Which would you prefer: pay more money to Iran to terrorize us?

Ross Rant (investment letter) reports: "Many people decry the war as disrupting the market or the economy and isn’t this terrible. The Dems and media take every opportunity to attack Trump and declare the war illegal or by choice or whatever. Yes, it was by choice. The real question is, would you prefer to have a few months of economic disruption or Iran with nukes and permanent control of Hormuz. It is that simple. If we were to follow the Obama/Biden policies of paying money to Iran, and letting them build up their proxy forces, and terrorist networks then the damage to the US would be far greater over time. Trump took a decision that had to made to save the world and Israel from a far more dangerous and risky history. There is no question if he had not acted in June and now, it would have been too late. The Dems and media hate Trump so much they are blind to reality of the world beyond US politics. The Obama policies toward Iran, followed by Biden, were enablers of terror and of nuclear blackmail and potential devastation. The JPOCA deal was the most irresponsible treaty ever signed since Munich in 1938, and was done so despite Netanyahu coming to Congress to say so. He was right then. The parallels are very obvious which is why I consistently say today is 1938 2.0."

My thoughts exactly. Obama got us here, now someone needs to stop empowering Iran to be a military and nuclear power. If you think Dems in Congress are outraged now, imagine how they'd rage at Trump if Iran lobbed a few bombs into Hawaii or California. I haven't forgotten how they blamed Bush for not stopping 9/11, or even pausing to think when he was told the news during a visit to a classroom.

Chatting with Copilot about its dependence on Wikipedia

There's a huge pull-down world map in our multi-purpose room. While waiting for a class one day I asked (no one in particular) I wonder how many languages are spoken in Indonesia. One woman, born in India, guessed 4 or 5. I said, maybe a thousand or more. Here's the answer from Translatorswithoutborders  https://translatorswithoutborders.org/language-data-for-indonesia?   

"There are over 800 languages spoken in Indonesia according to the 2010 census. Other sources consider several of these to be dialects of the same language, and show the number of unique languages being closer to 700. By all estimates, Indonesia is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. Indonesian (locally referred to as Bahasa Indonesia) is the primary lingua franca. Indonesian is spoken by over 94% of the population, but it is the primary language of only 20% of the population. Javanese (Jawa) is the most common primary language, spoken by over 30% of the population. The maps, documents, and datasets below provide information about languages spoken throughout the country."

I'll accept that, but I had a long chat with Copilot and I told it I was flunking it. I switched to another platform (?) because it kept taking the Wikipedia short cut.

The nervous Nellies in the Republican party (written to them)

I expect Democrats to be hypocrite socialists and to be all prissy and shocked face at Trump's language, even though they feel entitled to cheer at the outcomes of sanctuary cities, putting our nation in peril with the results of their illegals invasion, maiming children, soaring costs of everything and marching for the assassination attempts (aka NoKings Day) on our president's life.

But I do draw the line at hearing that same shock and outrage about his language (on EASTER no less) from so-called Conservatives who have never really been his fans, but have reluctantly enjoyed his policy successes. Well, gosh and golly ladies, have you never been on a construction site, or in a bar or even a Buckeyes or NFL game? No one worries about language while worshiping those idols. Have you never felt shame at how your girlfriends carry on (often about each other) after a few glasses of wine or think it's cute to be a potty mouth in public just to impress someone? What a bunch of phonies! You didn't elect a Pope, you elected a President.

You knew going into this that the garbage truck he was driving during the campaign was full of political Dem SH*% and he would shed blood for doing it. You watched the Dems charge him with 34 felonies on a fake misdemeanor, and that 99% of the media were against him. Did you think this was a garden party?

You knew, you shaking in your boots conservatives, or should have, that for almost 50 years Iran was trying to destroy Israel and us and was supporting Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis as proxies. Those navy and army and ground forces Trump is blowing up was paid for by Obama with our blessings. Obama got all this going by enabling their buildup of power, now able to reach us here. Obama, btw, stayed at war for 8 years, and you're getting puny and sickly after 4 weeks?

Do you want to go back to being fired for your pronouns and having your churches closed because Trump's got bad language when talking about war? Gracious, put on your big girl pants and stop being such cry babies. Yes, you Conservatives. Democrats are lost. Now get back on the horse and stop slipping off on the left side.

Happy 100th Birthday, Helen

Helen is a member of our church, UALC, Sunday School class and Thursday Bible Study is turning 100.  She still lives in her own home and until recently was driving herself to church. We plan to have a birthday cake tomorrow after Maundy Thursday services.  Happy Birthday, Helen.  We love you.

Fish is good for elderly

This is good news. Since moving to the Estates I've never eaten so much fish. . .

"Eating fish, already known to be good for your heart, may also help protect your bones against osteoporosis—but the interactions between the fats found in fish and bone mass are complicated, according to new research. Scientists from Tufts, Northeastern, Harvard and Boston University took a fresh look at data from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study following 623 older adults (average age 75) over four years. In general, those with the highest fish intake (three or more weekly servings), especially darker-fleshed fish, experienced lower loss of bone density.

Darker-fleshed fish, which are highest in the healthy omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, include salmon, mackerel, sardines, swordfish and bluefish. Although some of these fish, such as mackerel and swordfish, raise red flags for possible mercury contamination, this is less of a concern for the older people most at risk of osteoporosis than for pregnant and nursing women."

From the Tufts free newsletter. https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/?

Bad weather tonight, March 26

Columbus Dispatch reports:

A cold front bringing severe weather is expected to travel from northern Ohio south/southeast into central and eastern Ohio during the late nighttime hours of March 26 and into the early morning hours of March 27.

Temperatures hit 78 after 5 p.m. March 26, and temperatures are expected to plunge to the 30s overnight, according to weather service. During the evening and overnight, thunderstorms will move through the area.

The thunderstorms could come with damaging winds, large hail and "very heavy" rainfall, the NWS said in a hazardous weather outlook. Isolated tornadoes could occur early in the development of the storms, and localized heavy rainfall could cause flooding, the NWS said.

Whelmed midwife

Learned two facts about words this morning. A male midwife is the correct term for a male medical professional who assists with birthing, And whelm is a real verb and when you overdo it, you are overwhelmed. Whelm means to cover or engulf. I saw it in a hymn, . . so if you've got too many syllables to use overwhelmed, you can make do with just whelmed. English is amazing, It has more words than any other language, probably because the sun never set on the Union Jack.

Airport lines are a pattern for Democrats

Pity the poor folks at the mercy of the Democrats in Congress--standing in line for hours at airports, victims of their hatred for Trump. Worse than the fatigue and the missed connections is the danger the Democrats are imposing on the nation. Such a messy history of malevolent beliefs--supporters of slavery, designers of Jim Crow. advocates for lynching, supporters of poverty programs that resulted in generations dependent on government for life, calling abortion "freedom" for women, and mind-bending lies about sexuality that promote castration for boys and mastectomies for girls in the name of "mental health." They are sick and demented, but demand loyalty and money from their party members (but no ID).

Jodie Minnick Strickland obituary

Today I learned of the death of Jodie Strickland, my cousin Evelyn's daughter. 

"Jodie Louise Strickland (Minnick), 67, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2026, in Summerville, South Carolina. Born on November 8, 1958, in Alexandria, Virginia, Jodie lived a life defined by love, creativity, and unwavering faith.

Jodie earned her Associate's degree in Nursing from Isothermal Community College. Her dedication to caring for others extended beyond her professional life and was evident in the way she nurtured her family and friends. A devoted mother above all else, Jodie's love for her daughters Kristina Smith (Carl) and Julie Jennemann (Stephen) was boundless. She cherished her grandchildren Claire Raines and Griffin Raines, who brought immense joy to her life. Her significant other and best friend, Keith Dabney, stood steadfastly by her side as a source of love and support.

Jodie is also survived by her brother Gery Martin (Ava); nephews John Minnick (and his children), Steven Minnick (and his son), and David Minnick, Sister in-law Mary Brown; as well as many others who were touched by her kindness and strength. She was predeceased by her parents Evelyn Minnick Morris and Ershel Leroy Minnick; siblings Lorrie Passailaigue, Larry Minnick, Lonnie Minnick, Jim Minnick, and Jay Carter; and her beloved son Daniel Edward Jeffords. . . "

Continued at Jodie Strickland Obituary February 20, 2026 - Legacy.com

Jodie was the daughter of my cousin, Evelyn Corbett.  Her stepdaughter Misty who lives in North Carolina was not mentioned in the obituary.  She added some other memories on Facebook. I "met" Misty through Facebook when Jodie was married to Billy Strickland, Misty's father. I don't know the details, and didn't know of Jodie's death until I saw it on Misty's FB page,

"Jodie was married to my dad, Billy Strickland, for 15 years. They met when I was 12 years old back in 2000, and for over two decades she was part of our family and part of our lives. She lived here in North Carolina for 25 years.

She was in the delivery room when I gave birth to my son, Haden Oliver, who gave her the title of “Meme.” She was also there when I gave birth to Skylar Oliver. Those are moments I will always remember, and I pray my kids hold on to those amazing memories as well. Jodie was also the very first person I told when I found out I was going to be a mommy.

She loved doing crafts, playing cards, and creating things with her hands. She loved cooking, especially during the holidays and making big breakfasts for everyone. She always went all out for birthdays and every holiday.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Billy Strickland. She also cherished her little poodle, Dolly, who she loved dearly. It brings comfort to think that she is now reunited with her again.

No family is perfect, but the memories and moments we shared will always be part of my story. People may change, but memories don’t." Misty Strickland Richardson 

Six syllables three lines, a poem about the Estates

6 syllables 3 lines, my neighbors

Bunny, Bev, Bonnie, Bev,

Barbara, Barbara,

Barbara, Barbara.


Barbara and Betty,

Bob, Bill, Bob, Bill, Bob, Clare.

Cola, Carole, Carol.


Carolyn, Carolyn,

Carrie, Chris, Constantine,

Diana, Dave, Dennis.


David, Dottie, Dorothy.

Ernie, Eva, Eve, Frank,

Gilda, Howard, Harry.


Jean, Joe, Jack and Janet,

Jan, Jim, Joyce, Jeraline,

Jacqueline, Joann, Jack;


Judy, Jean, Joyce, Janet.

John, Kathy, Kay, Laura,

Linda, Lou, Mort, Mary,


Martine, Marcie, Milly,

Marilyn, Margaret,

Marie, Mary, Marie.


Norma and Noretta,

Norma, Patricia, Paul,

Patsy, Pat, Priscilla.


Richard, Roseanne, Ruth Ann,

Ray, Richard, Rosemary,

Rena, Shirley, Sandy,


Sharon, Sue and Sandra.

Thomas, Terry, Terrence,

Tom, Tex, Victor, Vonceil.

We're planning an April poetry event.  I used the resident list for February for this syllabic poem, and to some I've already said good-bye. As you can see, names go with generations. 

A beautiful, but unusual baptism

An unusual baptism. They are all special, but yesterday I saw something different. Sweet little guy. Hair combed. Wiggling and smiling, but not screaming. Relatives filling the 2 front pews. As the pastor put his hand in the water, he stopped and asked an usher to bring in some cool water. It was too hot to baptize! We continued with our part and soon the water was carried in and the sacrament was completed.