More than 52 million tons of plastic waste remain unmanaged every year around the world and developing countries bear the brunt of the crisis. This is according to a 2024 research article published in the academic journal Nature. ( A local-to-global emissions inventory of macroplastic pollution | Nature ) This means that an estimated fifth of all municipal plastic waste in the world ends up in the environment or is burned in an uncontrolled manner.
Looking at the data on a per-capita basis, many nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, but also in Central America, the Pacific, Asia and the Middle East let large amount of plastic waste go unmanaged, causing degradation, health hazards and air pollution (in the event of uncontrolled burning). The study found that the lower levels of plastic pollution in the global North were mostly caused by littering, while in developing countries, waste not being collected was the biggest issue.
In absolute terms, India was the biggest emitter of plastic waste identified in the study, with high absolute volumes also set free in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. China, often named as the major emitter in older studies, ranked fourth for absolute volumes, reflecting the progress the country has made, according to the authors. The makers of the report based on their findings suggest a multi-sectoral approach to reducing plastic waste, including reducing plastic use, improving waste collection and better recycling systems.
Sunday, July 05, 2026
Friday, July 03, 2026
July 3 at the Estates
We had a wonderful buffet lunch and a great movie in the evening, Solo Mio with Kevin James.
Usually at The Estates we have old movies, but Friday the 3rd we had a 2026, "Solo Mio."Kevin James plays Matt, a groom left devastated when his fiancée, Heather, abandons him at the altar in Italy, leaving only a note explaining she is not ready for marriage. Determined to continue his planned group tour alone, Matt meets Gia, a charming local café owner, and forms a connection with her while navigating heartbreak and self-discovery. The story explores themes of love, resilience, and second chances, culminating in Matt returning to Gia after selling his engagement ring to buy a motorcycle (Wikipedia). What doesn't appear in the reviews are two performers Andrea Bocelli and Jonathan Roumie best known for portraying Jesus in the hit series The Chosen
1776 the musical (film) was our entertainment last night
At the Estates last night, a large group enjoyed the movie, "1776 The Musical" (1972), adapted from an earlier stage play, which was adapted from the history of the drafting and writing/approval of the Declaration of Independence. I hadn't seen it during the bicentennial, and really enjoyed it. I found it about as accurate as a film could be for something adapted from a book/play adapted from actual history. After all, one could fill a library with important books on this event and biographies of all the people of the Continental Congress. Some critics of the time complained the timeline was wrong--too condensed.
So, I checked this "wrong timeline" idea with the Library of Congress which noted there were numerous drafts then 5 men who worked on it, and then about a week when the whole group met. Considering what we get today as "news," I'd call this accurate.
"Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia behind a veil of Congressionally imposed secrecy in June 1776 for a country wracked by military and political uncertainties. In anticipation of a vote for independence, the Continental Congress on June 11 appointed Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston as a committee to draft a declaration of independence. The committee then delegated Thomas Jefferson to undertake the task. Jefferson worked diligently in private for days to compose a document. Proof of the arduous nature of the work can be seen in the fragment of the first known composition draft of the declaration, which is on public display here for the first time.
Jefferson then made a clean or "fair" copy of the composition declaration, which became the foundation of the document, labeled by Jefferson as the "original Rough draught." Revised first by Adams, then by Franklin, and then by the full committee, a total of forty-seven alterations including the insertion of three complete paragraphs was made on the text before it was presented to Congress on June 28. After voting for independence on July 2, the Congress then continued to refine the document, making thirty-nine additional revisions to the committee draft before its final adoption on the morning of July 4 . . ." https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/declara3.html
We've been having a film series for the 250th anniversary celebration.
So, I checked this "wrong timeline" idea with the Library of Congress which noted there were numerous drafts then 5 men who worked on it, and then about a week when the whole group met. Considering what we get today as "news," I'd call this accurate.
"Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia behind a veil of Congressionally imposed secrecy in June 1776 for a country wracked by military and political uncertainties. In anticipation of a vote for independence, the Continental Congress on June 11 appointed Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston as a committee to draft a declaration of independence. The committee then delegated Thomas Jefferson to undertake the task. Jefferson worked diligently in private for days to compose a document. Proof of the arduous nature of the work can be seen in the fragment of the first known composition draft of the declaration, which is on public display here for the first time.
Jefferson then made a clean or "fair" copy of the composition declaration, which became the foundation of the document, labeled by Jefferson as the "original Rough draught." Revised first by Adams, then by Franklin, and then by the full committee, a total of forty-seven alterations including the insertion of three complete paragraphs was made on the text before it was presented to Congress on June 28. After voting for independence on July 2, the Congress then continued to refine the document, making thirty-nine additional revisions to the committee draft before its final adoption on the morning of July 4 . . ." https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/declara3.html
We've been having a film series for the 250th anniversary celebration.
Wednesday, July 01, 2026
A prayer for our country from 1791 for our 250th celebration
This prayer was composed by John Carroll, the first American Archbishop, in November 1791 and is often used at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but is surely heartfelt as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation. Perhaps the wording sounds a bit formal given our modern-day church services, but it contains what many of us have heard and prayed for all our lives--pleading that the Gospel be spread throughout the world, for the church, for the President, The Congress, for the state governors, for our fellow citizens, our departed loved ones and those who have been the benefactors.
"We pray, O almighty and eternal God, who through Jesus Christ has revealed thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of your name.
We pray Thee, who alone are good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, the pope, the vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, all other bishops, prelates and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct your people into the ways of salvation.
We pray O God of might, wisdom and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the president of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness and be eminently useful to your people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality.
Let the light of your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.
We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state, for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by your powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.
We recommend likewise, to your unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.
Finally, we pray to you, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of your servants departed, who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech you, a place of refreshment, light and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior."
Amen.
Note: The U.S. Constitution became the official framework of the federal government on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it, meeting the requirement under Article VII that nine of the thirteen states approve the document for it to take effect. The Constitution had been signed earlier on September 17, 1787, at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, but it required state ratification to become binding. After ratification, the Constitution officially replaced the Articles of Confederation, and the new federal government began operations on March 4, 1789. All states had ratified it by May 29, 1790. So, the country was still very young and fragile--one year old--when this prayer was written, And now it is welcoming Islamists and Communists into the Congress.
"We pray, O almighty and eternal God, who through Jesus Christ has revealed thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of your name.
We pray Thee, who alone are good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, the pope, the vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, all other bishops, prelates and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct your people into the ways of salvation.
We pray O God of might, wisdom and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the president of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness and be eminently useful to your people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality.
Let the light of your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.
We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state, for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by your powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.
We recommend likewise, to your unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.
Finally, we pray to you, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of your servants departed, who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech you, a place of refreshment, light and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior."
Amen.
Note: The U.S. Constitution became the official framework of the federal government on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it, meeting the requirement under Article VII that nine of the thirteen states approve the document for it to take effect. The Constitution had been signed earlier on September 17, 1787, at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, but it required state ratification to become binding. After ratification, the Constitution officially replaced the Articles of Confederation, and the new federal government began operations on March 4, 1789. All states had ratified it by May 29, 1790. So, the country was still very young and fragile--one year old--when this prayer was written, And now it is welcoming Islamists and Communists into the Congress.
Interesting that NH is participating in the Great American State Fair, and it was the State that got the Constitution ratified, yet the Governor of Pennsylvania the state where it was signed is pouting and being disrespectful to its own citizens and all U,S. citizens.
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Happy 10th class reunion class of 1957
I'm painfully trying to consolidate and sort through computer files moving from Works to Word. This photo didn't make the conversion, but I was able to copy and paste. It's the 10th class reunion in 1967, and I'm not in the photo because in June, 1967, we moved from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, to Upper Arlington, Ohio. Seemed too soon to return to Illinois. It's probably somewhere here in the blog.
Friday, June 26, 2026
Soothing musical memories
This blog is from a January 1989 letter:
I've been using my New Year's resolution and my Prevention newsletter to do walking again. Last week I logged 10 miles in my little book--not up to my old records when I used to do about 4 miles a day. . .
I don't have anything exciting to tell about like the concerts, plays, and museums that my big sister goes to. I guess she'll have to get the culture for the rest of us. The other day I was listening to National Public Radio (which is about all I listen to these days) and I heard a lovely piano solo that I remembered Joanne playing way back when, and I thought what a blessing it was to the whole family that she studied piano for so many years. We grew up hearing the beautiful music of the masters and didn't even realize it.
I've been using my New Year's resolution and my Prevention newsletter to do walking again. Last week I logged 10 miles in my little book--not up to my old records when I used to do about 4 miles a day. . .
I don't have anything exciting to tell about like the concerts, plays, and museums that my big sister goes to. I guess she'll have to get the culture for the rest of us. The other day I was listening to National Public Radio (which is about all I listen to these days) and I heard a lovely piano solo that I remembered Joanne playing way back when, and I thought what a blessing it was to the whole family that she studied piano for so many years. We grew up hearing the beautiful music of the masters and didn't even realize it.
1959
1999
Monday, June 22, 2026
Blog on old films with links
Melanie Novak blog on old films. We've seen some of these at The Estates. I've starred them.
The Affairs of Susan (1945)After the Thin Man (1936)
The African Queen (1951) *
All About Eve (1950)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Anna Christie (1930)
The Awful Truth (1937)
Baby Face (1933)
Ball of Fire (1941)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Blowing Wild (1953)
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017)
Born to Be Bad (1950)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The Bride Wore Red (1937)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
The Caine Mutiny (1954)
Camille (1936)
Captain Blood (1935)
Casablanca (1942) *
Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
Christopher Strong (1933)
Cimarron (1931)
Come and Get It (1936)
The Constant Nymph (1943)
Craig’s Wife (1936)
Daisy Kenyon (1947)
A Damsel in Distress (1937)
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)
Dark Victory (1939)
Designing Woman (1957)
Dial M For Murder (1954) *
Dinner at Eight (1933)
Dangerous (1935)
Dark Passage (1947)
A Day in the Country (1946)
Destry Rides Again (1939)
The Divorcée (1930)
Double Indemnity (1944) *
Dracula (1931)
East Side, West Side (1949)
Ex-Lady (1933)
Father of the Bride (1950) *
Father of the Bride (1991) *
First Comes Courage (1943)
Frankenstein (1931)
A Free Soul (1931)
From Here to Eternity (1953)
From This Day Forward (1946)
Gaslight (1944)
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
Giant (1956)
Gilda (1946)
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Grand Hotel (1932)
The Great Lie (1941)
Gun Crazy (1950)
Hands Across the Table (1935)
Harriet Craig (1950)
Harvey (1950)
The Heiress (1949)
Hell’s Angels (1930)
High Society (1956) *
Hold Back the Dawn (1941)
Holiday Inn (1942)
Honor Among Lovers (1931)
House of Wax (1953)
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
I Married a Witch (1942)
In a Lonely Place (1950)
Indiscreet (1958)
In Name Only (1939)
In This Our Life (1942).
It Happened One Night (1934)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Jane Eyre (1944) *
Jezebel (1938) *
Key Largo (1948)*
King Kong (1933)
The Lady Eve (1941)
Laura (1944)
Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
Letter From An Unknown Woman (1948)
Little Caesar (1930)
Lonelyhearts (1958)
A Lost Lady (1934)
Made For Each Other (1939)
The Male Animal (1942)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Mata Hari (1931)
Meet John Doe (1941)
Merrily We Go to Hell (1932)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935)
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Mogambo (1953) *
Mutiny On The Bounty (1935)
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Mr. Skeffington (1944)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
My Cousin Rachel (1952)
My Favorite Wife (1940)
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Next Time We Love (1936)
No Man of Her Own (1932)
Notorious (1946)
Of Human Bondage (1935)
Old Acquaintance (1943)
The Old Maid (1939)
The Other Love (1947)
The Petrified Forest (1936)
The Philadelphia Story (1940) *
A Place in the Sun (1951)
Possessed (1931)
The Princess Comes Across (1936)
Princess O’Rourke (1943)
The Public Enemy (1931)
Queen Christina (1933) *
The Razor’s Edge (1946)
Rear Window (1954)
Rebecca (1940)
Red Dust (1932)
Red-Headed Woman (1932)
The Red Shoes (1948)
Sabrina (1954)
Sabrina (1995)
Saratoga Trunk (1945)
Scarface (1932)
September Affair (1950)
She Done Him Wrong (1993)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
The Shopworn Angel (1938)
Show Boat (1936)
The Snake Pit (1948)
So Big (1932)
Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
Stagecoach (1939)
Stage Door (1937)
Stella Dallas (1937)
The Stratton Story (1949)
The Strawberry Blonde (1941)
Sunrise (1927)
Suspicion (1941).
Swing High, Swing Low (1937)
Swing Time (1936)
Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
Tarzan Escapes (1936)
Tarzan Finds a Son! (1939)
Tarzan and His Mate (1934)
Tarzan’s New York Adventure (1942)
Tarzan’s Secret Treasure (1941)
The Thin Man (1934)
This Above All (1942)
The Thorn Birds (1983)
To Catch A Thief (1955)
To Each His Own (1946)
To Have and Have Not (1944)
Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
True Confession (1937)
Twentieth Century (1934)
The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947)
Vertigo (1958)
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Waterloo Bridge (1931)
Waterloo Bridge (1940)
White Christmas (1954)
Wife Vs. Secretary (1936)
Winchester ’73 (1950)
The Wizard of Oz (1939) *
The Women (1939)
You Can’t Take It With You (1938)
Young Man with a Horn (1950)
You’ve Got Mail (1998) *
Movies shown at Estates not in the blog
On Moonlight Bay with Doris Day, Sept 4, 2025
You Gotta Believe, sports drama, Sept. 7, 2025
The Way We Were, Sept. 24, 2025
Tea for Two, Doris Day, Sept. 28, 2025
Overboard, Goldie Hawn, Oct. 2, 2025, our copy
Abby's List, ours, Mark Sutherland of our Campfire group, Oct. 8, 2025
Whales of August, Lilian Gish, Bette Davis, Oct. 16, 2015
Fried Green Tomatoes, Kathyy Bates, Oct. 26, 2015
Devil wears Prada
Mr. Blanding builds his dream home
Big fat Greek Wedding
Miracle worker
Elizabethtown
Where the crawdads sing
Auntie Mame
Home Sweet Alabama
Mrs Harris goes to Paris
Mystic pizza
First cow
To catch a thief
High noon
Notorius (1946)
Carousel
Apollo 13
The Swan
Double Indemnity
Sound of Music
Second hand lions
Country girl
On the waterfront
Hello Dolly
Bicycle thieves
Oklahoma
October Sky
The King and I
Funny Girl
Little Foxes
Million Dollar Mermaid
The Letter
Seven brides for seven brothers
Lincoln
City Slickers
Stand by me
National Treasure
Ferris Bueller's Day Off Collecting My Thoughts: Three out of four (movies) isn't too bad
Best Years of our Lives
Funny Face
April in Paris
Horse Whisperer
Bridge over the River Kwai
Phantom of the Opera
Milo and Otis
Six Triple eight
Tuskegee Airmen
A Man called Otto
Yentle
The Flags of our Fathers
The Good Liar with Helen Mirren (2019) The Good Liar review – Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen are irresistible | Thrillers | The Guardian
1776 The Musical (1972) Watch 1776 (1972) - Free Movies | Tubi
The so-called Democratic Socialists are destroying the Democrat Party
Mamdani and fellow travelers are picking off Democrats, so why continue to call them "Democratic Socialists." They are Communists. They are anti-Semites. They hate the USA. They ruined Russia and Europe and killed millions of their own citizens. Democrats were already weakened by their abortion anti-life platform, illegal immigration and their DEI and energy failures, and I'm not sure they have any positive values. But they (Democrats) better kick them out of their party or they will lose it.
Sunday, June 21, 2026
On not dining in tents
On June 17 President Trump had dinner with President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles. Democrats probably would have preferred a tent as we do it in Washington.
They can't help it.
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Brentwood Baptist Church of Middle Tennessee
Recently I was researching a topic in Isaiah 35 and came across a sermon from The Church at Station Hill, so I looked up the pastor and church affiliation. This is an AI generated description
As of 2026, the church is led by Senior Pastor Dr. Jay Strother, who assumed leadership in October 2023. The church operates under a multi-campus model, serving the greater Nashville area through nine regional campuses:
Brentwood (Central Campus) – Brentwood, TNIn addition to its regional campuses, Brentwood Baptist Church includes specialized multicultural ministries such as the Brentwood Baptist Deaf Church, the Brentwood Baptist Chinese Church, and the Brentwood Baptist Hispanic Ministry. The church’s mission is to connect people to Jesus Christ through worship, discipleship, and service, both locally and globally."
The Church at Station Hill – Spring Hill/Thompson’s Station, TN (launched 2010)
The Church at Avenue South – Nashville, TN (launched 2014)
The Church at West Franklin – Franklin, TN (launched 2014 via merger)
The Church at Woodbine – Nashville, TN (launched 2014 via merger)
The Church at Lockeland Springs – Nashville, TN (launched 2016 via merger)
The Church at Nolensville – Nolensville, TN (launched 2018)
The Church at Harpeth Heights – Pasquo/Fairview, TN (launched 2018 via merger)
The Church at West End – Columbia, TN (launched 2023)
https://youtu.be/B5wyrA3OMG4?si=LrD3fgHaXiIfE3XL Why do people want to live in Brentwood 1) schools, 2) location for work, shopping, dining, airport 3) beautiful homes and lots 4) parks, greenway trails, (real estate agent video)
When I looked a little further, I see lots of people are moving there from Seattle, LA, Chicago--probably trying to get better real estate deals and more conservative values, but the longtime residents of Tennessee should be careful--they may bring the west coast blue state gulag values with them. Shirt-tail relatives of ours from Tustin, CA, moved to TN about 2 years ago and love it, but left all the children and grandchildren back in California. We have friends in Columbus, who would like to move there to be near their children, but say they can't afford it.
And back to Isaiah 35, the part I was identifying with was the feeble hands and weak knees.
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Alleged drone attack at UFC event
I've read a few reports of the recent "alleged" drones with bombs attack on the crowds in DC and the WH. I conclude you can't get a piece of dental floss between those wackos and the so-called Democratic Socialists now being supported by the Democrat Party running for office in major gulag-blue cities.
There are a few differences. 1) No Republican supports them. 2) The far-right extremists seem to know more about biology and have more respect for the unborn. 3) The Communists/aka Democratic Socialists are much wealthier and better funded. and are supported by many well-known Democrats like Bernie, the Squad, Ro Khanna, and Kamala Harris.
Both groups decry capitalism, oligarchs, police, ICE and the current war with Iran because it doesn't benefit their goals for chaos and their lies.
Both groups hate Jews, Israel, and Trump. Tread softly if you are a Democrat. You are losing your party, your values and your minds.
If you can obtain a history book published before 1980, you'll see that USSR and Nazi Germany were cooperating (also included Islamists) to take over the world, then they began attacking each other. The USSR/Communists were far more lethal and killed millions more than the Nazis. Particularly Christians. They are now coming in the back door to achieve what they didn't in the 1940s. History hasn't been taught in our schools for about 40 years, so that's several generations of impaired high school and college graduates.
There are a few differences. 1) No Republican supports them. 2) The far-right extremists seem to know more about biology and have more respect for the unborn. 3) The Communists/aka Democratic Socialists are much wealthier and better funded. and are supported by many well-known Democrats like Bernie, the Squad, Ro Khanna, and Kamala Harris.
Both groups decry capitalism, oligarchs, police, ICE and the current war with Iran because it doesn't benefit their goals for chaos and their lies.
Both groups hate Jews, Israel, and Trump. Tread softly if you are a Democrat. You are losing your party, your values and your minds.
If you can obtain a history book published before 1980, you'll see that USSR and Nazi Germany were cooperating (also included Islamists) to take over the world, then they began attacking each other. The USSR/Communists were far more lethal and killed millions more than the Nazis. Particularly Christians. They are now coming in the back door to achieve what they didn't in the 1940s. History hasn't been taught in our schools for about 40 years, so that's several generations of impaired high school and college graduates.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
The plot to disrupt the UFC event
So, what are we to make of this? Will the Democrats cheer? They defend the leftists when they try to kill Trump, but if this had been successful many Democrats also would have been killed. Also, the perps appear to be far right wing nuts, evil to the core. Takes over that space of the far left success rate at being anarchists with the chatter about oligarchs and billionaires ruining our democracy. Has the far right been co-opted by the far left? Is Hollywood bankrolling them, too?
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Rt. 66 playing cards--or why old people have memory problems
This morning I noticed something colorful on the kitchen shelf--in the cookie jar, which is not used for cookies but which I keep as a souvenir of my childhood. It was a pack of Route 66 playing cards which I must have bought at Phippen Museum near Prescott, Arizona, where Bob's brother Rick lives. 2026 is the 100th anniversary of that road on which millions have travelled. Including me in 1945. I suppose I should open it; the art looks memorable.
We need our daughter to help us keep track of our present and our future, the odds and ends of directions, cords that don't seem to match any appliance or computer, the stacks of bills, the confusing schedules of exercise classes, meetings on Zoom, Bible studies, social gatherings and medications. One of the reasons I struggle to remember is because there's just too much disconnected "stuff" up there crowding out what I need today, like travelling the old Lincoln Highway westward and the newer Rt. 66 going east, 15 states, from the backseat of a 1939 Ford during WWII.
We need our daughter to help us keep track of our present and our future, the odds and ends of directions, cords that don't seem to match any appliance or computer, the stacks of bills, the confusing schedules of exercise classes, meetings on Zoom, Bible studies, social gatherings and medications. One of the reasons I struggle to remember is because there's just too much disconnected "stuff" up there crowding out what I need today, like travelling the old Lincoln Highway westward and the newer Rt. 66 going east, 15 states, from the backseat of a 1939 Ford during WWII.
Tuesday, June 09, 2026
Romans 3:9-20--a good confession
While Romans 3:9–20 is not a standalone hymn, it is a foundational text in Christian worship. It is read in liturgies, preached upon, and often followed by hymns that echo its message. Its frequent appearance in hymn collections and liturgical programs shows its enduring role in expressing the reality of human sin and the need for God’s grace. Bible Hub
"What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. Psalm 14:3 and Psalm 53:3
All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalms 14:3 and 53:3
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” Psalm 5:9 and 140:3
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.” Psalm 140:3
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” Psalm 10:7
“Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” Isaiah 59:7–8
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Psalm 36:1
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. Psalm 14:3 and Psalm 53:3
All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalms 14:3 and 53:3
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” Psalm 5:9 and 140:3
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.” Psalm 140:3
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” Psalm 10:7
“Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” Isaiah 59:7–8
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Psalm 36:1
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Monday, June 08, 2026
Testimony from our niece Kimberly
June 8th, 2025, I stood in the ocean (purposely waited for an ocean baptism as it’s always been my connection to God since I began surfing back in March of 2014) and made a public declaration to give my life to Christ.
I didn’t grow up in faith. I grew unaware, celebrating beautiful holidays and rituals but I didn’t have a relationship with God, let alone Jesus.
I denied anything and anyone that spoke of Jesus being real, the gospel, and organized religion. It was off putting and seemed hypocritical at times.
I was a very emotional kid and even through most of my life, allowing emotions to run the show. Then I spent years in Vedanta philosophy trying to logic my way through life, trying to make sense of every single thing before I could move forward. And while it gave me tools to sharpen my critical thinking skills and discernment, it also gave me a level of analysis paralysis and, eventually, an arrogance I didn’t even see coming. I thought I was getting smarter and was actually just getting stuck in 2 areas of my life (stories for another time).
My come-to-Jesus moment wasn’t graceful. It was July 2024. It was the kind of crying you see in movies — completely uncontrollable, hands in the air, snotting, sobbing myself to sleep. I told God if He was real, I needed Him to show me. Like yesterday. I’d surrendered before in my life, but not like this. Not with this kind of total release of control, opening myself to something I had never believed in and had barely even understood.
But I kept showing up. I said yes to churches, yes to life groups, yes to people, yes to questions, yes to the parts of the Bible that made me uncomfortable, yes to the parts I didn’t fully understand yet. And the more I said yes, the more I realized: I didn’t need to understand everything anymore. That was the shift. I didn’t need to lean on my own understanding. I just needed to trust. (Proverbs 3:5-7)
I got baptized as a public declaration. I tried to keep my expectations at bay because I didn’t really know what to expect. And honestly? Nothing dramatic happened that day. No lightning bolt. No revelation. But what happened a month later changed everything
A few hours later, I was in the ocean on my birthday, paddling in from a session, when a clean-up set came through. A surfer came charging down the line with no intention of moving regardless of my etiquette and his room to be able to do something different. His fin sliced clean through my left pointer finger. I came up out of the water and looked down at skin completely split open. White. I thought it was bone.
And instead of panic in the water, injured, still needing to get back to shore — I remembered the pastor’s words. I remembered Proverbs 3:5-7. I remembered the man who said he felt called to pray for me that week. Wave after wave, I made it in. A friend from the surf community I don’t even talk to regularly drove me to urgent care. A doctor was impressed with how calm I was despite telling him the remains of what he was probably going to endure with me passing out. I put one hand on my chest, one on my belly, closed my eyes, breathed, and just trusted.
No passing out. No panic. Just peace. Peace doesn’t mean I wasn’t scared or wanted some sort of certainty of what was to come. It’s means I trusted. I was safe. And it was ok that I didn’t know. It was a moment but it didn’t ruin the day. I still made it to my birthday dinner. Only two hours late.
I go to sleep every night saying “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and shun evil.”
There was no single lightning bolt moment the day I got baptized. But there has been, and continues to be, transformation — a slow, steady, unshakable kind — that started the moment I stopped needing to understand everything and started choosing to trust instead. That’s what baptism meant to me. Not a moment. A direction. A deep surrender to faith.
An ultimate trust in God. I never understood "my Lord and savior". Now I can't imagine my life without Him.
I didn’t grow up in faith. I grew unaware, celebrating beautiful holidays and rituals but I didn’t have a relationship with God, let alone Jesus.
I denied anything and anyone that spoke of Jesus being real, the gospel, and organized religion. It was off putting and seemed hypocritical at times.
I was a very emotional kid and even through most of my life, allowing emotions to run the show. Then I spent years in Vedanta philosophy trying to logic my way through life, trying to make sense of every single thing before I could move forward. And while it gave me tools to sharpen my critical thinking skills and discernment, it also gave me a level of analysis paralysis and, eventually, an arrogance I didn’t even see coming. I thought I was getting smarter and was actually just getting stuck in 2 areas of my life (stories for another time).
My come-to-Jesus moment wasn’t graceful. It was July 2024. It was the kind of crying you see in movies — completely uncontrollable, hands in the air, snotting, sobbing myself to sleep. I told God if He was real, I needed Him to show me. Like yesterday. I’d surrendered before in my life, but not like this. Not with this kind of total release of control, opening myself to something I had never believed in and had barely even understood.
But I kept showing up. I said yes to churches, yes to life groups, yes to people, yes to questions, yes to the parts of the Bible that made me uncomfortable, yes to the parts I didn’t fully understand yet. And the more I said yes, the more I realized: I didn’t need to understand everything anymore. That was the shift. I didn’t need to lean on my own understanding. I just needed to trust. (Proverbs 3:5-7)
I got baptized as a public declaration. I tried to keep my expectations at bay because I didn’t really know what to expect. And honestly? Nothing dramatic happened that day. No lightning bolt. No revelation. But what happened a month later changed everything
.
On my birthday — July 6th — I woke up to an email from my church with Proverbs 3:5-6 in it. The same scripture that had been following me around for months. I got to church that morning and a guest pastor from Texas opened by talking about his severe anxiety, his panic disorder, his history with suicidal tendencies, and how his worth had become wrapped up in why God hadn’t healed him. Then he talked about watching a child drown in the ocean as a kid and never going past shin deep in the water again his entire life. There's a beautiful life and evolution to this pastor, and I could honestly listen to him talk for days and regardless of his anxiety, he still helps so many people. What a beautiful story.
That same morning, before I paddled out to surf, a man I didn’t know leaned over in the row behind me and said he felt called to pray for me that week.
On my birthday — July 6th — I woke up to an email from my church with Proverbs 3:5-6 in it. The same scripture that had been following me around for months. I got to church that morning and a guest pastor from Texas opened by talking about his severe anxiety, his panic disorder, his history with suicidal tendencies, and how his worth had become wrapped up in why God hadn’t healed him. Then he talked about watching a child drown in the ocean as a kid and never going past shin deep in the water again his entire life. There's a beautiful life and evolution to this pastor, and I could honestly listen to him talk for days and regardless of his anxiety, he still helps so many people. What a beautiful story.
That same morning, before I paddled out to surf, a man I didn’t know leaned over in the row behind me and said he felt called to pray for me that week.
A few hours later, I was in the ocean on my birthday, paddling in from a session, when a clean-up set came through. A surfer came charging down the line with no intention of moving regardless of my etiquette and his room to be able to do something different. His fin sliced clean through my left pointer finger. I came up out of the water and looked down at skin completely split open. White. I thought it was bone.
And instead of panic in the water, injured, still needing to get back to shore — I remembered the pastor’s words. I remembered Proverbs 3:5-7. I remembered the man who said he felt called to pray for me that week. Wave after wave, I made it in. A friend from the surf community I don’t even talk to regularly drove me to urgent care. A doctor was impressed with how calm I was despite telling him the remains of what he was probably going to endure with me passing out. I put one hand on my chest, one on my belly, closed my eyes, breathed, and just trusted.
No passing out. No panic. Just peace. Peace doesn’t mean I wasn’t scared or wanted some sort of certainty of what was to come. It’s means I trusted. I was safe. And it was ok that I didn’t know. It was a moment but it didn’t ruin the day. I still made it to my birthday dinner. Only two hours late.
I go to sleep every night saying “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and shun evil.”
There was no single lightning bolt moment the day I got baptized. But there has been, and continues to be, transformation — a slow, steady, unshakable kind — that started the moment I stopped needing to understand everything and started choosing to trust instead. That’s what baptism meant to me. Not a moment. A direction. A deep surrender to faith.
An ultimate trust in God. I never understood "my Lord and savior". Now I can't imagine my life without Him.
Enjoying the tree tops at Blacklick Woods
Last week's trip by Estates residents to Columbus metro park Blacklick Woods was cancelled due to bad storms, but our hardy group had a gorgeous day of 80 degrees and beautiful sunshine June 3 to see the Canopy Walk through the tall trees rising 40 feet. It had an elevator and was ADA accessible. Don't miss this spectacular sight/site in Reynoldsburg, OH.
Sunday, June 07, 2026
Ablation is not oblation
Sharing time. It's Sunday, June 7, and this item is related to that. I often hear OBLATION and ABLATION mixed up/confused. An OBLATION is a religious term--an act of praise or worship. An ABLATION is a surgical term--like a heart ablation when something is removed or corrected through surgery. You may not need to know this so scroll on, but I just needed to share.
AI data centers in central Ohio
I heard yet another story on Spectrum this morning (local news) about the central Ohio small towns concerned about AI data centers. Hearings, with passion on both (or more) sides. I have a simple answer. The data centers should cover the costs of the water and electricity not only their increase, but cover all the costs for everyone in the city boundaries/limits. Seems fair. If they are going to change the town/environment, then pay for it. If AI is that big a deal and all the venture capitalists are diving in, why not share?
Tuesday, June 02, 2026
Pope Leo on AI
Last night I looked through ENCYCLICAL LETTER MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV ON SAFEGUARDING THE HUMAN PERSON IN THE TIME OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. Full Text of ‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Read Pope Leo XIV’s First Encyclical| National Catholic Register I do recommend it whether or not you are Catholic and whether or not you like this Pope. AI is mushrooming/exploding and will affect us no matter what the Pope, President or Prime Minister thinks or does. It's coming at us faster than anyone anticipated. And there are moral and spiritual implications. No other Christian institution has the power and authority to speak to the secular world. And in Christian parlance, "world" is the entity that constantly is opposing God's will, so who better to issue an Encyclical on the topic?
At first glance there are too many squishy words like discernment, process and transparency for my taste, and not to be too picky, but when was slavery abolished? There are probably over 50 million slaves in the world now, millions more than in the 18th century, so it seems a bit parochial to claim it was abolished. And I did stop long enough to read three paragraphs which proposed to explain "dignity" and was lulled to sleep. (51-53) The several paragraphs on the role of education made me wonder if Pope Leo knows in the U.S. education system basic biology is still a battle between our political parties.
By paragraph 184 he gets to the "therefore," one of St. Paul's favorite words.
At first glance there are too many squishy words like discernment, process and transparency for my taste, and not to be too picky, but when was slavery abolished? There are probably over 50 million slaves in the world now, millions more than in the 18th century, so it seems a bit parochial to claim it was abolished. And I did stop long enough to read three paragraphs which proposed to explain "dignity" and was lulled to sleep. (51-53) The several paragraphs on the role of education made me wonder if Pope Leo knows in the U.S. education system basic biology is still a battle between our political parties.
By paragraph 184 he gets to the "therefore," one of St. Paul's favorite words.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
United States refining capacity
Why have no U.S. refineries been built in 50 years? Certainly, it's not Trump's fault. The short answer is extremists attached to the Democrat Party. At least, that's how I interpreted the co-pilot answer.
Co-pilot (AI) "The combination of STRICT ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, high capital costs, uncertain future demand, and federal policies FAVORING REDUCED PETROLEUM USE has effectively halted the construction of new major oil refineries in the U.S. for nearly five decades. Existing refineries continue to be upgraded to meet demand, but new greenfield projects remain economically and politically challenging."
Between 2000- 2022, "the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has entered into 37 settlements covering 112 refineries across 32 states with companies that control more than 95% of total U.S. refining capacity, according to a database of EPA enforcement actions. ' https://www.insights-global.com/the-us-hasnt-built-a-major-oil-refinery-in-nearly-50-years-heres-why/?
So, the next time a Democrat complains about the price of gasoline, remind her of all those clean air regs and the green new deal.
Co-pilot (AI) "The combination of STRICT ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, high capital costs, uncertain future demand, and federal policies FAVORING REDUCED PETROLEUM USE has effectively halted the construction of new major oil refineries in the U.S. for nearly five decades. Existing refineries continue to be upgraded to meet demand, but new greenfield projects remain economically and politically challenging."
Between 2000- 2022, "the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has entered into 37 settlements covering 112 refineries across 32 states with companies that control more than 95% of total U.S. refining capacity, according to a database of EPA enforcement actions. ' https://www.insights-global.com/the-us-hasnt-built-a-major-oil-refinery-in-nearly-50-years-heres-why/?
So, the next time a Democrat complains about the price of gasoline, remind her of all those clean air regs and the green new deal.
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