Palindrome

Peter Kreeft’s simple thought on choice

"Nancy Reagan was criticized for her simple anti-drug slogan: "Just say no." But there was wisdom there: the wisdom that the heart of any successful program to stop anything must be the simple will to say no. ("Just say no" doesn't mean that nothing else was needed, but that without that simple decision nothing else would work. "Just say no" may not be sufficient but it is necessary.)

Similarly, no program, method, book, teacher, or technique will ever succeed in getting us to start doing anything unless there is first of all that simple, absolute choice to do it. "Just say yes." Peter Kreeft

January 31, on this day in history, 1865 and 1919

This day in history, "January 31, 1865, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in America. The amendment read, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude…shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” . . .

In 1864, an amendment abolishing slavery passed the U.S. Senate but died in the House as Democrats rallied in the name of states’ rights. The election of 1864 brought Lincoln back to the White House along with significant Republican majorities in both houses, so it appeared the amendment was headed for passage when the new Congress convened in March 1865. Lincoln preferred that the amendment receive bipartisan support–some Democrats indicated support for the measure, but many still resisted. The amendment passed 119 to 56, seven votes above the necessary two-thirds majority. Several Democrats abstained, but the 13th Amendment was sent to the states for ratification, which came in December 6, 1865. With the passage of the amendment, the institution that had indelibly shaped American history was eradicated." https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/today-in-history-january-31/ss-BBZjpd7?

Also on this day in history, January 31, 1919, Jackie Robinson was born in Georgia and he became the first black to break the color barrier in major league baseball in 1947. He was a Republican, and today the media will tell you everything bad about the RNC in those days, but the Democrats were still fighting "inclusion and diversity," and did so for many years. So let's leave it there that they are still rewriting their own poor history.

Slavery has existed from the earliest recorded history and is still a global scourge--estimates of the number of slaves globally today range from around 21 million to 46 million -- labor and sex and even children. This is larger than the 18th century Atlantic slave trade. https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/modern-slavery/

We can all be proud that the U.S. opposition to slavery is today bi-partisan. The current legislation began under President Clinton in 2000 and has continued under Bush, Obama, and Trump. This is the 2019 Trafficking in Persons report. https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-trafficking-in-persons-report/
However, reading that report is discouraging.  Less than .03% of the millions of slaves are identified and rescued. If a church spent a year studying the 2019 Trafficking in Persons report of our State Department, it would never run out of material, issues, causes, and places to put their money. And yet we have people trafficked across the border daily.

David and Putin. Giving credit where none is due

Can you explain that? I asked David on Facebook.  “Trump gave Russia codes?  What codes? Something in the KJV?”  All the spying was done during the Obama administration. Trump didn't have any power in 2015 and 2016--only Obama and his FBI had power.

Meanwhile all Trump was doing was listening to the people the Democrats had ignored for years and was filling auditoriums and sports palaces. Trump has the same uncanny gift that Bill Clinton had--he connects with people and makes them feel important.

The pollsters chased the media which said he had no chance of winning any states, meanwhile giving him billions in free publicity by talking about him all the time. Obama/Clinton (Obama 2.0) visited only the states they liked. Obama 2.0 had the support of media, all of academe, all of entertainment like TV and movies, a vast number of the churches, all of big Tech which supported her on the internet, and all the major lobbyists for rich corporations. Clinton was loved by the institutions that hated the little people. She called them deplorables and laughed at them. She still doesn't get it.

The Clinton clique put their arms around the race and sex groups and told everyone who would listen they were powerless victims and lived in a terrible country. Trump went around the country and told Americans they were great people, strong, best in the world. Now, maybe you didn't believe that, the Democrats obviously didn't, but people were hungry to hear some affirmation. And you fell into Clinton's trap and when it was all over you (who didn’t even vote) and millions of embarrassed Democrats looked around for an excuse and gave Russia the credit for Trump's hard work and smarts. You fell for the same lies from the media that millions of others did. And you're still doing it, 3 years later.

I might be over-Bibled

 

This morning I was looking at week 3 of Women of the Word study of Romans; Good News that changes everything by Melissa Spoelstra, Abingdon Women, 2019.  It comes with a DVD with teaching and discussion led by Spoelstra. That group meets on Saturday morning. There are 4 different times during the week this is offered, but I do Saturday 9:15 even though I'm retired because generally there is a core group. And I like the leader, Mary Jo.

On Sunday I'm in the adult Sunday School class at 10:15 at Lytham and we're studying the book of Hebrews using the book Hebrews by Richard E. Lauersdorf, Northwestern Publishing House, 1986. This group is led by a lawyer, Charlie, who is always well prepared. He's an excellent teacher who manages to be patient even with a group of well educated and studied adults, with some big talkers.

On Thursday morning I meet with the retirees and we've just started the book of Luke with Pastor Jeff Morlock.  Once a month this group has a lunch after the study and a guest speaker.  During Advent and Lent we also have a lunch after class and before mid-week worship, open to the whole church.

Our Sunday sermon schedule is a race through the Bible, called Open Book.  We began with Genesis in September and last Sunday the topic was Jesus Heals on the Sabbath and the Gospel reading was Mark 3:1-6.  The pastors rotate.

Our SALT group (Sharing and Learning Together) which is 9 people who are members of UALC (all 9 o'clock service at Lytham Road) who meet together has been reading Making sense of the Bible; rediscovering the power of scripture today, by Adam Hamilton, Harper One, 2014 we meet approximately once a month, but with holidays and illnesses, it's more like 7 times a year.

In the fall the senior pastor Steve Turnbull began an evening study of Ephesians at our Mill Run campus.  I attended that one evening, but it was dark and raining, and I decided I didn't want to attend under those conditions. It will start up again in the spring, but I just don't like going out at night.

About a week ago, someone who's in a group with my husband sent home with him, Finding Jesus in the Old Testament by David Limbaugh, Regnery Publishing, 2017 pb. In hardcover it was titled, The Emmaus Code, 2015. I've only looked at the table of contents, but I enjoy this type of research.

Several years ago I received as a Christmas gift Tried by Fire; the story of Christianiiy's first thousand years by William J. Bennett, Nelson Books, 2016. And I've recently been reading it while on the exercycle, however, it's a fat book and not conducive to cycling and I'm only on p. 19.

And then yesterday, two books arrived that I'd agreed to review and at the time it sounded like a good idea. The beautiful book by Steven Green, Zondervan, 2019, and one which isn't exactly Bible, but issues dealing with the election, God, Trump and the 2020 election, by Stephen E. Strange, Front Line (Charisma House), 2019.

During the week for my daily devotions I use the Catholic serial, Magnificat--just finished January 202, Vol. 21, no. 11. It follows the liturgical calendar for daily mass so there is a theme, a biography of a saint, a meditation on the observation of special days, Old Testament reading, Psalm, Gospel and Epistle, plus hymns and responsive readings.  Not being familiar with the tradition of saints, I read a lot of history. Saints featured in January were those who worked for unity in the church, and the February saints are saints who suffered serious illness, like Blessed Amadeus of Savoy, who suffered attacks of epilepsy (d. 1472).

Working out at Lifetime Fitness

If you’re very able, you can get a disability sticker

My friend Joan added this to her Facebook wall today.  It reminded me of the time years ago I took my librarian colleague Eleanor to get her disability sticker after getting out of rehab when she broke her leg.  It was quite a challenge, and everywhere we parked was almost inaccessible from crumbling concrete, stairs or poor marking. How would a disabled person ever do this without help from an extremely abled companion (usually a daughter).

“I proved NISA  (Nothing Is Simple Anymore) again over the last three weeks. After printing the form myself, delivering it to the doctor’s office for approval, having 4 telephone conversations with doctor’s office and three trips to doctor’s office, visit with the notary at the doctor’s office, and finally a hike to the courthouse (long waits at every stop), three weeks from start to finish, I finally have a disabilities parking permit for Mother. That’s one little job to mark off the list.”

Gun control in Seattle

"Last Wednesday night, right around rush hour, gunfire erupted on a busy Seattle street near a bus stop with numerous commuters and pedestrians nearby. One person was killed and seven were wounded, including a 9-year-old boy. This wasn’t the typical gang fight that erupted deep in a bad neighborhood; it placed numerous commuters in the crossfire. Two Amazon workers were shot."
The three suspects among them had nearly 70 priors. Yes, it was illegal for them to have guns. The very people who want gun control are the ones who think that a system that already fails to confine violent gun felons and gangsters is too punitive.

https://www.conservativereview.com/news/seattle-commuter-shooting-nearly-70-prior-arrests-among-three-suspects/

Reasons to not go to med school

About 2 years ago I signed up for an on-line class on the microbiome through Coursera.  After a few weeks of thinking about billions of microbiota on my skin, hair and in my gut, I was so grossed out, I dropped the course.  But occasionally, I do fall for a good looking blog on the topic, like NextGenMedicine written by a University of Illinois grad, Lucy Mailing.  Now the latest blog edition explains why she isn’t going to go on with her MD as she had originally planned, and has chosen a PostDoc.  What is interesting in today’s edition is she lists all the wrong reasons she originally thought were good reasons, but she’s changed in the gap year.  Most interesting reason not to go to medical school was she had a full ride scholarship and that was influencing her decision.
https://www.ngmedicine.com/why-im-foregoing-med-school-and-starting-a-postdoc/

Look through the slides of a 2019 presentation by Lucy.  “Modulating the gut microbiome for health: Evidence-based testing & therapeutic strategies”
https://www.ngmedicine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Modulating-the-microbiome_AHS19_slides.pdf

Biology in the 2020 campaign

There is one Democrat candidate (Mayor Pete) who has no claim to fame other than the way he has sex with his partner. Another (Warren) is trying to capitalize on the sex issue also by accusing  Christian schools "anti-LGBTQ" if they understand biology.

https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/cnsnewscom-staff/warren-whacks-christian-schools-anti-lgbtq-policies-such-making-boys-use-boys

Diversity is more than appearances

Academe, media and some woke corporations believe that diversity is a matter of skin color or biology. Not so. Sitting next to a rich Nigerian at Yale graduation isn't diversity, and hiring an Asian female retired from the National Guard should not be a check mark for government regulations.
Here's my idea of inclusion, equity and diversity (IED).

• Spend a week or two at Walmart training a new employee who doesn't speak English and uses a wheelchair;
• stand on your feet for 8 hours at a register in a big box store--with any ethnic group;
• attend for a few months a Catholic mass or a Baptist revival with a colleague of that faith family if you're an atheist professor;
• learn to work with the crew and drive one of those huge street sweepers without hitting any cars;
• find someone on your board allergic to dogs and send her out to work at the pet rescue or pound;
• assign your president to the library reference room for weeks to teach the elderly how to use the computer;
• hand the CEO a set of earplugs and send him outside in the wind with the foreign workers to blow leaves for hours;
• drive, park and unload a semi at a dollar store;
• run on concrete floors and retrieve for immediate delivery for a full shift week at an Amazon warehouse;
• or any job that moves you out of your comfort zone and into the real world of work. And then do it over again, and again. That IED.

Finding an old letter—metastatic breast cancer

This is probably a re-run—at least I found it on Facebook and I often double post.  I looked for it because I’ve been cleaning out my desk and found a local’ friend’s letter written from Tennessee after her daughter’s death.  Her daughter was 61 and she was 90.  She didn’t expect to bury her daughter or have to move out of state to settle her estate.  The friend died a few months ago, and although I’m not a hoarder, I did tuck her letter back in the drawer. She was so lonely when she wrote it—had read everything in the house, and couldn’t get a library card because she wasn’t a resident.  She did start the first paragraph with advice I need today. . . “If onlys can ruin your sanity.”
So here’s what I wrote September 27, 2017 in part to warn women about metastatic cancer.

Monday night we had a 90 year old friend, a widow, here for dinner. We had such a nice evening, tinged with sadness. I've told this before, and I'm telling it again because it's so important for women. Metastatic breast cancer.

She's a member of my church, had been living out of state while she settled the estate of her deceased daughter--61--nothing a woman her age would expect to be doing. I remember about 5 years ago her daughter came to Columbus to help her mom recover from a stroke. My friend's daughter had had annual mammograms for years, and nothing was found--probably due to very dense breast tissue and the location of the cancer under her arm. But she did have a lot of pain the last 5 years and was being treated for arthritis. By the time she was properly diagnosed the cancer had metastasized to both hips, her spine, liver and lymph system. This cancer is not curable, and no one dies from cancer that stays in the breast, but if she'd been properly diagnosed 5 years ago, she could possibly be alive. That's not a given, however.  

All women have been educated about detecting breast cancer and screening--in fact, the lion's share of that money you donate and raise in walks, runs, and selling pink stuff, goes for education and not research that could actually save your life. I've looked at several websites about this and personal stories, and this one is pretty clear.

Read the comments https://participatorymedicine.org/journal/perspective/narratives/2013/04/10/metastatic-breast-cancer-lessons-learned-from-my-missed-diagnosis.
The author of this article provided a checklist:
Lessons Learned Checklist:

1. Expect mistakes from your health provider;
2. Ask critical questions at every visit. Take a written list of questions in order of priority. If you get home and realize something is not clear, contact your doctor again;
3. Get a friend or family member to serve as your advocate;
4. Communication between doctors is absolutely critical. If a Radiology report indicates possible metastatic disease or something equally alarming make sure you get a definitive diagnosis. Rule out the worst-case scenarios. Make sure the doctors involved have talked;
5. If you aren’t confident about the doctor’s diagnosis, ask your doctor to review your records with colleagues to see what might have been missed;
6. Get a second opinion;
7. Choose doctors who take time and listen. Ask for a copy of the doctor’s notes to ensure your issues are documented properly. This also ensures the doctor heard what you said;
8. Ask specialists to take a “fresh look” at your case;
9. Make use of hospital patient advocate resources without delay.

Update on our son

On October 1, 2019, our son had several seizures and was diagnosed with glioblastoma.  He has endured a lot in the last four months including side effects from the standard treatment for this disease, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and steroids to reduce brain swelling.  Thursday he had another MRI and today consulted with his doctor.  He posted the following on Facebook.

"Hi there. MRI shows tumor growth. Docs don’t know if this is actual tumor growth, or scan findings are related to swelling from treatment. I’ll continue current treatment plan for 2 months and re-evaluate. Pray my symptoms subside. Love you all.  .  ."

Post Office adventure

I went to the post office to buy stamps--only one employee, so I waited about 20 minutes. After I made my selection when I got to the counter, my credit card wouldn't work. I had just used it before I got there. The clerk rubbed it, we reinserted, and it still wouldn't work. Then the young woman behind me walked up with one package said she'd pay, and offered her credit card. I was stunned. Was this a TV show? I explained it was $27.50, not just a couple of stamps. She said, that's OK, I'll pay. Then I suggested she buy what she needed, and I'd step aside, and we'd see if the machine would take her card. She did that--for fifteen cents! She had taped the stamps to her package, so had to buy new stamps, but she had too many on the envelop so she only needed 15 cents. So then I tried my card, and the machine worked. Crazy day.

I've paid ahead at the grocery store if someone was short, but never $27.50.

One of the sheets I selected was the post office murals. . . Piggott, AR; Anadarko, OK; Florence, CO; Deming, NM; Rockville, MD. Mt. Morris, IL has a mural, but it didn't make the cut. http://www.wpamurals.com/mtmorris.htm

Another sheet was the Made of Hearts design.  According to the USPO website, “The art for this latest stamp in the LOVE series features horizontal rows of red and pink hearts on a white background.  Toward the center, red hearts in varying sizes replace pink hearts in a formation that creates one large red heart, the focal point of this graphic design.”

My third choice was the Lunar New Year—Year of the Rat.  It looks a lot like a blue cat with a gold crown and tassels on its ears.

The old play book of the Democrats

Sound familiar? Come in at the last minute with a "witness." Kavanaugh wasn't the first, and he won't be the last. It's the Democrat play book. Demand more witnesses. Now they are desperate--have to bring Trump down before the election because they can't win by voting.

"In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. His confirmation hearings would test his character and principles in the crucible of national controversy. Like the Bork hearings in 1987, the Democrats went after Thomas’ record and his jurisprudence, especially natural law theory, but also attacked his character. When that failed, and he was on the verge of being confirmed, a former employee, Anita Hill, came forth to accuse him of sexual harassment. The next few days of televised hearings riveted the nation. Finally, defending himself against relentless attacks by the Democratic Senators on the committee, Thomas accused them of running “a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas.” After wall-to-wall television coverage, according to the national polls, the American people believed Thomas by more than a 2-1 margin. Yet, Thomas was confirmed by the closest margin in history, 52-48."

A Burns Party, January 25

Tonight we attend a Burns supper. Bob will wear his Bruce kilt, and I'll wear one that's close and has more coverage.  I always have to remind him to keep his legs together.  Fortunately, we aren’t having the bad weather that some are getting—just cold and damp.

From Wikipedia: "The first supper was held in memoriam at Burns Cottage by Burns' friends, on 21 July 1801, the fifth anniversary of Robert Burns' death; it has been a regular occurrence ever since. The first still extant Burns Club was founded in Greenock in 1801 by merchants who were born in Ayrshire, some of whom had known Burns. They held the first Burns supper on what they thought was his birthday, 29 January 1802, but in 1803, they discovered the Ayr parish records that noted his date of birth was actually 25 January 1759. Since then, suppers have been held on or about 25 January.

Burns was said to have delivered this grace at a dinner given by the Earl of Selkirk.

Some hae meat an canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.

Donna is a wonderful chef and hostess.  It’s always an interesting group of people and great food.

"Here are some Scots words. You will hear them used all over Scotland. Aboot, bairn, bonnie, brae, cooncil, doun, dreich, faither, fitba, flit, glaikit, gowk, heid, hoose, ken, kirk, laddie, lang, lassie, mither, nane, poke, rare, scunner, speir, stooshie, stramash, threap, wean. People who speak Scots use these words and many other words like them." (Scots Language Centre)

Historic March for Life

Today January 24 marked the 47th annual March for Life to protest the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 legalizing abortion on demand. Republican presidents usually sent someone to represent them to the rally, and last year VP Mike Pence addressed the event in person, while Trump appeared on video. This year, it was Pence who appeared by video and Trump who attended.

Although it's Democrats who claim to support the women and minority issues, half of those who are aborted are female, and about 35% are black. So who cares more? Planned Parenthood which is the biggest killer of life in the U.S. also launders money for Democrat candidates and has pledged $45 million for the 2020 campaign; it supports the candidate and they in turn see that PP continues getting tax money. Cozy deal. The real quid pro quo.

"Last year, lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow the baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb right up until delivery. Then we had the case of the Democrat governor in the state of Virginia. … The governor stated he would execute a baby after birth” (the same guy who wants to save life by taking away 2nd amendment).  https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/01/24/trump-at-march-for-life-unborn-children-never-had-stronger-defender-in-white-house/

Hallmark’s Winter Movie series

In order to avoid anything about the DNC, Democratic National Circus, I decided to continue with Hallmark's winter season, and found "Love in Paradise." Interestingly, the male lead was Luke Perry, probably the scrawniest, inept movie cowboy you'll ever see. He died of a stroke earlier this year at 52 and was originally from Ohio. It was a good story. I'd never seen 90210 so this was the first time to see him.  As lovers go, they were really mismatched.  But she did teach him to ride a horse, drive a truck and mend a fence.

https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/love-in-paradise/cast?

We’d met before, when he was not a happy camper

I'd seen an article in the Columbus Dispatch, and decided to write a note to a doctor who was mentioned as the expert. I've been fiddling with the draft for a week or so, when finally it dawned on me his name sounded familiar. So I did one of those internet people searches where public information is collected on one site, and sure enough, I used to work for his mother. We'd actually met. I had attended his bris, the Jewish ceremony in which a baby boy is circumcised.

What not to Wear—what a fun show

I used to enjoy watching “What not to Wear” and came across it today trying to NOT watch all the impeachment coverage on Fox. Adam Schiff is such a joke; it’s DNC—Democratic National Circus. So I watched the story about Angie, a 38 year old New York City wife, mommy and business woman who had changed her life style.  She went from party girl to schlump—stopped drinking, smoking, staying out late, and lost 35 pounds.  She had no style sense, hated to shop. She loved her new physical, healthy life, but looked like she hated it.  So her husband, friends and co-workers, nominated her for a make-over, and boy did she look sharp!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIrhdXzgFpI

The show ran on cable for 10 years, 2003-2013, and the theme of this reality show was two fashion stylists with a team of hair and make-up stylists ambush (since it’s a reality show,  who knows if they are actually surprised).  A person (usually a woman) is nominated to get a do over which includes ridiculing her old look and throwing most of her outlandish wardrobe in a trash barrel. At the end, the ambushee always looks fabulous. Stacy London https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/what-not-to-wear/bios/stacy-london and Clinton Kelley are the hosts. 

It is perhaps being remade. https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/tlc-is-rebooting-what-not-to-wear-will-stacy-london-and-clinton-kelly-be-back-for-the-new-show.html/