Stop the insanity

Old people like me are at risk for Covid19. But no more so than the flu, falls and pneumonia. The shut down/lock up is hurting us more. There are shelves of research showing that being social is key to being healthy in old age; that moving even 45 minutes a day can extend your life, maybe more than 3 hours at the gym. Mall walking with a friend or shopping or a stroll in the park help us more than it helps young whipper snapper reporters opining about the evils of people who want the lock down to end. We may not remember the sermon, but we need our Sunday School class or choir participation or working with the ladies in the kitchen to connect. And yes, Alzheimer's doubles every 5 years after 65, but it's those tiny little strokes, the ones you can't detect on the phone, that really slow down our brains over time.

Governor, stop the insanity. You're killing us.

Down on the farm, 1969

  

Our children loved our vacations at my mother's farm located between Franklin Grove and Ashton, IL. My niece Cindy sent this treasure. I'm thinking this is June, 1969 and Cindy's family was living there. We'd come down ( we always said "down" when traveling from Mt. Morris to Franklin) to check out the remodeling progress. Eventually my mother created a wonderful retreat type facility for church groups. So Phil was about 7 months old in this photo. My nieces and our son Stan (deceased) were all within weeks of each other in age. That's Cindy on the far left. Squished and wiggling in her cousin's arms is our Phoebe. The guy with red hair is Bob.

Restrictions

When things finally open . . .

Opening season will be open season on Trump (who has been in the cross hairs of the media since 2015), and we know WaPo, NYT, LAT, CNN and MSNBC will be spewing misinformation, fake news and ridicule for what he didn't do, might have done, did 20 years ago, is doing and won't do.
"A targeted, data-driven approach that recognizes the differing conditions of the states, rather than placing them all on the Procrustean bed of a single policy, is the right prescription for this crisis."  City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/white-house-plan-to-open-economy?

A procrustean bed: A situation or place that someone is forced into, often violently. In Greek mythology, the giant Procrustes would capture people and then stretch or cut off their limbs to make them fit into his bed.

These government policies have indeed cut off our economic and cultural arms and legs to make us fit into their one size fits all shut down.

Seeing things unseen

When Phil was hospitalized twice in 6 months, we met and talked to many foreign doctors, nurses, paraprofessionals, social workers, techs and staff. We also noticed that medical practitioners from other cultures, particularly African and Indian, have a whole other way of looking at, touching and treating people. It's not about being kind, although they were; it was intuition. It's like they have a second sense endowed by their cultures about the body that book learning and college degrees don't offer. And they were not like each other, either. Filipinas were not the same as Nigerians. I wonder how this translates to current demand using telephone, Zoom and Skype.

Covid19 stats for Ohio

April 26 COVID-19 snapshot:
Data provided by ODH as of 2 p.m. April 26
Confirmed cases in Ohio: 15,360 
Number hospitalized in Ohio: 3,178 
Number of confirmed deaths in Ohio: 687 
Number of cases in Franklin County: 1,942
And about 28,000 deaths a year from cardiovascular problems.

David Meyers comments:

There is a lot of half-baked science being touted right now. I say half-baked because it’s being put out for public consumption before it is ready. Even in the absence of a major health crisis, it is not uncommon to make claims that turn out to be wrong. The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Johannes Fibiger in 1926 for the discovering that a roundworm caused cancer in rats. Only it didn’t. It was an honest mistake.

Good science usually takes time. It should be devoid of politics and independent of outside influences, i.e. money and fame. But good science takes money. That’s the dilemma researchers find themselves. Right now, there are real scientists—someone said about ninety teams—working hard to diagnose and solve a problem in a few months that would normally take years. They are no doubt feeling pressure to skip steps. The test groups are often small and the controls are possibly lacking. Some scientists are bypassing peer review because that takes time. Others seems to be motivated by a need to draw attention to themselves.

In the meantime, our economy is taking a shellacking. Only time will tell if it was worth it, although many people have already made up their mines.

I decided to take a look at the CDC website to see if I could learn anything more from it that we were being told. The first thing that struck me is that the CDC is lumping Covid-19 together with influenza and pneumonia.** Apparently, anybody who dies of influenza or pneumonia is per se a Covid casualty, now. The death rate for this group is (according to the most recent data) 18.6 people per 100,000 and declining. It had been over 21 just a couple of weeks earlier. I don’t know what it is, now. But on a yearly basis I would expect it to decline.

I wanted to put this in perspective. Unfortunately, the most recent data for the leading causes of death in the United States is as of 2018. They are:

655,381 heart disease [163.6 per 100,000]
599,274 cancer [149.1 per 100,000]
167,127 accidents/unintentional injuries [48.0 per 100,000]
159,486 chronic lower respiratory diseases [39.7 per 100,000]
147,810 cerebrovascular [37.1 per 100,000]
122,019 Alzheimer disease [30.5 per 100,000]
84,946 diabetes [21.4 per 100,000]
** 59,120 influenza and pneumonia [14.9 per 100,000]
51,386 kidney disease [12.9 per 100,000]
48,344 suicide [14.2 per 100,000]

As you can see, the typical rate for influenza and pneumonia is 12.9 per 100,000. It will be interesting to see what it will be at the end of 2020, but we probably won’t know that until 2022.

We’ve had to buy an extra recycle bin for our trash

What's with covering plastic bottles with plastic envelop labels with instructions to remove the label before recycling? I've only noticed it recently because before I don't buy a lot of small, specialty items like sports drinks and nutritional supplements like Ensure or high calorie treats from Tim Horton’s. But I guess that marketing waste has moved to some things I do buy. I've most recently experienced it with Half n Half and pints if milk (Kroger brand). With all the carry out food and back-to-plastic bags for shopping, we will have undone a decade's worth of nagging and hypervigilant recycling habits in just a month of stay home/stay shuttered/stay stupid that will not change the death statistics.

Sunday musings on the Trump critics

I've noticed some strange behavior among the Trump haters.

In addition to calling me names like stupid Fox News watcher or Trump cult member, they ridicule Trump's appearance, his 3 marriages, his children, his speech and his Christian faith.

Odd. With a 50% divorce rate among Americans, how many divorces are OK with these folks? Did his critics just shack up or sleep around and not bother with legalities? Is that wagging finger pointing back at the speaker with a tinge of guilt?

And his appearance? 69% of women are either overweight or obese and 75% of men. How slim are his critics? Could the critics keep up his schedule?

His children? Have you checked out the Kennedy genealogy and Roosevelt kids lately? Didn't Cuomo and Schwarzenegger both marry into the Kennedy clan and then dump their wives, one for a cook the other for a maid?

The way Trump talks? It was OK with Trump critics that both H. Clinton and B. Obama would change their speech patterns with their clothing to try to ingratiate themselves with certain ethnic groups or income levels. But Trump never changes. He tweets, he talks, and he jokes, but it always drives the left crazy that he doesn't change to suit them. They don't want him to talk like a deal making businessman--they want him to sound like a washed up, has-been politician who has been failing for 40 years in government.

Christian faith? With 35,000 different denominations, independents, and Bible churches among Christians who can't even agree on how to baptize or when Jesus is coming back, just which group is OK with his critics? The one they belong to? The one they don't honor with their presence or tithe?

It's puzzling.

Covid19 April 24 in Ohio

So far, 649 have died of Covid19 in Ohio, and based on previous years, about 28,000 will die of heart disease in Ohio. Probably more than previous years because hospitals and clinics are not seeing cardiac problems in a timely fashion and are using the "wait and get sicker" method of socialist countries. We're experiencing that in our household.

Philip Vincent Bruce, 1968-2020

Philip Vincent Bruce was born November 25, 1968 in Columbus, Ohio, and died April 21, 2020 in the home of his parents, Robert and Norma Bruce, in Upper Arlington, Ohio. He so longed to be in his own home in Canal Winchester where he'd lived for many years, however, a diagnosis of glioblastoma on October 1, 2019 meant he needed around the clock care in his last months. Phil attended Tremont, Jones and Upper Arlington High School, graduating with the class of 1987, enjoying all the amenities of the pools, parks and athletic leagues growing up, and the spiritual guidance and programs of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church where he was confirmed. He later took a few business classes at Columbus State. Although Phil learned to read before kindergarten, what he really cared about was not books or degrees, but people.  From the time he could walk, his interest was gathering a crowd for play or friends to visit, or standing on a stool to reach the kitchen wall phone. In pre-school at First Community Church, story hour and sitting still were not interesting; the playground or playing in the corner with other "busy" boys was his idea of a good morning. And that never changed. To the end of his life, he maintained friendships from his old neighborhood, elementary and high schools, the work place and church.

For both socializing and alone time, he loved music, especially guitar. Although he did have a few guitar and piano lessons, for the most part he didn't have patience for that and preferred working out the details on his own, and for that he would be absorbed for hours. He loved to put words together and wrote his own music.  It was his solace in alone time to unwind after a hectic day at work and his main vehicle for building friendships and socializing. Phil from the beginning was spiritual--and often would express his tenderness in comforting or visiting the suffering. His parents heard many stories about his reaching out to families of his friends or to co-workers in difficult times.  But he was also religious and enjoyed the sacraments, structure and organization that holds Christians together when we gather to worship Jesus as the visible church. As a little guy he would comment that he could feel the water on his head while the pastor gathered the children to watch a baptism. The last decade of his life he participated in the fellowship of Gender Road Christian Church and enjoyed playing in the praise band. He dearly loved his church, and even at the end of life would talk about going back to church in a week or two. His last communion was on April 14. A final prayer service with his family was held at his bedside after he died with Pastor John Romig of GRCC and Pastor Paul Ulring of UALC.  At this time, the funeral at Gender Road Christian Church has not been scheduled until we can gather freely and remember Philly B with stories and songs.

Phil is survived by his parents, Bob and Norma Bruce, his sister and brother-in law, Phoebe and  Mark Doncevic, many aunts and uncles, Jean and Bob Poisal, Debbie Sterling, Rick and Kate Bruce, Joanne and Nelson Miller, Stan and Casey Corbett, and many cousins, especially Joan and Dan Poynter, and some who sat on his lap as babies and then grew up to be bigger than he was becoming good friends as adults, and devoted friend to the end, Sara Reichly.

Phil was blessed with many grandparents and knew and loved them all--great grandparents Joe and Bessie Corbett, great grandmother Irma Byrum, Jim and June DeMott, Howard and Olive Corbett, and Bob and Rosie Bruce. Two brothers, Stanley and Patrick Bruce, died before Phil was born, but he always included them. Phil had been married and divorced, and for many years enjoyed being a step-father.  Phil loved animals, and after his last dog Rosa, a chocolate lab, died in 2018, he didn't get another dog, but started a pet sitting business and loved each client as his own.

For most of his adult life Phil had worked in the automotive repair business, in Grandview Heights with his Bruce Automotive Services, with Jack Maxton as the Quick Serve manager in Worthington, and most recently with Jeff Wyler in Canal Winchester.  He also had been an insurance agent at Collins Financial Services.

Baptism, 1969

With Grandma Corbett at the farm, Franklin Grove, IL 1971

With Grandma and Grandpa DeMott, Phoebe and Mom, Indianapolis

Phoebe and Phil at cousin Joan's for Christmas holiday

2018 Praise Band, Gender Road Christian Church 

2019 high school friends

Myths about the prison system

How many myths about the prison system are you believing—they are mostly drug offenders? Wrong. Long sentences? Wrong. Media and activists aren't telling you the truth. The truth doesn't sell. Or bring in donations for liberal think tanks. Most criminals have victimized their own communities. Think on that. Reduce the population? But they hurt their own communities, not yours.

https://www.prageru.com/video/why-are-so-many-americans-in-prison/

Reading and cycling

My office was cleaned out to the bare walls and moved to the laundry room to make way for our son’s hospital bed and supplies. At first the exercycle was in my husband’s office, but I pushed it into the laundry room so I could multi-task.  My washing machine, which I’ve written about before, is a little touchy and likes to dance around if not loaded evenly, so sometimes I just jump on the cycle during spin.

But it’s sort of boring, so I’m reading a new book I was sent for review: American Harvest, God, Country and Farming in the Heartland, by Marie Mutsuki Mockett, a Californian with a Japanese mother, and American father.  There’s been a 7,000 acre wheat farm in her family for over 100 years, although her grandfather had left the area as a child.

What caught my interest was not just the farmer angle, but the Christians who annually harvest the wheat using teams from the Pennsylvania Anabaptist country. I’m only in chapter 2, but so far, unless her liberal side takes over, I’m enjoying her vivid descriptions of the farms and her compassionate look at the harvesters she travels with to get material for this book.  I can go 3-4 miles a day with Marie.

http://www.mariemockett.com/books/american-harvest/

Here’s a review, but it sounds like the reviewer only finished the first 2 chapters, which is how far I am on my exercise plan. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-04-03/evangelicals-marie-mockett-american-harvest

Bookworm says:

“It turns out that not all of us are news junkies. She [clerk in the grocery story who still has a job] didn’t know what was going on in California or Michigan or any other state that has placed people under lockdown in their own homes.

“How can they do that? That makes no sense. People have bills to pay. We have to work.”

Her words struck me strongly because I’ve been struggling to articulate the different emotional responses I’m seeing from the left and the right when it comes to responding to the Wuhan virus. The leftists are saying that the lockdown should continue for another year or two, and are accusing those who want normal life to return of being living embodiments of the Grim Reaper, determined to kill everyone through their greed, carelessness, and a refusal to recognize facts that can derive only from watching Fox News."

Bookworm (and although anonymous, I think the writer is a she) goes on to opine about liberals and how they feel about death.

"Consistently, lefties are driven by a raw emotional fear of death that the more sophisticated later dress up as sophisticated reasoning about controlling a pandemic. The sophistication is a veneer, though, because the fact that the models have all proven wrong is irrelevant. Their lizard brains are activated and won’t be calmed until the disease risk is reduced to zero."

". . . the leftist fear of death drives everything. It’s what allows their leaders to manipulate them about climate change (never mind that people ultimately do better in a warmer world), about guns (never mind that guns in America save more lives than they take), about organic v. non-organic food (never mind that if all farming were organic people would starve), socialized medicine (never mind that socialized medicine gives people access not care), about serving in the military (never mind that if we are undefended, many more can die in a sustained attack against America), and so on."

http://www.bookwormroom.com/2020/04/19/the-different-mindsets-political-parties-have-towards-the-wuhan-virus/

You can thank Pelosi for soup lines if it comes to that

Democrats want Americans in soup lines again, or jumping out of windows, just like the 1930s, when they were in control. Other countries pulled out of the Depression, but under FDR, we were stuck with the promises of more government programs until WWII came along and created a labor shortage. Now we have massive infusions from our taxes returning to "save" us, and Democrats don't want to give them up. Stay home; don't work; we'll take care of you. Attend a mindfulness Covid19 class or a concert at the Kennedy Center--whee--it's all to help with the pandemic.

Pelosi goes on TV and claims she supports the paycheck plan for workers, but she's lying. She's sitting on billions of loan money for the little guy while she flashes her $25,000 frig in front of her adoring fans. Ice Cream Nancy is killing the small businesses in your town and neighborhood--It's the Democrat Way.

Pelosi supports your business not expanding; she will stop you from keeping your employees, even churches' food pantries and non-profits; she supports ending your brother's business before it gets off the drawing board and makes a business plan. Eventually she can stop the supply lines to the grocery stores by destroying the small businesses that do that, and you won't just be missing toilet paper.

Facebook fact checkers are actually censors

"I dig into the prevailing media narratives about coronavirus, including “fact checks,” that have themselves been proven false. You’ll be amazed at who Facebook is letting help censor information about China’s controversial Wuhan lab. (Hint: she’s a scientist who works at the lab…)"

There are a few investigative reporters left in the country. Sharyl Attkisson is one of them.

https://sharylattkisson.com/2020/04/facebooks-fake-coronavirus-fact-check-podcast/

Other good sources to confirm the liberal lies from Kelly Kullberg:

Just the News, https://www.facebook.com/JustTheNewsReports/

Luke Rosiak at Daily Caller, Kevin Mooney at The Daily Signal

www.InfluenceWatch.org by Capital Research Center

Israeli researcher says . . .

". . . irrespective of whether the country quarantined like Israel, or went about business as usual like Sweden, coronavirus peaked and subsided in the exact same way. In the exact, same, way. His graphs show that all countries experienced seemingly identical coronavirus infection patterns, with the number of infected peaking in the sixth week and rapidly subsiding by the eighth week."

https://townhall.com/columnists/marinamedvin/2020/04/15/israeli-professor-shows-virus-follows-fixed-pattern-n2566915

What governors have done

COPIED--and please note--these were done by governors, not the president

WAKE UP & LISTEN, VIRGINIA and other US States!!

Gov. Northam could've said, "If you’ve been quarantined for 3 weeks and are symptom free, go to your camp or cabin. Buy groceries from the local small business grocery and liquor stores. Fish from the rivers...they have been waiting all season for your return. Just exercise social distancing."

He could've...but he didn’t say that.

Gov. Northam could have said, "Plant a garden! Virginian's need to get outside and work in their yards. Order supplies to be delivered from your local nursery, and spend some money there. They are stocked and ready for you!"

He could've...but he didn’t say that.

Gov. Northam could've said, "Take this time to work on a home project. Call your local hardware store and have them mix a gallon of paint. Pay over the phone, use social distance to pick it up."

Gov. Northam could've said that...but he didn’t.

He could've said, "Restaurant owners... reopen, but at just half capacity. You can only seat every other table, and wait staff must wear masks. We want you to survive, so let’s use common sense and appropriate social measures."

He could've said that...but he didn’t.

He could've said, "Landscapers who staved all winter for lack of snow...get to work! Book your jobs over the phone. Accept payment via cash apps. Work single crew jobs or small crews where you can keep your distance. Let’s work with local stores to have supplies delivered or waiting for you to pick up. We know you’re cash based, and aid hasn’t come yet. Be safe...but work!"

But he didn’t say that, either.

He could have said, "Go back to your place of worship! Sit one family per pew, and use every other pew. Practice social distancing, but go and celebrate Passover and Easter."

Oh, he could've...but he didn’t.

Sure...Walmart's still gonna Walmart, Costco's still gonna Costco and Target's still gonna Target...but Virginia's small business owners? They're drowning!! What did he do? He tossed them a cement block instead of a lifeline.

When will people in Virginia realize that he doesn’t want to help us?!?! He wants us so broke and so hungry and so desperate and so afraid that we turn in our own neighbors, we hide in fear, we stay glued to the fear-mongering news and we deplete anything we have saved! And when it’s all gone, and we are desperate and broken and depressed...who will we turn to? Why the government, of course! They're sure to save us!

Gov. Northam could have said and done a lot...but he didn’t. Do NOT ignore the message that man is sending us...because where he stands and what he’s about is loud and clear. You just need to wake up & listen.

Things our Governor has done:

Deemed abortion clinics "essential" health care,
Released convicted criminals from jail,
Restricted personal liberties,
Trampled our Constitutional Rights,
Implemented red flag laws that are proven to be ineffective, Raised gasoline tax,
Singed a law to limit firearm purchases to 1 every month,
Closed small businesses...

Does any of the above sound familiar? If it does, it's because it's been posted by other US citizens in other Democratic-run US states. I just changed the name of the governor. Apparently, this is going on across the country. WE ALL NEED TO WAKE UP AND LISTEN.

Copied on Facebook.

Minority set asides and Nancy Pelosi

Thousands of small businesses can't get loans to pay their millions of employees because Nancy Pelosi with the overstocked, latest model refrigerator (she showed it on TV) is sitting on the additional funding. She is blackmailing Republicans to have 1/2 to go to women and minority owned firms. So if you're a woman or Hispanic who works for a white owned business (the majority of the workers) you're screwed. Or if your boss is a minority and female (like my daughter's) you're also screwed because she won't release the money. Thanks Fancy Nancy with the Fulsome Fridge.

That's the old Democrat trick for getting votes--pay them to vote for you so you can keep them on the plantation to work on the cheap. Minority set asides don't advance or help the people intended. They've been around a long time. I remember having the veterinary library painted around 1990, I think. We were state of Ohio, so of course, had to have a minority owned firm get the bid. Here's how that worked. A minority owned firm would partner with a non-minority firm, which would get the job and do the work because the minority firm didn't have the staff or experience. Meanwhile, the black owned firm did not have to compete or try to grow. Or in the architectural business (my husband's field), there was one major black owned firm in Columbus, and he'd get everything that had minority set asides. That pretty much stopped the competition from smaller minority firms because he held the keys (was also a good firm).

Meanwhile, Pelosi is hurting the very people whose votes she is recruiting with her pay to play scheme.

Blessed are the poor in spirit

I haven't found the exact article on line I read today in the March 2020 Magnificat written by Kimberly Shankman about the meaning of her son's suffering, “The Richness of Poverty of Spirit.”  But this one about the last normal day she had with her son in 2014 https://www.thegregorian.org/2014/johns-last-normal-day  reminded me of the last "normal" day I had with mine before his diagnosis October 1, 2019. We had lunch together the last Saturday in September at the Chef o Nette Restaurant in Tremont shopping center in the neighborhood where we began our lives together, across the street from his elementary school, the swimming pool, the ball fields he played in and the library we visited every week. That day he was impatient and edgy, but nothing unusual. We both ordered "Hangover and fries," a specialty. No outward sign of the large tumor growing in his brain.

I'm not where Mrs. Shankman is yet on the meaning of suffering. She was reflecting on the Beatitudes in the article I read. She wrote that now she understands "poor in spirit" whereas before she didn't. "All the money in the world couldn't buy what I needed. What could save us--what did save us--was the recognition of my utter, total, abject poverty (of spirit). All I could do was beg God every day to show us his path on this rocky road. And he has responded with breathtaking generosity, showering blessings on us directly and through those he surrounds us with. The love of friends, support of neighbors and caring of strangers answer our prayers and bring us profound peace."

Flu, pneumonia and falls

From October 2018 through early May 2019, up to 61,200 people died due to flu complications, while up to 647,000 people were hospitalized, according to preliminary estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the 2017-2018 flu season, approximately 900,000 people were hospitalized and 80,000 people died due to flu complications. (Prevention website)

Every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. 50,000/year.  Those who are hospitalized often die of pneumonia.

So let's guestimate that about 150,000 older adults die each fall/winter season from just these 3 problems, and maybe a million are hospitalized plus thousands of younger people who are also susceptible at a lower rate because they may have preexisting conditions like heart, lung, kidney problems, or do silly things like climb ladders to clean gutters. Only the family and friends care when they die--they mourn their losses and pay the bills. We cry and share stories about grandma or the neighbor who used to help us out with maintenance or walking the dog. We spend hours settling estates and packing up or distributing the earthly wealth of those we loved. We give away watches from the retirement gala, the jewelry box, and old Bibles. We personally have the gold pocket watches of both Bob's father and grandfather, we have my grandmother's hymn book from her college days in the 1890s, and my grandfather's 11th, 12th and 13th editions of Encyclopedia Britannica. We know how they died and it wasn't a pandemic, but was from common problems of aging. But we didn't close up shop, we didn't deny medical care to others for different, less fatal causes, we didn't stop having Easter services, and we didn't destroy our pensions and equity in our homes because maybe 200,000 people died of illnesses that had been with us since the people made a golden calf to worship just in case Moses got it wrong.

https://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a22813625/flu-symptoms-prevention/

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pneumonia.htm