End of the year 2020 donations

Time for the end of the year donations list. We held off on our church pledge, but finally paid it because. . . we pledged early in the year. It has obligations to many other ministries and to its staff. Even if closed, the buildings have maintenance costs. 

 I had no problem increasing our gift to Lakeside Chautauqua on Lake Erie. The staff did an incredible job of keeping the lights on and providing both on-line and live activities. We stayed an extra 6 weeks--there was nothing for us in Columbus. Lakeside has even increased its winter activity and has fabulous seasonal decorations and even a new restaurant.

 But I particularly want to recommend Prager U. The lockdown probably benefitted those companies that have a heavy media presence. Its social media went to 9 million and 35 million different people viewed their content on YouTube, more than 10% of the U.S. population. In 2020 alone, their videos were viewed over one billion times, or about 4 million views every day. You can learn more in 5 minutes with Prager U than a semester in a college class. Clear, targeted, precise with great graphics and production values. 

Are you confused about the Electoral College? Tara Ross's video got 65 million views. She's written many books and articles on this topic. Do You Understand the Electoral College? | PragerU Carol Swain, a black Republican can set you straight on The Inconvenient Truth About the Democratic Party | PragerU. It's had 28 million views. Take it from someone who's been there Felipe Moura Brasil as he explains How socialism ruined my country, with 22.3 million views. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1364480493594803

It's horrifying to watch this one, as you see every trick the Socialists pull on us in the USA. There are many more like Brandon Tatum on How to end White privilege, Larry Elder on the Ferguson Lie, Mark Mills on What's wrong with wind and solar, plus many more. 

 Watch a Prager U video today and get the college education you deserve.

My dream about Covid and the church

I rarely remember a dream. But early this morning I had the trifecta. My church was going to send 64 teenagers to my house to clean because of Covid. Got 3 concerns all in one dream--the church, Covid and our current project to sort and pitch things we don't need which is creating a mess. 

 As I was waking up, I was composing something to tell the teenagers about why it wasn't safe to have so many new germs in our home.

Why I still support President Trump, musings and opinion

In 2016, I was not an enthusiastic Trump supporter. But I saw results in his presidency I hadn't seen in my entire life.

1. Lots of presidents have claimed to be supporters of the unborn, the weakest and most fragile of all Americans. He's the only President who has been their advocate, both in supporting the larger political pro-life movements and organizations, but in attempting to reduce the demonic threat of Planned Parenthood. I'm a one issue voter, because without life, the other advantages of being an American don't matter. His was not just a campaign promise. He took action and provided moral support.

2. Being a Trump supporter is an adult education like we've never had before. He was not indebted to either party and we really saw the fangs and claws come out when he began calling out the good old boys' club that is DC politicking. We saw the unelected bureaucrats rise up and defend their lives at the public trough. We knew the legislatures at the state and federal level had become very weak, but we really took notice on how the most insignificant judge on the lowest court could take on the president and prevent him from undoing the shady Executive Orders of the previous president.

3. We began to see why his slogan "Make America Great Again" was such an anathema to Democrats, increasingly controlled by its left flank. Why the red hats had to be snatched from heads, and ugly arguments started. Why the pink hats had to make women look like blood thirsty baby killers.

• 3-a The United States has been horribly weakened by foreign infiltrators who fund and support Communist movements within. These movements rewrite history and try to destroy positive gains in the last decades in race relations, class distinctions, and age discrimination.  Peaceful, cooperative Americans are a threat to global power.
• 3-b Hard work and ambition were renamed by these demonic forces as "white privilege" even as blacks had become some of the wealthiest opinion makers and most powerful politicians in our country, and there are 2 full time cable channels (all white) devoted just to Spanish language programming.
• 3-c Every difference in culture or preference or speech was shouted down as microaggression and dog whistles.
• 3-d Minorities were demeaned by the Democrats and Never Trumpers as being helpless victims if they tried to leave the party or start a successful business.
• 3-e The police were caricatured as criminals even though statistics for police violence were at an all time low, and black on black crime was rising again. The leftists were so panicked that with the help of members of Congress, they began demands to "defund" the police and replace them with social workers, as though criminals were just misunderstood children.
• 3-f National pass times and leisure industries like sports, late night TV "comedy," social media, theatre, movies and the overwhelming liberal and classist academe industry joined forces to ridicule and finger point at the outsider in the White House, who knew a better way to reduce the size of government and raise incomes for all.
• 3-g While Trump worked quietly to get a better balance in the courts, he was very successful, and unless the new appointees lose their love for the Constitution, future Americans will not have the burden of a plastic ever changing law based on the feelings and personalities of the judges.
• 3-h The international events have been incredible. The Leftists gnashed their teeth when Trump soothed the little North Korean despot, and they swore it would be WWIII. Trump got us out of ridiculous international agreements which would allow China and India to move ahead, while we Americans paid higher taxes for their pollution. The accomplishments in the Middle East should be his biggest legacy and the previous presidents from Carter to Clinton to Bush to Obama, should hang their heads in shame for at least not moving the capital of Israel as they all promised and then "forgot" has their loyalty to Muslim dictators took over.
• 3-i  The virus that began in Wuhan, China, and spread all over the world, the leftists finally had to blame on President Trump. His operation warp speed they’ve tried to belittle and demean because it’s never been done before as a business man would tackle a problem. The Left can’t let this stand, and will blame every death on Trump rather than those politicians who continue to welcome foreigners (especially Chinese) into their cities where it spread beyond control.

4. Perhaps we were most educated about the role of media in our culture and politics. Never (with the exception of Mrs. Abraham Lincoln) has a FLOTUS been so maligned or ignored, criticized for her accent, her good works, and even her Christmas decor! Never has a president with Jewish in-laws and grandchildren been called a Nazi--but then, have we ever had a President with a Jewish daughter? The media criticized his business acumen and properties, while ignoring the clear criminal behavior of Joe and Jim Biden, and Hunter Biden. We saw a news media who were completely not interested in investigation, truth, history, the Constitution, or anything other than the commands from above, like Zucker on CNN. Although we have many more outlets for information, with hundreds, maybe thousands of podcasts, blogs, vlogs, "expert witnesses," independent researchers and writers, we also have a constipated traditional media begging for clicks on their websites, and being wolves in sheepskins. We’ve seen the media report only on “peaceful” protests of BLM and Antifa, for fear it might anger their growing left wing audience. And then blame their crimes on the President.  Yes, we’ll all remember the summer of 2020 as many blacks died but the media only cared about George Floyd.

5. We've seen how words that used to have meaning, like racist, Nazi, white supremacist, terrorist, have all been made meaningless by the new "woke" mentality--pieces of rope on garage doors or hoaxes perpetrated with great attention like Jesse Smollet's, when in fact President Trump has done more for minorities in education, prison sentences, rising income and lower unemployment than any president in my life time. And he's done it by NOT treating them as helpless victims who need government assistance. He's treated them as people worthy of respect--and for that he's called a Nazi. As an aside, we've been educated that half of educated Americans don't know that a National Socialist (Nazi) and a Communist are brothers under the skin, one with local plans to invade and take over, and the other with global plans. Either way, Trump has done neither--hasn't invaded any countries with which we share a border, and he hasn't worked with China to infiltrated other countries. 

Johns Hopkins has to discipline young researcher

Using statistical analysis, a senior lecturer from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has demonstrated that COVID-19 has resulted in no excess deaths, yet the university has censored the article online. And the fact checkers are all over this. She concluded that the deaths of “older people stayed the same before and after COVID-19.” This finding was contrary to expectation: “Since COVID-19 mainly affects the elderly, experts expected an increase in the percentage of deaths in older age groups. However, this increase is not seen from the CDC data. In fact, the percentages of deaths among all age groups remain relatively the same.”

So in a rush to woke, JH has pulled her article and declared it “was being used to support false and dangerous inaccuracies about the impact of the pandemic. " The author was "just" a master's candidate in economics, not a "real" doctor. She didn't do it right. One more career down the drain in the fight for truth. Even science can't compete with woke.

If you've never visited an elderly friend or relative in the winter/spring season of flu, you perhaps don't realize that nursing homes often have quarantines and that perhaps 50,000 in the over 65 population died from the flu in 2017-18. Also, the elderly die disproportionately from falls, and pneumonia. I can see that the lockdowns in retirement homes, and with relatives taking extra care of their elders, deaths from other causes may be down even if Covid deaths are up. Many more children died of the flu in 2017 than of Covid in 2020. Again, that may be the extra precautions and schools closing.

Not a single business was closed during the flu season of 2017-18, and the economy roared. But I do think we'll have an excess number of deaths due to all the missed doctor's appointments and vaccinations in 2020, also suicides and depression which can lead to fatalities.

Media were a terrible failure in reporting Covid19 facts says a new NBER report

"Reporters ignored good news, mangled the facts, and stoked panic — and some people (but probably not reporters) will pay for it with their lives and livelihoods."

What was good news never or seldom reported? Low fatality rate, .3%. Virtually no cases or deaths among children. Incredible advances among therapeutics with our president as one of the best examples. Stoking panic? Every night endless reports in hushed tones. Zucker of CNN demanding his reporters clobber Trump with Covid news. Mangled facts. Trump haters blaming him for the deaths, when he took all legal steps based on the science and medical advice of his team. Unproved demands of "scientists" about masks causing confusion and anger among the people. Waves of infections all over the world in different cultures, climates, and classes, yet media Trump haters continued to blame the president.

9.4 million published news stories. I wonder how many WWII received? “Trump and hydroxychloroquine” receive more coverage than do all stories about companies and researchers developing vaccines.

What media bias?

A very low time in our history. For media. For press. For the 4th estate.

From the news report. Coronavirus Pandemic: Media-Driven Fear Warped COVID Response | National Review

"The estimated probability that a COVID-19 article is negative varies from 70 percent to 100 percent among major U.S. outlets. These probabilities are not correlated with the likelihood that conservative consumers of news trust the source. COVID-19 stories from Fox News are about as negative as those from CNN."

". . . among the U.S. major media 15,000 stories mention increases in caseloads while only 2,500 mention decreases, or a 6 to 1 ratio. Even when caseloads were falling nationally (April 24th to June 27th), this ratio remains relatively high at 5.3 to 1. "

"The U.S. major outlets ran 1,371 such [vaccine development and companies working on vaccines] stories. During the same period they ran 8,756 stories involving Trump and mask wearing and 1,636 stories about Trump and hydroxy chloroquine. "

WHY IS ALL COVID-19 NEWS BAD NEWS? Bruce Sacerdote , Ranjan Sehgal,  Molly Cook “Working Paper 28110”  http://www.nber.org/papers/w28110

NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH

https://www.nber.org/.../working_papers/w28110/w28110.pdf 

The authors never concluded, but I did, the negativity in the media was intended to make Trump look bad, and not to provide the public with honest, public health information.

Someone should go to jail or at least be fined or demoted. I'd trust the robo callers telling me I have back pain, or that my electricity provider needs to be changed or that my computer is running slow before I'd accept what the media (and FB fact checkers) are telling us.

President Trump vs. his enemies

Mostly I ignore ad hominem attacks on me and other conservatives. They are intended to deflect the really destructive forces the Democrats have put in play as they prepare for their own downfall from the extreme leftists in their party. But I do have some questions for them.

1) When has President Trump ever led an enthusiastic crowd of Republicans at a rally or convention in a chant to boo God? Why is "Build that wall," or "lock her up," so much more offensive to you Democrats than rejecting and insulting your own Creator?

When has President Trump ever led a blood thirsty segment of his party in an effort to dismember thousands of late term unborn babies, the smallest and weakest among us, all for a peculiar lie that this empowers women?

When has President Trump ever presided over the destruction of a personal product like health insurance to replace it by one designed by bureaucrats and academics?

When has he mandated a fine or prison for not buying a government created product that benefits hand picked companies with millions of new customers?

When has he asked the American people to pay higher taxes for politicians and bureaucrats to reward their favorite donors and supporters in the arts, education, corporations, and the abortion industry?

When has this president told minorities that because of past wrongs they are victims and need to be dependent on the government as payback for sins of the past?

When has he told certain diverse and inclusive groups they can't accomplish anything without his help or without state and federal aid .

When has he insulted half of all Americans with name calling like racist, homophobe, terrorist or deplorable?

When has the President asked that you trust him for FORTY YEARS with the power to influence and control your lives through taxes, wars, red tape and regulations, international agreements and secret negotiations with foreign powers like China?

When has he pretended he could control the climate if you just gave him enough power and money?

When has President Trump given foreign workers priority and safety net benefits and free education over American workers?

When has the President ever told you America was never great, and it's such a racist, uncultured disaster that you should never teach its authentic history in school and instead need to submit to reeducation camps and classes in your universities and places of employment?

When has President Trump encouraged destroying works of art and monuments like ISIS did in Iraq beginning with obscure local soldiers, and moving on to missionaries in California and the nation's founders in DC?

You may recall other major differences between President Trump and his opponents, including some RINOs in Congress, and spoilers in the misnamed Lincoln Project who believe they know better than the 70 million people who elected him. But instead of name calling, let's look at the facts. https://lincolnproject.us/team/ Of course, Lincoln probably would have had them imprisoned, but it's a different kind of war today to destroy and tear apart the nation.

Birds of a feather flock together

I'm a one issue voter--the first one. I'm pro-life. And I'm agnostic on some on this list. But they do flock together.   If your candidate is pro-abortion, he/she probably will fall in line with the rest.

Pro-abortion

Pack the Supreme Court

Get rid of the Electoral College

No voter ID

No voter rolls clean up

Affirmative action

More red tape

Higher taxes

Government health care

Anti-2nd amendment

Anti-1st amendment especially religion

Pro-sex changes for young children

Fluid sexuality

Climate change penalties and taxes

Reparations for slavery

Global climate regulations, but only for USA required

Critical race theory required classes for employees and gov't

Covid lockdowns

Anti-Israel

Pro-Muslim

Pro-China

Anti-border security

Pro-illegal immigration

Pro-chain migration

Trump supporters are threatened

Cynthia Johnson, a Michigan politician, is threaten Trump voters, and urging the military to take them out.  Weren’t women supposed to bring something good to politics?

https://youtu.be/0xKyYX93Rck

Keep your eyes open, not for "news" but for the lack of it.

1) Biden's racist comments about his pick for secretary of defense. Apparently wants to "pay him back" (the implication that it's his race and "him" being all blacks), but he was the guy who helped Biden and Obama and the gun running scheme during their administration. So if a black general orders bombs on a white population in the Middle East it's OK?  Biden makes pitch for retired general to be Pentagon chief (fox23.com)

2) Schumer claiming that with a flick of the pen Biden can and will forgive trillions in student loan debt. I thought the House controlled the purse. Media were calling Trump a Nazi and traitor for even exercising the rights given a president. At least the wall had been voted on and approved (2006 Secure Fence Act). It was just Trump they didn't like when he tried to act on it. And it was Obama who was chief deporter and cage builder, not Trump.

3) The media are giving Biden the soft shoe dance routine, ignoring the things they screamed about when they were trying to undo the 2016 election. Like a civilian run military and how long a general needs to be retired before joining the cabinet.

4) Disagreements on who gets the vaccine, and federal mandate to wear masks--most of the population is at a very low risk. Forcing 100 days of mask wearing (during the same time the vaccine is reducing risk, so he can get the credit) . My generation is at risk, middle age and below, not so much--they are at greater risk for flu. I'm not an anti-vaxxer, but children don't need this until we know the long term affects.

5) If we give the federal government this kind of power (over the states), what will happen when something like MERS with a 50% mortality rate reappears? Covid19 has a mortality rate of .3% overall and about 5% in my age group with co-morbidities.

6) I've heard that at least one of the "unbiased fact checkers" used by Google and Facebook is China owned, Communist controlled, and it has been used to shut down freedom of speech and thought in China. I haven't checked his, but perhaps others have 

 7) Quarantining an entire population and locking down the economy has never been used as a public health measure by any nation, and now practically the whole world (except China) is doing it. On the other hand, we have libraries full of published, peer-reviewed research on what happens to lower income children in one parent families when they fall behind early in education. They NEVER catch up. Why are Democrats/liberals/socialists imposing this on the poor? Because they can.

Alex Azar vs. Xavier Becerra

Joe Biden's pick for HHS is Xavier Becerra, an anti-life, pro-big government, California bureaucrat with no health experience. The current secretary of HHS is Alex M. Azar II. Azar is also a lawyer who clerked for Scalia, and worked in the Bush administration. In this bio, notice the buzz words you'd never find in a Democrat resume: patient-centric, affordable, personalized, patient in control, treated like a human being not a number, transparent price and quality, regulatory relief, and more options. In the rule guide of forbidden words, these will be on the Democrat list. Azar developed and led President Trump’s vision for healthcare: a patient-centric, affordable, personalized system that puts the patient in control and treats the patient like a human being, not like a number. He has pioneered a patient-centered approach to the value-based transformation of the American healthcare system, including through transparency around price and quality, outcomes-based payments, interoperable health IT, provider collaboration, and unprecedented regulatory relief that places patients over paperwork. Under his tenure, HHS has transformed the pharmaceutical marketplace, driving down drug prices through a comprehensive drug pricing strategy and approval of historic levels of generic, brand, and biosimilar drugs. The Department has also worked to make health insurance more affordable and created more options for Americans who lack employer-based insurance." https://www.hhs.gov/.../secretary/alex-m-azar/index.html

President Trump got rid of the hated and illegal mandate, but Sen. John McCain went against his party and the AZ voters who supported him, to stab him in the back on dissolving an over priced and underused Obamacare, which many couldn't afford but were forced to purchase. Even with 5 government plans about 15% of Americans did not have or chose not to purchase health insurance when Obama took office. That administration destroyed adequate or affordable insurance for millions and they definitely did not get to keep their doctor and they were forced to purchase less desirable, less affordable plans filled with features they didn't need. And still over 8% didn't have insurance when he left office. His legacy--more bureaucracy and more interference in our lives.

Biden chooses anti-life leftist for HHS

Biden's pick for HHS--really bad:

"For starters, Becerra has zero qualifications in public health, and, given his relentless culture war signaling not just against President Trump (Becerra has issued over 100 lawsuits against his administration) and against religious liberty, his nomination seems more like vice signaling from the Biden camp. According to the New York Times, health experts friendly with the Biden team were "unhappily" taken aback by the choice. This alone will provide grounds for even Democrats tepid about religious liberty and abortion issues to oppose him. But Becerra's political weaponization of his office makes this an easy slam dunk, so long as Republicans have the stones to pick their battles and fight like hell to win them. "

Anti-abortion groups call Biden health secretary pick Xavier Becerra 'a pro-abortion extremist' (msn.com)

The current Secretary of HHS is Alex Azar.  From the Department bio: “While at HHS, Secretary Azar has developed and led President Trump’s vision for healthcare: a patient-centric, affordable, personalized system that puts the patient in control and treats the patient like a human being, not like a number. He has pioneered a patient-centered approach to the value-based transformation of the American healthcare system, including through transparency around price and quality, outcomes-based payments, interoperable health IT, provider collaboration, and unprecedented regulatory relief that places patients over paperwork. Under his tenure, HHS has transformed the pharmaceutical marketplace, driving down drug prices through a comprehensive drug pricing strategy and approval of historic levels of generic, brand, and biosimilar drugs. The Department has also worked to make health insurance more affordable and created more options for Americans who lack employer-based insurance.”

The Day the World Came to Town, 9/11 in Gander Newfoundland, by Jim DeFede

Our book club (I joined in 2000 when I retired, but I think the group has been meeting about 35 years) met via Zoom yesterday for a discussion of "The Day the World Came to Town, 9/11 in Gander Newfoundland." by Jim DeFede. It's worth a read just to be reminded of what fine, wonderful qualities and skills appear when a tragedy happens. We saw this in the weeks following 9/11 in the U.S., although you'd never know Americans pull together in crisis these days.

Book Review: The Day the World Came to Town, 9/11 in Gander Newfoundland - Redd Reads = Book reviews (reddspace.com)

Our group benefitted greatly because we had an eyewitness share her experiences, and she's been back to Newfoundland 29 times! Her plane load went to Lewisporte. Her enthusiasm for the people and especially the story of creating a scholarship fund for the local children was infectious. When I looked up Lewsporte, I found a photo of Shirley and the 2002 class that received scholarships to go to college. We heard about the captain of her Delta flight, the fireman, the bus drivers, the local Lion's club, the bonobos, one of which came to Columbus and had a baby named "Gander," the Broadway musical "Come from Away," based on the events, the CEO who refused a free trip back to the U.S. so he could stay with his fellow passengers, the rabbi who wouldn't travel on Sunday, the tiny towns and islands, the love story and marriage of 2 stranded passengers, Shirley's meeting with Prince Charles and Camilla, Walmart and the other businesses giving all the passengers free items because their luggage had to stay on the planes (38 jumbo jets). It was just a nice, warm tale of the goodness of people.

Special scholarships for Lewisporte students a lasting legacy of 9/11 attacks | CBC News

Touched by Canadians' 9/11 kindness, Dublin woman continues scholarship efforts - News - The Columbus Dispatch - Columbus, OH

Channel surfing, musings and opinions

Scanning news channels again today while riding my exercycle. There are many new ones, or less well known, out there. I stopped to look at BNC, Black News Channel. Like many news channels, it's rip and read for AP or an MSM channel, but with more sports and entertainment. Today the big story was Trump supporters making threats against poll workers and politicians--although that was the interpretation. I looked carefully at the footage, and saw no one running, looting or burning as we witnessed in the summer. I saw no one shouting down speakers or blocking their access like we see on college campuses when ANTIFA or the local Democrats trying to shut down conservative voices.

Since I wasn't aware of this channel until last week, I don't know how they covered the abuse of ordinary citizens in restaurants or events, or if they reported on people losing their jobs for supporting Trump. Most stories have more than two sides, or they need some nuance or actual investigative reporting. What we've come to expect from our media is polarization, no in depth reporting, and the CEOs (like CNN’s Zucker) setting the standard "dump on Trump" or lose your job. But like the Hispanic channels Telemundo and Univision, there is no racial or ethnic diversity for their on-camera reporting at BNC.

Ah, I can almost hear the "yes, but. . ."

The Halifax Explosion

I managed to live to the ripe old age of 81 and had never heard of the Halifax Explosion of Dec. 6, 1917. Until the atom bomb, it was the largest explosion known to mankind. Two ships tried to evade a collision both loaded for the war effort in Europe, but hit each other. The Mont-Blanc was carrying 2,925 metric tons of explosives—including 62 metric tons of guncotton, 246 metric tons of benzol, 250 metric tons of trinitrotoluene (TNT), and 2,367 metric tons of picric acid. About 2,000 people died, and many thousands injured, people come out to watch see only the smoke and then there was the explosion. I happened to hear the author John U. Bacon being interviewed about his book, "The Great Halifax Explosion : A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism."

https://youtu.be/MWlqP4Hxp5o

Quick peek at cousin Kirby on Shindig

My cousin Kirby Johnson (from Byron, IL) was a member of the Wellingtons, a boy band which became a back up group on Shindig a 60s TV show that featured live music by up and coming musicians (like Aretha Franklin and Roy Clark, Righteous Brothers, Marianne Faithful).  This is a link to a 1991 retrospective, and Kirby appears around minute 10 and 18.

https://youtu.be/KdO4TP21Xys

I’ve wrote a blog about the group, originally called The Lincolns because they met as fraternity brothers at the University of Illinois. Collecting My Thoughts  Kirby Johnson died in 1999.

Merle Norman

"Coverage: Medium to Full. Finish: Dewy. For dry skin types.

What makes this Merle Norman original foundation a cult classic? It has kept a multitude of complexions looking young and beautiful. Layer it to achieve maximum foundation coverage. The long-wearing creamy formula provides the base for a gorgeous face by protecting against the drying effects of the sun, wind and environmental pollutants."

Feel beautiful just reading the ad. Dewy. A cult classic. Young and beautiful. Creamy formula. Gorgeous. Protection from environmental pollutants.

I've been using it for 40 years.

Watching i24News for Israeli-middle east coverage

CONGRATULATIONS to our President on the 3rd anniversary of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, something other Presidents had promised, but then backed down. Since 1995 when it was approved by Congress with a bi-partisan majority, other presidents took the out using a waiver, refusing to recognize Jerusalem as the capital. Most politicians don't keep their promises, but a man who wasn't a politician and who has received 4 years of criticism and hate for not being part of the good-old boys club, got the job done.

Also this week-end Israel is participating in a trade show with the UAE. Another result of Trump's brokering a peace between Israel and its Muslim neighbors. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met the first commercial flydubai flight, and this week he wished well the pilots of the first Israir flight going to Dubai. And on Wednesday Israelis sent greetings to the United Arab Emirates as it celebrated its national day. Again, this breaking out of peace angered the boys in both parties, who thought nothing could move things ahead except more meetings held over years.

Thank you, Mr. President, for showing the way to get things done, and especially for Warp Speed and the vaccine.

For information on Israel and the middle east that you probably won't get from MSNBC or CNN, try i24NEWS, an Israeli English language international 24-hour news and current affairs television channel located in Jaffa Port, Tel Aviv. It began broadcasting in Feb. 2017.

Psalm 107—message for today from 1936

Yesterday morning the Psalm selection in Magnificat was Psalm 107—titled, "A Psalm with a message for America Today." Erling C. Olsen is so good at going back in history and explaining what was going on in Israel when the psalm was written, what its significance is for the life of Jesus, and then our lives. Except. He was speaking/writing in 1936. That was the Great Depression. The book is based on his radio broadcasts. He comments about the warnings God had given Israel--the people would taste the goodness of God, they would back slide, he would warn them, they would get in great trouble, then cry out and God would save them. He was merciful. Then it would start all over.

By 1936, when he gave this broadcast about Psalm 107 the U.S. had been in depression for 7 years, and in 1934 and 1935 there were serious droughts (the people on the east coast barely noticed because is was happening in the wheat belt and plains). The Americans blamed everybody and everything for our circumstances, he said, except our own sins. The government had ordered the farmers to plow under their fields and slay their livestock. Olsen said he didn't wish to get political but from the president on down, these were godless, wicked doings.**

"Just as God will turn a fruitful land into barrenness because of the wickedness of the people that dwell therein, so upon their repentance He will turn the wilderness into a standing water, and the dry ground into water springs so that the people may sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. . . . That kind of blessing only comes when a nation bows itself before God and repents of its wickedness. Would to God Americans would do that!"

Maybe he's waiting for the churches to open.

**Note: Olsen is referring to the Agriculture Adjustment Act of 1933 (sort of like "Cash for Clunkers" under Obama) when the elitists in government decided prices were too low and the production too high, so herds were slaughtered, and food destroyed, even though people were starving. The farmers had to cooperate or they would get no aid from the government. Is this ridiculous plan beginning to sound like 2020?

Who benefits from the lockdowns, musings and opinions

The lockdowns have benefitted the unions and Big Tech, two entities massively intertwined with politicians. The lockdowns have hurt the church, small businesses, and anyone seeking an education, particularly children. This won't end well. The lockdowns have increased suspicion and animosity between the haves and have nots (of freedom) Even an ordinary person sees that the ruling class tells us to mask up and shut up, while they continue life as usual--parties, restaurants, travel, investments, and private in-school education for their kids. So when Biden says, wear a mask for 100 days, who will believe him that it is about health? If the power brokers and pushers aren't worried, why should we be?

California: the Failed State

The First, a conservative news channel, was showing a special report on California, referred to as California, the cradle of crazy. Not sure when it originally debuted—Saturday morning is usually not that time slot.  Here are some take away. It’s on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jdtxAXjXvKE

California used to be a Red State (Republican, conservatives).  What happened, how did it become a one party state with Democrat super majorities? 

The host of this special asked Chuck DeVore of Texas, who use to live in California.  He attributed it to the loss of the aerospace industry loss after the end of the Cold War.  Also after the 80s amnesty for illegals, there was a huge influx of illegals, who could be bought by the Democrats. Big Tech rather than agriculture  is now dominate, and rather than being libertarian in outlook it is actually socialist.  Hispanic immigration is not monolithic—middle class with education and capital goes to Texas and poor, low skilled to California. (Chuck Devore, John Philips,) Johnnydontlike.com

The news moves east to west, but the culture moves west to east.  California’s culture is being exported to other states. There is an impulse to regulate everything—home ownership is giving way to renters. There are fewer stakeholders and taxes don’t matter.  Middle class renters have a different perspective than home owners.

Katy Grimes, author of California’s War against Donald Trump" was interviewed on corruption in the the state house and executive branch.  Wow.  That was depressing—especially a run down on Kamala Harris, who ignored the San Bernadino terrorist crimes yet went after the Planned Parenthood scandal. Also the guy running for Secretary of State, big anti-2nd amendment guy who was running guns for Islamic terrorists and Chinese.