank logo.

At the small dinner party we attended on New Year's Eve (most were over 80) we all had stories about our mothers going shopping wearing a hat and gloves.  Those days are long gone; in fact even 2010 has seen a big change in appearance.

Update: When I went back to the bank at 3 p.m. teller #1 was there to greet me instead of the woman bank officer. I asked him to double check the information on the cancelled credit card, and he showed me the screen.  It indeed had been cancelled yesterday, and the man I talked to hadn't clicked on the right place to show it.  Fortunately, I only live 1 mile away.

The January 1 whirlwind

Does anyone else get a big boost of energy on January 1? It's happened before. Today I sorted and tossed old notebooks, set up a new 3-ring for 4 different church groups, baked cookies, packed 2 sacks of clothes I wasn't wearing or which no longer fit to take to Volunteers of America, washed 2 tablecloths and reset the tables, took all Bob's winter sweaters to the basement and washed them, rearranged shelves in the bedroom closet, rearranged drawers in the dresser to accept some new sweaters I got for Christmas, and cleaned out the exercise clothes I wear to the gym. Then tomorrow . . . poof. It will all be gone.

Last night we attended a nice gathering of 10 for a light meal, then went to our church for a jazz concert and a worship service.  We were home by 7:30 and in bed by 9:30 to watch some house hunters on HGTV.

The Year by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1850 – 1919

What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That's not been said a thousand times?

The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.

We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.

We hug the world until it stings,
We curse it then and sigh for wings.

We live, we love, we woo, we wed,
We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead.

We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that's the burden of the year.

The turmoil includes Africa

This is a Happy New Year message from Wall St. Journal this morning: "I hope you're enjoying the holiday weekend because 2024 isn't likely to provide much rest. The world is in turmoil, with wars in Europe and the Middle East, and American adversaries pressing their advantage everywhere."

 
This isn't mis- or dis- information, but it is missing information. There are some brutal wars going on in Africa. There are millions of refugees and "displaced" and thousands have been killed. Just as Hamas used rape as a weapon of terror against Israel, so it is in Africa. So it is that U.S. "feminists" ignore what is happening to women and children outside their own political agenda.

There are many Africans coming across our southern border, and many risking their lives on the Mediterranean to get to Europe. When I read the few scraps of information I become bogged down in tribal warfare, acronyms and regions.

 
Where are the journalists? Where's the Squad? Our so-called "free press?" Just chasing Trump stories, that's where. It's their mother-lode, busy disenfranchising millions of voters. No need to report on foreign wars. Just people being killed. Look the other way and laser focus on the lies about Trump.
The "peace agreement" for South Sudan (400,000 est. dead) has been moved to 2024. I think Sudan which only flared up in 2023 is still waging battles between acronyms.

Next comes famine in Ethiopia because I think there is a fragile cease fire right now, or did it end last week? No one is around to farm or fetch water. But maybe some rock stars will organize and have a big concert. Worked in the 80s. Someone got rich. Remember "Live Aid." Ethiopia and Sudan--same countries at war today. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-ethiopia? Black Lives Matter? What a trick from our Leftists.

Bone health and falls

 I don't think a lot about fractures or bone health--until--a friend falls after stepping on a stone or sidewalk irregularity, or my friend Cindy fractures her thigh after taking the same med I do for osteoporosis, or Karen a woman I met at the gym fractures her foot playing pickleball, or Jim's wife falls over the leaf blower in their garage, or I fall in the shower.

That last fall happened a week ago, Christmas Eve morning.  I fell in the shower.  It wasn't the usual slip on the soap or not having a grab bar.  I had the brilliant idea that in order to protect the paint on the bathroom walls when I use hair spray, I'd spray my hair inside the shower stall where it could be washed off.  So, I was completely dressed, except for shoes--I was wearing light slippers.  My hair (which is thinning) was just the way I wanted it. I picked up the container and stepped inside the shower, which was still damp. It was a little awkward, but I could see the mirror and sprayed my hair.  Then as I stepped out--holding on to the door and the other hand on the opening with 2 fingers while holding the spray--the slipper stuck briefly on the floor of the shower.  That was enough for me to lose my balance and I went down. As I knelt there with my right knee on the slightly raised marble frame and the other pressed against the glass, I had to struggle to get up. My legs are weak but my arms are fairly strong--even so it was a long haul to get upright. A few bruises, but no sprains or fractures.  Whew!

Four other bad falls come to mind.  In the 1990s (I was in my 50s) I was walking briskly down the hall in the old Sisson building of the Veterinary College at Ohio State where I was the librarian. I didn't know that one of the labs on the second floor had a leaking faucet, and water had run under the door and into the hall.  The halls were not well lit, and as I hit that water (in those days I wore high heels to work), my legs flew out and I went splat landing on my back with one leg forward and one back.  It knocked the breath out of me, momentarily paralyzing me. The halls were empty--nothing to use to pull myself up and no one to help--so I just waited to catch my breath and then gradually using the walls for support and grabbing the doorknob to the lab stood up. Nothing broken, but I was so sore I could hardly move.  I recall looking into filing for Worker's Comp, but it was way too complicated, and I never followed through.

Then after I retired and we were spending the summers at our lake house on Lake Erie, I fell down the last four stairs in the basement carrying a laundry basket--probably in 2007.  I seem to remember the date because I wore the bruises to a class reunion. I was alone in the house (the last time I ever went to the basement without someone in the house). Again, nothing broken.  I crawled up the stairs, and into one of the bedrooms to lie down.  I eased off my shoes and my jeans.  I had bruises from knees to toes, and the shoestrings of my athletic shoes had left bruise marks on my feet in a crisscross pattern.

Also at Lakeside was my last bicycle ride when I was 70.  I was leaving a morning meeting at the hotel on Third Street, Fountain Inn, got on my bicycle (a no-speed from 1968), wobbled a bit, and fell--into a stop sign at Third and Maple, about 15 ft from where I got on it! The stop sign made a loud noise as I hit it--Boing, Boing. And people came running from their cottages to help the old lady on the ground. I lived just two blocks so someone (don't remember who) walked me home, wheeling the bike which I never rode again.

But the worst fall of my life wasn't actually my fall, but when my horse fell on me! It was probably 1952 so I was 12 years old, and had owned the horse only a few days. The bit was too tight (I figured out later) and the horse kept backing up, then started to rear, I began to slip off the back, but the horse lost his footing and fell--on top of me.  That REALLY hurt. The horse strolled away, and my mom came running out of the house. Nothing was broken, and I lay around for a few days, and today each time I get a back spasm I blame my horse.

Falls in the elderly statistics by CDC are all over the place and don't make a lot of sense.  Illinois elderly seem to be less likely to fall than Ohioans.  Whites more than minorities, women more than men, but the death rate for men is higher than for women. Of course, the statistics don't reflect the falls that are never reported--like mine--because I didn't get medical help.  Even so, 14,000,000 for people over 65 is nothing to be sneezed at.  The age adjusted fall death rated increased by 41% from 55.3 per 100,000 older adults in 2012 to 78.0 per 100,000 older adults in 2021. I personally attribute that to the fitness craze--people are taking more chances and think they are 40 instead of 80.

Ladders are really dangerous. According to the CDC each year in the U.S., more than 500,000 people are treated and about 300 people die from ladder-related injuries. The estimated annual cost of ladder injuries in the U.S. is $24 billion, including work loss, medical, legal, liability, and pain and suffering expenses.

It’s National Ladder Safety Month | Blogs | CDC

Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2020–2021 | MMWR (cdc.gov)

Hip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

Falls and Fall Prevention in Older Adults - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

The risk of falls among the aging population: A systematic review and meta-analysis - PMC (nih.gov)

Lifestyle Approaches to Promote Bone Health - Bone Health and Osteoporosis - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

Nutritional Supplements and Skeletal Health - PubMed (nih.gov)

Vitamin K as a Powerful Micronutrient in Aging and Age-Related Diseases: Pros and Cons from Clinical Studies - PMC (nih.gov)

Democrats are destroying our legal system out of pure hate for Trump

I find it hard to believe that all the Democrats and many Republicans think it is worth destroying our legal system because they fear that Trump might act as badly as Biden/Obama if elected again. He supported the unborn's right to live, he lowered taxes, he didn't start any new wars, he protected our border against a massive invasion, the economy rose out of the ash heap of Obama, and he promoted the biggest increase in wealth for minorities in one term ever. Think what he might have done if he were allowed to live as a free American!

Laura Hollis, Patriot Post, Dec. 21: "It started in 2016 with the baseless accusations that Trump had somehow “colluded” with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election. The FBI lied multiple times to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) court to get federal warrants to spy on Trump and his advisers. The Justice Department launched a multiyear investigation, based upon “evidence” that they already knew was falsified “opposition research” commissioned and paid for by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign apparatus. Despite more than $30 million in taxpayer dollars spent, the “investigation” produced exactly nothing.

But Trump’s enemies have not let up.

Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives twice and acquitted twice.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, tried to prosecute Trump for “falsification of business records,” despite expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, and zero evidence of anything that would make the alleged conduct a felony.

New York’s Democrat Attorney General Letitia James filed an action for civil fraud against Trump, alleging that he undervalued his extensive property in Palm Beach, Florida, when applying for business loans. James wants to confiscate all of Trump’s New York properties and cancel his licenses to conduct business.

Arthur Engoron, the judge presiding over the case, is determined to help her do it. Engoron ruled pre-trial that Trump had committed fraud. During the trial, Engoron has deliberately ignored defense testimony from multiple real estate experts supporting the valuation of the property in Trump’s financial statements, as well as that of the lenders themselves, who testified that they used their own appraisers, were paid back promptly and were not defrauded.

The latest travesty is the decision of the Colorado Supreme Court to strike Trump’s name from the ballot in that state “for his role in the January 6, 2021” riots at the U.S. Capitol. [Written before the Maine travesty.] This gravely inappropriate decision not only exceeds the court’s power according to legal experts on both the Left and Right, but is an obvious effort to ignore mounting evidence that undermines the Left’s narrative that the Jan. 6 protests were an “insurrection” that Trump “instigated,” an accusation for which Trump has not been criminally charged, and for which he was acquitted by the U.S. Senate in the second impeachment proceeding.

A bare 4-3 majority of the Colorado Supreme Court has disqualified the candidacy of a man with nearly 70% support from his own party, and increasing support from constituencies traditionally outside the realm of the GOP. This is disenfranchisement of Colorado voters and interference with a national election.

Whether one thinks that Trump is the devil or that his enemies are, the best protection against unlawful conduct is integrity in the application of the laws themselves.

When the rule of law is compromised, diluted or discarded — even in pursuit of some purportedly lofty aim (“Saving our democracy!” “Fighting misinformation!” “Dismantling systemic racism!” “Liberating Palestine!”) — wrongdoers profit while the public suffers.

We’ve seen this already in the cities and states that have eliminated cash bail, refused to enforce theft and immigration laws, or looked the other way when left-wing mobs steal, burn and destroy. We’re watching it play out at our southern border and on college campuses. Crime and antisocial behavior increase, because those who engage in that behavior know they can inflict damage without any consequences — to them.

What is being done to Donald Trump is part of the same pattern."

2023 social events, meetings, clubs, and eating out

 The health research shows that older adults need socialization. That's the main reason the Covid lockdown was so hard on us.  The non-Covid deaths were higher than needed to be. Research like this showing the need for socialization was put on the shelf. Social isolation, loneliness in older people pose health risks | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)   Collecting My Thoughts: Music is good for you, especially in your later years  

Our church, UALC, did not have an active older adult ministry for two years, unless a group met on ZOOM, and reopened in March 2022. Collecting My Thoughts: Older adult ministry at UALC   Collecting My Thoughts: A statement from Pastor Steve Turnbull, UALC, Columbus, Ohio    So when I record my social activities for 2023, I don't list Sunday School (most Sundays), or Women of the Word (fall, winter, spring small study groups using videos and workbooks), or Thursday morning Bible Study (taught by a pastor, often combined with Lenten or Advent services and lunch). Those pre-2020 church programs are in place now and not recorded here.  

I'm also not listing my trips to Lifetime Fitness about 4 times a week.  I do occasionally meet and talk to people there.  Like yesterday.  I met Karen, a very active athletic baby boomers who is recovering from a broken foot playing pickle ball. And you'll be happy I'm not recording grocery store visits to Aldi's and Marc's, or doctors' visits--but those add up and are "outings." These figures are estimates, although most I have recorded in my journal.

Dinners with friends and family at our home: 9

Dinners at friends' homes: 12 

Dinner or lunch with friends at restaurants (most often Rusty Bucket): 15

Dinner with Phoebe and Mark at restaurants (most often Rusty Bucket): 13

Party or Picnic: 9 

Art gathering: 13

OSU Librarians retirees' lunch: 3

Lenten/Advent worship/lunch at UALC: 6

Concerts: 9 (including a Jazz concert on Dec. 31, 2023)

Travel (Arizona, Indianapolis, Lakeside, D.C., Oberlin: 8

Funerals or visitations: 7

Coffee dates with friends: 11

Book Club: 6

House guests: 1 week

Congregational meeting: 2

Condo meeting: 2

Book Club December 2023

Condo Christmas Party, Wine Bistro, Lane Ave. 

Tulamo Visit, October 2023

July 4 party with neighbors

Visit with Bob's sister, Indianapolis, July

Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation, or SAFE Act

Never thought I'd see the day when a special law would be needed to keep kids safe from mutilation.

 God save us! 

 There is no such thing as a transwoman or gender affirming care. Don't be fooled by snake oil wording intended to deceive and divide (what the D in DEI stands for). "The Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation, or SAFE Act, requires transgender athletes to compete in the sport of their biological sex and prevents healthcare providers from utilizing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or invasive surgeries to treat gender dysphoria in minors." Our governor says he wants to get this "right." Why does he have questions? If an adult man wants to cut off his testicles or his ears it's none of my business, but I wouldn't recommend it and I'd suggest counseling by someone trained before 1995.

Click Introduces 'Save Adolescents from Experimentation' Act | Gary Click | Ohio House of Representatives

hb68_04_PS (state.oh.us)

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine promises to act on transgender bill this week (msn.com)

My new Gratitude Journal for 2024

This is a customer review of one of my Christmas gifts--a narrow line journal I can use all year, and I hope I'll love it as much as she does.

 "Pen + Gear Leatherette Jumbo Journal in a beautiful blue color and embossed with a botanical design that i just love ! It measures a large 7.375 x 10.25 x 0.75 and has 192 pages that are lined. There is a ribbon that can mark your place. Along the top of the pages are 3 letter abbreviations for months Jan - Dec and numbered 1-31. This is fantastic when journaling, just circle the month, then circle the day! The leatherette cover feels so soft, it feels like real leather. It is just beautiful...and extremely well made. Love it ! " 

I keep a daily gratitude journal with 6 categories, and most "journals" just don't work for me. I found one in 2021, and never found another one. If I like this on Jan. 2 or 3, I may order one for 2025.

Marion Duncan Thompson, obituary

Marion E Thompson, 84 died suddenly at her home in Mt Morris on Friday, December 22nd 2023.

Marion was born May 7, 1939 to Robert and Lola (Blake) Duncan, Mt Morris. Marion attended Mt Morris schools and graduated Class of 1957.

Marion married John G Thompson on March 17, 1961 in Mt. Morris, IL. Marion is predeceased by her parents of Mt Morris, sister, Barbara (Duncan) Satterfield, brother in law, Donald Satterfield of Genoa IL and niece Heidi Brooke Ann (Duncan) Tintori of Sterling IL

Marion was employed at Kable Printing/Quebcor/QuadGraphics as Purchasing Secretary and later as Office Copy Department Manager and retiring after 30+ years.

Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, John R (Jack) Suzanne Thompson, Mt Morris; daughters, Kim Duncan (Tim Cox), Mt Morris and Tammy Knott, CO.; 6 grandchildren; Troi (Terra) Knott, Tonya (James) Joseph, Kristin Alexander (Mitch Mann), John M (Jay) Jessica Thompson, Kraig (Stephanie) Duncan and Shauna (Michael) Raimondi and 12 great-grandchildren with another on the way. Brother Steve Duncan of Mt Morris and sister Linda (Duncan) Gary Nesemeier of Byron IL along with several nieces and nephews.

Marion enjoyed and loved time spent with family, her children and grandchildren, her early years of camping and later their cabin along the river, gardening, studying/watching hummingbirds, Sunday family lunches, yearly family reunions and being active and involved with her High School Class of ‘57 outings, reunions, daily coffee-clutches and traveling. She also spent her early morning hours faithfully reading her devotional and Bible. Actively involved over the years within the Disciples United Methodist Church in Mt Morris by serving as a past pre-k Sunday school teacher, Choir member, served on various committees and the Prayer Shawl crochet/knitting group.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday December 28, 2023 at 11:30 AM in Disciples United Methodist Church, Mt. Morris, IL; with Pastor Marcia Peddicord officiating. Burial will be held in Oakwood Cemetery, Mt. Morris, IL. Visitation will be held on Thursday December 28, 2023 from 10:00 AM until service time in Disciples United Methodist Church, Mt. Morris, IL.

From Finch Funeral Home: https://www.finchfuneral.com/obituary/Marion-Thompson?

Christmas Eve dinner

I was setting the table for Christmas Eve dinner using the hand painted gingerbread boy plates and thought the silver looked really dark, so I flipped to my blog for my silver cleaner recipe, which I'd forgotten (only 2 ingredients). I came across this blog from 2010 written at the Lake.

"At our summer home on Lake Erie in Lakeside, Ohio, we wash and dry the dishes together. At home we have a dishwasher. This is such a pleasant, companionable task we often say we'll do it in Columbus, but we never do. And as he washes, and I dry, my husband says the same thing every evening, "How can two people create all these dirty dishes and silverware?" So, I go through it piece by piece--this fork was used for cat food, this spoon was for the Cool Whip, this spoon served the main dish, this one the vegetables. It's like talking to a toddler who asks "why," you explain, and he then says, "but why?" "

Our menu tonight:

bratwurst

potato salad

cauliflower soup

corn, frozen fresh in summer 2023

fresh fruit--green grapes, cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries

The Fourth Wiseman

 https://youtu.be/82lEsYdPh64?si=5_QDv6ku26TwD3kN  1985 movie

Based on Henry van Dyke's classic, The Story of the Other Wise Man, this fictional story set in Biblical times is told in gently comic terms. A Magi named Artaban (Martin Sheen) sees a sign in the heavens that he hopes will lead him and his faithful servant to the Messiah. Artaban takes with him three precious gifts to present to the Messiah. For 33 years Artaban pursues Jesus, only to miss Him at every turn. 

Along the way, Artaban uses his gifts to help people in dire need. He now has nothing to present to the Messiah when he finds Him. The story culminates on Easter Sunday as Artaban, old and dying, finally encounters the new King, bringing peace to his life. A deeply moving experience examining what true faith really means.

The Fourth Wise Man (Film) - TV Tropes

Body wash return

This morning I hope to return a 24 oz bottle of Renpure body wash because I can't get the pump/cap to work. I thought I would exchange it for a different bottle. But since I'd never tried this product before, I decided to go on-line and read a little about it. There I did look at the customer reviews. Some raved about the product, but. . .

Customer comment: "But these bottles are basically impossible to open. Exceedingly frustrating to spend 30min or more struggling to push down and turn, passing it around to family members to see if they can open it, before hopefully the spout pops up. Some sort of serious design flaw and by far the worst “childproofing” mechanism I’ve ever encountered in a beauty product."

Also, lots of discussion about the scents--seems they don't match the advertising. Although a few loved the scents and disagreed, many said there was no vanilla scent in the vanilla--smelled like grapefruit. Others (who had ordered on- line) said the caps leaked and made a mess, or the pump didn't work. Also, I was sort of surprised at some customer reviews. Why would you buy 8-10 bottles of something you hadn't tried before?

Customer comment: "I have been ordering their product for a while now. Love the body wash. I just received my new order of the vanilla scented. It honestly smells like grapefruits. No vanilla scent whatsoever. The other ones I have bought have been terrific. Also the pump would not open up so I had to take the old bottle I had and use that pump."

Most reviews were very positive. But I laughed at this one: 

Customer comment:  "This smells NOTHING like Shea butter OR Vanilla [which is what I bought]. It smells citrusy (not in a good way), and per my husband’s feedback, he said it smelled freakishly similar to Round up. If I could have given it a negative star on smell, I would have. In addition, this soap is not gentle on delicate parts of the body... you know what I am talking about, Ladies... It did not dry my skin out, I will give credit for that. If you want to walk around all day smelling like rotten orange Roundup, with your girly parts on fire, then go ahead and buy it. Good luck! Yuck, yuck, yuck."

So maybe I'll just take a credit.

International Slave Trade

There are an estimated 46.9 million enslaved people around the world. About 70% of them are women and girls. “Sexual slavery is the most profitable industry with annual returns of 90%,” states award-winning human rights activist Jánelle Marina Méndez Viera, author of “The Pathway Towards Peace: U.S. Human Rights Manifesto.”

When I retired in 2000, international slavery was on my list of problems I hoped to address--right up there with abortion. At that time most figures (and they are all a guess) was 28 million slaves, both sex, labor, and domestic servitude. The State Dept TIP program was started under Pres. Clinton, and each year issues an annual report. I see little improvement and I hope there are real people being saved behind all that country data.Fact Sheets for 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report - United States Department of State

"Boys represent the fastest-growing segment of identified human trafficking victims. UNODC’s 2022 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, released in January 2023, notes that the percentage of boys identified as victims of human trafficking more than quintupled between 2004 and 2020—a much larger increase than for men, women, or girls. The same report notes males (including boys and men) account for 40 percent of all identified victims of human trafficking. While women constitute about twice the percentage of identified trafficking victims as men (42 percent to 23 percent), the percentage of trafficking victims who are boys and girls is almost identical (17 percent and 18 percent, respectively). The growing awareness of boys exploited in human trafficking is fairly recent. While male trafficking victims are receiving more attention than in years past, “social and health services as well as legal and advocacy frameworks still predominantly focus on female victims of sexual exploitation,” according to the UNODC report. Media and civil society groups alike consistently refer to boys and adolescent male human trafficking victims as “unseen and unhelped,” a “silenced minority,” “invisible,” or “secret victims.” "

Because our own country spins its wheels focusing on the slave trade of the 18th c. and the results of the Civil War to free the slaves, little is said about a slave trade that far surpasses the Atlantic slave trade. It's easier for groups with a different agenda (punishing Americans) to ignore today's pressing needs. Also, our border situation which allows sex slavery to walk in the door would need to be addressed, and Democrats don't want that distraction.

Fall out from George Floyd riots in 2020

There is still a lot of fall out (deaths, crime) from the BLM/Antifa scourge of 2020 when they lionized an ex-con druggie and demonized the police. Seattle isn't the only city suffering. BLM only mattered to fill the wallets of a few. This nationwide crime spree is far worse than anything that happened on J-6, but since Democrats can't tie it to any but their own lackies, no one will be punished. Focus must remain on Trump for this cover-up.

Seattle homicides to surpass 3-decade high among nationwide crime spike (yahoo.com)

From 16 homicides in 2016 to 52 in 2022. "Per data compiled by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, homicides had been on a steady decline since 1994, reaching an all-time low of 16 in 2016 before beginning to climb. In 2022, per the department's end-of-year report, 52 homicides were reported, up from the previous year's 42. There were 53 homicides in 2020, according to the department's reports."

Christmas cards on a snowy day

What could be better? I opened 11 Christmas cards and it's snowing outside! I love them all, but really enjoy the notes and letters. It's a big project--opening, cutting off labels, taping them inside the card, and cutting off the cancelled stamps hoping I'll find someone who wants them.

The stamp bonanza was on an envelope from a non-profit. Someone must have sent their donation in stamps. 

1993 .29 Hank Williams; 

2016 .05 grapes, 

2022 .04 blueberries; 

2 1987 .10 Red Cloud ; 

2 1957 .03 stamps of NEA honoring teachers  

2 1957 .03 stamps of 200th anniversary of LaFayette; 

1985 .22 Special Olympics; 

1988 .25 Carousel horse (Cedar Point, OH). 

I remember when 3 cents was the first class postage rate.

 
Rather than wait in a line that went to the door at the only USPS branch around here, today I purchased my stamps at the machine. First time.

Who will be left?

Michelle Wu, daughter of Taiwanese American immigrants, is the racist mayor of Boston. She decided company (i.e. city) holiday parties based on ethnicity, color, sexual preferences and disability could add some festive cheer to equity and diversity. Does she know nothing of the roots of what is now called Wokeism, but the rest of us know as Marxism? Did her parents never tell her about Chairman Mao? Once you successfully get people separated by political cause, skin color, disability, LGBTQxyz and gender confusion, and the people you insult just go along with it, then further division is required. Lesbians and gays have little in common, so they'll be in separate party rooms; then blacks by shades of white privilege; then immigrants from Mexico from Cuban immigrants; then Jamaicans from Haitians; then quadriplegics from amputees; and then short, fat transmen from tall, muscular transwomen, and of course the Taiwanese speakers from the Mandarin speakers. The guest list and room arrangements could get messy, not to mention tacky.

I wonder if Mayor Wu would be in office if no whites had voted for her.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/boston-mayor-takes-heat-electeds-color-holiday-party-george-wallace-would-approve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj9L871jQtk  The non-apology apology "we add to traditions"

https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1528958-who-conor-pewarski-mayor-michelle-wus-husband/

Why is it either or? Ukraine's borders or ours?

Why is it so unreasonable to protect our borders from Hamas, sex traffickers, drug cartels, Russians, and run of the mill criminals (like we didn't have enough) while protecting Ukraine with billions at their border? "CBP encountered 57,163 foreign nationals from Russia between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023, over 20,000 more than the previous fiscal year. In the same time period, 52,700 Chinese nationals were encountered on America’s borders and at ports of entry." (Daily Signal) Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists have been found in border screening for the last 15-20 years! (probably now running college campus peace groups)

 
"A bill combining aid and border security would be a political win for both sides, but partisanship is holding up a commonsense solution." (WSJ) 

That means, the Democrats want to call Republicans right wing nationalists, xenophobes and white supremacists for protecting our borders.

Sitting down too long can hurt you

I came across an article on sedentary behavior in the LA Times, Opinion: Sitting down all day is killing us. The cure is surprisingly simple — and difficult (msn.com) and looked at the original article published in May 2023. Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose-Response Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial - PubMed (nih.gov) My first reaction (and last) was YIKES. Sedentary means time in your car, sitting in meetings at work or organizations, church attendance, computer browsing, checking e-mail and FB, TV watching, sitting with someone you're taking care of or visiting, going out for dinner and then to your friend's for dessert and conversation (which we did last night and I figure counting travel it was 4 hours of sitting), reading a good book, discussing it at book club, attending your grandchild's athletic, musical or drama event, taking classes at university or by Zoom (I'm doing A Christmas Carol class via internet), preparing Christmas cards, drawing or painting from concept to final product, sewing, knitting, crocheting or crafting just about anything, and that's just in the life of an old lady. If you have a desk job with an hour commute and are 40, goodness my dear, you are in trouble! This article recommends five minutes of being up and walking about after you've been sitting for 30 minutes!!!! It looks to me that the only time I wasn't sedentary in my adult life was when I was a fulltime home maker with children running around. An older article I read said exercise (like working out at the gym or walking with friends) doesn't compensate for long hours of sitting. It's 7:40 a.m. and I've already had 2 hours of sedentary behavior! So I'm going to walk around a bit.

Update: This morning in church (traditional service, Lutheran) I thought how healthy--up and down, up and down. We're there a little over an hour but no chance to be sedentary.

Physiology of sedentary behavior - PubMed (nih.gov)

Sedentary Behavior and Incident Dementia Among Older Adults | Dementia and Cognitive Impairment | JAMA | JAMA Network

What is Woke and where did it come from?

This is a Wikipedia definition of WOKE. "Woke is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning "alert to racial prejudice and discrimination". Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as racial injustice, sexism, and denial of LGBT rights. Woke has also been used as shorthand for some ideas of the American Left involving identity politics and social justice, such as white privilege and reparations for slavery in the United States."

That was then, the old days of 2010s, and you never know where a word will go once it escapes prison or academe and others start to use it. *Woke is now just shorthand for Critical Theory, or Critical Race Theory, and those are at their core, just Marxism--i.e., the American Left. The Left are a murky, tasteless porridge created by a bunch of old European (mainly German and French) white guys with a few other nationalities: Hegel, Marx, Engels, Nietzsche, Sarte, Foucault, Feire, and others. Hate for the Jews is several thousand years old, and God only knows where the gender lies and binary fiction came from, maybe Kinsey. In any case, it looks like black folk and the Squad can blame white academics for misleading blacks and causing so much mayhem.

 * WOF 416: The Philosophical Roots of Wokeism - Word on Fire

A friend we met in Scotland: "I went to school in Scotland. An ‘accident’ of choosing the wrong parents, I was born a Jew (my mother). Raised Presbyterian. In my childhood there was no way I would admit to having any Jewish ancestry. Even then extreme wokeness existed. Jews were degraded and abused verbally and physically. Interestingly (and sadly) Catholics were treated even worse in that solidly Protestant country. Wokeness has existed for ever. We (they) just found a new name for it. I don’t know if Webster has it as a formal word yet. It’s all about prejudice in any form. To paraphrase Rodney King (again) “ why can’t we all get along?”

Origin of the term "false narrative"

"Shelby Hewitt was accused of creating "multiple names and dates of birth for herself" and allegedly created a false narrative of a being an "extremely traumatized teen" with special needs, according to prosecutor Ashley Polin."

Just curious. When did the word LIE become a "false narrative?" I know Trump popularized "fake news" which is also LIE, but perpetrated by media. I checked some grammar/dictionary sites and saw the question was being asked 8 years ago. So, it was at least well known in the Obama era. It's not in my 1948 2nd Unabridged or 2012 Collegiate 11th Merriam-Webster. Still don't have an answer. But it looks like sometime during Obama's first term it took off so someone could sound erudite. When I see the Left is overtaking simple language with new words for lie (like affirming care for child mutilation or reproductive health for killing a baby in the womb) I avoid the term. 

Is it a lie with more clever story lines? Or a lie with more deceit?

Plagiarism accusations

Harvard President Claudine Gay is being accused of plagiarism by Dr. Carol Swain. If the big guns of academe and the Democrat party decide to attack Dr. Swain, look out because they are joined at the hip and extremely well-funded (Harvard has billions). They'll never admit she, like Vice President Harris, was chosen because of skin color and sex. And maybe she wasn't. 

Both of the women put the lie to the "Woke" mythology and the systemic racism philosophy foisted on our school children. Dr. Gay is the daughter of well-educated and successful Haitian immigrants. Dr.  Swain worked her way up from poverty, daughter of parents who didn't finish high school and her mother was disabled. Swain didn't finish high school either and eventually got her GED and worked at McDonald's. She worked hard and got a PhD and later a Master's in Legal Studies. Neither woman let her race or personal challenges stop her, and both succeeded far beyond the level most women can dream of.

If Swain can prove her case (and she's not the only author who Gay is said to have plagiarized), then it was a crime not perpetrated by a racist society, but by a fellow academic, black and female. It could be that Harvard was virtue signaling in appointing Gay president, trying to flee the reputation liberals had created. If Harvard loses this one, well, if I believed in karma . . .

Dr. Gay made herself look ridiculous last week during the House hearings on the failures of college presidents to limit the bullying and harassment of Jewish students. The woman who cancelled people for using the wrong pronoun, suddenly became a big freedom of speech advocate. That said, the plagiarism charges were already being investigated before she performed so poorly before the nation.

Are apartments more expensive than 1967?

I've been watching the real estate values. Right now mortgage rates are really high, although nothing like the 80s. Then I saw a chart that showed renting is cheaper than buying right now. Although I'm math challenged, I did a bit of real estate snooping.

If you want to live in Lancaster, OH or Marion, OH you can find a fixer upper under $50,000, although one had no walls or plumbing fixtures. Nice property near Springfield, OH on 8 acres with several barns, quiet road, and a 4 bedroom house that didn't look too bad for $400,000.

Then I did an inflation calculation and looked at townhomes in our first Upper Arlington neighborhood. In 1967 I think we paid $150 a month for 2 bdrms, 1 bath, living room, dining room, kitchen, basement unfinished, and 1 car garage. Using inflation calculator that's $1,366 in 2023. I poked around the rental listings for this month and found one almost the same (nice) neighborhood near shopping and schools and park for $1,395. But it had a finished room in the basement, a dishwasher, and breakfast bar and the kitchen was updated with granite tops (appeared to be older cabinets). No garage. So essentially, the same, trading a room in the basement for garage for the 1967 model.

 
Of course, in 1967 I had the advantage of living on the same street as Arlene, but we didn't find that out until about 6 years ago (Lakeside neighbor).

Praying for Kamala Harris

Today I prayed for Kamala Harris to become a Christian. Sin is sin and hers don't count any more than mine at the cross, but she has a lot more power. If Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim and now a former atheist, can see the light, why not Harris? Join me.

"Here is what makes her [Ali] public testimony a sign of the times: She states that she converted in part because she realized that a truly humanistic culture—and by that I mean a culture that treats human beings as persons, not as things—must rest upon some conception of the sacred order as set forth in Christianity, with its claim that all are made in the image of God. “Western civilization is under threat from three different but related forces,” she writes. These are resurgent authoritarianism in China and Russia, global Islamism, and “the viral spread of woke ideology.” She declares that she became a Christian in part because she recognized that “we can't fight off these formidable forces” with modern secular tools; rather, we can only defeat these foes if we are united by a “desire to uphold the legacy of the Judeo-Christian tradition,” with its “ideas and institutions designed to safeguard human life, freedom and dignity.” Carl Trueman, First Things, 11-30-23

Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act

When the United States House of Representatives voted to pass the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act on Thursday, every Democrat lawmaker present — 203 in total — voted against protecting women's sports. CNN reported to its readers that Republicans had passed an anti-trans bill. Yet, most Americans support the values and benefits organized sports can provide all children even if they don't go on to compete for college scholarships or the Olympic gold. Most Americans don't want the 50 year old protection and encouragement for girls destroyed to assuage the angst and ignorance of a political group. So, are we really divided as a country, or is the Democrat Party lying about caring about women?

 
We have a Democrat vice president chosen because of her sex; the newest Supreme Court justice chosen because of her sex; and at least 3 unbelievably naive college presidents hired because of their sex (all 3 who testified evasively about hate on their campus for Jews this week). But putting 6 ft boys on a volley ball team against 5.5 ft girls and in their locker room risking assault--then it's OK for men to take away women's rights. It's the Democrat way.

If you are a registered Democrat, leave now. Flee the plantation. Throw away your crutches. Escape from the poor house. Break out of prison. Beat down the doors of that insane asylum.

Funeral hymns--do you have a favorite?

A favorite hymn for a funeral? It would depend on the "guest of honor" or the audience or the church tradition. I personally like "For all the Saints." This summer we attended Rev. Irwin Jennings funeral at Lakeside, in the pavilion named for him and his wife Janet on the shore of Lake Erie. This hymn was sung, and in the Methodist tradition, all the clergy present came forward to lead the congregation in singing the hymn.

The United Methodist Hymnal 711. For all the saints who from their labors rest | Hymnary.org

https://youtu.be/1OaBgaMcOvM?si=nXu055eR7iasDBjQ

The most recent funeral we attended was at a funeral home and had only one hymn, which we'd never heard before. Community singing, which usually can bring strangers together even in mourning with a familiar hymn, was replaced with a long "come to Jesus" sermon. However, that was her wish, and often people do plan their own funerals.

Magical thinking about biology and gender

I'm so done with the magical thinking that people can retroactively change their biology. The prefix "trans-" has been very useful in our language until the Left took a hold of it and then attached it to the word gender. It seems to me that trendy, confusing terms come either from prisons, or academe. Both habitats are closed, bound, narrow societies.

 
The root of GENder means birth, descent, race, kind, to beget, to be born; from that root we have useful words like Genesis, genre, gene, genealogy, general, generate, generic, genital, genocide, genuine, genius, progeny, indigenous, gentile (not belonging to the race), and gentle (noble birth). It's basic. Even as a suffix GEN means origin. There are no do-overs, except in being born again (from above, and that has nothing to do with the topic).

The prefix TRANS is used for across, beyond, or change. Transubstantiation (bread and wine after consecration change to the body of Christ in the eucharist), transnational, translation, transportation, transfusion, transgression, transform, transcription, transcendentalism, and so forth.

Transgenderism cannot exist in reality--it can be a philosophy, a religion, a fantasy, a mental illness, but it is not origin or from birth; removing a penis and then using the flap to create a vagina is mutilation, not affirmation of a personal desire to be something else.

 
Stop coddling these word thieves who insist that the other 99% be blind, deaf and stupid about reality and biology. Every cell in the body has a sex. Cutting off some parts or padding other parts doesn't not change sex. Mascara and rouge for sure doesn't. This doesn't mean there aren't accidents that happen in the womb or at conception, but usually the whole world doesn't need to genuflect to these anomalies. There are no transwomen, no transmen, no transgender, no T in LGBQ; and for those barking at the door of reality, remember there are also no transspecies or Otherkin so we don't have to have litter boxes in the classroom. They can fantasize at home.

Our new railing

At the beginning of the summer and I knew we wouldn't be in Lakeside for 10 weeks, I thought we'd get a lot done around the house and maybe take some interesting trips.  In June we did take a short trip, sort of, to the Fortin Ironworks in Grandview to look at the possibility of an attractive handrail at the front door.  It just got installed yesterday.  It's not my original plan, but I'm happy with it. After we picked something out, and had an employee come out and look at the sidewalk which slopes to the stoop, then we had to get approval from the association. I wanted it because of the drop off of about 6 inches next to the front door.  If I'm carrying something, I need a railing to grab if I am unsteady.  I suppose I could call this "assisted living."

 

"Once upon a Wardrobe" by Patti Callahan

I hate to read names in novels and not be able to pronounce them. It slows me down, and I'm already a very slow reader. So I'm reading "Once upon a wardrobe" a novel by Patti Callahan for book club this afternoon (see, I told you I was slow) and there is a character named Padraig. By p. 142, I'm just calling him Patrick because phonetically (pad-rag) it sort of sounds like that to me. So I looked it up. Close enough. Podric

https://youtu.be/ffUVEq8xTsE?si=5bxfKzgJPgzNxyrt

I finished the book at 11:15, fixed lunch, we ate at 11:30, and after lunch I summarized the entire novel for Bob, whose eyes were starting to cross. But I should be able to remember it by 1 p.m.

S4E98 – AH – "After Hours" with Patti Callahan - Pints With Jack

Ten Things that made me happy today

1.  I wore my new Christmas sweater

2. in a cheery royal blue

3. to a Conestoga Party

4. at a lovely venue I've never been to

5. with a dinner prepared by Schmidt's Sausage Haus

6. our Friday date-night spot of 40 years ago

7. enjoying Bahama Mamas and German potato salad

8, with cream puffs for dessert

9. sitting with our neighbors Joan and Jerry

10. while renewing old friendships.

I get offers in my e-mail

I get offers. 

1. Asking for money. 

2. Asking me to write a book review.

3. Asking me to promote a story on my blog. 

4. Asking me to interview someone and promote their ideas, candidacy or book.

Then there's the "loaded potato" tease.

"The first and only reproductive justice organization in Nebraska—a state ranked among the highest for its maternity care deserts—seeks to provide a long-term solution to this health crisis by creating a community of doulas and increasing access to doula care."

I say loaded because of the politically, economically or racially charged phrases: let me translate leftist gibberish.

 
1. "reproductive justice (aka abortion),
2. "maternity care desert" (aka rural, but could mean pockets of poverty)
3. "long-term solution" (aka government)
4. "health crisis" (obligatory political term used by all parties)
5. "create a community" (this is usually a progressive/socialist term, but increasingly used by conservatives just to keep up--may mean no spouse or children, so create a family/community)
6. doulas (feminist term to push men out of labor and delivery, and encourage home birth ala 19th century or birthing huts.

95% of doulas are female, but no one seems to be demanding equity for men in that field.

Anyway, by this point in the e-mail I've hit delete just based on the language, not the meaning.

Today's New Word--casque

1: a piece of armor for the head : HELMET

2: an anatomical structure (such as the horny outgrowth on the head of a cassowary) suggestive of a helmet

Our bird calendar provided us with a very strange one; Oriental Pied-Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris). It looks strange to us, but the females seem to like it.

 A close look at an Oriental Pied Hornbill - Bird Ecology Study Group (besgroup.org)

The 13 Hornbills of Indonesia (rekoforest.org)