Do we need the federal Department of Education?

From time to time, I read that some conservatives want to dump the federal Department of Education because of the poor performance of our public schools. But before moving on that, one should take a look at the National Center for Education Statistics, an arm of that department. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe? And "take a look" is the right phrase because it is a very confusing maze of tables, charts, graphs, essays, compilations, and mismatched years. The latest date of the report is 2023, which actually is for 2021, and various sections within the report contain the latest data for 2016.

I won't get into the weeds, but will note the report's priorities. The second item in the report after demographics (make up of families, race, enrollment) is crime. Not math or science or even attendance. The drop out rate is buried elsewhere--that's the one that uses 2016 data. Do we need drop out data that is 7 years old to hold schools accountable?

The crime rate is more up to date than drop out; it uses 2020-21 data, and the stats are a bit confusing because many students weren't on campus during the pandemic. That said, crime on school campuses had significantly dropped since 2000. So the definition changed by adding in cyber bullying and sexual assaults, moving the statistics back up. Also, school shootings statistics weren't too useful since it includes incidents AT school and AWAY from school. In the tiniest footnotes possible, I read that school shootings include all incidents that guns are brandished or fired on school property or a bullet hits school property for any reason, even if the number hit was zero. It can be any time of day or week or reason, even domestic violence or gangs. All the information on crime in schools in this federal report comes from a private database created by one private citizen, the K-12 School Shooting Database.
Also, the racialists are losing ground in this report. Hispanic (a term coined in 1980 by an HHS employee) enrollment is almost double that of Black in school enrollment, and yet because so many Hispanics are white by anyone's eyeball guess, the activists stirring up trouble about Jim Crow 2.0 will increasingly have to dig up micro-aggressions to vilify whiteness.

The report does include salary information: Annual base salary of full-time public school teachers (10 months) is $66,000--it's $69,000 in latest BLS statistics. Remember, that's base salary, for 10 months.

And one more thing. Abraham Lincoln had one year of public schooling yet became one of the most famous public speakers in the country, and then became the most famous, eloquent and successful president of all time.

The Democrats' War on Trump

The new War on Terror is against President Trump, his lawyers, his donors, and all the voters who voted for him. The Republican leadership in Congress and the Republican candidates are ducking their responsibilities to demand accountability from the federal agencies and goons. If they think they can avoid what is happening to Trump supporters, they don't know Gestapo, NKVD, Stasi, Soviet and Chinese Communist Party history. There've been hundreds of books written about their methods and state trials, open a book!

My Top Gun friends

This is an AI generated explanation of a Top Gun pilot:

  "A Topgun pilot is a highly skilled fighter pilot who has completed the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, popularly known as Topgun1. The program was founded in 1968 to better train U.S. pilots in advanced dogfight tactics and to improve their combat performance2. Topgun pilots are often hired by the Dutch & American Defense for special training operations3. They are considered to be among the best in their field and are known for their flexibility, ambition, and hands-on mentality3

Steve Browning and Dwight King, friends from Lakeside, were in the Air Force, and both were Top Gun pilots.  Both are strong Christians and recently shared their stories at the evening Praise service at the Pavilion.  Steve lives in Pennsylvania and Dwight lives in Australia, or at least he did until the Pandemic caused him to extend his U.S. vacation. Both families own homes in Lakeside.

Whew! Back in business

Blogger (owned by Google) locked me out! I'm back and ready for business! Here's my Monday, September 4 blog, saved in word processing.

Morning Hymn, September 4, Magnificat, p. 55

Glory to you who safe have kept

And have refreshed me while I slept;

Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,

I may of endless light partake.

Lord, I renew my vows to you;

Scatter my foes as morning dew;

Guard my first springs of thought and will,

And with yourself my spirit fill.

Thomas Ken (1637-1711), the author, wrote 4 vols. of poetry, many of which have become hymns, especially the one we know as "Doxology." He liked that verse so much I found it in at least 4 of his poems! He seemed to like writing about God's care at night, and again the blessings of God in the morning. He was an Anglican bishop who wasn't afraid to challenge either church or king and got in a lot of trouble for being so outspoken, even spent some time in the tower.

 I always read a hymn in the morning and thought of my friend Sonja immediately when I saw today's selection. She was having an anxiety attack about an upcoming medical procedure.

"scatter my foes as morning dew" Let's hope Sonja's foes (worries and anxieties) just disappear with the dew this morning.

https://www.poemhunter.com/thomas-ken/biography/

https://hymnary.org/text/glory_to_thee_who_safe_hast_kept

We were right; where were you?

 

Biden aliases

 I don't know why a vice president would need three aliases unless he were doing something illegal. 5,400 of e-mails using 3 fake names are in the archives, and I'm guessing NARA won't do anything about it even though they attempted to bring down President Trump for legally having classified documents in his possession.

Black women, white masters

In my lifetime, Joe Biden has been the biggest racist in politics, including what he's said publicly and privately, including his policies, and his politics. And now also his crimes, which are being revealed every day. The latest being 3 e-mail accounts using a fake name. So, it's imperative that all his cronies in the media and swamp creatures in the government demean and destroy President Trump, the president that cleared the way for Blacks to make their greatest progress in my lifetime. Ironic in an evil way that black female judges, failed candidates and prosecutors are submitting and doing the bidding of their white masters in Biden's party.

The whole bucket of woke

To paraphrase podcaster Jason Whitlock (who was cheering on black men* who were commenting on the mug shot in solidarity because dual justice standards is something they know): "It's not about Trump." For me, it's also not Trump; it's the whole bucket of woke the Democrats are throwing at us. It's CRT, Covid, the lockdown, the privileged students' loans, climate hysteria, loss of our borders, mutilation of children who've been brainwashed about gender, imported drugs from Mexico via China, corruption in the acronym agencies (FBI, CIA, FDA, CDC), silenced churches, ridicule of patriotism, and men in women's spaces, sports, and make-up, dual standards from media reporting on Trump with screams and protecting Biden with silence. It's all of it. As Jason says, "Trump is an Avatar." (embodiment or personification, as of a principle, attitude, or view of life)

*18% of Black men voted for Trump, record numbers in 2020, exit polls show. https://www.mystateline.com/news/your-local-election-hq/black-men-voted-for-trump-in-record-numbers-exit-polls-show/.

Who is the president of the United States?

 Narcissist, Criminal, Demented. That's who.

Who else could "empathize" with thousands who've lost homes and family members by talking about a kitchen fire in his home, but they saved his car and cat? Who else can have a stream of money from foreign countries--China, Ukraine) funneled to family members, yet never had anything but a government salary? Who else can grab little girls and women on camera and not even understand how the media cover for him? Who else can be a flagrant socialist/fascist and opine about democracy with a straight face?

Once to every man and nation, a great hymn

 I usually have a hymn in my morning devotions, and today it was "Once to every man and nation." I looked through my various hymn resources and couldn't find it, although I was almost marching and humming from the kitchen to the library. I knew it; why couldn't I find it?

That's not the title.  Actually, it's from a poem called "The Present Crisis," written by a very famous 19th century poet, James Russell Lowell, in protest of the Mexican War and slavery, published in 1845. Lowell was an ardent abolitionist.

For me, this hymn from "The Present Crisis" is the current crisis of life vs. death--abortion. Yes, the word slave appears a few times in the poem, but it could be slave to materialism, an ideology or "reproductive freedom."   Death is in every platform and policy of the Democrats, and although Republicans don't write it into their mission statement, many do support abortion. Imagine, a country hoping to succeed in economics, education, technology, safety and health, and virtue by destroying the weak and helpless? It should be our anthem, as it was for abolitionists in the 19th century, and for Martin Luther King, Jr. for civil rights in the 20th century. It speaks of man and nation, truth and falsehood, darkness and light. The hymn begins with the 5th stanza of the poem, so there is much more. East to west, hut and palace, right and wrong, conscious and unconscious, gain or loss, "Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne," and "on the morrow crouches Judas with the silver in his hands." Listen closely.

 https://youtu.be/cSMqesZz3tU?si=alcdkTshtIDxjFal

Also wrote about this in 2020 Collecting My Thoughts: Once to every man and nation when I had a Methodist hymnal on hand.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

 

Cleaning the gutters

We've had some really bad storms this summer--like the one that cost us over $1700 by blowing out the garage door openers and our phones. And the ones clogging up the gutters. Today there are some good ol' boys here to fix my clogged gutters. It's possible that a confederate flag on a cap isn't politically correct these days, but better than the hammer/sickle logo worn on the hearts of Fani Willis and Jack Smith who are interfering with the 2024 election at the direction of the Biden Administration and the Democrat party. I never thought I'd see 1930s Soviet style courts in the USA.

Our most famous election deniers are Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, and Stacy Abrams, all Southerners. Maybe they are still fighting the Civil War?

"As the Left continues its relentless persecution and prosecution of former President Donald Trump, a pattern has developed. The Democrats have elected black women as the leaders of the Trump witch hunt, and Jason believes it's for a reason. Not only is it a reflection of America’s further descent into a matriarchal culture, but charging black women specifically with the task of taking down Donald, in the eyes of liberals, makes them beyond reproach. “This is a part of the scam that the black women are playing and perhaps voluntarily. Do they realize that they're being used to inoculate these charges against Trump? This is a joke, because if you put black women as the face of it, if you question the legitimacy of them, you can be accused of racism.” Royce White joins “Fearless” to dive into the latest Trump charges and the role that Letitia James, Fani Willis, and Tanya Chutkan are playing as shills for the Democratic Party and the Biden administration." Jason Whitlock podcast, Aug. 18

Hypocrites: A List of Democrats Who Denied The 2000, 2004, and 2016 Presidential Election Results - The Political Insider

House Republicans open probe into Fani Willis ahead of Trump surrender (axios.com)

Fairywren on my table

The calendar bird on my kitchen table today is a Splendid Fairywren. https://animalia.bio/aplendid-fairywren Isn't that a splendid name? We see tiny birds I've been calling wrens (but probably aren't) when we eat dinner on our deck, but they don't look like this although pretty. If we were lunching in Australia, we might see them. Males and females of most species are dimorphic (2 forms), and usually the males are the showiest to attract the females. The girly birds are attracted to the best and biggest show-offs so they can have great babies and continue the breed/ race/ species.

Whether you are a creationist like me, or an evolutionist like most are taught in schools, you know males and females in all human cultures are different so that the race can continue. Until recently, that is. Only the leftist ideologs of the late 20th, and early 21st centuries don't want the human race to continue. Yes, they hate Christians and conservatives, but apparently, they also hate themselves.

Pants for fall, Talbots catalog

The September Talbots catalog just dropped through the door slot. How many ways can it name the slacks/pants? Over 30. Almost all have spandex. I did this for the Spring catalog, but only recorded 17--perhaps I collapsed a few.  And no, I don't know the difference between high waist and above waist.  I think it's safe to go to a resale shop and pick out anything.  Looks like anything goes.

1) above waist, wide leg (Greenwich)
2) high waist, straight leg
3) above waist, flare leg
4) above waist, wide-leg crop
5) at waist, ankle length, relaxed
6) above waist, boot leg, ankle length
7) above waist, straight leg, full length
8) above waist, demi boot, crop leg
9) above waist, wide leg, full length (Weston)
10) at waist, skinny leg, ankle length
11) at waist, straight leg, ankle length, front zip (Hampshire)
12) above waist, flare leg, ankle length
13) at waist, slim leg, ankle length (Chatham)
13) balance legging
14) Modal cropped pants
15) balance joggers
16) pajama pants
17) at waist, full length, flared (Portland Trouser)
18) at waist, skinny leg, ankle length (Portland Pants)
19) at waist, flare, full length
20) at waist, tapered leg, ankle pants, lined (suit)
21) above waist, skinny leg, ankle length, jeggings
22) same as 21, but with slimming panel
23) at waist, slim length, slim ankle, slimming panel (5 pocket jeans)
24) below waist, relaxed leg, ankle length (Chino)
25) above waist, boot leg, full length, slimming panel
26) above waist, straight leg, full length (jeans)
27) above waist, straight leg, ankle length (chino)
28) out and about stretch wide leg [no information on waist or length, but photo is over the shoe]
29) everyday stretch leggings [waist & length not described,
30) out and about stretch jogger
31) sporty leggings with attitude
32) everyday, stretch, straight leg pants

A new dictionary to help you understand social justice jargon

If you need a dictionary to keep up with all the language changes and inventions of the (mostly) leftist social justice warriors, try https://newdiscourses.com/translations-from-the-wokish/ James Lindsay who also has a podcast provides citations and quotes from the original sources, which is also what any good dictionary does. For instance, a "birthing person" is a mother who does not see herself as a woman, but on an ideological plane its use is to weaken the core pillar of the family and religion (I've condensed about 3 paragraphs). Not all terms are linked, I suppose because he's still working on it and knows the word being used.

Biology made easy and understandable

Are you confused or angry about the transgendered lies about women and men? Here's a great video by someone I trust (a fired university professor) Heather Heying on the After Skool website. She's an evolutionary biologist, and will tell you all you need to know about humans, animals, the birds and the bees, nature and nurture, averages and exceptions.  Plus in the style of education videos, there are some great illustrations.  She reads from the book she co-authored with her husband, The hunter gatherer's guide to the 21st century, 

https://youtu.be/AkjL58HOS60?si=a0zb419myTBw5XOe

Bird on my table

We have a bird calendar on the kitchen table, and today's is really spectacular https://dibird.com/species/turquoise-jay/, a Turquoise Jay. It's very common in Colombia. I listened to its call, and it is no prettier than our common Blue Jay.

I am a creationist, but I love biology. These days you have to choose your sources carefully--science journals have become woke and are slaves to DEI, climate change, CRT, ecofeminism, transagenda, etc.

By now--update on the boosters

In the last two days I've heard of several folks who have Covid, one is in the hospital, but no one I know personally. I'm told the cases are increasing, the hospitals are crowded, and I suspect we'll soon be getting scare warnings, and pressure to do all the things that didn't protect us in 2021-22. 

By now, what the MSM/CDC/WHO and Big Pharma don't mention is that virtually the only people getting it or dying from it have been vaccinated/boosted, some 3-4 times. Quite a change from what we were told in 2020 while waiting for the first one.

By now, we also know that myocarditis in young adults who've had the vax is NOT rare, although that's what we're being told by the same people who told us the vaccine would stop the spread. But even if it were rare, a scar on the heart is not a good thing for a young person's future.

By now, we know there was no reason to be vaccinating children and babies. It's just far too rare in that demographic. 

By now we know this was a violation of the Nuremberg Code, principals established after WWII to prevent experimenting on people without their permission or knowledge of the results. mRNA injections for this disease are still FDA approved for emergency use. Millions were given no choice about taking it even though long term (like years) results couldn't be known.

By now we've seen the profits and know this has been a fabulous income stream for the large pharmaceutical companies, especially as the disease evolves and new boosters must be created (and recommended/mandated).

By now many of the "conspiracy theories" have been proven to be common sense based on years of research and knowledge of previous public health and pandemic measures.

By now the premier medical journals have been shown to be useful for lining your bird cage, but not much else.

Things have changed since 2020

Have you ever thought about how many things we love about America that the Democrats, mostly since November 2020, have made illegal, dangerous or terroristic with the advent of Covid? You don't need a tin foil hat you just need to look at the data or count your fingers and toes, ears, eyes and nose.

tweets
common sense
science
saying men are not women
peer reviewed medical articles
objecting to an election result
safe and FDA approved drugs
praying in public
speaking at school board meetings
leaving your home to walk in the fresh air
U.S. president phoning a president of another free country
using a pronoun
protecting children from pornography at a public library
attending the Latin mass
believing countries need borders

After the 2020 election "human rights/democracy groups" stopped complaining about pandemic restrictions in the U.S. Apparently misinformation, disinformation and gas-lighting just disappeared. And a vaccine replaced treatment. Want to add something?

Predicting the outcomes of the pandemic lockdowns

 This blog by a woman named Pam was published 6 years ago, well before the pandemic lockdown, but it shows what was going to happened multiplied 1000 times over. How Not To Let Yourself Go (Especially If You're Over 40) - Go Retro!

But then I was laid off in August last year and guess what? I did kind of start to let myself go, at least on some days. And let me tell you, it can be a dangerous slippery slope.

Getting up later then usual and lounging in my PJs on my laptop until 10:30 AM on most mornings became the norm.

I went quite a few days without wearing makeup, especially if I wasn't planning on leaving the house that day (who was going to see me? Before you answer "the UPS man" I can assure you we don't order much online and there really have not been many through the years that I would consider attractive.)

I normally wash my hair every other day, but sometimes I let that go an extra day because I was simply too lazy to deal with detangling and drying it. I took to throwing on an old rag of a top and jeans. With no employer to go to and nowhere I needed to be, there seemed no point in making myself look presentable.

Worst of all, I slacked off with my exercising routine...and ended up gaining 12 pounds.

And the saddest part is, I had no real excuse for it. I'm not a mom and I'm not holding down a job outside of the house. I'm also not depressed, so I have no explanation for it other than sheer laziness.

Read more--she comes around and makes suggestions for getting back on track.