Worth A Watch

I listen to the Commentary Magazine podcast, usually each morning. It's full of smart people of often differing opinions analyzing current events, with a positive Jewish perspective. One feature of the program, towards the end of the stream, has several times proved valuable to me--their "recommendations" for books, movies, and television shows.

Most recently I heard the one of the podcasters offer praise for an Apple TV+ show, For All Mankind. Since Apple TV+ is the only streaming service I subscribe to, and I'm always in search of worthy viewing fare, I started watching it. I'm still watching it, often in binge mode. It's been less than a week, but I've already completed Season 1 and started Season 2.

The plot involves the NASA space program beginning with the first moon landing, but with a twist. That twist changes all of our American history and much of the world's as well. For viewers of my generation, it's what we would've called "mind-bending."

The golden age of American space exploration is a favorite of mine, so I'm predisposed to enjoy the show. But aside from my personal bias, the production is first rate. The main characters wrestle their personal challenges within the deftly captured aura of their time. Acting, costumes, set design, and soundtracks are all spot on. 

While there isn't a lot of music, the song played is always perfect for the scene. That artistic discernment always hooks me.

It appears that Season 5 of For All Mankind is delayed. Since I just started watching Season 2, I can be patient. I'm just glad they are keeping the show going. These days it's rare to find something worth watching on TV.

Season 5 coming soon.

Opinions on the News

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." 

~ John Adams, 2^nd President of the United States of America

There is a plethora of depressing news these days. Below, in no particular order, are my own thoughts on six concerning situations in today's current events.

1.    The pope should stay out of American politics. When he opens up the Vatican City gates to unfettered immigration, then he will be entitled to criticize our country.

2.    The Department of Justice should stop talking and start arresting suspected offenders. I don't pay the slightest attention to anything the DOJ says anymore, and I won't until they take action.

3.    Blue City mayors should try enforcing the law rather than supporting the criminals. It's impossible to take them seriously until they do so.

4.    Any candidate for public office who advocates for the murder of his/her opponent--and their children--should immediately be ousted from the competition. The fact that this is even a topic of discussion illustrates how far we, as a country, have fallen.

5.    I'll vote in California's special election about redistricting, but I don't fool myself that it will make any impact whatsoever. Based on results of past votes, California's politicians have already planned the outcome and will do as they please. 

6.   New York City--NYC!!--is about to elect an Islamic Communist as mayor, less than a quarter century after September 11, 2001. Let that sink in.

Considering today's alarming headlines, I find it very sad that the Founding Fathers of the United States wouldn't recognize the place.

Gen. George Washington in prayer at Valley Forge, PA ~ American Revolutionary War

Heavenly Helpers

 “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”

Psalm 91:11

Today is the feast of the Archangels on the Church calendar. Each of the three angels honored today have specific assignments with humanity, according to the Bible.

Michael is revealed as the protector; Gabriel is the communicator; Raphael is the healer. I can't think of an era in history when they all were more needed. Perhaps, especially in our morally troubled times, Michael is critically necessary.

The St. Michael Prayer was written by Pope Leo XIII in the 19th century following a vision of demons released from hell to wreak havoc on Earth and St. Michael's ongoing battle against them. The short, popular version of the prayer appears below. It was recited at the end of Mass until the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Many Catholic churches still pray it at the end of mass, including both my children's parishes. 

The much longer, detailed version of the St. Michael Prayer is in this link.

Saint Michael Prayer

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

September 29 ~ The Feast of Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael

Well Said

An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told. - William Shakespeare

Now, having listened to the entire speech by President Trump at the UN this week, I find little to disagree with in what he said. He laid down several what the British might call "home truths."

It is true that Europeans are sacrificing their nations and heritages to uncontrolled immigration. It is true that "green" is not the best way to go in every circumstance. It is true that we in the West need to call out enemies promoting ongoing war and destruction.

It's past time to confront the global nonsense. Like him or not, I think President Trump did that very well.

President Trump addresses U.N. General Assembly - FULL SPEECH

The Ageless War

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ~ Ephesians 6:12

I've been blessed with many years, and I've seen a lot of history unfold. Many assassinations and attempted assassinations, wars, riots, terrorist attacks, mass murders, coups, cultural revolutions and institutional corruption have all been disturbing facets of my life experience.

But I've never witnessed anything quite like the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination.

There were media figures reporting that they first got the shocking news through their teenagers, who called them immediately frantic for information on Charlie's condition. Although I didn't follow Charlie Kirk closely, of course I had heard him speak. If you follow conservative media, as I do, he was unavoidable the past few years. I was devastated at his death, and at first, I couldn't quite figure out why it affected me so deeply.

But then I watched the reactions unfold--the grief-stricken fans and followers, and the hate-filled opponents. The latter spilled the most venomous, evil filth I've ever heard or read after an assassination. I later learned that my own teenaged grandson was grieving Kirk's death. The impact of Charlie Kirk's death began to make sense.

This murder was personal to millions of Americans--especially the youth. The opposing extremes of reactions outlined in stark relief the ideological divides that split our country. It was instantly obvious that we are immersed in spiritual warfare: faith against secularism, free speech against totalitarianism, education against indoctrination, charity against selfishness--good against evil. I was sad not only for Charlie's death and his family, but for the loss of his future to help heal the dangerous division in our country by teaching young people our national values so effectively.

Charlie Kirk was reaching young Americans in countless numbers. Reports are that churches across the country were overflowing on Sunday. Thousands of additional colleges and high schools nationwide have applied for Turning Point USA (TPUSA) memberships in the past week. So many people, young and old, across the country are asking what they can do next in Charlie's honor to make this a better world. People are galvanized and inspired to take positive action. It's a glimmer of hope for the USA.

I signed up as a monthly donor to TPUSA, and I'm considering what I can do next. As the Bible promises, God can bring good from anything. Believe it.

Click for The History of the St. Michael Prayer

A Day for Remembering

Hell is empty, and all the devils are here. ~ Wm. Shakespeare, The Tempest

9/11 Memorial ~ New York City

The Death of A Patriot

Well done, good and faithful servant. ~ Matt 25:23

Charlie Kirk evangelized the values of faith, family, and love of country better than any influencer of his generation. The inspiring story of Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk started when he was a teenager and built into a national institution, is a powerful force through which he presented his Christian faith and the founding principles of United States to the youth of America.

Charlie Kirk was a happy warrior. While he was firm in making his points, Charlie was always respectful to those he debated and optimistic about the future. He was plain-spoken, honest, and unafraid to bring facts and speak the truth. By his symbiotic connection with so many college students and all young people, he was educating the next generation to see conservative values in a new way, a way they had never been shown. Charlie Kirk was changing young minds.

For all those reasons, Charlie Kirk was murdered today on a college campus in Utah. That's the state of today's USA; if we don't like what you say, we will kill you. Any outspoken conservative who believes in faith, family, and country is fair game. 

We can't continue as the United States of America in this condition. I don't believe we will. Something has changed in the country today. It was, in fact, a turning point. I think most US citizens know that we all need to speak out for our values as fearlessly Charlie Kirk did, or we don't survive as a nation. 

Time will tell if we have the courage to meet this moment. I hope we can do Charlie proud.

Rest in peace.

Ignorance in Office

Well, this is more than a bit disturbing. Apparently, we have a sitting United States senator who has never read the Declaration of Independence. Or, if he has read it, he doesn't believe a word of it. How frightening for the country.

Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia asserts that our rights come from government--not from God, as is clearly stated in our founding document. Kaine likens the primary foundational principle of our nation to the philosophy of Iran's mullah dictators. He completely ignores the fact that there are four distinct and direct references to God written into the text of the Declaration of Independence. Our Creator endows us with "certain unalienable Rights."

Sen. Kaine evidently thinks he knows better. God help us. 

The opening and the final paragraphs of the US Declaration of Independence

References to God are highlighted

Unseen News

Coverage of the European protests against illegal immigration is ignored by American media. However, if you have an X account (thank you, Elon Musk), you'll see increasingly frequent postings about the growing crowds of native citizens demanding that their corrupted, globalist governments return control of their countries to them.

Just type "Europe protests" in the X search field and you'll get up-to-the-minute information on this weekend's protests across Europe. Even Australia and Japan have had enough. It's interesting that the news organizations aren't covering the immigration protests, at least here in the US so far. But with media coverage or not, these events certainly are news.

Snip from "X" posting - August 31, 2025

Cleaning Countdown

I've begun work on one of my primary retirement goals. In Sweden, they call it "death cleaning."

At first that may sound a bit grim, but when you reflect a while it makes perfect sense. You don't want your children/heirs to be stuck rummaging through all your collected garbage (that's what most of it will be to them). I know this for a fact, because my siblings and I had to clean out more than 70 years of accumulated belongings that my dear mother left behind.

I called my mother's desk "the land that time forgot." I found drapery receipts from 1948, memorial prayer cards going back to the 1930s, canceled checks that were 50 years old. In her later years, Mom had become so fearful of identity theft that she refused to throw out a single piece of mail. For more than two decades, she stuffed all her mail into plastic grocery bags that were so tightly knotted I needed scissors to open them. She had shoved all the bags underneath her queen-sized bed. Every square inch of underbed flooring was jammed with mail bags; you could have removed the boxspring and the mattress wouldn't have descended an inch.

Friends would often suggest just throwing out the bags without opening them. But there was the occasional stock certificate nestled in the midst of junk mail, necessitating my going through all paper--which included completely impersonal flyers for the HOA's Fourth of July picnic 20 years before. (Why, Mom?? Why??)

I remember actually talking to her in the midst of this many days-long task, asking "Who did you think was going to clean up this mess, Mom?" If God allows me enough time, I'm determined to prevent my kids from voicing similar frustrations over my detritus.

Therefore, I've begun my death cleaning with timid, tentative steps. The mismatched Tupperware is gone, along with baby dishware that my pre-teen grandkids have many years outgrown. Gone, too, are Christmas decorations that haven't been touched in more than 20 years. Heaps of office clothing, untouched in retirement, are boxed up and ready for my next run. My local Goodwill store volunteers have recently been excited to see my car pull up.

I've started picking at the photos, but that's a gargantuan chore that will take months to organize. Meanwhile, I'll keep chipping away at closets and drawers. There are more than enough forgotten stray items that I've squirreled away to keep me motivated to fill my recycle bin. (For example, last week I found some 1980s thank-you notes from people I don't remember!) 

There is a light and airy feeling to this decluttering project. One caveat I've quickly learned is to set aside anything that tugs at heartstrings to keep for further consideration. The rest of the junk? Dump it! I'd prefer that my children not be left wondering "Why was Mom saving this?" Let the death cleaning continue, and hopefully I'll have a few years to enjoy my streamlined home.