Covid and Wokeism

Covid and Wokeism. This writer, David Suissa, calls them both viruses, but I'd say one is a virus, the other is a metastasis. Both have hit us at the same time creating suspicion, anger, incivility and fear. The virus is inclusive; the metastasis is exclusionary. The virus goes after our cells; the other after our souls.

"It’s odd that these two major forces have hit us at the same time. They’re mirror opposites. The fear of dying from COVID makes us small and humble and deeply grateful just to be alive. 

Wokeism nurtures the opposite of gratitude. We feel cocky, entitled and intolerant. Anyone who offends us must be attacked, if not cancelled. Any speaker who will offend us must be stopped. We have a right to not be exposed to anything that might hurt our feelings or make us feel “unsafe.” " . . .

"Wokeism is a symptom of modern decadence, when maximum convenience and comfort trigger a nostalgia for epic struggles and dramatic causes. Absent these historic movements of yesteryear, the woke must come up with endless grievances to gain power and boost their self-esteem. That’s why they can’t stand to recognize real progress—it undermines their grievance-obsessed narrative.

A key tenet of wokeism is to preach inclusion and diversity, but with a crucial catch: Wokeism scrupulously excludes ideological diversity, which would be too messy. We’re inclusive in all ways, in other words, except when it comes to your opinions.

 
COVID is truly all-inclusive. It comes after all of us. It’s straightforward. It wants to enter our bodies and contaminate our cells. . . wokeism contaminates our souls. "

Sunrise, August 15 at Lakeside

 

Can you see the Naked Ladies?  That's the name for the pink lilies that pop up about the first week in August with no leaves to cover their beauty.  We have a few in our yard, with some on the table right now that had fallen down.  You can also see in the photo in the distance a freighter that has arrived in Marblehead to load up oar from the quarry.  Yesterday I saw three of them, one in dock, one near by, and a third one further out.  I've heard it's the largest quarry in the country.  Our friend Tony who a member of a geologist/rock club was inside the mine this past week collecting beautiful rocks with gem stones (don't recall what they are called), and he gave us one with purple and blue stones in it.  He says the pieces are so sharp (broken up and left by large equipment} that glove, shoes and pants can be ruined in just one trip into the mines.

Anne Herbert, a not so good prophet

"The only way I can make any sense of recent presidential elections is that the most vivid person wins, regardless of content, because too many of us have been dressing our lives in beiges and are suckers for a red tie and shiny shoes that look like relative strength. " Anne Herbert, APRIL 1983 (The Sun magazine)

I had never heard of this writer before today (or so I thought), but this quote is attributed to her, and obviously the 2020 election made her a bad prophet. The most bland, beige, but evil one was appointed the winner in the last presidential election. The one with the red tie, the one most vivid who could draw thousands to come out to hear him and the hate and ire of the media, the one who terrified the deep swamp and Big Tech both, the one with the track record for making all lives better, even life for those not yet born, didn't return to the White House. I'm down the rabbit hole of Herbert's movement (The Kindness Movement of the 1990s) and I may have more to say later. Maybe not. This may be it. She apparently preferred Carter over Reagan--but so did I, so what can I say?

List of 30 good things President Trump has done for America - Wayne Grudem

Facebook is following you

 Meta injecting code into websites to track its users, research says | Meta | The Guardian

“Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has been rewriting websites its users visit, letting the company follow them across the web after they click links in its apps, according to new research from an ex-Google engineer. The two apps have been taking advantage of the fact that users who click on links are taken to webpages in an “in-app browser”, controlled by Facebook or Instagram, rather than sent to the user’s web browser of choice, such as Safari or Firefox. “The Instagram app injects their tracking code into every website shown, including when clicking on ads, enabling them [to] monitor all user interactions, like every button and link tapped, text selections, screenshots, as well as any form inputs, like passwords, addresses and credit card numbers,” says Felix Krause, a privacy researcher who founded an app development tool acquired by Google in 2017. In a statement, Meta said that injecting a tracking code obeyed users’ preferences on whether or not they allowed apps to follow them, and that it was only used to aggregate data before being applied for targeted advertising or measurement purposes for those users who opted out of such tracking…” It would be a good idea to read the whole article.

Lunch on August 12

 I went to the farmer's market this morning and bought beets with leaves, Swiss chard in 2 colors, tomatoes, peaches and some bakery treats.  I already had spinach, onions, etc. on hand.  So here's a photo of lunch, which we ate on the deck because the weather was wonderful--chicken tetrazzini, fresh cooked beets, steamed spinach, and a raspberry scone.  All very yummy.  But in the middle of the afternoon, I remembered I hadn't taken my Xarelto (blood thinner), which I remembered I put on the plate so I wouldn't forget it. Apparently, I ate it with the chicken.  To be sure, I enlarged the photo, and see it sitting there trying to look like part of the rust colored flower on the plate. So, I'm trusting I ate it.

Monkey Pox

A note from my doctor (not to me personally, but to all COPC patients):

"We don’t know whether it [monkey pox] can be spread from someone without symptoms and that is also being researched. At the time of this writing, the infection is being seen mostly in gay and bisexual men. Therefore, this group should be extra vigilant in monitoring for symptoms and take precautions to limit their exposure.

Avoid skin-to-skin contact with anyone with a rash that looks like Monkeypox and avoid sharing objects or clothing that someone with a rash has used. Frequent hand washing with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer is also recommended."

Do you suppose if someone shows up at work or school classes, they will be asked to leave because work spaces are tight or work items--door knobs, pencils, books, copiers, toilets--have to be shared, or would that be homophobic?  The pictures I've seen look a lot worse than a "rash."  If they show up at ER, how will others be protected?

Also, Biden didn't act quickly on this and the vaccine is in short supply. The first U.S. case was identified in May 2022, and now it's called a global health emergency.  How are we to avoid it if it is also on people's hands? I've looked at the photos and it looks very painful, plus disfiguring.  Time to bring out the hand sanitizer and gloves?

This video is so low key and careful about saying anything that might upset anyone. But it sounds like how HIV got out of control in the 80s after it began in the gay community.

https://youtu.be/1eJw-KH0wcI

Gender and sexuality alliance clubs in our schools

"The main national organization behind this campaign, the GSA Network, is a professionally staffed nonprofit with a multimillion-dollar annual budget. GSA Network serves as an umbrella organization for more than 4,000 “gender and sexuality alliances” across 40 states. Once called the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, the group rebranded in 2016, reflecting a new focus on “the limits of a binary gender system.” The individual chapters, which operate in elementary, middle, and high schools, often use the language of “LGBTQ inclusion” and “anti-bullying” in their public relations, but behind the scenes, the central organization is driven by pure left-wing radicalism that extends far beyond sexuality."

GSA isn't subtle about it's goals. It's not just to sexualize your children--comes complete with the usual anti-capitalist pro-Marxist drivel. I wonder who is funding these clubs?

"In a manifesto, the organization calls for the “abolition of the police,” the “abolition of borders and ICE,” the payment of “reparations” to minorities, the “decolonization” of native lands, the end of “global white supremacy,” and the overthrow of the “cisgender heterosexual patriarchy.” The organization is also explicitly anti-capitalist: its literature is littered with references to “anti-capitalism” and, during one board meeting, its leaders fantasized about what life would be like “after capitalism falls.”

GSA Clubs Smuggle Gender Ideology into K-12 Education (city-journal.org)

All conservatives (and liberals too who are figuring out this scam) need to understand the basics--these expanding victim groups which supposedly are about equality, diversity, fairness, tolerance, etc. are at their roots, Marxist. It won't end. Don't look for common sense, American values, decency, fairness, tolerance and certainly your kids won't get a good education. The point of all this is manipulation--to destroy, divide and conquer. Gay or straight, black, white or brown, immigrant or native, all children will be hurt, but they (and you) are being used to destroy the family and society through the schools.

It worked in the 20th century--they murdered 100 million of their own people in various countries using class warfare--citizen against citizen. In our era, instead of division in classes and workers, they are using sex, gender and race. Same book, different cover.

Don't be distracted

 

The misnamed Inflation Reduction Act

It's no shock to me that this Inflation Reduction Act is the opposite of the words, but a tax grab--exactly the intention of the Democrats. It's the government that got us into this mess by throwing money at anything that moved from 2019-2022, and that includes the Trump years.

"Using the Tax Foundation’s General Equilibrium Model, we estimate that the Inflation Reduction Act would reduce long-run economic output by about 0.1 percent and eliminate about 30,000 full-time equivalent jobs in the United States. It would also reduce average after-tax incomes for taxpayers across every income quintile over the long run.

By reducing long-run economic growth, this bill may actually worsen inflation by constraining the productive capacity of the economy." https://taxfoundation.org/inflation-reduction-act/

Walking while old

 Can you hear me breathing hard?  We were in church (outside in the park) from 8:30-9:30 and then eating with friend at the Patio restaurant until about 10:15.  Then a walk home, change into cooler clothing, and out again for a short walk on Oak and Lynn before the day heats up.  I think it's supposed to be high 80s.  I'm using my smartphone to track, count and analyze my walking. Which means I have to keep it with me, either holding it or putting it in my pocket.  I rarely have made a phone call, but use it for listening and information. This message is from The Ridge Senior Living. I'm posting it for reference and inspiration for other days. How Many Steps Should a Senior Get in a Day? | The Ridge (theridgeseniorliving.com)

My smartphone says, "Step length is the distance between your front foot and back foot when you're walking.  The ability to take longer seps is related to your long term mobility.  Strength and coordination changes can affect your ability to take longer steps.  Step length will decline with age. Today, August 7 my step length is 28.7-33.5 inches

The smart phone also records "double support time." That's the percentage of time during a walk that both feet are on the ground. If you spend more of the walk with weight on one foot instead of two, there is better balance. The measure will fall between 20 to 40%. Today Sunday August 7 my Double support time is 25-28.4%, that's down from 27.8 - 31.6% on Wednesday, July 27. I hope that means my balance is better, although it doesn't feel like it.

The Relationship between Walking Speed and Step Length in Older Aged Patients - PubMed (nih.gov)

Impact of walking states, self-reported daily walking amount and age on the gait of older adults measured with a smart-phone app: a pilot study - PubMed (nih.gov)

15 Best Walking Apps for 2022 - Free Apps to Track Steps (prevention.com)

Walking Every Day

Walking is widely known to be one of the very best exercises for seniors. It’s low impact, low cost and low risk for injury. Plus, the benefits are many. Walking can: 

• Improve circulation, lower blood pressure and strengthen the heart muscle
• Burn calories and help manage body weight
• Ease joint pain and reduce lower back pain by strengthening core muscles
• Strengthen bones and help fight osteoporosis
• Improve balance and coordination, reducing the risk of falling
• Boost your immune system
• Improve your mood, reducing anxiety and depression
• Improve cognitive health

Environmental sustainability at Lakeside

According to one of our speakers this week at Lakeside, "Nearly half of the 300 million tons of plastics produced each year are only used a few short minutes before they are tossed away into our lakes, oceans and landfills to sit for hundreds of years."

Every person can see to it if they use plastic, it doesn't end up in the public spaces or water sources. I'm guessing 30 years of working with people to be aware of pollution was lost in the 2 years of the lockdown and forced masking. I've never seen as much trash in the environment as I've seen since March 2020. The cartons used for carry out must be uncountable. For awhile we couldn't even take reusable shopping bags into the stores. But the bigger problem is that those who are the richest among us, who have 2 or 3 homes, or drive electric cars or install solar panels on their houses--they are urging and voting for policies that really hurt those not so affluent in the name of saving something they don't know what.

 
Pick up after yourself and use less. Just like mom told you. Humans need water to live, but they survived for eons without carrying it in plastic bottles. And don't vote for people or policies that will destroy the pensions of retirees or agriculture in other countries.

The parental example

What life lessons did your parents teach you? We had a question like that in a group exercise at the women's club this week. I wrote a blog about this in 2007, and it's a good thing because by 2022 I would draw a blank.

Thirteen Little Things

When we are children we learn life time lessons from our parents, some by their words, others by actions. Today I'm jotting down 13 habits, techniques, behaviors, attitudes, etc. learned from my parents that are still with me, some without thinking about them, some throw aways, in no particular order. Chime in with a few of yours.

1. If you are with someone, always open the door and let your friend(s) walk through first.

2. Make a square, military corner on the bottom sheet (when I was a little girl there were no fitted sheets) to keep it from pulling loose. Stop to admire your effort. Although I don't do this now, the principle of doing something right the first time and taking pleasure in it is a good one.

3. Always wear an apron in the kitchen. Aprons certainly aren't what they used to be, and it seems to me food splashes more, so when I put one on, I often think of my dad who always reminded me, even as an adult.

4. Turn housework into a game (usually against the clock). My mother was big at trying to make "work" into "fun." This usually got an eye roll from me and a whine.

5. Respect others with your appearance. Both my parents would "fix up" for the other after their work day, and we always ate as a family with properly set table, pleasant conversation.

6. Clean up the kitchen after the meal; never leave dirty dishes on the counter or in the sink. I often fail with this one--maybe this would be a good New Year's resolution.

7. Start the week right with church attendance.

8. A gentleman always comes to the door to pick up a lady for a date. First timers meet the parents.

9. Sit like a lady (this was back in the days when girls and women usually wore skirts or dresses). Corollary: don't slouch.

10. The proper way to answer the phone. We often had to take orders for my dad, so this greeting I no longer use. However, I still keep paper and pencil by the phone, and I try not to mumble. I also overheard how dad spoke to his customers and even today I expect this from business people.

11. "A soft answer turns away wrath." This is my mother's from Proverbs 15:1. Never quite grasped this one, but it worked for my mother, who lived it and often quoted it. I can't remember her ever raising her voice (but she had a look in her eye that could stop you in your tracks).

12. The person who feeds the puppy is the one who will be loved by it. Usually this was Mom, because despite all our promises to care for it, she's the one who usually took pity on the poor thing. When I was growing up the dogs and cats lived outside. If it got bitterly cold, they could stay on the porch or in the basement.

13. In your lifetime you will probably have three really good friends. I'm still thinking about this one. Life has different stages--friendships vary--but the number seems pretty accurate.

Indian Princess and Campfire Day--memories

My cousin in South Carolina sends out a weekly spiritual message to her friends and relatives and often closes with a "day" event, like popcorn day, or fly a kite day etc. I always look forward to what she has to say. Today she reported is "Campfire Day," so I looked it up, and it seems early August is a good time to sit by a campfire with friends.

 
But it made me wonder what had become of Indian Princesses and Campfire Girls (an outgrowth of father-son recreation and moral guidance by the YWCA in the 1920s), which my daughter and I (and her dad) participated in during the 1970s. I had a lot of fun strolling down memory lane with that one, like how we got our *first cat (see photo), the nice mothers of Tremont School I met, and the scary overnights at a camp in southern Ohio (forgotten the name).

After an extensive 2 minute search I learned that anything with the word Indian in the title is racist/colonialist/demeaning to native Americans so organization has separated from the Y. There are locally run organizations because daddy-daughter activities are still enjoyed and earning badges for service is still considered useful in building character and strong women. There is a local unit for the younger girls in my own community called Two Rivers Council (2 rivers, the Scioto and the Olentangy meet in Columbus).

 
"Two Rivers Council is a group of dads and daughters that strengthens that strong family bond through structured but casual activities - time apart from work and school to focus on family. During our time together, dads and daughters learn outdoor traditions, discuss current events, help out in our community, and enjoy our time in the great outdoors.
Our group includes Upper Arlington girls between kindergarten and third grade. Most of the girls attend Barrington with a few from Tremont, St Agatha, Wellington, and Columbus School for Girls. "Senior Princesses" in grades 4 and 5 are most welcome too! We take our Longhouse name from the two rivers that flow through Columbus: the Olentangy and the Scioto. The sun rises on the Olentangy and sets over the Scioto.

 
The Y-Indian Princess Program (now called Adventure Princesses) was an outgrowth of the Indian Guides, a father-son program started in 1926. That program enabled fathers and sons to participate in a variety of activities that nurtured mutual understanding, love, and respect. The first Indian Princesses came together at the Fresno, California YMCA in 1954. Today, as then, our program affords an unusual opportunity for the concerned and busy father to foster growth in his daughter's development and an understanding of the world around her. The father's role helps her in developing self-esteem, confidence with her peers, and appreciation for the differences among people and families."  https://tworivers.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=9&club_id=837212

*This is not our first cat, Mystery, born in 1976, but she looked like this.   I can't seem to find any photos of her on my computer.  In those days we didn't take photos every few hours. She was coal black except for a few white hairs under her chin.   We named her Mystery because she was so tiny when our daughter brought her home from an Indian Princess overnight with her dad at Camp Akita, her eyes were blue and we didn't know her sex. She was sort of sickly and the mother and all the other kittens ran away, but Phoebe caught her. Somewhere I do have a photo of her and the children with a carved pumpkin, so it must have been near Halloween. She got well and lived for 18 years. 

Wednesday night Picnic

 On Wednesday evening we head for Perry Park, weather permitting, to eat a hot dog, macaroni salad, baked beans, watermelon and chips.  This is a happy time, with a lot of laughter.  We bring a long our chairs because there aren't enough picnic tables to hold the crowd. In the second photo are Bob and me and Pat and Bob with whom we were sitting, and then some photos of the volunteers who help with the food. It was extremely hot last night, but the breeze from the lake was wonderful. 

The big lie--the U.S. was founded on slavery

In a Q & A session this past week I heard a fellow Christian, a Lutheran, piously repeat one of the biggest lies of our era: that our country was founded on slavery--it's based on the 1619 New York Times misbegotten, misinformation, vanity award of several years ago. No respectable historian ever accepted it, but liberals eager for self-flagellation willingly drink those polluted waters. The wealthy middle class matrons seem to love the topic for their book clubs and tea.

"The 1619 Project is not history; it is ignorance. It claims that the American Revolution was staged to protect slavery, though it never once occurs to the Project to ask, in that case, why the British West Indies (which had a far larger and infinitely more malignant slave system than the 13 American colonies) never joined us in that revolution. It claims that the Constitution’s three-fifths clause was designed by the Founders as the keystone that would keep the slave states in power, though the 1619 Project seems not to have noticed that at the time of the Constitutional Convention, all of the states were slave states (save only Massachusetts), so that the three-fifths clause could not have been intended to confer such a mysterious power on slavery unless the Founders had come to the Convention equipped with crystal balls. It behaves as though the Civil War never happened, that the slaves somehow freed themselves, and that a white president never put weapons into the hands of black men and bid them kill rebels who had taken up arms in defense of bondage. The 1619 Project forgets, in other words, that there was an 1863 Project, and that its name was emancipation.

Finally: the 1619 Project is not history; it is evangelism."

So for Christians especially it is chasing false gods to worship. Sigh. Our country has many flaws--it is after all full of sinners like you and me in need of a Savior and was founded by sinners who wanted worldly rewards. How could it be perfect? But this 1619 drivel is beyond any conspiracy theory the right wing ever imagined. The ignorance, the self-satisfaction, the smugness--it's like trying to escape through a California wild fire with someone using up the oxygen that's left.

https://www.city-journal.org/1619-project-conspiracy-theory

The 1619 Project: Sloppy scholarship and distorted history under consideration for Washington schools » Publications » Washington Policy Center

Down the 1619 Project’s Memory Hole (quillette.com)

The 1619 Project: Believe Your Lying Eyes by Seth Forman | NAS

Yon and Peterson discuss Pandemic, Famine and War

Sri Lanka used to be a food exporter, had a thriving economy. The government decided they needed to go "green" to save the planet (i.e. grab more power and control) and now people are starving and rioting. Netherlands was the 2nd largest exporter of agricultural products even with a population of only 17 million--that tiny country not only fed itself, but others--now truckers and farmers are rioting because power hungry greenies are going berserk. They are trying to demonize the farmers--killing their golden goose and the impact will be starvation for other countries. Yon and Peterson discuss that war creates war, and famine creates famine, and well, we all know about that pandemic. Yet smart intelligent American Democrats support the climate change lie which is trying to destroy agriculture and transportation, not only in developing countries, but in wealthy, well-fed countries.

https://youtu.be/R7gAEkzIgvw YouTube discussion July 28, 2022

https://aboutthenetherlands.com/why-does-the-netherlands-export-so-much-food/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/21/emotion-and-pain-as-dutch-farmers-fight-back-against-huge-cuts-to-livestock

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/20/what-is-behind-largest-protests-in-panama-in-years-explainer?

https://www.dw.com/en/german-farmers-eye-poor-harvest-urge-freeing-up-fallow-land/a-62650482?

Here's a moving comment on the discussion by a Dutch citizen:

"As a Dutch man I must admit that all the praise and applause for our country brought tears to my eyes. So much I actually paused the video (especially the part at 1:02:19 ). We live in a time where every sense of pride or patriotism is considered a bad thing, so much, in fact, that when other people acknowledge the accomplishments of your nation it (apparently) brings up incredible strong emotions. The cliché mentality of a Dutch person is: stop whining and do your job. Our mothers creed is: "bad weather does not exist only bad clothing". We usually shrug our shoulders and carry on with our lives. This no- nonsense mentality is the strongest within the farmers community. They withstand the horrible Dutch weather with lots of rain and howling winds that blow over the flat lands to feed everybody. Literally. Not just their community, or their country.... no a large part of the world. They are the sort of people that, until a couple of years ago, were characterized as more or less "emotionless". Now their land, their family business, that was so carefully built over generations is taken away from them. It is a bloody shame. They truly are the canary in the coalmine. I stand with them for 100%."

Flowers at the cottage

 Although we've sold our cottage at Lakeside, this year the flowers have been doing beautifully.  So Bob took a photo, and because of the reflections in the porch window, we also have a photo of our neighbors.

Making churches relevant

 This is one more article about why mainline and evangelical churches are shrinking (i.e. dying, becoming irrelevant).  Unfortunately, the author after attempting to describe the problem--cultural suicide--suggests finding a new vision.  Huh?  Have they tried Jesus? This is an irrelevant article about why churches have become irrelevant.

The author is still quoting William Sloane Coffin.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/gloriouslife/2021/01/how-mainline-churches-closed-themselves/

Low fat or full fat? Silver Sneakers' advice

 https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/should-you-ditch-low-fat-foods-for-good/? 

 I try to eat the real thing when available. Real milk. Real butter. But I didn't for years. My mom was all about margarine and 2% milk. Salad greens need full fat dressing, if you want dressing. (Not everyone does.) All that low-fat stuff and no calorie drinks just make one eat/drink more because they aren't satisfying. Not impressed with that plant-based, highly processed substitute for meat, either. If you have an ethical problem with eating animals, that's one thing, but if you think plant burgers will save the planet, you're kidding your self.

Andrew Forrest, preacher of the week at Lakeside

Our pastor this week has been Andrew Forrest. Outstanding. He's beginning a new position in Tulsa, Oklahoma, leaving Dallas, TX, but made the move via Lakeside, Ohio. He was just the best, and left us all in tears Thursday morning. His theme for the week was the Prologue of the Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-11 (Creation to Babel).  It will be interesting to see if someone this good can remain in the United Methodist denomination.  It's a boiling pot ready to spill over.

About — Andrew Forrest

From Lakeside website:

"Lakeside Chautauqua welcomes Rev. Andrew Forrest as Preacher of the Week July 24-28. He will lead the 10:30 a.m. Chautauqua Community Worship Service on Sunday, July 24 in Hoover Auditorium. This week’s service will be live streamed. Visit lakesideohio.com/streaming to watch on the day of the service. This week’s preacher is supported by Dr. James & Betty Jane Young.

Forrest’s Sunday sermon is “Genesis: The Beginning of Wisdom,” and the scripture is Genesis 1:1-2:3. He will also lead Vespers by the Lake at the Steele Memorial Bandstand. Note: Vespers will take place Monday at 7:30 p.m. instead of Tuesday.

Forrest is a husband, father and pastor. Raised in West Africa and Virginia, he has an undergraduate degree from Columbia University in New York and a graduate degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. As a third generation Methodist minister, he was the pastor of Munger Place United Methodist Church in Dallas since it was planted in 2010 by nearby Highland Park United Methodist Church. After 12 years at Munger Place, Forrest became the Senior Pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 1, 2022. His first Sunday at Asbury will be Aug. 7.

Forrest wants to engage culture, teach the Bible, and most importantly, make weekly worship the foundation of everything. He believes the purpose of a pastor is to prepare people to live faith-fully in the world. Forrest blogs at andrewforrest.org."